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Different media create different kinds of stories. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. I’ve found that some stories work incredibly well in a semi-graphic medium. I also happened to grow up on comics. So, for the last rundown of what I read this last year, I’m going to give the highlights of comics and graphic novels I read. I read much more than I report here, so… just the highlights!
Continue reading “Year of Books 2022: Graphic Stories”
Posted byJonJuly 30, 2022Posted inUncategorizedTags:Adrian Alphona, Amethyst, Asiah Fulmore, Brian Lynch, Daniel Isles, David Aja, Dean Hale, G. Willow Wilson, Galaxy, Hawkeye, Jadzia Axelrod, Jess Taylor, Kevin Eastman, Matheus Lopes, Matias Bergara, Matt Fraction, Mr. Miracle, Ms. Marvel, Shannon Hale, Si Spurrier, Step by Bloody Step, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Thom Zahler, Tom Waltz, Varian Johnson, Warning LabelLeave a comment on Year of Books 2022: Graphic Stories
A Year of Books 2022: Not Just Science Fiction and Fantasy
I firmly believe that if you only read in the genre you write in, you’re going to end up writing more and more shallowly. Yes, writers need to read their genres so they know what’s out there, but by reading outside their genres, their imaginations, and thus their writing, become richer.
So what did I read outside science fiction and fantasy this year?
A Year of Books 2022: Genre Books
Believe it or not, I didn’t just read what I thought were the best books of the year. As in, I read more books.
Here are the other genre books I read this year, in no particular order:
Continue reading “A Year of Books 2022: Genre Books”
Posted byJonJuly 16, 2022Posted inUncategorizedTags:A Thousand Years to Wait, Belinda Frawford, Beneath the Canyons, Cold Between Stars, Cosmic Courtship, Dark Between Oceans, Daughter of the Wildings, Echo Between Worlds, H. Beam Piper, Julian Hawthorne, Kyra Halland, L. Ryan Storms, Little Fuzzy, M. G. Herron, Micaiah Johnson, Relics of the Ancients, Starfighter Down, The Echo, The Space Between WorldsLeave a comment on A Year of Books 2022: Genre Books
A Year of Books 2022
It’s that time again! Every year I do pellet reviews of the books I’ve read over the course of a year. My year runs roughly July 4 to July 4 for reading purposes, so… yep! How did the year go?
First, I read far less than I typically do. That’s mostly because of the huge amount of writing I’ve been doing. I can’t read nearly as much as still keep up the output of words. That also means I’ve started to become pickier with what I read. I’ve also noticed I’m leaning toward shorter books in general. I don’t want to spend months on a single book.
So, how did the year shake out?
Author of the Year: Benedict Patrick
Covers matter. Look at these covers. They’re… they’re so stunning.
I first saw Benedict Patrick’s books on Kickstarter. The covers were so beautiful, and I loved the concept of the series he was presenting at that time: Yarnsworld. A world where everyone has a “knack” and stories are real.
I didn’t back it.
And then he came back to Kickstarter with a second series, the Darkstar series. I didn’t let him escape this time. Instead, I backed it at a level that also got me the Yarnsworld books. Now there’s only one of his novels sitting in my TBR pile. I ate the rest.
That means I read them. I didn’t physically eat them. Gross.
I don’t typically read two novels by the same author in a year, much less six. These things are good.
Each of them pictured above (and if you click the picture, it’ll take you to the Amazon page for that book). They’re all pretty stand-alone. Some are linked, some are even direct sequels, but they’re all written in such a way you don’t have to worry if you didn’t read the others.
The Yarnsworld novels are all fairly dark. Think of them as Grimm fairy tales for modern adults. Patrick really beats the crap out of his protagonists, and you feel each hit. The stories don’t necessarily end “happily ever after.” That said, you’re really rooting for the heroes. You want them to win. And the endings, while not necessarily happy, are very satisfactory. Whether it’s the Magpie King who’s been driven insane but will still protect his forest or a girl who can play the ocarina so well she enchants mythical creatures, you’re in for an adventure.
Darkstar, meanwhile, is just fun and weird. Welcome to a dimension with random portals that could lead anywhere… and a first officer who should be a captain who has to maintain order when her ship suddenly appears in this weird place.
I’d recommend each and any of these. Check them out.
Last Year’s Author Revisited: K. M. Merritt
Last year I got to read the first four books if Mishap’s Heroes, and I loved them. This year I got to finish the series!
This six-book series follows some brave heroes through tough situations. As you might expect given the name, these heroes are all misfits. Merritt does a stellar job making you care about all the ladies. I was also stunned at how diverse she made the cast. Each character definitely gets their own story arc, and each one also is completely unique. Yet, they work together well.
The only downside is that the series is just long enough that when there are a bunch of returns of secondary characters in the final volume, I really didn’t remember them all. That said, the final confrontation and the revelation of who Vola, the main character, has been serving this entire time made me cheer.
If you enjoy light-hearted fantasy that has solid character growth, please check this out.
Best Single Novel: Ella Minnow Pea
Everyone who lives on the island of Nollop pays attention to the board that immortalizes the shortest sentence that uses every letter in the English alphabet: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
But then one day… a letter falls off the sign.
The leaders of the island decide that the gods have spoken. No one may use the fallen letter.
And then another letter falls.
And as the book goes on, those letters stop appearing in the text…
Man. The sheer creativity of this book is stunning. If you enjoy working with language, you need to read this.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
I’ll be back with more pellet reviews next week… I read far more than this, but these were the best of the year. They were by no means the only good books I read, though!
What about you? Do you keep track of what you read in any given year?
Posted byJonJuly 9, 2022July 1, 2022Posted inUncategorizedTags:Benedict Patrick, book, Book reviews, books, Darkstar, Ella Minnow Pea, K. M. Merritt, Mark Dunn, YarnsworldLeave a comment on A Year of Books 2022
Every Writer Needs Resources
You bled out your fingertips as you wove your masterpiece, and now it’s done. You’ve got your manuscript complete.
I was mystified a few years ago. What do you do? I mean, isn’t it as simple as
Yeah… not so much. But thankfully, some friends farther along the writing process helped me out by showing me a number of resources. These aren’t the only resources out there, but if you’re trying to get your writing published, these are great places to know about.
Shunn Manuscript Format: If you’ve written a short story, you’ll likely need to know what Shunn Manuscript Format, or Manuscript Format, is. Most places that are looking for short stories want your stories in this format. Now, not every editor is picky, but by using this format, you’ll be respecting the editors as they work through the slush pile. If you annoy one of them, you’re not getting published. Make their job easier. Use Manuscript Format.
Open Call: Now that you’ve got that short story figured out, where do you send it? This Facebook group announces open calls for science fiction, fantasy, and horror publications. The posts will usually let you know if it’s a magazine, an anthology, how much they pay, and what they’re looking for. I made my first several sales because of this group.
Authors Publish: This group sends out regular emails sharing open calls for short stories as well as publishers looking for novels and other forms of writing, such as poetry or nonfiction. While I certainly don’t use all of the information they send out–I’m not a poetry guy!–it’s useful to see what’s out there. I’ve made several sales because of this site!
Writer Beware: It’s also good to know about the many, many scams that are out there. Writer Beware lets you know what to look out for. You can always search their great site for specific publishers, but it’s worth your time to read their general articles so no one gets the chance to take advantage of you.
20Booksto50k: This private Facebook group talks about the business of writing. If you’re looking for help with the craft, look elsewhere. If you’re trying to figure out how to market your book, this group is invaluable. They do have certain rules to abide by if you’re planning to participate, but in my opinion they’re very reasonable. If you want to make a living with your writing, join here, and join here quickly.
Of course there are plenty of other resources out there, and these are not the only groups or sites I frequent. However, if you’re getting started, you could do far worse. And if you’re past the “getting started” phase, but you’re still looking for more sites, again, check these out!
Posted byJonJuly 2, 2022July 1, 2022Posted inUncategorizedTags:author, books, reading, Writing, writing resources, writing tipsLeave a comment on Every Writer Needs Resources