Throwback Thursday: Things That Make Me Happy
Thursday July 4, 2019 | By Hieronymus Hawkes | Blogging | Leave Comments
This is a flashback to May 15, 2012. And remarkably it is all still valid. Kindness has moved up the list, not that it was in any particular order. And I'll add that I like being semi-retired. Happy 4th!
I was reading Chuck Wendig’s blog, Terribleminds, this morning and he mentioned something about avoiding negativity and to keep things positive. Talk about things you like, he said, so I am going to make a list of things I like. This is not a comprehensive list or in any particular order, just things that came to mind this morning. Keep in mind that I got up at 5:30 A.M., and I’m a bit groggy.
Things that make the happy:
-I like being married. I love my wife. That’s an easy one, but I actually like her too. She’s very concerned about making our lives better all the time, and she rarely slows down. I wish she would take more “me” time frankly, but it makes her happy to take care of her family. She’s extremely smart and is usually way better than average at anything she devotes time to. She is a great caregiver for our kids, and they have turned out pretty awesome so far (they could always take an ugly turn off the road into the deep chasm, but so far they are turning into awesome adults, that I actually like to spend time with.) (more…)
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5 Things I Hate About Writing
Friday June 28, 2019 | By Hieronymus Hawkes | Blogging | Leave Comments
First of all, our school systems do a poor job of teaching English. It basically makes people hate studying the language and how to write it better. Grammar? Bleh. How do you get past this? People still write, but it seems like most of those people do so because they can’t stop themselves. I wonder how many more people would be writing if they weren’t made to hate it in High School. When I decided to take it seriously, I had a lot of education to undertake. It spurred me to get a Master’s degree, simply to fill in the gaping potholes in my skillset. I still ended up taking an undergraduate class in grammar. I enjoyed it actually. No really.
Throwback Thursday – 5 Things That Will Make Me Drop Your Book Like a Hot Potato – Revisited
Thursday June 20, 2019 | By Hieronymus Hawkes | Blogging | Leave Comments
Part of my ongoing thing on Thursdays to revisit some of the older posts that are still valid. This one dates back to Nov 22, 2011.*
I read Chuck Wendig’s 25 things that will make me keep reading your story and it made me think, I have WAAAAAYYY more things that will make me STOP reading your story (Okay, I might have overstated that, it's only 5 things). And of course he posts about that very thing this morning. ARRRRGGH! Anyway, not to copy, but I had this idea in my head, so I’m going with it. If I see a blurb that I like or a nice cover or get a recommendation from one of my friends, I will pick up your book and give it a fair shake. Unlike Chuck, I'm not standing in the doorway with a gun in your face waiting to not like it. If I've gotten as far as cracking the cover and reading the first page I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. I want to like it. But there are a few things that will make me drop your book like a hot rock, or hot potato or anything hot. You get the idea. Here we go: (more…) Read More
Feeling a little Nostalgic
Wednesday June 12, 2019 | By Hieronymus Hawkes | Blogging | Leave Comments
I spent the last couple of days moving my blog over to Wordpress and updating the old pages. I am leaving a bunch of them here for historical record if nothing else. I cut a few that didn't really add any value, even for me.
It has been fun reading my old posts and seeing where I was in the writing journey and life in general. When I started the blog my oldest was still in high school and my youngest was in second grade. He is now going to be a senior this fall and my two oldest are out of college. One is married.
When I started the original blog I was fairly new to Twitter and hit it at just the right time for a new writer. It was the beginning of the eBook boom and self-publishing was finally becoming a viable way to make a living as a writer, so lots of writers were on Twitter sharing their journey and we made our own little community. (more…)
Writing for the Newbie Novelist updated
Tuesday June 11, 2019 | By Hieronymus Hawkes | Writing | Leave Comments
I haven't updated this text for quite a while. It was well overdue for an overhaul. If you are new to novel writing, or think you might want to try, this may help.
Rules for Writing for the Novice Novelist
Good luck in your writing!
Transmutation
Tuesday June 11, 2019 | By Hieronymus Hawkes | Blogging | Leave Comments
Big doins here at Fireflies & Laserbeams. I am moving the main blog to Wordpress from Blogger. It has been good to me, but I am ready for something new.
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thierry ehrmann Alchemy LXXXIX - Alchimie _DDC2414[/caption]
I've completed a new story. I call it new because it is very different from what it was, and involved a complete overhaul/rewrite.
I am going to make an effort to blog more as well.
It's been awhile since I posted about my writing. Truth be told I took a bit of a break. I had finished two books, along with my MFA, and then I submitted my work. Not sure if I hit a hundred "no thanks" or not. I could count, but suffice to say it was a lot, and it was demoralizing. Heartbreaking even. There is a reason so many writers are self-publishing. It's hard to break in now. I made a vow to myself that I would let failure stop me. There are no wasted words. (more…)
Richard K. Morgan’s new novel, Thin Air, is Hugo Worthy
Friday November 2, 2018 | By Hieronymus Hawkes | Novel Review | Leave Comments
I just finished Richard K. Morgan’s latest release, Thin Air. It is gritty SciFi at its finest. Morgan seems to have leveled up in his writing, over already highly regarded and award-winning previous work. Every sentence is crafted with care. It is a Master Class of immersive third person point of view writing.
I listened to the audiobook version, which was read by Colin Mace, and for me, it was a perfect fit. Mace hit the ball out of the park and became the embodiment of Hakan Veil, the hi-tech ninja of the future and protagonist of what I hope is not a standalone novel. It is a new character and setting of sorts for Morgan. He alludes to his concept of the Mars colony and COLIN (Colony Initiative) in Thirteen, which I have started today. I just downloaded the audiobook.
This story had me riveted from the start, and didn’t let go. It is the best science fiction I’ve read since Ancillary Justice, which won the Hugo. This work is certainly good enough to be in consideration, but it has very adult themes (read graphic sex.) Morgan has included this with intention and I hope it doesn’t take him out of the running. (more…)
How I’m Progressing as a Writer
Tuesday August 5, 2014 | By Hieronymus Hawkes | Blogging | Leave Comments
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Timons Esaias in his element[/caption]
I recently finished my 4th residency for my master's program and I've had some time to reflect on my progress as a writer. I've enjoyed every residency but each has its own flavor. After the first one, I wasn't really sure that the Seton Hill Writing Popular Fiction program was going to work out. I'd spent several years prior to starting the program trying to improve my skill and my knowledge-base about writing as a profession and I felt like I wasn't learning anything new. My opinion on that changed after the second residency, but looking back now, I can see the cumulative effects of the program.
After each semester I'd taken stock of how much my writing skill had increased, if at all. After the semester that ended last winter, I felt I'd reached a new plateau, but after spending a full semester with Timons Esaias as my mentor, my skill seems to have gone up an order of magnitude, instead of incrementally. I more easily recognize patterns in writing that I couldn't see before. Common mistakes that a lot of writers make, especially on the first draft, stand out like a strobing beacon. (more…)
Reflections on my first Writer’s Convention
Saturday October 5, 2013 | By Hieronymus Hawkes | Blogging | Leave Comments
I just got back from my first convention for writers. It was Context 26 in Worthington, OH, just north of Columbus. The Con is supposed to be focused on science fiction writing, but there was just as much fantasy content, which was fine. It's a relatively small Con, but they have a reputation for getting some fairly renowned authors and artists to attend. This year it was Jack McDevitt, Mike Resnick, Elizabeth Bear and Scott Lynch. All novelists that I'd at least heard of, if not read. I'm actually a huge fan of Scott Lynch, and he was funny and warm.
It's a tricky thing being an unpublished novelist attending one of these things. As a writer you want to meet other writers as a peer, but you really feel like a pretender. A fan pretending to be a writer, just so you can get close to them and talk about what you loved about their writing, instead of just being a normal person. Of course, writers love to talk about writing, especially what they're working on. The whole enterprise now is so focused on marketing yourself that it has really taken over the lives of some writers. This can make for some awkward conversations. How do you get past all of that, and have an actual conversation with your "peer?" Can we ever bridge the gap from fan to peer once we've met them as a fan? Alcohol helps a lot apparently. (more…)
