While trying my hand at teaching high school back in the fall, I spent so long away from my current rough draft, I forgot half of what I'd written. So I've been going back to read through it. In doing so, several issues with the rough have been jumping out at me, but they all stem from one factor common in rough drafts, lacking conflict.

Readers have their favorites, and they don't enjoy seeing them put through the wringer, but at the same time, what are the chances they would be so fond of those characters if they never struggled? No matter if your story is plot driven or character driven, without conflict, there is no story.

Have you heard all the hoopla surrounding Star Wars being bought out by Disney and all the new movies? Some are all for it, but others, including Mark Hamill have some... issues... with the new storylines. Why though?

Well, to get at the answer, you have to understand a few things about the Star Wars fandom and the franchise itself over the past thirty years or so.

It's time for something fun, so I've decided to do The Naughty List tag, created by Jenna Moreci. 

I had a really difficult time trying to decide between doing this tag for The Icarus Project and the Myth and Science universe, since I am working on a short story anthology for that one. So I decided to do them both! I did a version for The Icarus Project last week, so make sure to go check that one out if you missed it.

​Here's the one for the Myth and Science universe today.

​Okay, I know I'm supposed to be publishing another back to basics article today, but between the prep and aftermath for Nerdy Noel 2.0 and being sick the last several days, I just can't seem to find the brain cells for a full on article. Besides, it's the holidays. It's time for something fun, so I've decided to do The Naughty List tag, created by Jenna Moreci. 

I had a really difficult time trying to decide between doing this tag for The Icarus Project and the Myth and Science universe, since I am working on a short story anthology for that one. So I decided to do them both! Today's post is for The Icarus Project, and I'll have the one for Myth and Science up next Tuesday.

​It's been a while since I did one of these. I've been so focused on writing lately, I haven't taken the time to read for pleasure. That's a crying shame though, and I missed it. So I dug out a book I picked up almost a year ago earlier this month.

C. L. and I had the good fortune to have a table next to Patricia Gilliam and her husband at Fanboy Expo Nashville Comic Con last year. Their company was one of the best parts of that convention for us, so I made sure to pick up Out of the Gray, the first book in her Hannaria series, before we headed home.

I already had a few books lined up to review when I got the novel, so I put it in our living room bookcase when we unpacked from the convention. It had sat there and collected dust for months. To be quite honest, I'd almost forgotten about the collection of five or six books I have waiting to be read and reviewed. I was considering checking out some from the library the next time I carry my girls before I remembered all those books at home. Now that I've remembered, I'm going to try and get back in the swing of reading and reviewing the work of other authors out there writing today.

That said, let's get into Out of the Gray.

One question genre writers get asked often is, "Why do you write in (insert) genre?" Sometimes the person shows a clear distain for the genre or genre fiction in general. Some feel similarly but are better at hiding it at first. A few are jaded and skeptical, certain you only picked your genre for the "built in market" it has, and others are genuine in their curiosity.

It's not always a question that's easy to answer.

This wasn't the first "writing tool" I planned to write about in this phase of the course, but since it's been on my mind a lot lately, I decided to change the order a tad.

Anyone who has read much, especially the early works of authors, has come across at least one or two examples of the dreaded "info dump." As a matter of fact, if you actually read any of the books assigned in your high school literature classes, you've seen one. They were all the rage in the early 1800s. Virtually any novel written and printed in the first half of the nineteenth century begins with chapter upon chapter of endless description and back story, the very definition of an "info dump."

In the last lesson, we looked at how the sciences influence the formation of societies. Today we are going to look at how history, mythology, art, and politics can factor in to create well rounded settings.

No matter the age or advancement of the society you're writing about, these four factors will come into play in one way or another. Our experiences shape who we are. History is the combined experience of an entire family, clan, society, nation, or species. What is Mythology but a crude method of recording early history combined with an effort to explain phenomenon for which the author had no ready explanation. Such stories were and are often shaped and changed to meet the political needs of those within power at the time. The legends of King Arthur come to mind as an example. Shifts in politics, ideals of beauty and morality, and social mores influence the art created within their time. The same can be true in reverse.