Author Archives: dan

Singularity and King 7

Posted on March 26, 2014 by dan

First Previous Dan:  No nifty godlike gadgets, just good old-fashioned pogroms of scientists and science-literate people. Michael: Making the catastrophe a man-made one gives the story an Us vs. Them dynamic but would we still keep the broken environment? Are the computer … Continue reading →

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49 Limiting world-building with Daniel Heard

Posted on March 23, 2014 by dan

LISTEN to podcast I’m talking again with illustrator Daniel Heard about how to stop your world-building from getting out-of-control. An excellent example of that problem! New Frontiers Mata Hari La Malinche (she was Nahua, not Mayan, sorry) It’s not necessarily bad to make an encyclopedia for … Continue reading →

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Wheel in the Sky 2

Posted on March 21, 2014 by dan

First The road rose and fell over brown sun-blasted hills and valleys. The heat cast a mirage waist high that hid low objects in the shimmer despite the thick covering of dust over the asphalt. “Halt!” The sergeant called. Down … Continue reading →

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Sexy Sophonts interview

Posted on March 20, 2014 by dan

Scifi Ideas just posted an interview (with illustrations!) about New Frontiers. New Frontiers is a science fiction novel I recently finished and it does something I haven’t seen before, which explore how aliens can be irrational. Irrationality (meaning a tendency … Continue reading →

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Serial Publishing, Money, and Power

Posted on March 19, 2014 by dan

A few days ago I got this question from an anonymous reader: I was considering publishing a novel that I am working on serially, much as you have done. Do you have any suggestions? If I might be crass, is … Continue reading →

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The Singularity and the King 6

Posted on March 19, 2014 by dan

First Previous Turbo: I’m thinking the first thing we need is to handle why some technologies are working and some aren’t. So, how are certain technologies being suppressed? The whole thing could be a simulation, where physics would be easy to … Continue reading →

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Banjolnir pitch

Posted on March 17, 2014 by dan

So this is the pitch letter for the “Banjolnir” idea Daniel sent me before our podcast. I think it deserves it’s own page, don’t you? I see the optimal form of this story as a 96 page graphic novella. It … Continue reading →

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48 Making a story with Daniel Heard

Posted on March 16, 2014 by dan

LISTEN to podcast This week I’m talking with illustrator Daniel Heard about the difference between a story and a series-of-events-that-happen. The Thor trailer was good, but it didn’t have enough banjos. Deliverance How do I make this a story and not … Continue reading →

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Wheel in the Sky 1

Posted on March 12, 2014 by dan

Prologue “Sir Larick? Sir Larick, speak to me!” His master fell, and Candagar stumbled forward as if pulled by a string. “You killed him!” He screamed up at the Falgaroth, but the Black Paladin was already turning away. “It was … Continue reading →

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Singularity and King 5

Posted on March 12, 2014 by dan

First Previous Turbo: I’ve started to touch upon a world full of technology so advanced it’s impossible for the natives to fully understand it. There are speaking swords made for ancient armies that have since gone feral and latch onto … Continue reading →

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