Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi is the second book in the Old Man’s War series. The Colonial Defense Forces created Jared Dirac for a specific purpose. He is a member of the Ghost Brigades who are the elite troops of the CDF. Jared is a clone of the mad evil scientist Charles Boutin and was made because Boutin has betrayed humanity enabling three alien civilizations to ally against humanity. The CDF wants to understand Boutin’s motivations by studying Jared and defeating Boutin and the aliens. Will Jared help the CDF when Boutin’s memories become his own memories?
Summary
Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi starts with Lieutenant Sagan interviewing a captive alien. The alien gives its view on humanity. He sees three kinds of humans. There are the unmodified humans that colonize unclaimed planets. The main members of the Colonial Defense Forces are older unmodified humans who have their minds transferred to young clone bodies. The CDF creates the third human from human DNA. They are the Ghost Brigades of the CDF. They make Jared Dirac from Boutin’s DNA. When he gains consciousness he doesn’t have any of Boutin’s memories. The CDF trains him in the Ghost Brigades and sends him out on missions. On his missions, his memories are triggered, and he has memories of being Boutin. He must understand why Boutin did what he did and Jared must forge his own path to save humanity.
Recommendation
This novel is a great sequel to Old Man’s War. Old
Man’s War was about the second humans, the members of the CDF. Adding the Ghost
Brigades ratcheted up the tension in the sequel. Jared Dirac was a great character
to show the reader the methods of the Ghost Brigades. Charles Boutin seems like
a mad scientist from an old school space opera but he is more than that. I
appreciate that the author took an old trope and made it new. The author sets
up the next novel in the series at the end of this novel. I am looking forward
to reading book three of the series, The Last Colony.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads
page of Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi.
In Redshirts by John Scalzi, they assign Ensign Andrew Dahl to the starship Intrepid. Crew members on away missions die at an alarming rate, but not the officers. Dahl must discover the unbelievable truth, or he will die like the other Redshirts. This is the link to my review.
Worlds of Wonder by David Gerrold is his non-fiction book on the craft of writing, subtitled how to write science fiction and fantasy. The most famous work that he wrote was the episode of Star Trek (the original series) called “The Trouble with Tribbles”. He also wrote scripts and directed episodes of other Star Trek series. He wrote novels in the science fiction and fantasy genre. This book tells about his writing path and gives examples from his works to help aspiring writers. Where should you start as a new writer? Use this book.
Summary
Worlds of Wonder by David Gerrold starts with two of his college instructors who taught him valuable lessons. The first instructor told him he would never make it as a writer. That rage against failure fueled him to do well. The other instructor stressed the importance of structure. David Gerrold took that advice to mean he should learn from the masters of his chosen genre of science fiction and fantasy to see how they were successful. He realized that a story is about a person’s problem solving and the lessons learned through that experience.
Ask yourself If questions to invent the wonder of your story.
Find your hero and your hero’s problem. Your hero will face crises and challenges.
Set the stage and build your world. The first line is important to hook the
reader and keep them reading. He gives examples of love scenes from his novels When
Harlie was One and A Method for Madness. He goes over each structural
device for writing. Discipline is important because real writers write. Use the
idea that your first million words are for practice. If you end up selling any
of your first million words, then that is a bonus for you. He ends the book
with ten pieces of good advice.
Recommendation
Worlds of Wonder by David Gerrold is a useful book about writing. It is short and easy to read. The author has a conversational way of writing. The advice is sound but like other books I have read. I remember reading the author’s novel The Man Who Folded Himself when I was in high school. I also remember that he was the writer of “The Trouble with Tribbles”. David Gerrold was a panelist and an interviewee at Marcon in Columbus Ohio on May 11, 2019. I had planned to read this book but because of the conference, I read it sooner than I planned. I am glad that I did.
Links
This
is the link to the Goodreads page of Worlds of Wonder
by David Gerrold
Recap for SF Conference Marcon Columbus on May 11, 2019. They held it at Crowne Plaza – Columbus North. I also attended Marcon in 2017 and 2018. This year I attended four panels, a performance, and an interview. My star of the con was David Gerrold. He was engaging in the panel and the interview that I attended with him.
Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody takes the books of Blake Snyder and applies his teachings to writing novels. She presents complete beat sheets and genre breakdowns of current and past novels. This is the link to my review.
Another similar book on writing is How to Write Best Selling Fiction by Dean Koontz. This is the link to my review. It’s from 1981, but the advice is still great.
Raven Tower by Ann Leckie is a fantasy novel from an award-winning science-fiction novelist. The Raven Lease is the speaker for the god known as the Raven and the Raven Lease is missing. Mawat is the heir to the Raven Lease and returns from wars in the south with his aide Eolo. Eolo learns secrets about the Raven and must decide what to do with that knowledge. The novel’s one-line preface is “there will be a reckoning”. What reckoning will take place?
Summary
Raven Tower by Ann Leckie begins
with an unknown narrator speaking in the second-person to Eolo. The narration
is like the narrator telling a story to Eolo after the events have occurred. Eolo
is returning to Vastai, the capital of Iraden. Eolo is the aide to Mawat, and they
have been at war in the south but must return to Vastai because Mawat is the
heir to the Raven Lease. The Raven
Lease is the speaker for the god known as the Raven and the Raven Lease is
missing. Mawat tries to figure what happened to his father and what is going on
in Vastai. Eolo can learn about the situation easier than Mawat could. The
narrator influences Eolo and helps Eolo learn secrets. As the novel proceeds,
the narrator tells stories that may or may not be told to Eolo. The stories
read like parables. Eolo must decide what to do with the secrets learned. There
will be a reckoning.
Recommendation
It was ambitious to write a second-person story in a novel-length. I was skeptical of this choice as I read the novel, but I understood the choice and the necessity to write the novel this way after I read to the end of the novel. The identity of the narrator is the whole point of the story. There will be a reckoning. I thought there were unanswered questions that a sequel could answer, but the author has tweeted that she intended the novel as a standalone novel. https://twitter.com/ann_leckie/status/1101144602181025800?lang=en
I enjoyed reading the Raven Tower and think it was the best book I read
in 2019.
Links
This is the link to the
Goodreads page of Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
I attended the Gotham Writers Conference in New York City, New York on October 25, 2019, sponsored by Gotham Writers Workshop. This was the first year for this conference. It was at the Ace Hotel on 20 West 29th Street, New York City. There were five panels and presentations at the conference. Day two of the conference on October 26, 2019, was for pitching roundtables. The roundtables had a group of picked authors pitching their work to two agents in their genre. I did not get picked for the roundtables, so I did not participate.
The Gotham Writers Conference opened with a welcome from Gotham President Alex Steele. He related the story of how the genesis of the conference occurs. Josh Sippe’s job is to go to other writer’s conferences and report back to Alex. Josh asked why don’t we do a con? Alex replied that it was a “terrible” idea, so of course, they put on a conference.
This is the swag
bag we received at the conference. It said “Write” on the back of the bag.
This was the badge
I used at the conference.
Summary
before Lunch
Friday,
October 25th at 10 AM
The
Writer’s View: If I can do it, you can too, a panel with Seth Fried, Kody
Keplinger, Joselin Linder, and David Seigerman (moderator)
The
authors had different backgrounds. Kody is a fiction novel writer, Seth started
with Literary Magazines, and Joselin writes non-fiction using proposals. The
moderator asked questions about their process and experience. There were many
interesting comments. I will detail three of them here that I found
particularly helpful. Use comp titles that have been released in the last
twelve months for your queries. Social media is part of your job as a writer.
Being a professional means you meet deadlines because writing is a job.
They held the presentation
in the Basement of the Ace Hotel with about 160 attendees
Friday,
October 25th at 11:25 AM
Embracing
Rejection, a lecture by Kim Liao
She said to shoot
for rejection instead of acceptance because that puts your fears in a box. Then
you won’t be paralyzed by fear to submit your work.
She asked the
attendees to take three minutes to answer two questions and put our answers
down on paper. What are your biggest hopes and dreams as a writer? What stops
you from achieving those hopes and dreams?
She then asked a
series of five questions to the attendees. Five things to do in the next year
to accomplish your goals or dreams. Four things to do in the next six months.
Three things to do in the next two months. Two things to do in the next month.
One thing to do before next Friday. The questions were helpful to help
prioritize tasks to be completed.
They held the presentation
in the Basement of the Ace Hotel with about 160 attendees
Friday,
October 25th at 12:25 PM
Weike Wong is
interviewed by Gotham President Alex Steele
Alex
had Weike read a passage from her novel Chemistry. In the passage, the unnamed
main character is given a proposal of marriage from her boyfriend. That event
starts off the novel leading to the main character’s dilemma and change.
Weike
wanted to write a novel without shocking turns of events. She wanted a
character-driven story and chose to find other ways to create tension in the
story.
Alex
had Weike read another passage from the novel. The main character is a grad
student in Chemistry. She a psychologist to help her understand why she feels
the way she does.
It
was Weike’s choice to write a first-person novel with no names except for the
boyfriend, Eric. It is a short novel with no chapters. Weike’s advice is to
have a vision and stick to it.
They held the presentation
in the Basement of the Ace Hotel with about 160 attendees
Summary
after Lunch
Friday,
October 25th at 2:45 PM
The Agents View:
What We Talk About When We Talk About You, a panel with Kurestin Armada, Suzie
Townsend, Jim McCarthy, and Susan Breen (moderator)
Susan
asked a series of questions to the panel and they responded. Who was the latest
client you signed and why? They talked about searching the slush pile and
related that it feels like panning for gold. What do you like to see with a
platform? They said it is essential for non-fiction writers but is up to the
author for fiction writers. How quickly do you know you love the book you are
reading? They say within the first few pages. She asked about pay and they said
the going rate for agents is 15%. Is finding an agent only the first step? They
talked about the agent must be a partner you trust and trusts you and that it
is some kind of magic when a book works.
The
panel ended with a question and answer session with the attendees.
They held the presentation
in the Basement of the Ace Hotel with about 160 attendees
Friday,
October 25th at 4:10 PM
The Agent Game
Show with J. L. Stermer, Noah Ballard, Alec Shane, Jeff Kleinman (host), and
Alex Steele (fill-in host)
Jeff was late
because of a time mix-up to Alex filled in as host of the panel. Alex ran the
Game Show by having the agents answer questions and having the attendees vote
on their favorite responses.
Alex’s questions were
the most awkward situation, most uplifting experience, most challenging book
you sold, worst pitch for a book, and name an author you would love to represent.
At this point, the audience favored Noah’s answers.
Jeff continued the
questioning. He asked about elements of a great query letter, is platform
important to you, and after the sale is made what do you do as an agent. Jeff
gave out gag gifts to the panelists at the end with input from the audience.
They held the presentation
in the Basement of the Ace Hotel with about 160 attendees
Recommendation
– Conclusion
I enjoyed attending the Gotham Writers Conference.
Thanks to Josh Sippe for getting me into the conference at the last minute due
to a late cancellation. The Conference was packed with eager writers looking
for advice from the pros. I wish I had gotten my novel presentation completed
in time to try to earn a spot at the pitching roundtables conducted on October
26, 2019. Hopefully next year there will be another conference and I could
submit my novel then. My star of the Con was Alex Steele. He gave a great welcome
speech, conducted an interesting interview with Weike Wang, and filled in admirably
at the Agent Game Show. The conference was well worth the time invested and I
would like to attend next year.
Links
A similar conference I attended this year was the Indie Author Conference in Parma, Ohio on October 12, 2019, at the Parma-Snow branch of the Cuyahoga County Library at 2121 Snow Road Parma, Ohio 44134. The Cuyahoga County Library sponsored the conference for the fourth time. There were three presentations in the morning and a local author fair in the afternoon. The focus of the conference was for writers and authors to learn more about self-publishing. They featured thirty-one authors in the showcase. The listed authors all had at least one published book in either 2018 or 2019 for sale.
I bought and used the editing program Pro Writing Aid
to edit my novel, Assassin in New Marl City. I edited and typed Assassin Chapters
30, 32, and 33 in August 2018, reviewed Chapters 34, 35, and 36 in September 2018,
and I completed the review in February 2019. Reduced the total chapters to 30.
Reviewed Chapters 1 to 22 using Pro Writing Aid and submitted it to my novel-writing
class. I submitted Chapter 21 and 22 in November.
In July 2018, I completed the first draft of Assassin
in New Marl City totaling 99,981 words. Completed pre-draft two (30 chapters
long) in December 2018 at 89,072 words. Finished draft two edits for Chapters 26
and 27 in August, chapters 28, 29, and 30 in September, and chapters 19 and 20
in October. I reviewed chapter 21 in November. Plan to review chapter 25 in December
to complete the draft two edit. I will start the third draft edits after draft
two is completed.
In November, I submitted the story “A Trio of Time
Travelers” to the Introductory Writing
Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
I made three posts on my Goodreads account in November.
In the past, I submitted the stories The Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, Get to
the Point, LARP Film noir, and Sleeping Sickness to magazines.
Statistics of magazine submissions for 2019 are; 1
different story submitted 1 time with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 1
rejection.
Events
from November 2019
The next conference I plan to attend is ConFusion in Novi, Michigan from
January 16 to 19, 2020. ConFusion is sponsored by the Ann Arbor Science Fiction
Association.
I plan to write seven blog posts for garydavidgillen.com
including my Writing Progress Report for December 2019.
I plan to work
on second draft edits for Chapters 25, 29, and 30 of Assassin in New Marl City
using Pro Writing Aid to complete the second draft.
After the second draft is complete, I plan to work on third draft edits for Chapters 1
to 22 of Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Advanced Writing
Workshop at Parma, Ohio. I started the third draft edit for Chapter One used at
the first pages workshop at Confluence 2019 in July. I plan to complete third
draft edits for chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 in December.
Polish and submit the stories Caliburnus, Space-Dog
Confession, White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short
fiction magazines.
Submit The Four Humors,
Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, LARP Film noir, Sleeping Sickness to other
short fiction magazines.
Put the novel, Assassin in New Marl City, into the
writing program, Scrivener.
Buy an e-book cover for Assassin in New Marl City from
Fiveer.
Write a story for the Introductory
Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
Work on a story for the Wednesday Writing Workshop at
the South Euclid-Lyndhurst Library to submit in December.
I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account;
update the information on my Facebook and Twitter accounts and update all the
pages of my website in December.
Planned
Events for December 2019
The next conference I plan to attend is ConFusion in Novi, Michigan from
January 16 to 19, 2020. ConFusion is sponsored by the Ann Arbor Science Fiction
Association.
