Tag Archives: Write Pack Radio

Weekend Doings

Greetings all

Been a busy weekend here in Rob-ville, though much of the work was done weeks ago.

First, Where Now the Rider is live on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Rider-Adventures-Edward-Book-ebook/dp/B071462WXM/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

In honor of the release of Where Now the Rider, the e-book version of A Lake Most Deep is free on Amazon starting tomorrow and running all week long. If you have been wanting to tell your friends about my books, now’s the perfect time.

If you want to hear about my writing philosophies, you can check out Write Pack Radio today.  This week’s podcast talks about Plutarch and Writing Non-Fiction.

I’ll also be featured next week when we talk about working with an editor.

For me, I’ve spent this weekend packing and plotting several things.

Plot. Plot. Plot.

Bwa ha, bwa ha ha.

Weekend Notes

The basis of my plans most weekends involve either doing something with my writing, like a con or event, or spending time with my sweetie. This weekend I got to do both.

We had planned to go to an SCA event on Saturday, but the weather literally put a damper on that. Plus, I couldn’t sleep for some reason on Friday night. So we ended up going to Ikea and getting barbeque.

I don’t buy much from Ikea for two reasons. One, their modern style simply isn’t to my taste. Give me Victorian, Edwardian, or medieval and I’m happy. Two, as a non-svelte man I find much of Ikea’s stuff terrifyingly light. My big butt needs a big chair.

However, I do like going to the store because they often have interesting ideas and cunning ways to arrange things. They’re really innovative, even if they don’t fit me. I got some ideas for my next house.

Plus, my sweetie really enjoys shopping there, even if her tastes match mine to a great degree. We’ll be moving in together at some point in 2017 and had a great time talking about how we would prefer things in our house arranged.

We went to Joe’s KC initially for barbecue. When we got there, the line was hugemongous, out the door, and around the building. I don’t blame them. Joe’s KC is my favorite KC barbecue place. However, I didn’t want to wait that long so we went to another barbecue place I had heard good things about: Q39.

The reviews were correct. Not quite as good as Joe’s, in my mind, but still very tasty. The pork belly, white bean cassoulet, onion string appetizer was fantastic.

However, they did something that I hate hate hate. Did I mention hate?

For all that is holy, barbecue restaurants should never serve their meat with sauce already on it! Anybody can make a sauce, but it takes real skill to make great meat.

Yes, I know I could order it dry. Yes, I normally do so. However, Saturday, I was tired and forgot. And I want my meat without sauce!

What? Oh, yes, that’s a pet peeve, why do you ask?

Anyway, I’d still recommend going there. It’s not quite as good as Joe’s KC, but still very good. Just remember to order it dry.

Yesterday, I drove around 550 miles to St. Louis and back to record two episodes of the Write Pack radio podcast. One episode focused on Plutarch and writing non-fiction. Obviously, as a historian I was able to use my academic experience here. My big point of emphasis was to constantly critically examine your sources and to get as many different sources as possible.

I suspect most of you reading my blog already know this, but it is important enough to mention again. Every source is biased. You need a bunch of sources from different points of view so you can reduce the overall effect of those biases. The most biased source you will ever deal with is yourself, so always try and account for it. You’ll fail to do so completely, but it is a windmill that one must always tilt at.

I believe this episode will air on Sunday, 4 June.

The other episode we recorded involved how to use editors and criticism. Among the things I talked about is creating a team of people around you, like a race car driver does, and trusting them to do their job.

I also talked about how Kellie has improved my writing by telling me some of the mistakes I’ve made time and again, so I can eliminate them in the future.

This episode should air on Sunday, 11 June.

You can find Write Pack Radio and all their podcasts in a number of places, depending upon how you like to listen:

All in all, a fun, productive, and tiring weekend. The way they oughta be.

Write Pack Radio

Greetings all

I think I mentioned last week that I would be recording with the Write Pack Radio broadcast last Sunday. I got my dates confused, I’ll actually be recording with them this Sunday.

We’ll actually be recording two separate shows. The first will be Reacting to Criticism and Editor Comments. I’ve been blessed with a lot of good help to make my novels and I can’t wait to talk about how I rely on them.

The second is a little more tricky,  Plutarch and Writing Non-Fiction. Tricky only in that I haven’t written non-fiction since the last time I really put anything into my dissertation, which has been a few years. Still, I think I can contribute here.

I don’t have the exact dates when the podcasts will be put online, but of course, I’ll post those.

You can find Write Pack Radio and all their podcasts in a number of places, depending upon how you like to listen:

They have graciously invited me not only this week, but a couple more times this year. I really appreciate their kindness and their patience with this podcast newbie.

 

Rob’s Update: Heres-wise and Theres-wise

Week of 19-25 March

Greetings all

The title of this update is something I had fun writing in Where Now the Rider. I love playing with language, which can sometimes get me into trouble as my writing can get too poetic, but here it serves as a fun dialectical saying by a guy who works as a courier. “I’m as one who’s just wantin’ to be takin’ messages heres-wise and theres-wise and keepin’ me nose outs of things. It’s as somethin’ folk is payin’ for, see?” After the last few weeks, I’m tired of going heres-wise and theres-wise and ready to be home for a while.

Since my last update, I went to CoastCon in Biloxi, Gulf Wars in Hattiesburg, and had a bit of a writer’s retreat. I’ve listed my AARs for both events in the Recent Blog posts section. Only a couple of thousand miles this time, not four like in January, but still enough I’m glad to be home.

Most of my time has been focused on Where Now the Rider. As I mention in my Gulf AAR, I am finding that my plots are getting more complex, meaning I’m spending longer making sure the chapters are arranged properly, meaning lots of fussing with fiddly bits and fixing plot holes. I’ve made huge progress and am flowing well and I’ll have my copy to my editor by the end of next week. And this time I mean it.

One piece of exciting news is that David has invited me back to join Write Pack Radio (https://www.facebook.com/WritePackRadio/) again. In fact, we’re tentatively scheduled to have me join them for multiple episodes in 2017. I’m excited and honored that they want me back. As those tentative dates and topics get firmed up, I’ll put them here.

On my blog, I just made an entry I would love to see from some of my favorite writers do. I put up an annotated snippet from Where Now the Rider where I discuss a number of the choices I made as a writer. You can find that entry at https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=565 and I’d love some feedback if that is something you might want to see more of. Snippets, of course, but do you all want to see the annotations?

Well, that’s enough. Now back to fiddling with the fiddly bits.

Quote of the Week

Times like this when I’m pounding away I think of something Holly Lisle said. Mostly it fills me with inspiration, but there are times that the mountain I look up and see how much I need to get better fills me with desperation, but it always makes me take a harder look at what I’m writing.

Writing is a puzzle you’ll spend your lifetime unlocking. You will never know it all; you will never know enough. You can always be better, and figuring out how to be better is part of the thrill and joy of the job.

– Holly Lisle

News and Works in Progress

  • Still pounding away at Where Now the Rider

Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions

Upcoming Events
Spotlight

At large SCA events, I have the opportunity to sell my books and even work on the next novel thanks to the generosity of Steve Boyd, the owner and proprietor of Calontir Trim. He sells, shockingly enough, trim for clothing by the yard. He’s got so many choices, the best way to describe them is in rhyme:

One trim
Two trim
Red trim
Blue trim
Black trim
Queue trim
Old trim
New trim
This one has a little star
This one is from afar
Say! What a lot
Of trims there are
And if you know Steve, otherwise known as Master Andrixos, you’ll know just how appropriate filking Dr. Seuss is for him. In any case, I heartily suggest you look at his offerings at www.calontirtrim.com.

Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell
Author of the Shijuren-series of novels

Currently Available Works

If you think you received this email incorrectly or wish to be unsubscribed, please send an email to shijuren-owner@robhowell.org

Weekly Update: Write Pack Radio Coolness

Week of 26 September to 2 October

Greetings all

Sorry for getting this week’s update out a couple of days late. This week has been somewhat discombobulated by the timing of the Write Pack Radio recording on Sunday afternoon.

This was my first podcast and I’m excited to hear it once it becomes live on 16 October. The recording session was laid back and fun. Basically, just five people sitting in a living room talking about writing. David Lucas was the host and moderator, then there was Brad Cook, Fedora Amis, Melanie Koleini (soon to be Lucas), and myself. The topic was writing noir and thriller. What the difference is, what the commonalities are, what they are defined as. We roamed around a goodly amount, hitting a variety of related topics, and I think it went well.

I also set up as a merchant at the Gryphon’s Fest SCA event. This was the first time I had set up my tent as a merchant booth, which is one of the reasons I wanted to do that. My normal arrangement works nicely, though I can absolutely see a number of tweaks that will make it much better. One cool note thing I am learning about merchanting at SCA events, at least the way I do it, is that I actually get to talk to my friends some. Most of the time I am such a moving target at SCA events, and so are many of my friends. This weekend, though, I had people coming by to chat for longer and more substantial conversations. I see these people a few times a month and we’re always so busy that this was a wonderful change.

One of the results of those conversations will bear fruit in a month or two. It’s a fun and silly idea, but I can’t wait to pop the cork on that secret when it’s done.

Friday I will be attending the Kansas Authors Club convention in Lawrence. I’ll have a reading on Friday night and then spend much of my time in the dealer’s room as I don’t really have a ton of other activities planned. I’m looking forward to meeting a bunch of other Kansas authors.

Well, I think that’s it for the moment.

Quote of the Week

Since I’m going to the KAC convention, I should have a quote about writing. I love this quote, and it totally applies to me, even if it means I’m weeping in the middle of Brewbaker’s with all the waitresses and patrons laughing at me.

“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”
― Robert Frost

News and Works in Progress
– Mostly I am just working on the next Edward novel, which will be called Where Now the Rider. Tentative release date is 30 November.
– The updated electronic version of The Eyes of a Doll is now live on Amazon. If you already own it, you can add wiki links by contacting Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/clicktocall (phone) or http://www.amazon.com/clicktochat

(chat).

Recent Blog Posts and Wiki Additions
– Sunday Scroll Text (Albrecht’s Chivalry Scroll): https://robhowell.org/blog/?p=474
Upcoming Events

– 30 September – 2 October: Kansas Author’s Club convention in Lawrence, KS
– 8 October: Calontir Fall Crown in Omaha, NE
– 14-16 October: Time Eddy in Wichita, KS
– 22 October: Horses and Heroes in Pineville, MO
– 27-30 October: World Fantasy Convention in Columbus, OH

 Spotlight

At Pennsic I had the pleasure of helping push Dave Schroeder’s Xenotech Rising books. Basically, the question it asks is what if aliens came here, gave us their technology, and charged us for tech support. I’ve only read the first one so far, but it’s fun, whimsical, and is in the tradition of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett.

Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.

Have a great week, everyone.

Rob Howell
Author of the Shijuren-series of novels
Website: www.robhowell.org

Shijuren Wiki: http://www.shijuren.org/World+of+Shijuren+Home

Currently Available Works
A Lake Most Deep (Edward, Bk 1)
The Eyes of a Doll (Edward, Bk 2)

I Am a Wondrous Thing (The Kreisens, Bk 1)

Weekly Update Archive