Friday Links: Naming Conventions in Movies vs Real Life
There’s no way there are so many cops named John in the world…
Fascinating data animation looking at the names used in movies, compared to their popularity in the real world. Read More
30
Jul
23
Jul
Friday Links: Simulation of a Nuclear Blast in a Major City
What happens when a nuclear bomb hits a city?
Neil Halloran (of WWII Deaths documentary fame) takes on the question. It’s not a pretty picture, but there are things we can do to lessen the risk. Read More
16
Jul
Friday Links: The Illusion You Need To See
So, do you think you could tell the difference between a slab of plywood that was rotating, and one that was see-sawing back and forth?
You might, but your brain sure wouldn’t.
Welcome to the magnificent Ames’ Window, and how putting a Rubic’s Cube on a stick makes it go through a solid object. Read More
09
Jul
Friday Links: How to Succeed as an Independent Artist
Brian Brushwood of ScamNation gives a 6 minute overview of every starting business topic you need to become a successful artist – and stop looking for the magical business fairy. Read More
02
Jul
25
Jun
Friday Links: The Life-Cycle of a Book (How to Make $$$ Writing)
You’re creating content that will sell for the rest of your life.
Not for a week, not for a month, not for a year, not even for a decade.
Your whole life, this stuff’s going to be selling, and you’ve got cycles when you can bring these series back so you’ll always be able to make money. Read More
18
Jun
Friday Links: Boredom and Magic
Hard magic systems or hard for magic systems?
An introduction to hard magic systems (in the Brandon Sanderson sense) in Fantasy, as told through pop culture and a rocking Gandalf. And pretty good information, too.
Featuring Avatar the Airbender. And such. Read More
11
Jun
Friday Links: The Eternal Show vs Tell-Debate
‘Telling the reader’ means giving the reader the conclusion they would draw, without giving them any of the actions or thoughts or descriptions that would lead them to that conclusion.
Yeah, Patricia C Wrede knows how it is. And should be writing writing books for a living. In addition to her fantasy, of course. But, failing that, we’ve got her blog to turn to. Read More
04
Jun
Friday Links: Confessions of a Clarkesworld Slush Reader
Why did my story get rejected?
This is a forum thread in the form of an AMA by an (ex-)Clarkesworld slush reader.
Lots of interesting analysis of short fiction markets in general and Clarkesworld in particular. Great if you’re submitting or planning to submit to the big mags.
Pay close attention to the “I slushed 2000 stories, passed up 150-300 to the editor, and none of those got published.” Read More
28
May
Friday Links: The Mystery of Storytelling
The greatest take on “beginning-middle-and-end” that I’ve ever seen. And the presenter’s funny.
Julian Friedmann at TEDxEaling, 18 minutes, well worth the time. Read More