Burning White by Brent Weeks is the fifth and final book of The Lightbringer series. The three main characters set up their roles for the last book in the series. Gavin has lost his powers, takes on a suicide mission, and faces the god Orholam. Teia must use her skills as a master assassin and destroy the Order of the Broken Eye. Kip must prepare his army to face the White King with their last stand at the Chromeria. Kip must defeat him or risk the colors going out of balance, leading to their destruction. Their missions lead to one ultimate question. Who is the Lightbringer and will the Lightbringer bring balance to the world?
Summary – General
Chromaturgy is the magical system of the Seven Satrapies. They call magicians who use Chromaturgy drafters, and the best drafters live on the Chromeria, the seat of the Satrapies government. Drafters can take a part of the spectrum of light and make a substance called luxin. They can shape luxin into items, with the color of the luxin determining the properties of the item. Most drafters can draft one or two colors, while the Prism can draft all the colors. There is only one Prism alive at one time and the Prism is the military, spiritual, and political leader of the Satrapies.
Summary – Characters
There are three principal viewpoint characters and three minor viewpoint characters.
Gavin was the Prism but has lost his powers. He escaped the special cells under the Chromeria. He must now find the god, Orholam, at the Tower of Heaven and kill him to save the seven satrapies.
Kip has taken the city of Dunbheo in the Blood Forest. Kip must keep his volatile coalition together to protect the city from the advancing White King. The problem is that the White King could get between the Chromeria and Dunbheo. Kip must decide who to protect. The wrong choice could lose the war and end the seven satrapies.
Teia had infiltrated the secret Order of the Broken Eye. It is a dangerous mission, complicated by her interaction with the assassin named Murder Sharp. The Order sends her on an important mission, and she must succeed or they will kill her father.
Karris White Oak is the new White. She must marshal her forces against the White King with the help and hindrance of Andross Guile.
Andross Guile is shown becoming the man he becomes through the use of flashbacks.
Liv Danavis serves the White King and has come into a significant power.
Recommendation
In Burning White by Brent Weeks, the three principal characters have important tasks to perform. The tasks are straightforward but are not complete by the end of the previous novel. In this novel, the author answered all questions about Gavin, Kip, and Teia. I felt like the ending was an unnecessary Deus ex Machina. What happened to Kip bothered me. Maybe it could have gone down another way. I guess my problem with the story as written is that I felt like Kip was the main character in the novel and he would have agency at the end. I was wrong. Gavin is the main character of the series and that clouds the ending for me.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Burning White by Brent Weeks.
My review of Blood Mirror by Brent Weeks, book 4 of The Lightbringer series. The author sets up the last conflicts for the Lightbringer to bring balance to the seven satrapies.
Review of The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks, book 3 of The Lightbringer series. Gavin, Kip, Teia, and Karris fight the Color Prince and the Order of the Broken Eye. They face a climactic confrontation at the Chromeria. Another excellent book in the series.
In October 2021, I submitted Chapter 15 of my novel titled Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
I submitted my story “Cautionary Tales Revisited” to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library in October 2021.
In October 2021, I submitted my story, Game Dome, to the Wednesday Fiction Writing Workshop at South Euclid/Lyndhurst, Ohio library.
I completed the first draft of my novel Assassin in New Marl City in July 2018, 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.
Writing Progress from October 2021 Continued
I made five posts on my Goodreads account in October 2021.
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.
Magazine submissions for 2021 are 4 unique stories submitted 4 times, with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections.
Events from October 2021.
No events to report this month.
Writing Goals for November 2021.
I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for November 2021.
The title of the novel I am working on is Cuba Liberto. The first draft of the piece was a screenplay. My plan for the rewrite is 26 Chapters. I plan to complete writing Chapter 16 in November 2021 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
In November 2021, I plan to submit a story to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
I plan to submit a story to the critters workshop in November 2021.
In November 2021, I plan to split Chapter 1 of Assassin in New Marl City into two chapters. I plan to work on these chapters and then submit both chapters to the SEL Wednesday Writing Workshop in February 2022.
I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. In November 2021, I plan to complete third draft edits for renumbered Chapters 3 and 4.
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.
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 2021 continued.
In November 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 November 2021.
The next event I would like to attend is ConFusion Detroit. ConFusion Detroit 2020 was the last in-person con I attended. I have attended only virtual cons in the last two years. I would like ConFusion 2022 to be my next in-person con.
The next conference I plan to attend is ConFusion in Novi, Michigan, from January 21, 2022, to January 23, 2022. The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association Sponsors ConFusion.
In September 2021, I submitted Chapter 14 of my novel titled Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
In September 2021, I submitted my story Are you Worthy to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
I completed the first draft of my novel Assassin in New Marl City in July 2018, 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.
Writing Progress from September 2021 Continued
I made five posts on my Goodreads account in September 2021.
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.
Magazine submissions for 2021 are 4 unique stories submitted 4 times, with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections.
Events from September 2021.
No events to report this month.
Writing Goals for October 2021.
I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for October 2021.
The title of the novel I am working on is Cuba Liberto. The first draft of the piece was a screenplay. My plan for the rewrite is 26 Chapters. I plan to complete writing Chapter 15 in October 2021 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
In October 2021, I plan to submit a story to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
In October 2021, I plan to submit my story, Game Dome, to the Wednesday Fiction Writing Workshop at SouthEuclid/Lyndhurst, Ohio library.
I plan to submit a story to the critters workshop in October 2021.
In October 2021, I plan to split Chapter 1 of Assassin in New Marl City into two chapters. I plan to work on these chapters and then submit both chapters to the SEL Wednesday Writing Workshop in February 2022.
I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. In October 2021, I plan to complete third draft edits for renumbered Chapters 3 and 4.
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.
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 October 2021 continued.
In October 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 October 2021.
The next event I would like to attend is ConFusion Detroit. ConFusion Detroit 2020 was the last in-person con that I attended. I have attended only virtual cons in the last two years. I would like ConFusion 2022 to be my next in-person con.
The next conference I plan to attend is ConFusion in Novi, Michigan in January 2022. The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association sponsors ConFusion.
Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi, Book #2 of the Dispatcher series.
Introduction
Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi is about Tony Valdez, who is a legal professional murderer. In the future, people who are murdered come back to life in the place where they find most comforting. People who commit suicide and have natural deaths stay dead. 99.99% of all Murder victims return to life naked but alive. So, murderers can keep people from dying an eternal death. Times are tough for dispatchers because legitimate jobs are scarce. Tony needs money, and he takes a shady deal that goes wrong. They implicate Tony in a robbery scheme and people are dying without being murdered. Will Tony discover the criminal’s plans before they kill him by other means?
Summary
Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi is the second book of the Dispatcher series. In the first book, The Dispatcher, someone has kidnapped one of Tony’s colleagues, another dispatcher. Tony must rescue him, or his colleague may be killed and stay dead. Tony searches for him even though Tony faces his eternal death.
They set this novella in Chicago like the previous novella. Tony lost his role with the Chicago PD and needs money, so he takes a risky job. Mr. Peng is from China and wants a quick way home. Tony can provide that for him. He got the job from Lloyd Barnes, a Chicago lawyer. The translator is Mister Chen. Tony performs the dispatch.
Tony is at the bank and becomes involved in a robbery scheme in which he becomes implicated. People die in unusual ways. Tony has to unravel the mystery or he will be the next person to die and not come back.
Recommendation
Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi was originally only released as an Audible audiobook in 2020. I read the hardback novella published by Subterranean Press in 2021. The book is 191 pages long. This, the second story of the Dispatcher series, explores another ramification of the murder mechanism that rules this world. How would you murder someone without murdering them? The solution made sense. It was an enjoyable thriller.
Links
Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi is Book #2 of the Dispatcher Series
This is the link to The Dispatcher’s Goodreads page.
John Scalzi read the first chapter in his work in progress, the Dispatcher 2, at the science fiction conference ConFusion in Detroit on January 19, 2019. This is a link to my recap of the conference and John Scalzi’s reading.
The Dispatcher by John Scalzi is a police procedural set in the future where murder victims return to life. Dispatchers commit legalized murder. Will Dispatcher Tony Valdez look for his kidnapped friend even though Tony may face his eternal death?
In August 2021, I submitted Chapter 13 of my novel titled Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
In August 2021, I submitted my story Are you Worthy to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
I completed the first draft of my novel Assassin in New Marl City in July 2018, 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.
Writing Progress from August 2021 Continued
I made five posts on my Goodreads account in August 2021.
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.
Magazine submissions for 2021 are 4 unique stories submitted 4 times, with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections.
Events from August 2021.
No events to report this month.
Writing Goals for September 2021.
I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for September 2021.
The title of the novel I am working on is Cuba Liberto. The first draft of the piece was a screenplay. My plan for the rewrite is 26 Chapters. I plan to complete writing Chapter 14 in September 2021 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
In September 2021, I plan to submit a story to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
In September 2021, I plan to submit my story, Game Dome, to the Wednesday Fiction Writing Workshop at SouthEuclid/Lyndhurst, Ohio library. The story will be critiqued in October 2021.
I plan to submit a story to the critters workshop in September 2021.
In October 2021, I plan to split Chapter 1 of Assassin in New Marl City into two chapters. I plan to work on these chapters and then submit both chapters to the SEL Wednesday Writing Workshop in February 2022.
I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. In October 2021, I plan to complete third draft edits for renumbered Chapters 3 and 4.
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.
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 September 2021 continued.
In September 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 September 2021.
This is the next event I would like to attend.
They scheduled Washington Capclave as an in-person event for October 1 to October 3, 2021. The Washington Science Fiction Association holds the conference at the Hilton in Rockville, Maryland. I would like to attend the conference.
In Buried Book by DM Pulley, nine-year-old Jasper Leary finds his missing mother’s childhood diary in 1952. He searches for her using the clues in the diary, but faces encounters he never knew existed. His travels take him from his uncle’s farm in Michigan to downtown Detroit and to an Indian Reservation. Will he find her alive or dead?
Summary
The Buried Book by DM Pulley starts with Jasper Leary’s mom taking him to his Uncle’s farm. Jasper is nine-years-old and lives with his mom, Althea, in Detroit, Michigan. Uncle Leo’s farm is in Burtchville, Michigan. It’s 1952. She leaves Jasper at the farm and promises to return after she takes care of some important things. Althea doesn’t trust her husband Wendell to watch after Jasper.
The farmhouse is small. Jasper shares a bed with his twelve-year-old cousin Wayne. Uncle Leo and Aunt Velma have their bedroom. Jasper learns the farm life, does his chores, and goes to school. He has issues with Wayne. As the days go by, he wanders around the farm, looking for answers about his mom’s disappearance. He finds the burned-out family house of Althea and Leo. Inside a drawer, he finds young Althea’s diary.
Jasper uses clues from the diary to search for his mother. He travels to a rough neighborhood in Detroit and an Indian Reservation. What he discovers surprises him.
Recommendation
I liked The Buried Book by DM Pulley. Jasper is an interesting viewpoint character, and I thought the mystery surrounding his mother fits together well. The life on the farm sections was detailed and exciting. I wondered about the age of Jasper. His thoughts read to me like an older child. I don’t see a nine-year-old being as independent and resilient as depicted in the novel. The bus driver’s scene surprised me. It didn’t seem to fit with the story to me. The mob connection to the Indian Reservation seemed to cliché to me. I felt that the strengths of the story overweighed my concerns.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Buried Book by DM Pulley.
In No One’s Home by DM Pulley, the Spielman family buys a mansion named Rawlingswood in Shaker Heights, Ohio, in this ghost suspense thriller. Will the Spielman’s survive the mansion, unlike the four families that preceded them?
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.
Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson, Book #3.5 of the Stormlight Archive
Introduction
Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson is a long novella set in between Oathbringer (Book 3 of the Stormlight Archive) and Rhythm of War (Book 4 of the Stormlight Archive). The novella follows the mission of shipowner Rysn Ftori and Windrunner Lopen which was not detailed in either novel. Rysn and Lopen must uncover the secrets of the lost island of Akinah or it will doom Roshar.
Summary
Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson has two viewpoint characters, Rysn and Lopen. They are minor characters from the series that get a starring role in this novella. In the prologue of the book, a ghost ship appears off the coast of Aimia. Something odd is going on in those waters.
Rysn is a shipowner. She was paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair. Her pet is Chiri-Chiri who is a larkin, a type of flying crustacean. Chiri-Chiri is sick and Rysn learns that the larkin must return to its home, Akinah, an island off the coast of Aimia, to be healed. Rysn meets with Queen Navani Kholin to arrange an expedition to the lost city of Akinah. Queen Navani agrees because she thinks there is an unknown oathgate in the lost city that would help them in the war effort against the Voidbringers.
Lopen is part of the group that Kaladin assembles to go on the expedition to Akinah with Rysn. Lopen is an original member of the Bridge Four crew and is Herdazian. He is an optimist, always looking for the positive in life and he uses humor to lighten the mood of any group he is in. He lost his left arm, so he understands the challenges Rysn faces overcoming her disability. Lopen became a Windrunner and regrew his arm using his new powers.
Kaladin also assigns to the expedition: Huio, Lopen’s reserved cousin who Kaladin hopes will balance Lopen’s exuberance; Cord, the Horneater daughter of Rock, and she is also a cook like him; and Rushu, an ardent who is researching using fabrials on a ship.
They sail on the ship Wondersail to discover the secrets of the lost city of Akinah.
Recommendation
Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson has two minor characters from The Stormlight Archive shine with their own story. It was fun to see Rysn and Lopen lead an expedition and solve problems. The action in the story was swift and the plot was complete. I liked the development of the secondary characters’ interrelationships. Huio, Cord, and Rushu have their moments. I wanted more but this story was not novel length and I appreciate the story as written.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson.
My review of Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson, a collection with nine stories that are part of the cosmere universe. An overarching plot, which he calls the cosmere interrelated many of the author’s works. He set the stories of the cosmere on a group of worlds that are connected by magical means. He set six stories 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.
On July 31, 2021, I took a hike from Public Square up Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, once known as Millionaire Row. This picture is of the Mather Mansion.
Writing Progress from July 2021.
I wrote three blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my writing progress report for July 2021, linked below.
In July 2021, I submitted Chapter 12 of my novel titled Cuba Liberto to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
In July 2021, I submitted my story Tau Ceti Journal to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
I completed the first draft of my novel Assassin in New Marl City in July 2018, 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.
Writing Progress from July 2021 Continued
I made five posts on my Goodreads account in July 2021.
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.
Magazine submissions for 2021 are 4 unique stories submitted 4 times, with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections.
Events from July 2021.
The Cleveland Inkubator Writing Conference 2021 was a virtual event using Zoom between July 11, 2021, to July 25, 2021. Over the two weeks, they presented forty-two workshops, panels, and special events. I attended two panels, one craft talk, and one workshop (which was held over two days).
I enjoyed the programs that I attended at the Cleveland Inkubator and plan to attend in person in 2022. My highlights were D.M. Pulley’s Writing Multiple Stories Workshop and Marie Vibbert’s talk about submitting short stories. I thought using Zoom worked well. At the in-person conference, you must pick one of four talks in three different time slots on the Saturday of the conference. Being spread over two weeks enabled me to pick the talks that I wanted to see. I appreciated the flexibility but will like to go back to the in-person conference next year.
Literary Cleveland sponsors the event. Literary Cleveland’s mission is to create and nurture a vibrant literary arts community in Northeast Ohio. The group sponsors writing workshops, author interviews, and a monthly group meeting mixer.
I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for August 2021.
The title of the novel I am working on is Cuba Liberto. The first draft of the piece was a screenplay. My plan for the rewrite is 26 Chapters. I plan to complete writing Chapter 13 in August 2021 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
In August 2021, I plan to submit a story to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio, library.
I plan to submit a story to the critters workshop in August 2021.
In August and September 2021, I plan to split Chapter 1 of Assassin in New Marl City into two chapters. I plan to work on these chapters and then submit both chapters to the SEL Wednesday Writing Workshop in October 2021.
I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. In October 2021, I plan to complete third draft edits for renumbered Chapters 3 and 4.
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.
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 August 2021 continued.
In August 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 August 2021.
Marcon Columbus had dates posted for May 7 to May 9, 2021. I have attended this con many times and would like to attend it in 2021. They officially moved Marcon to occur from September 2, 2021, to September 6, 2021. I plan to attend on September 4, 2021.
They scheduled Washington Capclave as an in-person event for October 1 to October 3, 2021. The Washington Science Fiction Association holds the conference at the Hilton in Rockville, Maryland. I would like to attend the conference.
They normally hold the Cleveland Inkubator Writing Conference at the Louis Stokes Wing of the Cleveland Public Library, 525 Superior Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44115. This year they presented a virtual event using Zoom between July 11, 2021, to July 25, 2021, for the Cleveland Inkubator Writing Conference 2021. Over the two weeks, they presented forty-two workshops, panels, and special events. I attended two panels, one craft talk, and one workshop (which was held over two days).
Literary Cleveland sponsored the event. Literary Cleveland’s mission is to create and nurture a vibrant literary arts community in Northeast Ohio. The group sponsors writing workshops, author interviews, and a monthly group meeting mixer.
I attended two panels, one craft talk, and one workshop (which was held over two days). I will summarize the four events I attended in the next four sections.
Workshop with D.M. Pulley
They split this workshop into two days, Wednesday, July 14, 2021, from 4 PM to 5 PM, and Wednesday, July 21, 2021, from 4 PM to 5 PM. The topic was Writing Multiple Storylines. She taught the workshop using a PowerPoint presentation. The conference coordinator distributed a copy of the presentation to the participants after the workshop. I have noted the four most important ideas I learned in the workshop in the following paragraphs.
She talked about five structures used in multiple storyline novels and gave an example for each. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr uses a Dual Narrative Structure. It features two protagonists on the same timeline. The Girls by Emma Cline uses a Dual Timeline Structure. It features a single protagonist with an early and later timeline.
The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis uses a Dual Narrative and Dual Timeline Structure. It features two protagonists each with an early and later timeline. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan uses a linked Short Story or Novella Structure. It features many characters and many timelines with linked narratives. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut uses a Gestalt Timeline. It features one protagonist with many scattered timelines. There are other examples.
Writing Exercise #1 was to describe what your story is about. Writing Exercise #2 was to figure out whose story your work is about.
She gave examples of the guideposts, transitions, and plotting from the five novels listed above.
Writing Exercise #4 was to draw a three-point plot arc for your story. Writing Exercise #4 was to storyboard your story.
D.M. Pulley is a historical mystery writer with four published novels. No One’s Home is her most recently published novel. I linked the Goodreads page to No One’s Home below.
This craft talk was on Wednesday, July 14, from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. The topic was So You Wrote a Short Story-Now What? She presented her talk using a PowerPoint presentation. The conference coordinator distributed a copy of the presentation to the participants after the talk. I have noted the three most important ideas I learned in the talk in the following paragraphs.
When submitting a short story, follow the submission guidelines posted on each website of the magazine where the submission is going. Each magazine has specific requirements, if not followed will diminish the possibility of a sale. Submissions should follow the Shunn format rules linked here. https://www.shunn.net/format/classic/
She presented a live demonstration of submitting a story. She tracks her submissions at the Submission Grinder website. https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/ Each author has a password-protected account. The website is a submission tracker and a market database. The website search engine helps the author find suitable markets to submit each unique story. She submitted one of her completed but unsold stories to the Clarkesworld Magazine in the demonstration. http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/
She says to expect a lot of rejections. On Submission Grinder she has tracked her submissions for the last six years. She has over 900 submissions with 73 accepted stories. The highest number of rejections for her for a story before it sold was 42. She is an accomplished author, and it was instructive to see her record of submissions.
Marie Vibbert is a science fiction short story writer. On the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (isfdb.org) she has 43 short stories listed. They published her first novel Galactic Hellcats this year. I linked the Goodreads page for Galactic Hellcats below.
From Dream to Reality: A Panel with Four Debut Authors
They held this panel from 10 AM to 11:30 AM on Saturday, July 17, 2001. The four authors in the panel published their debut novels in early 2021. The novels were The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson, Bride of the Sea by Eman Quotah, On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu, and Body of Stars by Laura Maylene Walter. Laura Maylene Walter was the moderator and posed questions for the panel to answer. Each author started by repeating the elevator pitch for her novel. I have included one question and answer I thought insightful from each author.
What was the most challenging part of writing your novel? E. Lily Yu answered learning Persian was necessary to complete the novel.
Explain your experience of the agent side of publishing. Nancy Johnson answered the key was an excellent query letter. She used the phase Hook-Book-Cook to describe what you need in your query. The Hook is your elevator pitch; the Book is a brief summary of your book (only add your most interesting points), and the Cook is adding any works published and workshops attended.
Explain how you write a novel with a day job, and how do you keep your motivation up? Laura Maylene Walter answered she gets up before work to write, she takes unpaid weeks off work to write. She doesn’t have kids, so that helps. Her goal is 1000 words per day, or she uses a time goal like a certain number of words per half hour.
What surprises you about the writing and publication business? Eman Quotah answered pay attention to the small successes you achieve. A handwritten card from a beta reader can be the best validation you can receive. Don’t get caught up in other writers’ successes.
Eyes of the Editor: A Panel with Four Editors
They held this panel from 7 PM to 8:30 PM on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. The four editors on the panel were Angela Kim (Berkley, romance), Kate Napolitano (Dey Street, non-fiction), Nadxieli Nieto (Flatiron Books, cross-genre), and Shannon Jamison-Vazquez (Little, Brown, mystery/thriller/suspense). The moderator was Brandi Larson. After the panelists introduced themselves, the moderator posed questions to the panel. I have included one question and answer I thought insightful from each editor.
What is your impression of someone trying to get a job in publishing today? Kate Napolitano answered that publishing is an apprenticeship industry. Earning an MFA is not the only way to get in.
What is a must-have for a query (fiction) or a proposal (Non-fiction)? Nadxieli Nieto answered that for commercial fiction, understand your placement in the marketplace and the relation of your work to the current trends.
What are the hot trends? Shannon Jamison-Vazquez answered you can’t write to trends. The most important thing is to use your voice. That is what is unique about you and will sell your novel.
What do you look for in the opening paragraphs? Angela Kim answered momentum is important. Don’t put too much info in at once. Be active with witty dialog. Use an active voice and a distinctive voice.
Before the panel, attendees volunteered to send in the first paragraphs of their novels. They picked six author paragraphs at random, and the panel read and discussed each.
The panel ended with final thoughts and advice.
Conclusion
I enjoyed the programs that I attended at the Cleveland Inkubator Writing Conference 2021 and plan to attend in person in 2022. My highlights were D.M. Pulley’s Writing Multiple Stories Workshop and Marie Vibbert’s talk about submitting short stories. I thought using Zoom worked well. At the in-person conference, you must pick one of four talks in three different time slots on the Saturday of the conference. Being spread over two weeks enabled me to pick the talks that I wanted to see. I appreciated the flexibility but will like to go back to the in-person conference next year.
Links
I attended the Cleveland Inkubator on August 4, 2018, at the Louis Stokes Wing of the Cleveland Public Library, 525 Superior Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44115. Literary Cleveland sponsored the event. Literary Cleveland’s mission is to create and nurture a vibrant literary arts community in Northeast Ohio. I enjoyed the programs that I attended at the Cleveland Inkubator and plan to attend next year.
They held the Cleveland Inkubator on July 29, 2017, at the Louis Stokes Wing of the Cleveland Public Library, 525 Superior Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44115. Literary Cleveland sponsored the event. Literary Cleveland’s mission is to create and nurture a vibrant literary arts community in Northeast Ohio. I enjoyed the programs that I attended at the Cleveland Inkubator and plan to attend next year.
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells, Murderbot Diaries Book 6.
Introduction
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells is a novella in the Murderbot Diaries Series. The first four stories are all novellas that complete a self-contained single story. The author set this story is between the novellas and the Murderbot novel, Network Effect. The protagonist of the diaries is a SecUnit (Security Unit), a part organic and part mechanical cyborg, or as it calls itself a Murderbot. In this story, Murderbot is a Security Consultant to Dr. Mensah on Preservation Station. It finds a murdered human and must solve the mystery. Who was the victim, how was he killed, and why was he murdered?
Summary
In Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells, Murderbot examines a dead human. Murderbot reports its impressions to Dr. Mensah and Senior Security Officer Indah of Preservation Station. The human is unidentified. Indah calls it a murder while Mensah wants to call it an accidental death for now. Mensah talks to Murderbot on a private channel because they are worried that the GrayCris corporation (the antagonists for the previous novellas of the series) is involved with the death. Mensah convinces Indah to let Murderbot help her learn about the dead human. Insah wishes Murderbot would call him the deceased or the victim.
Murderbot and Insah investigate the case with help from Tech Tural. Insah confirms Murderbot as a consultant for Station Security. Murderbot must become part of the system to investigate the system to get access to the Preservation Station networks. It’s a hard transition for Murderbot because of her Rogue SecUnit identity. All Murderbot wants is to find out who killed the dead human and then can go back to a normal life watching reruns of the show Sanctuary Moon. Murderbot follows the clues and uncovers an unusual suspect.
Recommendation
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells is a locked room murder mystery set on a space station. As a procedural mystery, the story doesn’t have the fireworks of the previous novellas. This story is a different and interesting experience. I recommend it. Network Effect won the 2021 Locus Award for best novel and I think they should nominate Fugitive Telemetry in the novella category next year. I believe she will write more stories in the Murderbot diaries and I plan to read them when they are published.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page for Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells.
Book Review of Network Effect by Martha Wells, Book 5 of The Murderbot Diaries, a novel. The diaries protagonist is a SecUnit (Security Unit), a cyborg, or as it calls itself Murderbot. Murderbot must solve a complex mystery or risk the deaths of its human clients.
Book Review of Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, a series of four novellas. SecUnit calls herself Murderbot. She has feelings of companionship for her human employers. What lengths will she go to protect them?
