OK, so anyone that nows me knows that I am a GEEK. I love my tech. I love having the newest stuff.
That's why, when I read this article in the NY Times about Netflick's On-Demand Movie Box, I sort of reflexively salivated. ANY movie at ANY time without having to wait for the DVD to be shipped? Hell yeah baby!
Then I took a breath. And another. And finally thought back to the last 20 or so DVDs I've watched. When I did, I realized that this thing is evil.
Being a busy person (family, work, writing and keeping my cars running takes a lot of time) leaves me with only small cracks of time to watch TV or movies. Inventions like the Tivo/DVR, which lets me "time shift" the few shows I actually watch on network or cable TV, is a God-send. Because of this newfound flexibility in when I watch TV, watching DVDs has sort of slipped down my priority scale. In fact, most DVDs I watch any more are seasons of old TV shows.
Thinking about the Netflix on-demand box made me realize that of course Hollywood wants stuff like this out there, despite their protestations. They've known ever since VHS movies went on sale that it would be even more profitable if they could not only charge a viewer to own the movie, but to literally charge them each time they watch it again, just like they do in a theater.
Boxes like this fulfill that need. Want to watch The Lord of the Rings on the Netflix box? Better pony up your $9/month to Netflix. Want to watch it again in two months? You'd better still be a subscriber, then, because you don't own the film - you just rented it the last time. Want to take the kids on a long car trip and amuse them during the 6-hour drive to Grandma's? Well, you're S.O.L. there, buddy, because you likely don't have a Netflix box hooked to an Aircard in your minivan (although one day, you might).
I don't know about you. but I like owning things. I like using the things I own any time I want and in any manner I want. And, quite frankly, I'm getting tired of everything in the world trying to switch to a "rental fee per use" business model. Rental DVDs are great, don't get me wrong, but I like places like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video mainly for the by-product of their rental plans: the piles of used DVDs that I buy for $5-$9 each. If this Netflix box fulfills the promise made by its inventors and backers, then where will I get my used DVDs on the cheap?
Am I being paranoid? Did I miss something crucial to this that invalidates my opinion? What do you think?
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Nights of Sin Cover Art
Oh, there is one other thing... Someone asked me recently (Ok, a few weeks ago... I'm sorry...) about the cover art for Nights of Sin. I said I'd posted about it but that I'd REpost it so it would rise to the top.
Of course, I forgot all about it, so here I am now, reposting it - here it is:
I also noticed that on Juno Book's home page, they have a version out with what looks like sample title and author text - sorry for the tiny image: if they have a larger version on the site yet I can't find it. Looks pretty good - better with text actually:
Of course, I forgot all about it, so here I am now, reposting it - here it is:
I also noticed that on Juno Book's home page, they have a version out with what looks like sample title and author text - sorry for the tiny image: if they have a larger version on the site yet I can't find it. Looks pretty good - better with text actually:
Embracing vitriol.
While I don't generally embrace vitriolic, rambling dissertations on "culture", this article over on Radar Online about the current "war" between Gen X and Gen Y (renamed, charmingly, "The Millennial Generation" - gag) really struck a nerve. Thanks to Andrew Sullivan's wonderful blog for the link...
I'm experiencing a massive truckload... more like a BARGE LOAD of complete bullshit in my personal life right now... I know, blah, blah, blah, angst, angst... whatever. Nobody really likes reading about other people's personal tragedies (or if they do, they're indulging an unhealthy fascination, so I don't really want to encourage them by saying more) so I'm going to try and restrict my posts for the foreseeable future - you all don't need to be subjected to the outflow of my personal sewage pipe.
Suffice to say that I AM working on my manuscripts, and will continue to do so. Just as soon as I have substantive news to post on either Nights of Sin (still due in Fall 2008 from Juno Books) or on the still-unnamed urban fantasy (sometimes referred to as the Rowantree project, but I doubt that will be the actual title), I will, I promise.
If, however, I fail and start to further embrace the vitriol (as I know I'm wont to do) and this blog starts to resemble a dump -full of half-demolished trash that's dangerous-looking and quite possibly toxic - please send be an email bitch-slapping me back to my senses, OK? You officially have my permission...
Until next time!
I'm experiencing a massive truckload... more like a BARGE LOAD of complete bullshit in my personal life right now... I know, blah, blah, blah, angst, angst... whatever. Nobody really likes reading about other people's personal tragedies (or if they do, they're indulging an unhealthy fascination, so I don't really want to encourage them by saying more) so I'm going to try and restrict my posts for the foreseeable future - you all don't need to be subjected to the outflow of my personal sewage pipe.
Suffice to say that I AM working on my manuscripts, and will continue to do so. Just as soon as I have substantive news to post on either Nights of Sin (still due in Fall 2008 from Juno Books) or on the still-unnamed urban fantasy (sometimes referred to as the Rowantree project, but I doubt that will be the actual title), I will, I promise.
If, however, I fail and start to further embrace the vitriol (as I know I'm wont to do) and this blog starts to resemble a dump -full of half-demolished trash that's dangerous-looking and quite possibly toxic - please send be an email bitch-slapping me back to my senses, OK? You officially have my permission...
Until next time!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
I'm still standin'...
I'm alive everyone - sorry for the blackout. Apologies to everyone that's mailed me asking (nigh commanding) me to post in here.
BOOK UPDATE: I was experiencing a bit of burn-out a few weeks back - for those that don't know, I leaped right into the Rowantree final edit right on the heels of completing the Nights of Sin manuscript, with only about a 3-day vacation in-between. As someone that also has a full-time day job as well as a family, I was a bit overwhelmed, and the edit process slowed to a crawl as I second- (and third... and fourth... and fifth...) guessed myself over every little thing.
But, I did take a week off, and just got back from a revitilizing vacation down to North Carolina, where I participated in this year's MINIs on the Dragon event. This isn't a car enthusiast blog so I won't bore you with the minutia... suffice to say that since returning I've finished editing about 8 more chapters and have the story's finale well in sight for a proposed May completion target. Yay!
That reminds me... I really need to email an update to the prospective editor that's been asking me about the manuscript. Gotta run - more details later!
BOOK UPDATE: I was experiencing a bit of burn-out a few weeks back - for those that don't know, I leaped right into the Rowantree final edit right on the heels of completing the Nights of Sin manuscript, with only about a 3-day vacation in-between. As someone that also has a full-time day job as well as a family, I was a bit overwhelmed, and the edit process slowed to a crawl as I second- (and third... and fourth... and fifth...) guessed myself over every little thing.
But, I did take a week off, and just got back from a revitilizing vacation down to North Carolina, where I participated in this year's MINIs on the Dragon event. This isn't a car enthusiast blog so I won't bore you with the minutia... suffice to say that since returning I've finished editing about 8 more chapters and have the story's finale well in sight for a proposed May completion target. Yay!
That reminds me... I really need to email an update to the prospective editor that's been asking me about the manuscript. Gotta run - more details later!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Gone dark...
I know I've gone dark on you guys - so sorry. I'm working my ass off (literally) both at work with multiple business trips, as well as on the manuscript for the urban fantasy, which at the moment has the working title Rowantree. I know, it needs work, so please don't mail me with comments about how "it sux0rz", mmmkay?
It continues to amaze me just how amazingly hard it can be to maintain one's work responsibilities while simultaneously being attentive to one's family and manage to keep enough of the ol' sub-conscious free for creative endeavors. I swear, if I could do nothing but write, my output would be nothing short of amazing, I'm quite sure (knock on wood).
The good news is that I'm practically done with the first 25 chapters (what I'd tentatively slated as book 1 of the final trilogy) and will be sending it out to... ah... the "interested editor" shortly. Wish me luck!
I still have to see how much re-tooling book 2 will require, as I cut into the story VERY deeply three years ago, back when I was trying to shoehorn the entire MS into a single book. I fear that I went way beyond "trimming the fat" and was grating on bone at some point, so a wee bit o' re-writing is certainly required. No worries - I've come up with lots of new ideas since then, both for situations that I want to expand upon as well as things I never imagined when I started the first draft (thank you, Kirin!).
In any case, it should give the editor something to look at and (hopefully) whet his appetite for the rest. A trilogy deal with a NY house would be, in a word, superawesomereallyreallyeffingcool.
Thanks again for your patience while I dig myself out of the creative avalanche I called down upon my own head - I appreciate it.
Back to work!
It continues to amaze me just how amazingly hard it can be to maintain one's work responsibilities while simultaneously being attentive to one's family and manage to keep enough of the ol' sub-conscious free for creative endeavors. I swear, if I could do nothing but write, my output would be nothing short of amazing, I'm quite sure (knock on wood).
The good news is that I'm practically done with the first 25 chapters (what I'd tentatively slated as book 1 of the final trilogy) and will be sending it out to... ah... the "interested editor" shortly. Wish me luck!
I still have to see how much re-tooling book 2 will require, as I cut into the story VERY deeply three years ago, back when I was trying to shoehorn the entire MS into a single book. I fear that I went way beyond "trimming the fat" and was grating on bone at some point, so a wee bit o' re-writing is certainly required. No worries - I've come up with lots of new ideas since then, both for situations that I want to expand upon as well as things I never imagined when I started the first draft (thank you, Kirin!).
In any case, it should give the editor something to look at and (hopefully) whet his appetite for the rest. A trilogy deal with a NY house would be, in a word, superawesomereallyreallyeffingcool.
Thanks again for your patience while I dig myself out of the creative avalanche I called down upon my own head - I appreciate it.
Back to work!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Book 2 is DONE!
Well... the draft of the manuscript is, anyway. It's now in Juno's hands under the merciless red pen of my editor. Pray she's as gentle with me as with Book 1 - only time will tell.
With that done, I've waded right into the manuscript for my urban fantasy novel. For those that don't know the story, I wrote a huge novel before Blood Magic, which I took a break from to write the Kirin stories. Now that I'm done with Book 2's manuscript, I'm working hard to finish the draft - I have some tentative interest in the story from an editor at another publishing house (not Juno - the book does not have a female protagonist and so does not meet their submissions criteria) and I want to get something into his hands by April or May at the latest. Cross your fingers for me!
As for Kirin's future... who can say? I've set up Book 2's ending to be "sequel friendly" because, let's face it, there are still Kirin stories I'd like to tell. If you agree, and want to read more of them, put Blood Magic into as many hands as you can and let people know the sequel will be out later this year (Sept. is still the target date as far as I know). The main thing (maybe even the only thing) that will motivate Juno to take a chance on a third (or fourth... or more...) volume is good sales. Brutal, I know, but that's "binnis".
With that done, I've waded right into the manuscript for my urban fantasy novel. For those that don't know the story, I wrote a huge novel before Blood Magic, which I took a break from to write the Kirin stories. Now that I'm done with Book 2's manuscript, I'm working hard to finish the draft - I have some tentative interest in the story from an editor at another publishing house (not Juno - the book does not have a female protagonist and so does not meet their submissions criteria) and I want to get something into his hands by April or May at the latest. Cross your fingers for me!
As for Kirin's future... who can say? I've set up Book 2's ending to be "sequel friendly" because, let's face it, there are still Kirin stories I'd like to tell. If you agree, and want to read more of them, put Blood Magic into as many hands as you can and let people know the sequel will be out later this year (Sept. is still the target date as far as I know). The main thing (maybe even the only thing) that will motivate Juno to take a chance on a third (or fourth... or more...) volume is good sales. Brutal, I know, but that's "binnis".
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
RIP Gary Gygax
I just heard that today Gary Gygax, one of the co-creators of Dungeons and Dragons, died today after a long period of illness.
Like many fans of fantasy and sci-fi, D&D formed the core of my gamer-geek identity in high school, and is responsible in no small part for my decision to start writing. Whatever storytelling skills I possess were given their genesis via D&D, and the many interactive stories I made up for my gaming group's amusement.
This is a loss for an entire generation of gamers, and my thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to Gary's family during this most difficult time.
Like many fans of fantasy and sci-fi, D&D formed the core of my gamer-geek identity in high school, and is responsible in no small part for my decision to start writing. Whatever storytelling skills I possess were given their genesis via D&D, and the many interactive stories I made up for my gaming group's amusement.
This is a loss for an entire generation of gamers, and my thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to Gary's family during this most difficult time.
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