Reality Skimming
Reality Skimming promotes optimistic SF -- stories that inspire us to fight the good fight for another day. Committment to larger projects, the writer's sense of mission, joy of reading, the creative campfire of the SF community and the love of deserving protagonists are celebrated. We believe in heroes and striving to be what we believe in. It is also a news hub for content related to the Okal Rel Saga written by Lynda Williams.
Ethics in SF #18: Justine Graykin
Ethics in SF: A series of interviews, articles and debates on the Reality Skimming blog, hosted by Lynda Williams, author of the Okal Rel Saga.
Justine Graykin is a writer and free-lance philosopher sustained by her deep, abiding faith in Science and Humanity -- well, Science, anyway –- and the belief that humor is the best anti-gravity device. She lives with 1 husband, 2 kids, 2 dogs, too many cats and a flock of chickens on 50 acres in New Hampshire, occasionally disappearing into the White Mountains with a backpack. Further details, diatribes, and antidystopian fiction can be found on her website, and on her LiveJournal.
Priorities
I came across one of my old blogs. The first line read, “It's easy to become a successful writer, if that's the only thing you want.” It's a reference to a quote from Citizen Kane about getting rich. The message is essentially the same.
We hear a lot about the great opportunities that new media and technology offer for writers. Maybe so. But it's a double-edged sword. It means that more people are trying to get published than ever before, at a time that demand lags far behind the supply. Never has the competition been more fierce. Still, success can be yours. If that's the only thing you want.
There are only so many hours in the day. You can spend the morning with your children, reading picture books, watching dragonflies, listening to the birds singing, playing with them in the sandbox or on the grass. Or you can catch up on the latest blogs by key people in the business about new trends in the market. You can take the time to prepare a good meal from wholesome foods, and then relax and enjoy it, or you can just throw something on quick and eat it at your desk while you research which publisher or agency to send your manuscript to next. You can go to a movie with a good friend and then go out afterwards and talk about it, or you can stay home and work on revisions. You can volunteer to coach a team, help out at the local library or school, put in some hours at a soup kitchen. Or you can invest your time carefully crafting cover letters, writing queries and refining your pitch. You can go to your family reunion and meet your new nieces and nephews, or to a convention and make important connections with agents and editors.
Decisions about how to allocate your time and attention come every day. Each time you choose family or friends over your writing career, you lose a little bit of your edge. Of course you can try to balance the different aspects of your life, since rich life experiences will make you a better writer. But someone else out there is making a different choice, putting in more hours blogging, networking, seeking out the latest hot trend in publishing and burning the midnight oil to capitalize on it, following up leads and meeting deadlines. Your book may be every bit as good or better, but it takes more than that to rise to the top.
So perhaps you won't be as successful as a writer as you hoped. Fame and best-seller lists may elude you. Perhaps you are doomed to labor in obscurity.
But you will have spent mornings with your children reading picture books, watching dragonflies, listening to the birds singing. You will have helped out at the local library or school, and put in hours at a soup kitchen. You'll have gone to movies with good friends and spent time with them afterwards laughing and talking. You'll have gone to the family reunion and met your nieces and nephews.
It all depends on what you want.
Courtesan Prince: Chapter 5 Summary
Re-reading Okal Rel: A series of chronological summaries of chapters of the Okal Rel Saga, written by friends and fans.
The Courtesan Prince by Lynda Williams is Part One of the Okal Rel Saga, a 10 novel series published by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing.
When Earth’s first attempt to conquer the far reaches of space was thwarted by the failure of a faster than light transportation system, the first colonists were abandoned.
Subsequent colonizations were successful but ideological differences in cloning caused renegade scientists to sever their contact with Earth and establish their own unique world. Now, thousands of years in the future, the scattered descendents of humanity have evolved into two distinct planetary societies: the Reetions of Rire, who rely on advanced computer technology to regulate every aspect of their lives, and the genetically superior and honor bound Sevolites, of Gelion.
With one conflict already behind them, these two cultures are once again on the brink of war. But one last desperate mission is launched and somewhere within a dark region of space, Reetions and Sevolites find themselves torn between their own alliances and the inexplicable desire that constantly draws them closer together.
Chapter 5 summarizer John Preet co-edited Opus 2 with Lynda and has contributed to Writer's Craft on the Clarion Blog. He lives and writes in Calgary, AB.
SPOILER ALERT!
The following summary contains spoilers for Part One of the Okal Rel Saga: The Courtesan Prince. Continue reading with this in mind...
CBC Book Awards EVENT
Nesta Aharoni invites all writers, artists and videographers to CBC's Character Building Counts Book Awards
Nesta Aharoni's love of language has kept her in the word business throughout her professional career.She began in the field of court reporting as a hearing reporter for many State Boards and Agencies. She then became a CSR firm owner, instructor of court reporting, and director of a court reporting college. She created an employment magazine with a partner, which won the Small Business of the Month Award in San Diego. After the magazine was purchased by a larger publisher, Aharoni remained on as the editor for 9 years.
Aharoni is a member of Publishers Marketing Association, Self Publishers Association of North America, and Publishers & Writers of San Diego. She has served on the state School Oversight Committee for the California Certified Shorthand Reporters Board, and on MirCosta College's Business Department of Virtual Business Advisory Board. Aharoni is creating a series of Goodness titles.
CBC Book Awards EVENT
Name: CBC Word Contest for Essays, Pictures, and Videos
Details: Dear writers, artists, and videographers,
Character Building Counts Book Awards is inviting you to show us what you’ve got so we can help you market your work. Here is the deal: We give you one word (and one word only) that speaks to our character-building theme, and you give us your creative response to that word.
This month’s word is “HONOR.” Please post your essays (100 to 300 words), pictures (photos, drawings, and graphic arts), and creative videos (3 minutes or less) on our Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/CBCBookAwards (CBC Book Awards). The writer, artist, and videographer who earn the most “Likes” will get their work posted on our Fan Page and on all of our other social media sites (Web site, multiple FB pages, multiple Twitter pages, LinkedIn, and our CBC Book Awards blog, which is shared on many article-share sites throughout the Internet). We will also send out a press release announcing your win.
Encourage all of your friends and family members to “Like” your entry. Their participation can help your work get the attention you deserve.
Let us help you promote your creativity and originality. Be sure to write “CBC Word Contest” (followed by “Essay”, “Picture,” or “Video”) on your post so visitors will know where to go to “Like” you. You can send in as many entries as you like. CBC Book Awards is where Character Building Counts!
Where: CBC Book Awards Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/CBCBookAwards
When: Throughout June
Nesta Aharoni
Character Building Counts Book Awards
www.CBCAwards.com
Courtesan Prince: Chapter 4 Summary
Re-reading Okal Rel: A series of chronological summaries of chapters of the Okal Rel Saga, written by friends and fans.
The Courtesan Prince by Lynda Williams is Part One of the Okal Rel Saga, a 10 novel series published by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing.
When Earth’s first attempt to conquer the far reaches of space was thwarted by the failure of a faster than light transportation system, the first colonists were abandoned.
Subsequent colonizations were successful but ideological differences in cloning caused renegade scientists to sever their contact with Earth and establish their own unique world. Now, thousands of years in the future, the scattered descendents of humanity have evolved into two distinct planetary societies: the Reetions of Rire, who rely on advanced computer technology to regulate every aspect of their lives, and the genetically superior and honor bound Sevolites, of Gelion.
With one conflict already behind them, these two cultures are once again on the brink of war. But one last desperate mission is launched and somewhere within a dark region of space, Reetions and Sevolites find themselves torn between their own alliances and the inexplicable desire that constantly draws them closer together.
Chapter 4 summarizer Elizabeth Woods holds a Master's Degree in Education from UNBC and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Central College, Iowa. She has been a teacher of English and Creative Writing with School District No. 57 for 25 years and counting. She has contributed three Minerva stories to the Okal Rel Legacy series. Working with Lynda Williams has been a gift of friendship, motivation, and continuing encouragement to keep writing.
SPOILER ALERT!
The following summary contains spoilers for Part One of the Okal Rel Saga: The Courtesan Prince. Continue reading with this in mind...
Courtesan Prince: Chapter 3 Summary
Re-reading Okal Rel: A series of chronological summaries of chapters of the Okal Rel Saga, written by friends and fans.
The Courtesan Prince by Lynda Williams is Part One of the Okal Rel Saga, a 10 novel series published by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing.
When Earth’s first attempt to conquer the far reaches of space was thwarted by the failure of a faster than light transportation system, the first colonists were abandoned.
Subsequent colonizations were successful but ideological differences in cloning caused renegade scientists to sever their contact with Earth and establish their own unique world. Now, thousands of years in the future, the scattered descendents of humanity have evolved into two distinct planetary societies: the Reetions of Rire, who rely on advanced computer technology to regulate every aspect of their lives, and the genetically superior and honor bound Sevolites, of Gelion.
With one conflict already behind them, these two cultures are once again on the brink of war. But one last desperate mission is launched and somewhere within a dark region of space, Reetions and Sevolites find themselves torn between their own alliances and the inexplicable desire that constantly draws them closer together.
Chapter 3 summarizer Angela Lott is the daughter of Lynda Williams, author of the Okal Rel Saga. She is a prolific vlogger (video blogger) and can be found on her YouTube channel, OkalRelsDaughter. She has been very involved in getting the Okal Rel Universe into multiple mediums, including recording a reading of Lynda's Okal Rel Legacy Novella, The Lorel Experiment.
SPOILER ALERT!
The following summary contains spoilers for Part One of the Okal Rel Saga: The Courtesan Prince. Continue reading with this in mind...