Category: Writing

Writing

Going Faster than the Speed of Light with Imaginary Numbers

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

For many of us writing science fiction, a common decision point is how hard or soft we should make the world(s) we’re building. A perennial area is whether we allow faster-than-light travel or not (i.e., warping, folding space, entering stargates, traveling through hyperspace, etc.). Scientist and science fiction author Catherine Asaro explains her own journey in coming up with a way to have interstellar ships that can move at the speed of narrative without  willfully ignoring…

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Writing

Recommended Reading: Arms and the Bard

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

This piece from by Robert McCrum in The Guardian about some Shakespearean research this past weekend is a welcome read. Not only does it detail intriguing additional evidence that the plays of William Shakespeare were written by (dramatic pause) William Shakespeare, but it shows how ardent and assiduous the scholars of Washington DC’s own Folger Shakespeare Library are. It is fair to say that I first came to know Shakespeare through many, many performances at the…

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Writing

Edward Albee, RIP

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

2016 really isn’t getting any new fans as our cultural icons continue to shuffle off this mortal coil in a manner that befits the most macabre dance number imaginable. Playwright Edward Albee is dead, as reported by NPR, the New York Times, and others. I suppose he wouldn’t mind, what with his work exploring death, gloom, and despair. He was also 88, which I’m sure actuaries would assure me is “pretty old,” statistically speaking. I…

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Writing

Space Opera Tropes

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

Speculative fiction writer Charles Stross has written a blog post about space opera clichés which has been brought to my attention by one of the denizens of MOSF. I haven’t read too much of Charles Stross, though I like his imaginative and subtly disturbing short story, “Rogue Farm.” It sounds like he enjoys being a bit harder with his sci-fi and space opera than some, which comes through in this list. For that reason, I…

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Raves Voiceover Writing

So Long and Thanks for all the Lutefisk

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

This past weekend, while I was dealing with schoolkids and stormtroopers at Escape Velocity, Garrison Keillor hosted his last episode of A Prairie Home Companion, as described here and here (and countless other places on the web). As mentioned in Chris Barton’s piece for the LA Times, the approach on one hand was that of simply another show. But so many of us would like that option for yet another show. After 40 years, you…

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Writing

And There Shall be Enjoyment

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

I have to travel a lot more these days (which is usually fun) which also means occasionally sitting and waiting for hours on end (not as much fun). But no matter where I am, there is one phrase that always brings a little joy to my day: “Careful. The beverage you’re about to enjoy is extremely hot” You know it. You’ve seen it on countless disposable coffee cups and the like. Perhaps it makes you…

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Various and Sundry Writing

Letting Go of the Canon

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

This is the 11th entry in a surprisingly long series of posts about Star Trek’s future and its fandom called Crisis of Infinite Star Treks. Yes, we have gone to 11. Asher Elbein’s excellent piece in The Atlantic is worth reading just to consider the nature of pop culture –our modern mythology– and our ownership thereto. I’ve included it in the Crisis of Infinite Star Treks series because reading it helped distill two issues: If a ‘Star…

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Writing

More on Writing for Free… or Very Little

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

I should spend more time talking about and linking to Mark Evanier‘s series on rejection. However, in the meantime, in light of my post on Monday, I figured I’d list Part 7 of his Rejection series which covers low and no pay writing. One standout quote: “Working cheap or for free occasionally leads to getting paid decently but more often, it leads nowhere… or to more offers to work for little or no money.” At…

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