Search options (Page 2 of 6)

Hi Rhiannon! I'm a little behind on my review quota right now, but I'll definitely put this on the list & get to it soon.

How exciting, Janet! Congratulations.

I know that in campus environments, the most recent policy approach has been "Yes means Yes." Having a clear affirmative on the part of both parties is the best way to avoid any misunderstandings. Under the "no means no" criteria, for example, silence or drunkenness could be misinterpreted as a "yes", because after all, he or she didn't ever actually _say_ no.

There are still a lot of gray areas here, but from a writer's perspective, I think the important thing is that the characters in question are given a moment when they conscientiously decide "This is what _I_ want." I don't see any issues with being persuaded into the moment (if we don't allow persuasion, all seduction would be off limits!), although coercion, in my mind, would move one into a rape category. Presumably, coercion would not be a question of "what I want" but rather of "what I feel like I have to do, or else..."

The implications of a fragile mental state are, in my mind, context dependent. Honestly, sometimes if you're in a fragile mental state, the best thing that can happen is a good bout of sex! But there are obviously other situations where fragile mental states can lead to situations of coercion. Again, I would say these have to be considered on a case-by-case basis, and going back, perhaps, to that criteria of what the character wants in that moment for his or herself. Also, is there the presence of a power differential in a relationship? (e.g., professor with student, boss with employee, etc.) If there is, that can also open the door to situations of coercion.

Good question!! And complex. I know I haven't covered all the bases here. I'm interested to see what others have to say.

Great advice here. I've tried various social media networks. My favorite is Facebook; it's the place where I feel I can engage with people the most. Twitter seems good for getting the word out, and for finding useful tips on writing and publishing, but not so much for actually interacting. Twitter does host some fun pitch contests, PittMad and SFFPit are two that I've participated in. These can get you connected to agents, authors, and other writers as well.

My blog is hosted on wordpress, which is nicely set up for making new connections across the board.

I'm with KHippolite. I've never had any patience with books that don't grab me from the get go, though I usually allow up to 3 chapters before deciding whether or not to toss the novel.

Even so, I do run into the occasionally novel that starts out well and then suddenly takes a dive half ways through, or (even worse for me) totally cops out at the end. Maybe you're just having a run of bad luck, or maybe you are becoming a more critical reader as a result of fine-tuning your "editor's eye" on tNBW. Either, I wouldn't worry about it. Time spent reading a bad novel is time wasted, imho. Life's too short for that. Hopefully, you'll find something you can sink into and enjoy again soon.

Hi njc -
This is totally your decision. Don't ever feel like you have to justify to me when you choose not to follow one of my suggestions. (Lord, if I spent time justifying every suggestion I rejected from all my reviewers, I'd never get a manuscript done!) Everything I write is for you to take or leave as you choose. YOU are the author. You know your story, and your preferences for that story's delivery, better than anyone. If what I suggest helps, use it. If not, throw it out and don't look back.

I have to admit, that's pretty much my list. Grooming is absolutely paramount for me.

I'd also add what he talks about. And whether he listens when others are talking. I guess you could sum all that up in 'the way he interacts with the people around him'. Or does that all come down to demeanor?

For those of you interested in how it all began, I've begun posting the opening chapters of the second edition of EOLYN onto tNBW, in preparation for rebooting the series early next year. Here's the link:

http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/posting … tion-21560

EOLYN is the first book in the Eolyn Chronicles series, though it was originally written as a stand-alone novel with no conscientious intention of writing any sequels. DAUGHTER OF AITHNE, which I've been workshopping on tnbw for the last several months, is the third book in the series. Both the first edition of EOLYN and the middle book, HIGH MAGA, are currently available from Hadley Rille Books, on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, etc.

I don't plan any major changes for the second edition of EOLYN, but I am switching around the opening chapters a bit, and trying to tighten up things in general. As always, I'd appreciate a pair of fresh eyes. And also, it occurred to me that some of my regular reviewers might like to learn more of the backstory of the main characters. Thanks in advance to anyone who has a chance to look at this.

Pura Vida.

I have a WIP that might work for this, but I don't think it'd be done by the Sept 21 deadline. Do they run this context periodically? I might try it on the next round. Thanks so much for the heads up.

I've got nothing to add here, except I agree with everything already said. No cat fights over guys. Women fighting each other for other reasons and/or "higher" motives is okay, especially if women in combat is part of the culture (as often happens in fantasy). But no guy is worth going to blows over with another woman, imho. If I were to hit a chapter with that sort of fight, I would put the book down and not pick it up again.

Wow, Janet, you have been busy! Best of luck with your new home.

I attended a science fiction conference in Lawrence, KS, this weekend; about 45 min from my home in Kansas City, MO. It was a small conference with a lot of great authors. We had some very interesting round table discussions. And, of course, I added several books to my TBR list. Now I'm back home relaxing & trying to catch up with everyone that I owe reviews to on tNBW. Think I'll cozy up with a book and read a little before calling it a night.

Tomorrow I have my weekly flamenco class, which I'm really looking forward to. Olé!

I definitely disagree with this. It's true of some events in the series, but not all. Martin is a master of moral ambiguity. The more amoral (="bad") a character is, the better off they are in his world. Which would make "bad" the new "good" in Westeros.

At any rate, I am not trying to recreate Martin's world. (Way too dark for me!) There is "good" and "bad" in Daughter of Aithne -- MUCH more so than in ASoIaF, but these don't always align with the moral compass of our world. What's important is how each individual character perceives a "good" act versus a "bad" act, and how these perceptions evolve as the central conflict plays out.

I've made use of all your feedback to rework the prologue, and am very happy with the result. Thanks again!