Steven Vander Ark is the manager of a Harry Potter fansite full of fan fiction and essays, as well as lots of information about the Harry Potter Universe. Now, Ark is attempting to publish an unauthorized reference book, "Harry Potter Lexicon."
Rowling has said that she is annoyed that Ark and the publisher, RDR Books, are arguing that Rowling's acceptance of unofficial Harry Potter websites is justifying the creation of the book.
She says, "I find it devastating to contemplate the possibility of such a severe alteration of author-fan relations."
Rowling intends to publish her own Harry Potter encyclopedia, the sales of which could be compromised by the publication of Ark's own lexicon.
Read the full article here.
29 February 2008
How to take Critiques
Alright, while I’m looking for more anti-cheese tips, why don’t you guys read over these for a bit…
Azrael Domination’s Ten Tips of the Day. Topic: How to take Critiques.
(Note: this is obviously for writers only)
(Note 2: I might revisit this in the near future)
1) No matter how harsh the critique, always take it in a good way. Never take it personally, even if it does bite.
2) Acknowledge everything the critique is saying – even if they’re doing it out of spite. Remember, the people most expert at pointing out your mistakes are your enemies.
3) With respect to Tip 2, be sure to filter out any useless stuff. Treat harsh critiques like eating fish. Eat the meat…spit out the bones.
4) Then again, if the critique is totally useless, and is not constructive in any way, you have all the right to give that person a piece of your mind. Be sure to do it in a way that doesn’t make you look like a loser. Be witty, calm, and nonchalant.
5) Unless it’s totally unavoidable, or you’re just addicted to it, do NOT critique a critique. Personal opinions are personal opinions, and it’s only going to be a waste of time trying to change them. Why not change your work first, and maybe the next one won’t be so harsh.
6) Remember, there’s safety in a multitude of councilors. Look at what all the critiques you’ve gotten have in common. Most likely, they’ll all contain the suggestions to correct mistakes that everyone has noticed.
7) Don’t blindly obey a critique either. Analyze it and determine whether it’s reliable and worthwhile.
Any questions?
Azrael Domination’s Ten Tips of the Day. Topic: How to take Critiques.
(Note: this is obviously for writers only)
(Note 2: I might revisit this in the near future)
1) No matter how harsh the critique, always take it in a good way. Never take it personally, even if it does bite.
2) Acknowledge everything the critique is saying – even if they’re doing it out of spite. Remember, the people most expert at pointing out your mistakes are your enemies.
3) With respect to Tip 2, be sure to filter out any useless stuff. Treat harsh critiques like eating fish. Eat the meat…spit out the bones.
4) Then again, if the critique is totally useless, and is not constructive in any way, you have all the right to give that person a piece of your mind. Be sure to do it in a way that doesn’t make you look like a loser. Be witty, calm, and nonchalant.
5) Unless it’s totally unavoidable, or you’re just addicted to it, do NOT critique a critique. Personal opinions are personal opinions, and it’s only going to be a waste of time trying to change them. Why not change your work first, and maybe the next one won’t be so harsh.
6) Remember, there’s safety in a multitude of councilors. Look at what all the critiques you’ve gotten have in common. Most likely, they’ll all contain the suggestions to correct mistakes that everyone has noticed.
7) Don’t blindly obey a critique either. Analyze it and determine whether it’s reliable and worthwhile.
Any questions?
27 February 2008
Science Fiction: Subgenres (Part One)
Science fiction is a widespread genre. Everything from aliens to near future to intergalactic human empires, it encompasses just about anything you can imagine that can be explained, in some manner, by science. Magic becomes psionics, fantasy monsters become genetic creations. For this post I'm going to talk about three subgenres of science fiction to give an idea what they are about. Other posts will add to these.
Military Science Fiction
Space + Military + the Future. That's basically it. The great thing about this genre is that you have a huge range of options for dealing with military battles. Interstellar wars are common, wars between humans and aliens, or even humans and humans are just as common. The most important thing about this subgenre is that the military is involved.
Imagine entire campaigns of war and you have an idea what this genre is about. It does, however, extend beyond that. If you look at Battlestar Galactica you'll see that there isn't a whole lot of actual war, at least in the first season, of which I'm familiar with. While there are battles, a lot of the episodes deal with espionage, conspiracy, and other things within the framework of a militaristic society. The military exists to protect the fledgling human civilization and has to deal with problems beyond war.
Examples: Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein, Old Man's War by John Scalzi, Warhammer 40K, and Battlestar Galactica.
First Contact
Any time you read a story or see a movie in which humans meet aliens for the first time, that is a first contact story. That's the basic premise. Humans meeting aliens for the first time. Star Trek does this quite a lot, where Captain Kirk or Captain Picard find new species. That's sort of in the reverse, but you get the basic premise.
Examples: Star Trek, Mission To Mars, and Contact by Carl Sagan.
Dystopia
The infamous dystopia. Okay, it's not infamous, but it is famous. Dystopian novels are probably the most chilling of the science fiction breed because they intentionally draw upon all the darkest things you can possibly imagine about the human condition. Fallen societies, worlds crushed into the stone age, people preying on people for survival, governments ruling their people with violent force, etc.
There are enough movies and books out there to fill this genre to the tipping point. Why? Because it is a most loved genre. All that we hate about ourselves comes out in dystopian novels.
Examples: 1984 by George Orwell, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, V For Vendetta, and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.
Military Science Fiction
Space + Military + the Future. That's basically it. The great thing about this genre is that you have a huge range of options for dealing with military battles. Interstellar wars are common, wars between humans and aliens, or even humans and humans are just as common. The most important thing about this subgenre is that the military is involved.
Imagine entire campaigns of war and you have an idea what this genre is about. It does, however, extend beyond that. If you look at Battlestar Galactica you'll see that there isn't a whole lot of actual war, at least in the first season, of which I'm familiar with. While there are battles, a lot of the episodes deal with espionage, conspiracy, and other things within the framework of a militaristic society. The military exists to protect the fledgling human civilization and has to deal with problems beyond war.
Examples: Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein, Old Man's War by John Scalzi, Warhammer 40K, and Battlestar Galactica.
First Contact
Any time you read a story or see a movie in which humans meet aliens for the first time, that is a first contact story. That's the basic premise. Humans meeting aliens for the first time. Star Trek does this quite a lot, where Captain Kirk or Captain Picard find new species. That's sort of in the reverse, but you get the basic premise.
Examples: Star Trek, Mission To Mars, and Contact by Carl Sagan.
Dystopia
The infamous dystopia. Okay, it's not infamous, but it is famous. Dystopian novels are probably the most chilling of the science fiction breed because they intentionally draw upon all the darkest things you can possibly imagine about the human condition. Fallen societies, worlds crushed into the stone age, people preying on people for survival, governments ruling their people with violent force, etc.
There are enough movies and books out there to fill this genre to the tipping point. Why? Because it is a most loved genre. All that we hate about ourselves comes out in dystopian novels.
Examples: 1984 by George Orwell, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, V For Vendetta, and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.
26 February 2008
"Poetry Makes Nothing Happen"?
Is it true that "poetry makes nothing happen"?
Excerpt from http://books.guardian.co.uk/
The quotation about poetry making nothing happen is, in fact, half-remembered from the second part of Auden's In Memory of WB Yeats, that goes:
For poetry makes nothing happen: it survives
In the valley of its making where executives
Would never want to tamper; it flows south
From ranches of isolation and the busy griefs,
Raw towns that we believe and die in; it survives,
A way of happening, a mouth.
Read Full Article Here
Excerpt from http://books.guardian.co.uk/
The quotation about poetry making nothing happen is, in fact, half-remembered from the second part of Auden's In Memory of WB Yeats, that goes:
For poetry makes nothing happen: it survives
In the valley of its making where executives
Would never want to tamper; it flows south
From ranches of isolation and the busy griefs,
Raw towns that we believe and die in; it survives,
A way of happening, a mouth.
Read Full Article Here
22 February 2008
An Interesting Character Indeed!
"Oh! You're such a Character!" or how about, "He's a character at heart." I'm sure we've all heard these phrases before; whether it was on a cheesy cartoon or in real life. What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Character? Someone who's funny? Angry? Lively? Well, to me, a character is someone with personality; someone who keeps me interested, you know? Heh...that's my definition at least, but let's see what the real one is...
Character (KARE-ec-ter): A person who is responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature. Characters are extremely important because they are the medium through which a reader interacts with a piece of literature. Every character has his or her own personality, which a creative author uses to assist in forming the plot of a story or creating a mood. The different attitudes, mannerisms, and even appearances of characters can greatly influence the other major elements in a literary work, such as theme, setting, and tone. With this understanding of the character, a reader can become more aware of other aspects of literature, such as symbolism, giving the reader a more complete understanding of the work. The character is one of the most important tools available to the author. In the ballad "Edward," for instance, the character himself sets the tone of the ballad within the first stanza. After reading the first few stanzas, one learns that Edward has murdered his father and is very distraught. His attitude changes to disgust and finally to despair when he realizes the consequences he must face for his actions. An example of the attitudes and personalities of characters determining the theme is also seen in the book of Genesis. The proud personality of Cain and the humble personality of Abel help create the conflict for this story. Cain and Abel were brothers, possibly twins, who displayed intense sibling rivalry. God was not pleased with Cain's offerings, but found pleasure in Abel's offerings. Provoked by God's displeasure with him, Cain murdered his own brother out of jealousy
Character (KARE-ec-ter): A person who is responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature. Characters are extremely important because they are the medium through which a reader interacts with a piece of literature. Every character has his or her own personality, which a creative author uses to assist in forming the plot of a story or creating a mood. The different attitudes, mannerisms, and even appearances of characters can greatly influence the other major elements in a literary work, such as theme, setting, and tone. With this understanding of the character, a reader can become more aware of other aspects of literature, such as symbolism, giving the reader a more complete understanding of the work. The character is one of the most important tools available to the author. In the ballad "Edward," for instance, the character himself sets the tone of the ballad within the first stanza. After reading the first few stanzas, one learns that Edward has murdered his father and is very distraught. His attitude changes to disgust and finally to despair when he realizes the consequences he must face for his actions. An example of the attitudes and personalities of characters determining the theme is also seen in the book of Genesis. The proud personality of Cain and the humble personality of Abel help create the conflict for this story. Cain and Abel were brothers, possibly twins, who displayed intense sibling rivalry. God was not pleased with Cain's offerings, but found pleasure in Abel's offerings. Provoked by God's displeasure with him, Cain murdered his own brother out of jealousy
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