Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan, Book Six of the Wheel of Time series.
Introduction
Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan is the sixth book of The Wheel of Time series. The novel follows eight storylines for the forces of Light. The Forsaken also plot to pit the forces of Light against each other. Rand travels by portal between Cairhien and Caemlyn, trying to merge his power and planning for Elayne to become the queen of both countries. Mat is at the head of the Band of the Red Hand and Rand points his forces at the Forsaken Sammuel in Ilian.
Perrin feels the ta’veren pull and heads to Caemlyn to help Rand. Egwene learns from the Wise Ones and faces her destiny. Nynaeve and Elayne are part of the Salidar Aes Sedai. Min travels to Caemlyn to convince Rand to support the Salidar Aes Sedai. When the Forsaken plot pushes Rand to the edge, will the Lord of Chaos rule or will Rand succeed?
Summary – Prologue
Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan follows eight characters and features various Forsaken.
The prologue of the novel is 72 pages in the paperback and covers eleven different points of view.
Forsaken Demandred hatches the Lord of Chaos Plot with other Forsaken. There were a total of Thirteen Forsaken who swerved the Dark One during the Age of Legends. Though Rand and others have killed a few. (or have they?)
Nynaeve and Elayne are part of the Salidar Aes Sedai in the town of Salidar in Altara. The Salidar six rule the Salidar Aes Sedai. They want to elect their Amyrlin Seat to reclaim the White Tower from Elaida, the White Tower Aes Sedai Amyrlin Seat.
Perrin and Faile rule the Two Rivers in Andor. Perrin feels the pull of ta’veren to aide Rand.
Summary-Prologue Continued
Gawyn Trakand (Elayne’s brother) leads the Younglings (former Warders in Training) serving the White Tower Aes Sedai of the Amyrlin Seat Elaida in Tar Valon.
Katherine Alruddin Aes Sedai is part of the White Tower Embassy to Rand. She is part of the Black Ajah and conspires with a noblewoman from Cairhein against Rand.
Sevanna of the Shaido Clan of the Aiel plans her revenge against Rand.
Morgase Trakand (Elayne’s and Gawyn’s mother and the rightful queen of Andor) had fled Andor to enlist the aid of the Whitecloaks (in Amador) to regain her throne. (The Forsaken Ravin had taken her kingdom. Rand eliminated Ravin, but no one knows Morgase is still alive.)
Lord Captain Commander Pedron Naill of the Children of the Light (the Whitecloaks) offers Morgase a price for his aid to help her retake Andor. It is a price that Morgase is reluctant to pay.
Forsaken Mesaana converses with Forsaken Semirhage and Forsaken Demandred.
Forsaken Osan’gar and Forsaken Aran’gar are reborn at Shayol Ghul.
Summary–Groups of characters
Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan follows three groups of characters. The first group is the ta’veren; Rand, Perrin, and Mat, all from the Two Rivers. The ta’veren are agents of Light for the Wheel of Time. Rand is the Dragon Reborn, the main hero for the Light in the Wheel of Time. He is fated to face the Dark One and the forces of darkness at the Last Battle. Rand has the backing of the Aiel clans from the Waste (except for the Shaido clan). He has brought the clans to the Westlands. His coalition includes Tear, Cairhein, and Andor.
Mat is his best general, in charge of the Band of the Red Hand. Rand sends Mat with the Band toward Tear to occupy the thoughts of the Forsaken Sammuel who rules Ilian. Perrin rules the Two Rivers, but the pull of the ta’veren causes him to seek out Rand.
Summary–Groups of charactersContinued
The second group of characters is the Two Rivers Aes Sedai; Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elayne. The Aes Sedai use the female part of the One Power. Egwene studies with the Wise Ones, Aiel who use the One Power. She came with Rand and the Aiel to Cairhein. She will face her destiny with the Salidar Aes Sedai. Elayne and Nynaeve are Accepted with the Salidar Aes Sedai.
The third group of characters is Rand’s girlfriends. The three women vie for Rand’s attention. Elayne has professed her love to him, but they have been apart for a long time. Aviendha is the Aiel assigned by the Wise Ones to watch Rand, but they have a romantic relationship. The complication to their relationship is that Aviendha knows Elayne’s love for Rand and doesn’t want to take his affection for her from him. Min is from the mountains near the Two Rivers and has the gift of foresight. She loves Rand but doesn’t know if he returns her love. She comes with the Salidar Aes Sedai embassy to Rand. Min wants to see where her relationship with Rand can go.
Summary–Best Plot Points
Three Plot Points stand out in Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan.
Nynaeve and Elayne are Accepted (the level above Novice but below full Aes Sedai) with the Salidar Aes Sedai. They get knowledge about the Age of Legends from their captive Forsaken. Nynaeve has been contemplating how to use the One Power in a way that no one expects can work. This action has been foreshadowed since early in the series. She tries the action in Chapter 29, Fire and Spirit, and in Chapter 30, To Heal Again. These are two great chapters.
Egwene trains with the Aiel Wise Ones. She follows Rand and the Aiel to Carhien. She must figure out how she fits with the Salidar Aes Sedai. Chapter 37 When the Battle Begins covers the character’s reaction to the event that ends the previous chapter. The chapter has six points of view of characters who react to that pivotal event. The interplay between their reactions is excellent.
This whole novel, all 1011 paperback pages, leads up to what happens at Dumai’s Wells. Step-by-step Rand is boxed into a corner. What he does and the aftermath of his actions are epic and worth the page count.
Recommendation
Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan ends with an epic climax at Dumai’s Wells. I thought three plot points were excellent. Nynaeve’s triumphant use of the One Power, Egwene’s fate with the Salidar Aes Sedai, and Rand’s brush with the insanity that led to the epic conclusion at Dumai’s Wells. But it took too long to get to those plot points. About half the chapters before Chapter 29 could have been shortened or cut and the storyline would not have been affected. The Morgase subplot is not furthered or completed in this novel and could have been dropped here. (For example, Perrin did not appear at all in The Fires of Heaven.) The best parts make reading the rest worth it.
The first season of the Amazon Prime Video will adapt the first novel of the series in 2021. I will be interested to see how the showrunners adapt this novel in a few years.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan.
The Presents underneath the tree. Merry Christmas!
Writing Progress from December 2020.
I wrote five blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my writing progress report for December 2020 linked below. Posts on my blog are up to 200 total beginning in August 2016.
Updated nine posts in December 2020 on my website to improve their SEO rating to good, to leave no remaining posts to update. Project Completed as planned!!!
In July 2018, I completed the first draft of my novel Assassin in New Marl City, totaling 99,981 words and 36 chapters. Completed pre-second draft (30 chapters long) in December 2018 at 89,072 words. Finished the second draft edits in December 2019 to complete the second draft edit. I started writing a new Chapter 1 in February 2020 and finished it in April 2020. The third draft will have 32 Chapters, and I finished the third draft edits on Chapter 3 in July 2020.
In December 2020, I submitted Chapter 6 of my novel titled Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
In December 2020, I submitted the story “Giraffe” to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
Writing Progress from December 2020 Continued
I made five posts on my Goodreads account in December 2020.
In the past, I submitted the stories; Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, and Grognard to magazines.
The seven Flash Fiction Stories I have submitted in 2020 were Space-Dog Confession, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, and Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, Wormhole Generator, Runs with Scissors, and Principled Rogue to magazines.
I submitted “Runs with Scissors” to Strange Horizons in October 2020.
On December 1, 2020, I submitted “Sleeping Sickness” to Cast of Wonders.
Final magazine submissions for 2020 were 7 unique stories submitted 19 times with 0 accepted, 1 pending, and 18 rejections.
Events from December 2020.
The next conference I had planned to attend was ConFusion in Novi, Michigan, from January 15 to 17, 2021. The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association is the sponsor for ConFusion. They cancelled the Conference for 2021 because of COVID-19. They plan to hold the next ConFusion in January 2022.
I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for January 2021.
The title of my next novel is Cuba Liberto. I plan to write Chapter 7 in January 2021 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
In January 2021, I plan to submit a story to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. I plan to complete third draft edits for Chapters 4 and 5 in January 2021.
Submit the stories Space-Dog Confession, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, LARP Film noir, Sleeping Sickness, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, and Caliburnus. to other short fiction magazines. I plan three submissions for January 2021.
Polish and submit the stories White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short fiction magazines.
Writing Goals for January 2021 continued.
In January 2021, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account.
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.
Planned Events for January 2021.
The next conference I had planned to attend was ConFusion in Novi, Michigan, from January 15 to 17, 2021. The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association is the sponsor for ConFusion. They cancelled the Conference for 2021 because of COVID-19. They plan to hold the next ConFusion in January 2022.
Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson, Book #4 of the Stormlight Archive
Introduction
In Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson, the war continues between the human forces of the Stormfather and the Voidbringer forces of Odium. The Voidbringers have taken the kingdom of Alethkar, and the humans have retreated to the stronghold of Urithru. Dalinar Kholin leads humans and must decide where he should attack. Their strength is fading, and he must make the right decision or fail, leading to their destruction. Kaladin faces PTSD and must conquer great physical challenges to save them all. Will the forces of the Stormfather succeed or perish?
Summary–Six Viewpoints
There are six main viewpoint characters in this novel, including one viewpoint in flashback. The viewpoints are all about equal in importance. The viewpoints are Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar, Navani, Venli, and Eshonai.
Summary – Flashbacks
Kaladin’s flashbacks were in Book 1. He suffers from PTSD incurred from the events of the last novel. In this novel, he struggles to heal himself and to protect Urithru. Kaladin is the leader of the Knights Radiant order of Windrunners.
Shallan’s flashbacks were in Book 2. Her struggle is with dealing with her other personalities, which are taking over more and more of her life. She created these personalities to cope with the terrible things that have happened to her in her life. The personality Radiant trains with the Shardblade and is the ideal Knight Radiant. The personality Veil pretends to be worldlier than Shallan and associates with the underground gang called the Ghostbloods. Shallan also has trouble figuring out her relationship with her fiancé, Adolin, who is Dalinar’s elder son. Shallan’s talents are creating illusions and creating items by surgebinding of stormlight. She is a member of the Knights Radiant Order of Lightweavers.
Dalinar’s flashbacks were in Book 3. His flashback chapters in Book 3 detailed why he does not remember his wife and what happened up to the time that he lost his memories. He becomes a Bondsmith (a Knights Radiant Order) and the leader of the humans at Urithru.
The flashbacks for Book 4 come from both Eshonai and Vendi. The flashbacks explain how Eshondi became the leader of the Parshendi war effort and how Vendi learned to use other forms to bring back the Voidbringers. Eshonai is only seen in flashbacks, while Venli has viewpoint chapters in flashbacks and in the current time.
Summary–Voidbringers and Parshmen
The Voidbringers took Kholinar, the Alethi capital. The humans gathered at Urithiru, the former city of the Knights Radiant, send a flying barge to rescue the residents of Hearthstone. Kaladin, Navani, and Dalinar take part in the rescue mission.
The Parshmen are a non-human race that has been the slaves of the humans and have been in a state that is called dull form, which decreases their intelligence. The Alethi have been fighting the Parshendi on the Shattered Plain since the Parshendi had Dalinar’s brother, Alethi King Gavilar, assassinated by the assassin in white. The secret they discover is that the Parshmen are Parshendi in the dull form. Some Parshendi, called the singers, have brought the Everstorm back and have awaked the Parshmen out of dull form. The Everstorm brings the Voidbringers who are called the Fused. The Fused are singers melded with ancient powerful spirits of Parshendi trapped by the Heralds in another plane. The Fused seek to overthrow the humans and retake Roshar as their own. The original Knights Radiant had discovered a secret about the Parshendi and had forsaken their vows.
Summary–Rhythm of War
Kaladin, Dalinar, and Navani take a flying barge to rescue the citizens of Hearthstone. Their homeland, Alethkar, has been taken by the Voidbringers and the only safe place to take the refugees is the ancient city of Urithru.
They send Shallan and Andolin on a special mission to Shadesmar to enlist the aid of the Honorspren.
Dalinar takes the coalition army to Emul to defeat the Voidbringer forces gathered there.
Kaladin and Navani protect Urithru from a Voidbringer attack. Venli is part of the Voidbringer attack but doesn’t have the same goals as the Voidbringers.
Recommendation
Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanders is another outstanding book in the Stormlight Archive series. The book expands on the first three books and intensifies the conflict. The reader learns more about how Eshonai became the leader of the Parshendi and how Venli learned new forms which lead to the coming of the Voidbringers. Dalinar becomes a supreme war leader. Kaladin faces his biggest challenges yet. Navani faces an interesting dilemma concerning if you should help your captor if the help you provide could prove your downfall. Shallan deals with her multiple personalities and her relationship with Adolin.
The flashback character for book 5 is for Szeth-son-son-Vallano, and that should prove interesting. Books one to five are a division of the series, and a significant event should occur at the end of the next book. This series continues to amaze me, and I look forward to reading the next book and the following group of five volumes in the coming years.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson.
My review of Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson, a collection with nine stories that are part of the cosmere universe. Many of the author’s works are interrelated by an overarching plot, which he calls the cosmere. He sets the stories of the cosmere on a group of worlds that can be traveled to by magical means. Six stories are set on the worlds of his published novels, and three stories are about worlds that have not had a novel-length story treatment. All the stories in this collection are excellent.
The Gotham Writers Workshop held the Gotham Writers Conference 2020 as a virtual conference because of COVID-19. Last year they held the conference at the Ace Hotel in New York City on October 25, 2019. This year, they used Zoom to hold the virtual conference from October 16, 2020, to October 18, 2020. On day one they held three presentations featuring writers. On the second day, they held three presentations focused on writers and agents. The last day was for pitching roundtables. They scheduled thirteen roundtables. Each roundtable had eight authors and two agents. Each author presented a query and the first two pages of their work to the agents. The agents gave their feedback.
This is the link to the Gotham Writers Workshop, the sponsor of the event.
The moderator asked questions of the panel and the panelists answered if they had something to say. Here are three examples I liked.
What are you looking for in an agent? You need someone who knows what a contract looks like.
Does the agent say they can cover different genres? I can do anything is a suspect statement.
What is success? The goalposts keep moving. It’s okay if you are writing for yourself.
Josh Sippe conducted a brief audience Q and A session during the last ten minutes of the panel.
Friday, October 16 at 11:25 AM
The Benefit of Your Day Job (even if you dislike it) presentation by Jacob M. Appel.
Alex Steele introduced Jacob M. Appel. Jacob has written 200 short stories, 19 novels, and has 9 advanced degrees. They featured him in an Amazon Prime documentary linked below.
Jacob believes that having a day job helps you as a writer, giving your writing context.
He gave ten things that he has learned to help him write well. Three of his points follow.
Make writing your third priority after family and occupation.
Write a novel to ask a question not to answer a question.
Readers want to read something they don’t know, but the writer does. Know more than the reader.
Jacob had the audience take part in an eight-minute exercise. He had us write a scene using jargon from your specialized field or occupation.
The talk ended with a Q and A session with Josh Sippe as the moderator.
Friday, October 16 at 12:30 PM
Kelly Caldwell interviewed Erin Entrada Kelly about her writing journey.
Erin Entrada Kelly is the 2018 Newberry award-winning author of Hello, Universe. She discusses her writing journey.
Goodreads link to Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly.
The moderator asked questions of the panel and the panelists answered if they had something to say. Here are three examples I liked.
What makes a query stand out? The hook, comp titles, platform (for non-fiction), and compelling first pages.
What is your deciding question for offering representation? Where do you think your career is going? Do we have chemistry, a working relationship?
What qualities are most important to see in an author? (JL) content, character, voice. (ES) voice, sell, communication. (SB) connection, sincerity, engagement.
The talk ended with a Q and A session with Josh Sippe as the moderator.
Saturday, October 17 at 11:30 AM
The Agent and Client–making a connection discussion. Josh Sippe moderated the discussion between Amy Bishop, an author, and June Hur, an agent.
An agent and a client discuss how to connect with each other.
Amy Bishop is an agent at the Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret Agency.
The moderator asked Amy and June questions. These are three Q and A examples I liked.
How important is a query letter? (AB) a well-crafted query letter says that the author is serious. Queries are hard, but don’t need to be perfect to be effective.
Can rejections be positive? (JH) Publishing is a marathon. Rejections are subjective and not personal. Keep your perspective as an author.
What was the timeline for The Silence of Bones? (AB) Query in August 2017, Agreement September 2017, Submitted to editor February 2018, realization that the novel is YA, Big revision to the editor in August 2018, published by Feiwel & Friends in April 2020.
End of discussion.
Saturday, October 17 at 12:30 PM
Alexander Steele conducted the Pitching Game Show with Alec Shane, Alexandra Levick, and.
The contestant’s goal was to practice their pitching skills. They picked a contestant, and Alex Steele drew a character and a situation at random. The contestant had a few minutes to prepare a pitch. The contestant gave the pitch to the agent panel and ended the pitch with a proposed title for the book. They picked four contestants, and they gave their pitches one at a time. The agents could not reach a consensus, so all four contestants received a $50 gift certificate for a class at Gotham Writers Workshop.
Sunday, October 18 from 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM
The SF/Fantasy Pitching Roundtable #2 with Kurestin Armada and Dong Won Song.
Each session was on an individual Zoom call with eight participants and two agents for each table.
The first group session had six tables: Literary/Mainstream 1, Literary/Mainstream 3, Middle Grade/Young Adult 1, Mystery/Thriller/Horror, Non-Fiction 1, and Science Fiction/Fantasy 2.
The second group session was from 3:00 PM to 7:30 PM and had seven tables: Literary/Mainstream 2, Literary/Mainstream 4, Middle Grade/Young Adult 2, Non-Fiction 2, Non-Fiction 3, Picture Book, and Science Fiction/Fantasy 1.
I took part in the SF/Fantasy Pitching Roundtable #2. In the first part of the roundtable, each participant read their query letter, and the agents made their comments. It took about ten minutes for each query letter. A 30-minute break followed. In the second part of the roundtable, each participant read the first two pages of their novel and the agents offered their feedback.
Recommendation – Conclusion
I enjoyed virtually attending the Gotham Writers Conference 2020. I’m glad they could hold the conference. Last year in New York City I did not have my novel presentation completed in time to earn a spot at the pitching roundtables conducted on October 26, 2019. This year I took part in the Science Fiction/ Fantasy Roundtable #2. My star of the Con was Alex Steele. He gave a great welcome speech, introduced Jacob M. Appel for his presentation, and conducted the Pitching Game Show. The conference was well worth the time invested, and I would like to attend next year.
Links
Recap for the Gotham Writers Conference in New York City, New York on October 25, 2019, sponsored by Gotham Writers Workshop. There were five panels and presentations at the conference. I did not attend on October 26, 2019, for the pitching roundtables.
On Writing Well by William Zinsser is the classic guide to writing non-fiction. The first section of the book details the best way to write well, whether writing fiction or non-fiction. On Writing Well is littered with quotable quotes and excellent advice. The rest of the book covers the various modes of non-fiction writing, including many examples from the author and others. If you want to write well in any application, then this is the book for you.
Summary – Four Parts
On Writing Well by William Zinsser has four parts, Principles, Methods, Forms, and Attitudes. I will examine each part and will insert the most informative quotes from each part. When I read this book, I made four pages of notes which helped me write this summary.
Summary – Part 1
Part one: The Principles has seven chapters. My favorite quote from Chapter 2: Simplicity is “The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components.” (page 7). Two important concepts are from Chapter 5: The Audience “You are writing for yourself, (page 25) and Chapter 6: Words “writing is learned by imitation.” (page 35).
Summary Part 2
Part two: Methods has three chapters. In chapter 8: Unity, the quote is “you learn to write by writing.” (page 49). Quote from Chapter 9: The Lead and the Ending, “the most important sentence in any article is the first one.” (page 55). Chapter 10: Bits and Pieces covers short ideas on writing.
Summary – Part 3
Part three: Forms has two introductory chapters and covers seven types of non-fiction writing. The seven types of non-fiction writing are travel, memoir, science, business, sports, arts, and humor. An example of how to use quotes in non-fiction writing is the article by Joseph Mitchell called “Mr. Hunter’s Grave” published in the New Yorker magazine. The publishers collected it with five other articles in the book The Bottom of the Harbor by Joseph Mitchell. (page 113)
Another book that sounded interesting to me and quoted in the science chapter was The Periodic Table by Primo Levi. (page 159) The book is a collection of 21 short stories with each title from an element in the periodic table. The author’s experience during the Holocaust influenced the stories.
Part four: Attitudes is five chapters on the process of writing and revising. The best part of this section is from Chapter 23: A Writer’s Decisions. In the chapter, the author relates his decisions he made when writing the article “The News from Timbuktu” published in Conde Nast Traveler. (pages 265 to 285) There are extensive quotes from the article and detailed explanations.
One final quote from Chapter 24: Write as well as you can, “You will write only as well as you make yourself write.” (page 293)
Recommendation
On Writing Well by William Zinsser is a brilliant book on writing. I first learned of this book at the Western Reserve Writers Conference in 2016. At the conference, the keynote speaker John Ettorre spoke about his relationship with writer and editor William Zinsser. Zinsser was a mentor of his who had passed away in 2015. He described how Zinsser had encouraged him and many others in the craft of writing. Zinsser’s most famous book is On Writing Well. I planned to read the book then. I write fiction, but half of my writing is for my non-fiction blog at garydavidgillen.com, so I thought this book would help me with my non-fiction writing.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of On Writing Well by William Zinsser.
Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell is a book about writing subtitled techniques and exercises for crafting a plot that grips readers from start to finish. The author gives his advice about how to develop a satisfying plot for your novel.
Another similar book on writing is How to Write Best Selling Fiction by Dean Koontz. This is the link to my review. The book from 1981, but the advice is still great.
Updated nine posts in November 2020 on my website to improve their SEO rating to good, to leave 9 posts to update in December 2020.
In July 2018, I completed the first draft of my novel Assassin in New Marl City, totaling 99,981 words and 36 chapters. Completed pre-second draft (30 chapters long) in December 2018 at 89,072 words. Finished the second draft edits in December 2019 to complete the second draft edit. I started writing a new Chapter 1 in February 2020 and finished it in April 2020. The third draft will have 32 Chapters, and I finished the third draft edits on Chapter 3 in July 2020.
In November 2020, I submitted Chapter 5 of my novel named Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
In November 2020, I submitted the story “Thanksgiving?” to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
I submitted Chapters 1 and 2 of my novel Cuba Liberto to the Wednesday Fiction Writing Workshop at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst Library in November 2020.
Writing Progress from November 2020 Continued
I made five posts on my Goodreads account in November 2020.
In the past, I submitted the stories; Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, and Grognard to magazines.
The seven Flash Fiction Stories I have submitted in 2020 are Space-Dog Confession, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, and Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, Wormhole Generator, Runs with Scissors, and Principled Rogue to magazines.
I submitted “Runs with Scissors” to Strange Horizons in October 2020.
On December 1, 2020, I submitted “Sleeping Sickness” to Cast of Wonders.
Magazine submissions for 2020 are 7 unique stories submitted 19 times with 0 accepted, 2 pending, and 17 rejections.
Events from November 2020.
The next conference I had planned to attend was ConFusion in Novi, Michigan from January 15 to 17, 2021. The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association sponsors ConFusion. They canceled the Conference for 2021 due to COVID-19. They plan to hold the next ConFusion in January 2022.
I plan to write five blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for December 2020.
The name of my next novel is Cuba Liberto. I plan to write Chapter 6 in December 2020 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
In December 2020, I plan to submit a story to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. I plan to complete third draft edits for Chapters 4 and 5 in December 2020.
Submit the stories Space-Dog Confession, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, LARP Film noir, Sleeping Sickness, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, and Caliburnus. to other short fiction magazines. I plan one submission for December 2020.
Polish and submit the stories White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short fiction magazines.
Writing Goals for December 2020 continued.
In December 2020, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account and update nine posts on my website to improve their SEO rating up to the good level, leaving no posts left to update.
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.
Planned Events for December 2020.
The next conference I had planned to attend was ConFusion in Novi, Michigan from January 15 to 17, 2021. The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association sponsors ConFusion. They canceled the Conference for 2021 due to COVID-19. They plan to hold the next ConFusion in January 2022.
No Ones Home by DM Pulley is about the five families that have owned a mansion named Rawlingswood in Shaker Heights, Ohio. The novel switches points of view from 1922 to 2019. The house has a reputation for males losing their lives and females losing their sanity. In April 2018, Myron and Margot Spielman arrive from Boston and buy the mansion cheaply. Will the Spielman’s survive the mansion, unlike the four families that preceded them?
Summary
No Ones Home by DM Pulley features the five families that have owned a mansion named Rawlingswood. It was built on land originally owned by the Shaker religious group. The Shaker colony thrived in the area from 1822 to 1889 when it closed. Shaker Heights was established in 1909, and the mansion was built in 1922 by Walter Rawlings.
The Rawlings Family owned the mansion from 1922 to 1931. Walter Rawlings had the mansion built. Georgina is his wife and his son is little Walter. Their section in the novel starts on October 26, 1929, the day the stock market crashed. Bootlegging and The Great Depression are important events for their section. The fates of the Rawlings family begin the terrible reputation of the house.
The Bell family owned the mansion from 1936 to 1972. Their family does not have a point of view in the novel, though members of the family have input in the plot of the other families.
The Klussman family owned the mansion from 1972 to 1990. Benny is autistic and his mother Frannie cares for him. His father left them years earlier. Their section of the novel starts on June 18, 1980. Benny faces a dilemma he cannot resolve because of his limitations of thinking and conversing.
Summary Continued
The Martin family owned the mansion from 1994 to 2016. Ava and her brother Toby are governed by Papa Martin (Clyde Martin). Their section of the novel starts on March 1, 2009. Ava notices writing on the walls, including something about Benny. She feels a presence in the mansion that other people do not.
The Speilman family bought the mansion on April 7, 2018. They are from Boston. Myron is a doctor and Margot is a yoga instructor. The mansion is distressed, so they remodel the house. The remodel does not go smoothly. Their high school age son is named Hunter. They arrive on July 18, 2018, before school starts. Hunter learns about the history of the mansion and must decide what he will do with his knowledge.
Recommendation
No Ones Home by DM Pulley is a well thought out ghost suspense thriller. The four threads of the story separated in time come together. The secrets that Hunter’s family kept are revealed and the mansion’s secrets are discovered. I like how the story is resolved. I live near and have been in Shaker Heights, so this novel was interesting to me. The mix of mystery, history, and thriller works.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of No Ones Home by DM Pulley.
Unclaimed Victim by D.M. Pulley connects the stories of Ethel from March 1938 and Kris from April 1999 through the Torso Killer of Cleveland. They are targets. Can they survive? Link to review.
Provenance by Ann Leckie, Book #4 of the Imperial Radch series.
Introduction
Provenance by Ann Leckie is the fourth book of the Imperial Radch series but features characters that were not in the trilogy. Ingray frees a prisoner to get information about a priceless artifact. She needs the artifact to earn prestige in her clan. Ingray is adopted and not the favored child. If she doesn’t earn the prestige she needs, she faces expulsion from her clan. Will Ingray find the artifact or end up clanless?
Summary
Provenance by Ann Leckie’s main character, Ingray Aughskold risks money and life to earn the prestige she needs to become the next Netano of her clan on the Hwae system. Netano Aughskold, her mother, adopted her into the clan. Ingray hopes to earn the title of Netano. Danach, her adopted brother, is the person most likely to become the next Netano.
The officials of Hwae system sentenced Pahlad Budrakim to life imprisonment at the inescapable prison Compassionate Removal in Tyr system for the theft of a still missing priceless artifact. If Ingray can free Pahlad and recover the artifact, Ingray can become the next Netano. She risks imprisonment if she is caught with the prisoner.
Ingray has few assets in her favor. They include Starship Captain Tic Uisine and Ingray’s Nuncle Lak, the financial officer of the Netano clan. She must use her wits and determination to succeed.
Recommendation
Provenance by Ann Leckie introduces an interesting character to the Imperial Radch series. Ingray’s goals are like Breq’s goals in Ancillary Sword and Mercy, but not in Ancillary Justice. The set-up with breaking out a prisoner from an unescapable prison was promising. That goal led to currying favor from her adoptive mother. I did not feel like Ingray was likable, and that made her struggle unsatisfying to me at the end of the novel.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Provenance by Ann Leckie
In Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie, Breq risks losing the Athoek system to the Lord of the Radch’s rival. Will Breq navigate this complicated diplomatic situation?
In Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie, Breq is on a mission for the Lord of the Radch in the Athoek system. Breq must discover why Athoek transportees are disappearing. Breq risks losing the system to the Lord’s rival to solve the mystery. This is a link to my review.
In Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie, Breq plans her revenge on the Lord of the Radch. Her plans are in jeopardy when Breq befriends the disgraced former Captain Seivarden Vendaai. Will Breq carry out her goals or will the powerful Lord defeat her? This is a link to my review.
Updated no posts in October 2020 on my website to improve their SEO rating to good, to leave 18 posts to update.
In July 2018, I completed the first draft of my novel Assassin in New Marl City, totaling 99,981 words and 36 chapters. Completed pre-second draft (30 chapters long) in December 2018 at 89,072 words. Finished the second draft edits in December 2019 to complete the second draft edit. I started writing a new Chapter 1 in February 2020 and finished it in April 2020. The third draft will have 32 Chapters, and I finished the third draft edits on Chapter 3 in July 2020.
In October 2020, I submitted Chapter 4 of my novel named Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
In October 2020, I submitted the story “Fort Weimar” to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
Writing Progress from October 2020 Continued
I made five posts on my Goodreads account in October 2020.
In the past, I submitted the stories; Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, and Grognard to magazines.
The seven Flash Fiction Stories I have submitted in 2020 are Space-Dog Confession, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, and Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, Wormhole Generator, Runs with Scissors, and Principled Rogue to magazines.
I submitted “Runs with Scissors” to Strange Horizons in September 2020.
In October 2020, I submitted “Principled Rouge” to Flash Fiction Online.
I submitted “Wormhole Generator” to Apex Magazine in October 2020.
Magazine submissions for 2020 are 7 unique stories submitted 18 times with 0 accepted, 1 pending, and 17 rejections.
I attended the virtual Gotham Writers Conference from October 16, 2020 to October 18, 2020. I participated in the Science Fiction/Fantasy Writers Roundtable with two agents. The agents commented on my query letter for my novel Assassin in New Marl City and the first two pages of the novel.
Events from October 2020.
They held a virtual conference called C’monfluence the Novelization 2020, from October 2 to October 4. The Guest of Honor was Martha Wells. I attended the conference virtually. They canceled Confluence Conference Pittsburgh because of COVID-19. I plan to go to the next Confluence from July 23 to July 25, 2021.
I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for November 2020.
The name of my next novel is Cuba Liberto. I plan to write Chapter 5 in November 2020 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
In November 2020, I plan to submit a story to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.
In November 2020, I plan to submit Chapters 1 and 2 of Assassin in New Marl City to the Writing Workshop at South Euclid-Lyndhurst, Ohio library.
I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. I plan to complete third draft edits for Chapters 4 and 5 in November 2020.
Submit the stories Space-Dog Confession, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, LARP Film noir, Sleeping Sickness, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, and Caliburnus. to other short fiction magazines. I plan four submissions for November 2020.
Polish and submit the stories White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short fiction magazines.
Writing Goals for November 2020 continued.
In November 2020, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account and update nine posts on my website to improve their SEO rating up to the good level, leaving 9 posts left to update.
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.
Planned Events for November 2020.
The next conference I had planned to attend was ConFusion in Novi, Michigan from January 15 to 17, 2021. ConFusion is sponsored by the Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association. The Conference is canceled for 2021 due to COVID-19. They plan to hold the next ConFusion in January 2022.
They canceled Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2020 because of COVID-19. They had planned to hold confluence 2020 from July 24 to 26, 2020 with author guest of honor Martha Wells. I plan to go to Confluence from July 23 to July 25, 2021. They held a virtual conference called C’monfluence the Novelization 2020, from October 2 to October 4. The Guest of Honor was Martha Wells. I attended the conference virtually. Programming began on Friday, October 2 at 10 AM and concluded on Sunday, October 4 at 4:25 PM.
I also attended the conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. The Parsec organization of Pittsburgh runs the literary science fiction, fantasy, and horror conference. The events included panels, readings, interviews, writing workshops, and filk concerts. They held the conference on four tracks, so they held up to four activities at the same time. They held each event on Zoom, and the attendees had to register for each event to attend the event. I attended the opening ceremony, five panels, three readings, one presentation, the guest of honor presentation, and the conference breakdown.
Videos of the conference are found at the confluence-SFF you tube channel linked below.
Summary for Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2020
Friday, October 2nd at 7 PM
A reading by Marie Vibbert.
Marie read from her novel Galactic Hellcats, which will be released in March 2021. The novel is a story about a female biker gang in outer space, saving a gay prince.
She read four chapters that she selected because each introduced one of her four principal characters; Key, Margo, Zuaka, and the Prince.
The reading had a lot of action and the characters were distinctive. Sounds like a fun book to read next year.
They held the reading on Track 3: Kish Karad with 15 attendees.
Friday, October 2nd at 9 PM
The opening ceremonies featuring Guest of Honor, Martha Wells.
Kevin Hayes introduced Martha Wells and read her bio. Diane Turnshek talked about the anthology book Triangulation: Extinction which she edited and was sponsored by the Parsec group which is also a sponsor of Confluence. Kevin read off the planned events for the conference. Karen Yun-Lutz mentioned that SFWA is a sponsor for the conference. Greg Clumpner talked about the forums on Discord which were open for panelists and attendees to mingle on when they were not attending an activity.
The opening presentation ended with a short interview with Martha Wells. Martha said she wrote the first book in the Murderbot series because she needed some place to put her anger. She said it disappointed her that they postponed the conference in July because she had wanted to explore sites in Pittsburgh this year. She said she had been to Pittsburgh twice to attend the Nebula Awards, but hadn’t had the opportunity to explore the city at that time.
They held the opening ceremonies on Track 1: Sanctuary Moon.
Saturday, October 3rd at 10:30 AM
A Reading by Brandon McNulty.
Brandon read three chapters from his novel Bad Parts that was published on June 23, 2020. It is subtitled a supernatural thriller. In chapter one, Mac is 70 years old and has failing kidneys. In chapter two, Ash Hudson is the lead guitar player in a heavy metal band named Bad Parts. She has to find her lead singer and replace her rhythm guitarist to play the show they have scheduled for that night. In chapter three, they play the show and load up their gear in the van. Some scary dude tails them. How are they going to getaway?
It sounds like an interesting book. I have put it on my want-to-read list on Goodreads.
They held the reading on Track 3: Kish Karad with 6 attendees.
Saturday, October 3rd at 12 PM
Where Does Your World Come From? Panel with Michelle Sagara. Joe Haldeman, Aliette de Bodard, and Tobias Buckell.
Michelle Sagara was the moderator. Her first question to the panel was; where do your worlds come from? They talked about how they got their ideas. Do you build the story to the world or do you build the world to the story? It comes down to the concept that world-building and characterization are intertwined. How had your education, other work experiences, and travel influenced your writing? The answers show that their background influences their writing. How has the pandemic affected your writing? Inconclusive. Is there a difference in world-building between a short story versus a novel? The answers varied.
The moderator’s questions were interesting and the responses from the panel were instructive to an attendee who is a writer.
They held the panel on Track 1: Sanctuary Moon.
This is a link for the you tube video for the panel.
Saturday, October 3rd at 2 PM
The Business of Writing panel with Gay Haldeman, Neil Clarke, Gail Carriger, Tamora Pierce, and Herb Kauderer.
Gay Haldeman was the moderator. She asked questions about the business of writing. The panel related their experiences. Some interesting responses followed. Read your contracts. Don’t be discouraged by rejections. Review guidelines when submitting work every time. Consider Patreon. Work on your social media platform. Everything is tax deductible for a writer. When submitting short fiction start at the top of the market and work your way down. Most agents and editors want a rewrite, so be ready for the rewrite and be flexible. Set up a literary estate.
They held the panel on Track 1: Sanctuary Moon.
This is a link for the you tube video for the panel.
Saturday, October 3rd at 3 PM
An interview with Guest of Honor Martha Wells conducted by Wenmimareba Klobah Collins.
Wenmimareba asks Martha questions, and she answered them. Martha talked about the differences in writing Murderbot, an SF story, in close first person, and her fantasy stories in the third person. She takes about three months to write a Murderbot novella. Fugitive Telemetry is finished, and she doesn’t know what she will write next. Martha doesn’t enjoy plotting; she writes as a pantser. She doesn’t want to figure out too much beforehand because she doesn’t want to get bored with the story before she finishes it.
The interviewer asked for the author’s book recommendations. Some recommendations were: Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo, and The Best of all Possible Worlds by Karen Lord.
I enjoyed getting to know more about the author’s writing process and thoughts about writing.
They held the interview on Track 1: Sanctuary Moon.
This is a link for the you tube video for the interview.
Saturday, October 3rd at 4 PM
A reading by Guest of Honor Martha Wells.
Martha Wells read from her novella, Fugitive Telemetry.
Fugitive Telemetry is a prequel to the Murderbot novel, Network Effect.
She read Chapter One of the novella first. Dr. Mensa has hired Murderbot as a consultant for her on Preservation Station. There has been a murder and Murderbot evaluates the scene.
She read Chapter Three next. Murderbot has to connect to the Preservation Station network and must tell as little of the truth as Murderbot can. This is Murderbot’s first job as a consultant. At the end of the meeting, Murderbot walks with Dr. Mensa.
The channel moderator asked two questions with the time remaining. Martha talked about how her Murderbot short story from May 2020 on Tor.com (Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory) was given to people who pre-ordered Network Effect.
The reason she wrote this prequel was because she wanted to show how Preservation Station would function with Sec Unit Murderbot working as a consultant.
This is the link to Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries #6) by Martha Wells, published on April 27, 2021.
They held the reading on Track 1: Sanctuary Moon with 45 attendees at the start building to a maximum of 58 attendees.
Saturday, October 3rd at 5 PM
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants panel with Marie Vibbert, Joe Haldeman, Bud Sparhawk, and Steven H. Silver.
Marie Vibbert was the moderator. A few questions posed as follows. Is there an SF canon? The answer is; There is a canon, but it doesn’t matter anymore, because the next generation responds to the ideas of the canon without reading the canon. Do you read outside the genre? Reading outside the genre helps you to grow as a writer.
At the end of the panel, they fielded questions from the audience. What are the examples of the lost works of early SF? Examples are Clare Winger Harris and Stanley G. Weinbaum. Who are the giants now? Some authors mentioned were N. K. Jemisin, Martha Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Rebecca Roanhorse.
I checked out a letter that Clare Winger Harris wrote to Wonder Stories in August 1938 on her sixteen plots in SF. Interesting reading. I found a link below.
I took The Artificial Man and other Stories by Clare Winger Harris out from the library. It collects ten of her best short stories. Goodreads link below.
This is a link for the you tube video for the panel.
Sunday, October 4th at 10 AM
I Sing the Plotting Electric panel with Geoffrey Landis, Bud Sparhawk, Joe Haldeman, Bo Balder, and Scot Noel.
Geoffrey Landis was the moderator. He asked the questions, and the panel gave the answers. The panel was a look at the resurgence of space opera. Space opera came from the pulp SF stories of authors like E.E. ‘Doc’ Smith, Edmond Hamilton, Leigh Brackett, and Edgar Rice Burroughs. The term was an extrapolation of the western horse opera to the SF space opera. It began as a derogatory term, but that changed over time as more authors used the trope.
Why do you think there has been a resurgence of space opera? There is a frontier feeling to the stories, a chance for the characters to reinvent their selves. It brings back an old-style plot, good versus evil. With commercial space opening up with Space-X and Virgin Galactic, it stimulates the need for space opera.
They held the panel on Track 2: Opal Night with 28 attendees.
Sunday, October 4th at 11 AM
Let’s get series-ish panel with Michelle Sagara, Martha Wells, Robert Angell, and Jennifer Foehner.
Robert Angell was the moderator. He asked questions, and the panel answered them. What are the pitfalls and pluses? What is it about the stories that dictate the need for more stories? Do the characters demand it, or is there just no end to plots?
They held the panel on Track 1: Sanctuary Moon.
Sunday, October 4th at 1 PM
Mission to Triton presentation given by Geoffrey Landis.
Geoffrey Landis is an aerospace engineer who works for NASA. He presented his proposed future mission to Triton, the largest moon of Neptune. It is an interesting moon that has only been visited once on a fly-by from the Voyager-2 probe in 1989. Triton might be like Pluto, a captured Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) created when the solar system formed. Triton’s mountains are made of water ice, it orbits Neptune in a retrograde orbit, and its pink color is from complex organic molecules on its surface.
When brainstorming the project, he determined that the mission should use the resources of Triton for a long term mission. The vehicle will land on Triton and hop from site to site using a radioisotope powered rocket. Each probe hop would be 5 km each and use Nitrogen as fuel. The probe will do core drills in the Nitrogen ice and test the cores.
The presentation ended with questions from the audience.
They held the presentation on Track 1: Sanctuary Moon.
This is a link for the you tube video for the presentation.
Sunday, October 4th at 4 PM
C’monfluence Breakdown with the Con Committee; Karen Yun-Lutz, Kevin Hayes, John Thompson, Heidi Pilewski, and Diane Turnshek. Also, the tech guy, Greg Clumpner.
They learned a lot about presenting their first virtual conference. Discord was an essential area for discussion before and after the presentations.
There were some challenges. Panelists’ time zones were different, preventing Zoom bombers, and there wasn’t enough staff to monitor a potential Zoom meeting room. Time remaining flashes at the ten minutes and five minutes to go was distracting to the panelists and the attendees. The webinars went very well, the meetings were iffy, and the readings were bad, the lesson learned.
The Kaffeeklatsches had a 15-attendee max, but only 20% were full. Workshops were the most attended panels. A component of the next conference could be virtual because of the success this year of the virtual conference.
They held the presentation on Track 2: Opal Night with 21 attendees at the start building to 24 attendees.
Conclusion for Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2020
I’m glad that they could hold the Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2020 virtually. My star of the con was Guest of Honor, Martha Wells. I viewed her at the opening ceremonies, an interview, a reading, and on a panel. She was interesting and entertaining in every activity that I attended. She was named the Guest of Honor before they postponed the conference, and she remained the GOH for the virtual conference.
I attended the opening ceremony, five panels, three readings, one presentation, the guest of honor presentation, and the conference breakdown. My other highlights were the Triton Presentation by Geoffrey Landis and the SF influences panel. (because it led me to Clare Winger Harris’s sixteen SF plots.) I also attended Confluence in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 and plan to return in 2021. They will hold confluence 2021 from July 23 to 25, 2021.
Links for Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2020
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference on July 30 and July 31, 2016, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I attended 15 panels and the U.S.S. Improvise improv sketch comedy routine.
They held the Confluence Conference from August 4 to August 6, 2017, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I attended seven panels, one writing workshop, one author reading, and the guests of honor presentation.
They held the Confluence Conference from July 27, 2018, to July 29, 2018, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I attended two lectures, two panels, one fiction writing seminar, one author reading, and the guest of honor presentation.
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh on July 27 & 28, 2019, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I also attended Confluence in 2016, 2017, and 2018. I attended five panels, two fiction writing workshops, and the guest of honor presentation.
