Discoveries!
Another prehistoric discovery: road construction workers in San Diego recently found bison remains while excavating for a freeway in San Diego. The fossils are now in the care of the Balboa Park Natural History Museum read more about it http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/13/bison-fossil-caltrans-history-museum-76/ Imagine the thrill of discovering ancient remnants of life on this planet thousands of years ago….makes me realize how our lifetimes are over in just a blink in the cosmic scheme of things....
Read MoreBackstory, Science (Fiction) and Genetic Advancements
It’s always a tricky thing to artfully weave in backstory and it is doubly tricky when the information crosses into the land of science. I’ve read some science fiction where the author seems to be swept up in describing in great detail the complete history of the people, technological advancement or natural phenomenon that she invented. This kind of indulgence is often referred to as an “information dump” or, if the explanation is spouted in dialogue, that character can transform into Exposition Man. Neither of these options is a good choice, so what’s a science fiction writer to do? I’m a fan of the less is more philosophy: supply a few key details artfully woven into the story and let the reader fill in the rest. After all, you don’t want to tell...
Read MoreUnexpected Treasures
I love doing research – executing internet searches, combing through articles, sifting through books at the library. On rare occasions, I’ve even had the opportunity to leaf through vertical files. (For those of you who don’t know, in the days before Wikipedia, some libraries kept files of clippings, photos and other documents of interest arranged by subject. Sadly, vertical files seem to be on the endangered species list these days.) Forward thinking libraries are beginning to digitize vertical files and periodical collections, making them accessible not only to their local patrons, but everyone with internet access. One of these amazing projects is happening at the Oklahoma State University library. In the course of doing research for a non-fiction...
Read MoreThe Next Big Thing
I’ve been planning to re-launch my blog for a while and recently when my friend Wayne Wyrick tagged me (here’s his blog), it seemed like a perfect case of synchronicity. It’s always fun to talk about your newly birthed (or still gestating) fiction baby, right? So here goes . . .
Read MoreWhat is Steampunk?
When I mention steampunk, people sometimes get a very confused look. “Steam – what?”
Read MorePeter Pan and Edinburgh
A few months ago, my husband and I traveled to Scotland and England. In anticipation of this, I decided to revisit a few classics written by English and Scottish authors.
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