mary_j_59

Ah, technobabble! You’re happily watching some science fiction show or movie, and some character comes out with a string of incomprehensible syllables. For example:

“Captain, the phase inverters have reached 2000 degrees kelvin. If we don’t reverse their polarities, they will implode!” (* Please note: I made up that example on the fly. I think it’s nonsense even for technobabble.)

“Huh?” you say to yourself. Then, if the writers have done their job, you’ll either say to yourself, “Oh, I see. Their engine is overheating, and they need coolant,” or else you’ll just ignore the technobabble and focus on the story. If, however, the writers have not done their job, you will get annoyed.

Of course, each reader, writer, and viewer has a different tolerance for technobabble, and a different idea of what might make it especially good, or especially bad. I’d guess that, for most of us, it’s usually especially bad. Can there be a way to write it well?

I think there might be. I’m going to preface this by saying I have no desire to feed the flames of the Star Trek versus Star Wars arguments. I like them both. To be absolutely accurate, I am a passionate Niner, love the original Trek, like Next Generation, and also like the first three Star Wars movies. It’s quite possible to love both Trek and Star Wars. It’s also quite possible to get annoyed by technobabble in both franchises!( Read more... )

I went to the Unicorn Writer’s conference on Saturday and had a lot of fun. One excellent class was given by Paul Witcover. He asked us to write a tourist brochure for an imaginary setting, and this is what I came up with.



For those who love the wildest wildlife in our part of the galaxy, Sekkess can't be missed. The gentle, generous and intelligent Sekkessians will be sure to make your stay comfortable. You will live in houses among the treetops, with a clear view of the greenish sky and Sekkess' one small moon. You will hear birdsong and rushing rivers and feast on leni fruit and other delightful Sekkessian cuisine. But the high point of your stay will surely be your first view of a dragon. Sekkessian monitors, or dragons, are three times the size of the monitors on terra, with gorgeous iridescent scales. To view a hunting monitor is an extraordinary experience you will surely never forget. Be sure, however, to attend to your Sekkessian guide at all times and enjoy the dragons from a safe distance. Beautiful and unique though they are, Sekkessian dragons are wild animals and they can be very dangerous. You will be perfectly safe if you stay on the treetop paths or inside your mobile viewing dome.

So - it seems most people like [Poll #1959562][Poll #1959562]

Hi, everyone! Here is the revised first chapter of HONOR, which I'm posting at my lovely beta readers' urging. Thanks, Deirdrej and Anne_Arthur! I do think it's much better than it was before the rewrites.

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[Poll #1835299]

With much thanks for the input of Mike Mullin, Deirdrej, my Dad and a few others who commented on various boards, I've rewritten the query once again. Here it is - and this time, I really do think I've got it. I'm never going to please everyone, and am a little sad at what I've had to leave out, but I think this does represent the book well. I particularly like that the shape of the query echoes the shape of the book. :) ( Read more... )

Well, yesterday I got my first official rejection from an agent. Of course, I felt (and feel) a little sad, but not as much so as I had expected. Then again, it's only the first rejection! But - ( Read more... )

And I would appreciate some feedback, if it's okay to ask! Just skip this if you are not interested. A brief taste of my novel is under the cut. ( Read more... )

This is the first part of the first chapter, for those who were interested in seeing how the story would progress.

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