World in the Satin Bag

World in the Satin Bag

A Meme of Goals

/

Alright, so I was tagged for I think the first time for a meme by BlondeSwtP. Apparently what you’re supposed to do is list of 5-10 of your wildest dreams, things you want to achieve in this lifetime, and then tag several of your blogger friends, asking them to do the same. Create a link within the post back to the blogger who challenged you. You must also include a link to the original challenge: here!So my goals are as follows in no particular order:1) Graduate college with a PhD. so I can talk to people have them them call me “Mr. Duke” just so I can correct them. “It’s Dr. Duke.” Granted, I want the education too, but I wouldn’t want to spend all that time learning without having a couple of arrogant giggles as payment in the end. I don’t know what my PhD. would be in mind you. Right now I’m just getting a BA in Literature (with a creative writing focus) and possibly a M.A. in education so I can teach English to college kids and what not.2) Be a published and moderately successful author. I don’t mean Stephen King. He’s loaded. I just want to be a recognized author. Maybe win a Hugo or a Nebula. Perhaps the Nobel for Literature. Heck, the Pulitzer would be nice. Okay, maybe that’s beyond moderately successful, but I would love to be able to make a living off of writing, and I don’t need much to do that.3) Publish WISB. This is being put up to some serious consideration right now. A lot of expressed that I should attempt to publish it. Even my cartographer who did those lovely maps suggested it and he’s someone who deals extensively with the publishing world. So, I’m thinking of how to do that. Lulu looks like a great place to self-publish, but would that be possible? I can’t attempt to publish the first novel on its own right now, at least I don’t think so. Would a publisher take a novel that is only part of a sequence?4) Be able to do just about anything I want regardless of how much it costs. Yeah, that’s a good dream right? Being rich?5) Not have to actually work, i.e. a real 8-5 or 40 hour work week type job, unless it involves writing in some way. That would rule really. I hate working and quite honestly I refuse to remain in that sort of repetitive mindless boredom that people seem to just accept in this world. Not me. I want to do something I will enjoy.6) Have a hell of a lot more time to write and read. Or have a job that will not chastise me for stopping in the middle of a work day to write something down. A lot of my inspiration has come in my little 15 minute breaks at work. I need silence though to write. That doesn’t happen much at work I’m afraid. Stupid work.7) Successfully breed leopard geckos. Simple enough.8) Not die. Seriously. I know people say “well if you were immortal you’d be depressed at seeing everyone die”. Not me. See, I have this mentality that I will get attached to people, but I can also get over it. I mean, really, if someone lives for 80 years, that’s a long time to know someone. And I totally want to see the whole world.9) Gain superpowers or learn how to control magic or get sucked into a magic world just like James in WISB was. Okay, not really a goal, but man it would be cool.10) Prove or adapt the evolutionary theory just to shut up all those idiots who haven’t a clue how science works. At the same time I would make sure not to be like other scientific idiots who try to use science to disprove God, which is in and of itself as retarded as watching the President try to dance African style. This would probably involve me developing a time machine to go back in time and video tape evolution as it happens and also video tape the hand of God turning the little dial to make it all go. Yes, I would have prior clearance with God to do that. We’ll have a long talk about it after I become immortal. And there you have it. So, I am tagging Mr. Bramage, Andrew, and Lindsey on this one. So, do it! Laters!

Book Reviews, World in the Satin Bag

Book Review: Cell by Stephen King

/

It took me a lot longer to get through than I had hoped, and that is not saying I didn’t enjoy the book. It was just a rocky last couple of weeks and now I’m behind on a lot of stuff. Cell is the only King book I have ever actually finished, and also the first book where I got through fifty pages before putting it down. I’m not sure why this is. Perhaps it has something to do with my obsession with zombies and my desire to perhaps one day write the most chilling and thrilling of zombie epics to ever grace the metaphorical screen of literature.Having said that, Cell is not actually a ‘zombie story’ in the traditional sense. There isn’t much here that is actually cliche or common in such stories. Cell starts out setting you up with the main character–Clay. He’s an artist who has just struck a major publishing deal for his graphic novel and is on his way home to let his estranged wife and his son know that things are going to be better. Then chaos reigns. People start freaking out, biting, clawing, and killing themselves and others. Clay is caught in the middle. Here he meets Tom and together they manage to get away. From this point on it is an all out battle for survival. Clay and Tom–and Alice, a young teenage girl–set off to try to escape the fires and insane people that have consumed normal society. As time passes they realize that it wasn’t just some random event, but some sort of pulse, some sort of subliminal message that has made everyone who was listening or does listen go nuts, and, to make things far worse, they start to realize that the ‘Phonies’ are beginning to change…into something…else… I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I’m not just saying that because of my obsession with zombie stories. His writing is perfect for this. He doesn’t dawdle around on the issue, or wander in places he shouldn’t. He focuses immediately on the characters and draws you into their lives without destroying things with flashbacks and such. Half-way through the book I started to think that this would make an amazing mini-series on HBO or Showtime (not on Fox or one of those normal stations because those places tend to make series crappy after one season…and this book ends in such a point where there would HAVE to be a second season to clear up all the remaining questions).My only problem with this novel is the way it ends. It felt to me like King didn’t really want to finish the novel. Maybe he’s going to write another to follow this. Regardless, it leaves you completely wondering whether Clay succeeded in ‘finding’ his son. Other than this, Cell is an amazing, gripping, and thrilling novel. This is the perfect novel to read when you’re home alone and in a slightly dim room where your mind can wander and make you feel like perhaps this could really happen. Kudos to King!

World in the Satin Bag

Writer: 9, Fate: 8

/

Per usual, I’m beating the pants off of Fate at the moment (well, not really, just barely winning), although that could change at any moment. First, before I explain why I got some points, I want to clarify a few things.1) Yes, I am going to start up a critique group hopefully next month. It will be through CC and I think we’ll have a cap of say 6 people. First priority goes to anyone who reads my blog that is interested (I.E. Andrew, etc.). Second priority is to anyone else that is interested and is SERIOUS about their writing. I don’t care the age of the person, just so long as they actually take the art seriously.2) I was tagged for a meme. I have not gotten around to do it just yet, but will this weekend. I am not ignoring the person who tagged me. Just wanted to make sure that is known. I’m just behind! Now, for my weekend. My three points come from the following:First, I’ve been fortunate to get about 80% of all my college costs PAID through free government money. This means I won’t have nearly as much in student loans as I had originally thought and that means I won’t be in debt for too long after I get my BA and my MA.Second, I managed to finish my submission to Swords & Sorceresses 22 and Chapter 16 by some manner of luck. And managed to submit said piece to Realms of Fantasy as it was rejected (which is part of fate’s points).Third, I finished my fourth Spanish test tonight and think I did rather well and likely will ace the class and managed to rewrite my essay for my scifi lit. class and hopefully will get an A on that. No for Fate:First, my story to S&S 22 was rejected and rather quickly. I’m not sure if that just means their response time is exceptionally fast, or if my story really wasn’t what they were looking for (I don’t think it’s all that bad a story. I like it personally).Second, I was unable to finish writing and editing my submission for Machine of Death and now need to finish it this weekend, assuming submissions remain open. Long piece, but hopefully a good one that follows the premise of the Anth.Third, I just found out some rather annoying news. A while back I took a class called “Writing For Publication”, which essentially was a class where everyone banded together to raise funds, write, etc. and publish a college sponsored Literary Journal. I submitted “A Tear For Humanity”, which was a short story about a man who reminisces about the last days of his childhood before an alien invasion makes him a slave. I just found out that my story was actually cut off by about 8 pages…this means that over the last few years my story has probably befuddled people because it seems like it randomly stops. I’m rather pissed about this because I had thought it was all there. I never looked because I didn’t think I had to… More to come this weekend of course!

World in the Satin Bag

Chapter Sixteen: A Glimmer of Something

/

(Note:  This is not official version and may be removed in the near future.  This do not reflect what is read in the podcast version, nor any other version you may encounter.  I have preserved the rough form for posterity — or something like that.  This novel has since been rewritten.) James stumbled to his feet. He was still dizzy from expending so much magic, yet now, unlike in previous times, he could at least see and stand. Dust filled every inch of the pass between the mountains. Darkness covered everything. He could barely see a few inches in front of him. He covered his mouth with his sleeve in an attempt to keep the dust out of his lungs. Still, it found its way into his mouth; he could taste it. He coughed, blinked quickly. It took him a moment to get sturdy on his feet, though he could not see exactly where his feet were. The rocks beneath him weren’t sturdy, as they never had been since he and the others had walked the pass. Then he took a few hesitant steps. Something brushed against his foot and clattered. He reached down and yanked back as something sharp pricked his finger. He brought it beneath his eyes, saw a single drop of blood welling up at the end. The drop fell and he knelt down, waving his hands in the air. The dust swirled around his arm and cleared away for a brief moment. There on the ground was his sword. He remembered losing it when Nara’karesh had attacked. He shook away the thoughts. It’s dead now, he thought. Dead and gone forever. James quickly took hold of the hilt and picked the sword up. Dust enveloped the blade as he lifted it from the ground, spiraling wildly like the hands of ghosts. He took a few more steps in the dark, nearly tripped. “Pea? Darl?” he said. “Here,” Pea’s voice passed like a wavering echo through the dust somewhere nearby. James headed that direction. Rocks slid away under his feet, but he managed to find the tiny man sitting on a large stone that had rolled out of the landslide. “Are you okay?” “As good as I can be given the circumstances. And you?” “Tired…” “Aren’t we all?” He nodded. “About time for some good news.” “What do you mean?” “Nara’karesh is dead and the Masters of Arnur have been avenged. Strangely corny, but true.” Slowly the dust began to settle; James could now see ten feet in front of him. There the silhouette of the Lean hovered and some distance behind Darl sat on a tall stone. James motioned to Pea and then walked forward cautiously. As soon as he came into clear sight of Darl the old man cursed. “I’m starting to come to an understanding of why magic users are so incredibly dangerous no matter what side they are on,” Darl said. James and Pea snickered. Then James looked back to the landslide as visibility increased. They had pulled from the mountain far more than he had anticipated. The large outcropping had turned into a massive landslide that had narrowly missed him. He remembered now where he once stood, utterly helpless to the corrupted blackness of Nara’karesh. Now the entire width of the pass was filled with rock and dirt a hundred feet high. And somewhere in that mess was the lifeless body of the lyphon. James sighed with relief at having lost this one burden. Now I only have one thing to worry about, he thought. Luthien and his army. He knew that he could very well be walking into Luthien’s hands if Ti’nagal had been taken, and ultimately to his destruction. Something told him that Luthien had no desire to take him alive. “Shall we continue?” Darl said, standing and tossing the packs to their prospective owners. “To Ti’nagal,” James said. “Yes. To Ti’nagal.” Darl turned and led the group along the pass. The Lean slipped into view next to James. James glanced to the side, nodded slightly, and returned his gaze to the shifting rocks beneath his feet. “Again,” the Lean said, “I say that you are mighty.” “I’m not,” he said, a hint of distaste in his voice. “As you said before. Yet you tear apart mountains.” “With help. And again, that doesn’t make me mighty. Power never does.” “If not power, then what?” “Integrity and honor…” Darl’s voice was assertive. “Power is left to those who have neither.” “Do Kings not have integrity and honor because they have power?” “That depends on how a King uses his power.” James slipped, caught his balance. “A King who leads and commits no evil act does not consider himself to have power, but rather to be a servant to his people.” “Yet he commands his people to do his bidding.” “Yes, but if he gives those com…” he slipped again. “…commands for the good of his people he isn’t using his power for a bad reason.” The Lean’s form shifted as if its arms had passed through it and returned to their original places. “I see.” Then the Lean blinked away. “Like teaching a child,” Pea said. James glared. “I mean, a very ill-behaved child unlike our fine young lad.” “You know, you’re not very good at lying.” “We Erdluitle’s don’t lie. We fib.” Pea stopped, turned and put his hands on his hips. “Fib?” James gave a questioning look. “To fib is to lie without intending to get away with it.” “So, you lie and get caught?” Darl said scruffily. Pea whirled around, said, “Well I don’t expect someone of your stature to understand the complexities of Erdluitle culture” and stormed off along the pass. James and Darl continued. Then Darl turned and said, “I think I’ve insulted him.” “Very likely,” James said, laughing. Then the two wound their way through the mire of rocks and settling dust. A few hours passed before they managed to slip out of the

Book Reviews, World in the Satin Bag

Book Review: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

/

(Quick note. I have decided to drop the whole ‘current reading list’ deal. I’m not even following it at this point. I’m jumping around as it is and I’ve just come into some review copies and the like that are going to take precedent over my reading list anyway. The only list that will remain constant is my awards list…)Philip K. Dick and his lovely work of art. This book is quite a treat. I’ve never read it before, but heard about it a dozen times. The story is about a bounty hunter named Rick Deckard. What does he hunt? Androids of course. The Earth, as it stands, has become a backwater world after a massive nuclear war that leaves cities in ruins and constant radioactive dust falling everywhere. The people who still live on Earth are lucky to stay alive without going insane, and those are aren’t so lucky to keep their normal brains aren’t even allowed to leave for other colonized worlds (Mars included). To add, humanoid androids are illegal on Earth. They come from Mars, usually going to extreme methods to escape servitude there to find a new life on the fallen Earth. Deckard hunts these androids to ‘retire’ them (which is a fancy way of saying ‘kill’). The story itself takes place when six androids come to Earth and Deckard is brought on to take care of them.This is a fantastic novel. It might come off as a little difficult for some to come by. Some things such as Mercerism (which is the new world religion of Earth) and the Empathy Box might be beyond a lot of you to really comprehend, as they were for me. I wasn’t sure what the whole deal with Mercerism was. Was it intended to be so bizarre that you couldn’t believe it? Or are you led to believe that perhaps the people of Earth have just gone so nuts from the radiation that this is the next step? It’s strange indeed.Still, I found the world Philip created to be quite enthralling. It is dystopic–something I am hoping to perhaps place some heavy study in come the next couple years at UCSC. The world is dark. People are not normal. Animals are so far and few between that to have one is a sign of prestige, of wealth, and to have a rare animal is even more prestigious. People are so driven to own an animal that some buy android animals just so they can mimic others.I recommend everyone read this. It is a staple in the scifi world, hands down.

World in the Satin Bag

Stuffs For Us Writers (Part One)

/

Decided to have a short post of nifty sites, programs, and the like that I have discovered that could come to great use for some of you guys out there. FreemindI’ve already mentioned this program, but it is worth mentioning again. Freemind is a mindmapping program. Here’s a picture of one of my mindmaps for a military scifi idea I have–updated from the last one I had shown. (click the image to see larger version) StickItThis program I randomly discovered has become one of my favorite little tools. This program allows you to put little post it notes on your desktop. Perfect for keeping track of all the writing stuff I have to do. I love it. It also apparently has a feature where you can send notes to other users provided they are added to your friends list. I haven’t used it yet, but sounds like a cool idea to me.Here is a pic of my desktop with StickIt running. (Click for larger image) WordWebWhat better a program to have than a portable dictionary on your desktop? Wordweb is an awesome software program that comes in a free version and a pro version ($29). It’s a great program to have on your desktop while writing. With a click on the icon in your taskbar you can start searching for a word right away. What about stationary?Well, what about it? Are you craving strong little journals and notebooks that can withstand a nuclear explosion and still won’t let your ink or pencil smear? Then you should probably be looking into Moleskine’s. A little pricey, but when you think about it, it’s not a bad deal at all in comparison to the competition. Moleskine notebooks come with acid free pages, a hard cover, threaded binding, a nifty place keeper, an back cover inside pocket for keeping stuff in, and a lovely elastic band for keeping it closed. You can get lined, blank, or even squared pages. There are many sizes and styles too. Check them out. Large: $14.95 Small: $9.95Now, if you are wanting to go for a cheaper notebook, you can try the ru Journal from Xonex. Now, these are blank paged pocket journals in the same fashion as the Moleskine, only a little flashier and without the legendary reputation. $5.00Now, I wouldn’t recommend anyone go this direction unless they intend to make good use of it. If you aren’t very serious about your writing, don’t bother forking out the money for any of these items. It falls upon the dilemma of placing value on the item rather than on the writing and really if you aren’t serious you might as well be spending $0.25 on a regular every day notebook than one of these.But if you are serious, I can definitely recommend the Moleskine as a good start. I’ve enjoyed mine thoroughly thus far. Critique CircleI’ve mentioned this lovely place before, but I have to bring it up again. This is one of the best places to go for online critiquing. It’s completely free, but there is a pro account that offers a few more features that in all honesty most of us will never use unless we are in desperate need for an organized system for personal critique groups (something I brought up before as an idea). Check it out! The Gender GenieThis site has been passed around quite a bit I think, but I find it rather interesting to allow this little web app to attempt to figure out whether you are male or female based on a sample of your writing. Go on, give it a try. Take a short story or chapter from your WIP and throw it in. According to the site (using Ch. 14 as an example) it says that I am male by a margin of almost 1,000 points (which isn’t saying much really). The Official Seal GeneratorThis has absolutely nothing to do with writing, but I couldn’t help but put it in. It’s such a nifty idea. This site allows you to create a little seal with a whole slue of options. I made a couple below. Go ahead, put them on your website. It’s not my attempt at shameless promotion…not at all. Honest. Okay, it is, but I think it’s completely adorable how you can create these little things. Go on, put it on your site, wrap some HTML tags back here on them, and there you go. Or just look at them and say they are pretty. Enjoy!

Scroll to Top