2022-12-04 15:18
Today, my theme whistleblowers and the art of whistleblowing. This week, or so it seems to me, the copyright-related legal blogs were replete with whistleblowing, one way or another. To… Read More
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A by-invitation group blog for busy authors of SFR, Futuristic, or Paranormal romances in which at least one protagonist is an alien, or of alien ancestry.
2022-12-02 12:00
A Reader's Commentary Presentation is King, Part 1 by Karen S. Wiesner In this three-part commentary using author Christopher Paolini's two series, I talk about the conundrum of how importan… Read More
2022-11-27 15:13
The Electronic Freedom Foundation is a mixed blessing, in my opinion. For alien romance writers, or any published writer, their views on "sharing" copyrighted works without payment or p… Read More
2022-11-25 12:00
Fiction Series So Big, They Cross Multimedia Platforms: Mass Effect Series, created by Bioware with Drew Karpyshyn, Casey Hudson, and Preston Watamaniuk by Karen Wiesner In this article ser… Read More
2022-11-20 21:52
As of November 3rd, 2022, the massive ebook pirate site Z-Library was taken off line and the people who ran the site were arrested.Read all about it here:https://authorsguild.org/news/statem… Read More
2022-11-18 12:00
Fiction Series So Big, They Cross Multimedia Platforms: Dragon Age Series, created by Bioware and David Gaider by Karen Wiesner In this article series I'm calling "Fiction Series So Big, The… Read More
2022-11-17 13:00
What is horror fiction (whether in print or on film) good for? My parents certainly took a dim view of my fervent interest in the genre, beginning at the age of twelve with my first reading… Read More
2022-11-13 17:12
The best line of the week in all the copyright-related legal blogs (in my sole opinion) was that from Charlotte K, Newell who wrote, "Emails, like diamonds, are forever." By the way, em… Read More
2022-11-11 12:00
Fiction Series So Big, They Cross Multimedia Platforms: The Witcher Series, created by Andrzej Sapkowskiby Karen Wiesner In this article series I'm calling "Fiction Series So Big, They Cross… Read More
2022-11-10 21:48
Cory Doctorow's article for the November 2022 LOCUS discusses the ever-increasing reach of monopolies that prey on the work of writers and other content creators, in terms of a parable about… Read More
2022-11-06 15:29
Two days ago, tech support deleted two weeks' worth of research with one over-confident, permissionless click of an X in the upper right corner of a tool bar that came up after a restart. 12… Read More
2022-11-04 11:00
Writer's Craft Article Fiction Fundamentals: Writing Elbow Grease, Part 6 Conclusion by Karen S. Wiesner Based on Cohesive Story Building, Volume 2: 3D Fiction Fundamentals Collection In th… Read More
2022-11-03 12:00
In Philip Wylie's 1951 novel THE DISAPPEARANCE, an unexplained phenomenon divides Earth into two separate, parallel versions. In one reality, all human males instantaneously vanish; in the o… Read More
2022-10-30 12:51
"Trick or Treat? Copyright My Gourd" doesn't rhyme and it does not scan, unlike the original threat, "Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet..." which, by the way, seems to me ought to be punctuated… Read More
2022-10-28 11:00
Writer's Craft Article by Karen S. Wiesner Writing Holiday Stories: Tricks (and Treats) Who doesn't love to read chilling tales at Halloween that embed inside readers deeply eno… Read More
2022-10-27 12:00
A character in C. S. Lewis's posthumously published novel fragment THE DARK TOWER asserts it is. (Granted, one faction within Lewis scholarship maintains THE DARK TOWER wasn't actually writt… Read More
2022-10-23 02:00
Authors cannot copyright titles, but one always has to be a little careful when the title belongs to a song: sometimes the song consists of very few lyrics apart from the… Read More
2022-10-21 11:00
Writer's Craft Article Fiction Fundamentals: Writing Elbow Grease, Part 5D General Revision Choices, concluded by Karen S. Wiesner Based on Cohesive Story Building, Volume 2: 3D Fiction Fund… Read More
2022-10-20 12:00
It's possible that spiders dream. Also octopuses and some birds and fish: If Animal Dreams Imply Sentience This article proposes (following the example of WHEN ANIMALS DREAM, a recent book b… Read More
2022-10-16 00:30
Sunlight is said to be the best disinfectant, so Louis Brandeis said.Eyal Zamir and Christoph Engel ponder cases where anonymity and lack of transparency serve justice better, such as the de… Read More
2022-10-13 12:00
I've just finished reading an essay anthology titled PUTTING THE FACT IN FANTASY, edited by Dan Koboldt. The contents, contributed by over thirty different specialists, explore a wide range… Read More
2022-10-08 21:00
Disclaimer: this is not about Foggy Bottom, the place. "Bottoms" is being used as a verb with connotations of lowness and swampiness for the conduct --alleged conduct-- of a data broke… Read More
2022-10-07 11:00
Writer's Craft Article Fiction Fundamentals: Writing Elbow Grease, Part 5D General Revision Choices, continued by Karen S. Wiesner Based on Cohesive Story Building, Volume 2: 3D Fiction Fund… Read More
2022-10-06 12:00
The premiere of the AMC miniseries of Anne Rice's INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE set me thinking, again, about film adaptations of print fiction. Is it an unpardonable sin if a movie or TV serie… Read More
2022-10-01 21:26
At the risk of appearing to pass myself off as someone who would teach a grandmother how to suck eggs, https://wordhistories.net/2016/10/12/teach-grandmother-to-suck-eggs/and also of s… Read More
2022-09-30 11:00
Writer's Craft Article Fiction Fundamentals: Writing Elbow Grease, Part 5D General Revision Choices by Karen S. Wiesner Based on Cohesive Story Building, Volume 2: 3D Fiction Fundamentals Co… Read More
2022-09-29 12:00
I recommend that you pick up a copy of the October 2022 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC if possible. You can't miss it; the cover shows a close-up of a sphinx cat. The lead article, "Minds of Their Own… Read More
2022-09-25 01:00
Do you know the saying, "It's illegal, it's immoral, or it makes you fat"? Terms of use are absolutely none of that. They're a long way from sexy, and tend to be boring, long, and hard… Read More
2022-09-23 11:00
Writer's Craft Article Fiction Fundamentals: Writing Elbow Grease, Part 5C Editing and Polishing Introspection Tip Sheet by Karen S. Wiesner Based on Cohesive Story Building, Volume 2: 3D Fi… Read More
2022-09-22 12:00
The website of WRITER'S DIGEST has an article about whether authors should include references to the COVID-19 pandemic in contemporary fiction: Should We Write About the Pandemic in Fiction?… Read More
2022-09-18 01:30
This is a copyright-related blogpost. That is my disclaimer. Naughty words, the trademarking --or not-- thereof is my topic of the day.There is a word that is commonly (at least in some quar… Read More
2022-09-16 11:00
Writer's Craft Article Fiction Fundamentals: Writing Elbow Grease, Part 5B Editing and Polishing Dialogue Tip Sheet by Karen S. Wiesner Based on Cohesive Story Building, Volume 2: 3D Fiction… Read More
2022-09-15 12:00
What gives money (or any "moneylike" form of currency) its value? What makes us willing to accept it in exchange for concrete items of value? Cory Doctorow dissects this conundrum in his lat… Read More
2022-09-11 20:53
Words matter. Deceptively worded advertisements could be the result of intentional deceit, or of under-educated copy writers, or of over reliance on Artificial Intelligence (spell check… Read More
2022-09-09 11:00
Writer's Craft Article Fiction Fundamentals: Writing Elbow Grease, Part 5 Editing and Polishing Tricks and Tips by Karen S. Wiesner Based on Cohesive Story Building, Volume 2: 3D Fiction Fun… Read More
2022-09-08 12:00
Here's another self-help article that may offer useful suggestions for the writing life: How to Control Thoughts and Emotions The author, Justin Bariso, writes frequently on this topic, and… Read More
2022-09-04 14:35
There once was a pilot, a situation comedy TV series, and a spin-off movie called, "Never Mind The Quality, Feel The Width." That sounds like the start of a joke. I apologize for… Read More
2022-09-02 11:00
Writer's Craft Article Fiction Fundamentals: Writing Elbow Grease, Part 4 Editing and Polishing by Karen S. Wiesner Based on Cohesive Story Building, Volume 2: 3D Fiction Fundamentals Collec… Read More
2022-09-01 12:00
This week I watched the Fred Astaire musical THE BAND WAGON. The plot (such as it is) revolves around a lighthearted musical play the Fred Astaire character's two best friends have written f… Read More
2022-08-28 13:30
"There's a hole... I must look into it!" is a play on words that is apparently so old that it does not turn up on the first page of a reputable, almost omniscient search engine's results.The… Read More
2022-08-26 11:00
Writer's Craft Article Fiction Fundamentals: Writing Elbow Grease, Part 3 Involving Critique Partners and Setting the Final Draft Aside by Karen S. Wiesner Based on Cohesive Story Building… Read More
2022-08-25 12:00
About 8% of our DNA may have come from ancient viruses that infiltrated our cells, where they established permanent residence. Viral "Fossils" in Our DNA The human genome includes 100,000 pi… Read More
2022-08-21 14:31
Yesterday, a man with a foreign voice telephoned my landline, and without verifying with whom he was speaking, he proceeded to ask me about my vaccination status. He was quite verbally asser… Read More
2022-08-19 11:00
Writer's Craft Article Fiction Fundamentals: Writing Elbow Grease, Part 2 Revision by Karen S. Wiesner Based on Cohesive Story Building, Volume 2: 3D Fiction Fundamentals Collection In thi… Read More
2022-08-18 12:00
This week I donated blood, and as usual in that situation, I thought about vampires. (Doesn't everybody?) If vampires have razor-sharp teeth that painlessly produce tiny incisions in the ski… Read More
2022-08-14 16:44
"What means moral?" sounds like something Yoda might say, doesn't it? Which is not inappropriate for an alien romances blog.Indians, Australians, and Europeans may have a better moral compas… Read More
2022-08-12 11:00
Writer's Craft Article Fiction Fundamentals: Writing Elbow Grease, Part 1 Introduction by Karen S. Wiesner Based on Cohesive Story Building, Volume 2: 3D Fiction Fundamentals Collectio… Read More
2022-08-11 12:00
I've just read a recent book called BITCH: ON THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES, by British zoologist and documentary filmmaker Lucy Cooke. It's a fascinating survey of the long-neglected status of… Read More
2022-08-06 21:30
Why is it that when we "discover" a joke, or a song, or a photograph that particularly appeals to us, or strikes a chord, we feel entitled to appropriate it?Could it be something deep in our… Read More
2022-08-05 11:00
Conclusion: In Which a Clumsy Girl Goes to Outer Space This is the final of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the course of writing a science fiction series. We've co… Read More
2022-08-04 12:00
Here's an article by Stephanie Vozza about avoiding "self-inflicted stress" so we aren't "just reacting in panic mode all day long." Learning to "manage" our thoughts can help us work more e… Read More
2022-07-31 20:15
Today, and without straying into Karen's "Craft" territory, I should like to discuss a useful tactic for when a writer has to edit for length. This also applies to editing for advertisements… Read More
2022-07-29 11:00
Of Rewards Earned This is the fourteenth of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the course of writing a science fiction series. Thus far throughout this 15-part article… Read More
2022-07-28 12:00
Leeches have 32 brains. Well, sort of. Each of its separate segments contains its own neuronal ganglion. As one answer on Quora puts it, "precisely it does not have 32 brains but a single br… Read More
2022-07-24 11:14
Today, I'm talking about trademarks, specifically about a trademark of the definite article. "The" is the definite article. "A" and "an" are indefinite articles. Articles definite and… Read More
2022-07-22 11:00
Of Reader Reactions and Lessons Learned This is the thirteenth of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the course of writing a science fiction series. Learning to w… Read More
2022-07-21 12:00
Earlier this week, we voted in the primary election in this state. Thinking about voting reminded me of a story I read many years ago (and don't remember its title or author). This speculati… Read More
2022-07-17 23:54
This blog is about memes. Memeries is not a spelling mistake. It may not be a word, but perhaps it should be. There is no approved term for a person who creates memes, either. I have se… Read More
2022-07-15 11:00
Of Arcs and Standalones, Part 6: Cliffhangers and Conclusions This is the twelfth of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the course of writing a science fiction se… Read More
2022-07-14 12:00
Cory Doctorow's column in this month's LOCUS, whether you fully agree with his view of the global situation or not, displays an impressive deployment of an extended metaphor: The Swerve This… Read More
2022-07-09 21:14
Sometimes, one simply has to eat the right thing. Yes, eat it.In my case, the right thing to eat might be sardines. My gynecologist tells me that I am the only patient she knows who eats --o… Read More
2022-07-08 12:24
Of Arcs and Standalones, Part 5: Surprise #5--Mission Impossible: Standalone Series Stories This is the eleventh of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the c… Read More
2022-07-07 12:00
The July 2022 issue of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC includes an article titled "Why Cities Are Going Wild." It's about wild animals who've adjusted to living in urban areas, often by feeding on the s… Read More
2022-07-03 02:00
To protect the innocent, let us assume that my email address is [email protected]. It isn't, so please don't search it. Yesterday, "Booyahhh" received an email from PeopleWhizz, claiming th… Read More
2022-07-01 13:17
Of Arcs and Standalones, Part 4: Establishing Story Arcs Early in the Writing Process This is the tenth of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the course of writing a… Read More
2022-06-30 12:00
Netflix has a new series called THE HIDDEN LIVES OF PETS. Although it sounds as if it should reveal what our pets do when we're not watching, it actually deals with the intelligence, sensory… Read More
2022-06-26 19:12
Today's title is inspired by an article by Jon of Camden-Live.com, in which he compares the treatment of certain copyright owners to a highly efficient, and environmentally ruthless method o… Read More
2022-06-24 13:05
Of Arcs and Standalones, Part 3: Establishing a Series Arc Early in the Writing Process This is the ninth of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the course of wr… Read More
2022-06-23 12:00
A famous psychological experiment in the 1980s seemed to prove that the brain "decides" to take actions before the conscious mind makes the choice to do so, and the decision we think we're m… Read More
2022-06-19 02:30
If a post-Constitutional American highwayman were to waylay a traveller with the threat of, "your money or your life!" and he (or she) were to be subsequently brought to trial, the First Ame… Read More
2022-06-17 13:00
Of Arcs and Standalones, Part 2: Series Arcs This is the eighth of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the course of writing a science fiction series. Last week, we est… Read More
2022-06-16 12:00
Well, maybe not THE most in absolute terms, but this page lists six of the top candidates: 6 of the World's Most Intelligent Animals The only one that surprised me was the pig. While I knew… Read More
2022-06-12 22:46
Should I start an article with opinion? Probably not, but I am no NFT/Blockchain enthusiast. For a start, blockchain, and crypto and all that newfangled jazz has a dirty secret. It use… Read More
2022-06-10 12:50
Of Arcs and Standalones, Part 1: Story Arcs This is the seventh of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the course of writing a science fiction series. Starting this wee… Read More
2022-06-09 12:00
In reading THE SCIENCE OF STAR TREK, by Mark Brake, I'm naturally reminded of Vulcan telepathy (not discussed much if at all in this book, though). I don't recall the scope and nature of Spo… Read More
2022-06-05 02:30
In DUNE, everyone had wealth in the form of bodily fluids, except that their water belonged to the tribe, and the dessicated remains to their family. There's a lot more inspiring (or not) ma… Read More
2022-06-03 12:44
Surprise #4: Of Deliberately Limiting Story Potential Development This is the sixth of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the course of writing a science fiction serie… Read More
2022-06-02 12:00
Recently I came across a reference to a "paleomicrocontinent" whose remains underlie parts of central Europe, called Greater Adria. The existence of a lost continent immediately reminded me… Read More
2022-05-29 13:15
Don't be like Ironman! Don't get fined for falling foul of America's "sweepstakes" laws. Call it a "contest", but if one is not careful, the "contest" might be a lottery or sweepstakes, and… Read More
2022-05-27 12:39
Of Research and Developmental Tool Requirements, Part 2: Surprise #3: Developmental Tool Underwhelm This is the fifth of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the course… Read More
2022-05-26 12:00
Editor Laura Simeon writes about determining whether a children's or YA book is "appropriate" or "inappropriate" for a certain age: What Makes a Book Age-Appropriate? Current "battles over s… Read More
2022-05-22 02:30
For the purposes of today's blog, Art is not an alien god, although, given the evolving meaning of the word "icon", Art could be synonymous.My title might also allude to Aestheticism..."art… Read More
2022-05-20 12:34
Of Research and Developmental Tool Requirements, Part 1: Surprise #2: Research Overwhelm This is the fourth of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the cours… Read More
2022-05-19 12:00
If you've read Audrey Niffenegger's THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE, you know it's a highly unusual approach to time travel. In fact, I haven't come across any other science-fiction or fantasy nove… Read More
2022-05-14 22:24
As I craft my title for this week, a Frank Sinatra song is playing earworm in my head.Back in 2012, I participated in a lengthy exchange of emails with Jim Fructerman of Benetech.org about h… Read More
2022-05-13 12:28
Surprise #1: Of Not Having to Reinvent the Wheel For Everything This is the third of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the course of writing a science fiction s… Read More
2022-05-12 12:00
Cory Doctorow's latest LOCUS column, on writing nonfiction pieces that will still be relevant by the time they're published: Six Weeks Is a Long Time The time lag that may undercut the appli… Read More
2022-05-08 03:00
The prevailing theme on the copyright-related legal blogs this last week dealt with recent DOJ guidance for website owners. More of that, maybe, next time. Meanwhile, and more urgently… Read More
2022-05-06 12:21
Of the Overarching Series and Its Connection to Speculative Fiction This is the second of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the course of writing a science fict… Read More
2022-05-05 12:00
This year's was the first RavenCon since 2019. They moved from Williamsburg, Virginia (where we attended for three years before the lockdown began) to a new location just north of Richmond… Read More
2022-05-01 17:25
The copyright-related legal blogs from last week are particularly fascinating for authors of all kinds of fiction, including alien romance writers.... and for fans of the Italian philosopher… Read More
2022-04-29 12:13
Introduction: In Which an Old Dog Learns a New Trick This is the first of fifteen posts dealing with surprising things I learned in the course of writing a science fiction series. I wr… Read More
2022-04-28 12:00
That's the title of a Japanese novel, manga, and anime series by Miya Kazuki. (I've been reading/viewing all three formats simultaneously, as installments become available, with the result t… Read More
2022-04-23 21:34
This takes the biscuit for copyright-infringement-related theories about music-loving motorway enforcement:Nicholas J.Krob, legall blogger for McKee Voorhees and Seese PLC analyses what migh… Read More
2022-04-22 11:00
Writer's Craft Article by Karen S. Wiesner The Pick-up-the-Pace Ploy for Writers Based on COHESIVE STORY BUILDING (formerly titled FROM FIRST DRAFT TO FICTION NOVEL {A Writer's Guide t… Read More
2022-04-21 12:00
On this season of one of my favorite TV shows, CALL THE MIDWIFE, a recently married character just suffered a miscarriage. This episode and the overall premise of the series reminded me of t… Read More
2022-04-15 11:50
Based on CPR for Dead or Lifeless Fiction {A Writer's Guide to Deep and Multifaceted Development and Progression of Characters, Plot, and Relationships} The resolution at the end of a story… Read More
2022-04-14 12:00
Slime molds, a type of gelatinous amoebae, despite having no brains, have the capacity to form memories: Slime Molds Redefine Intelligence One species "can solve mazes, mimic the layout of m… Read More
2022-04-10 19:25
The Elephant in the Reading Room is Amazon and its policies that hurt authors.Patricia Bates hosted a Zoom conference on Facebook titled "Storming The Castle" which I highly recommend. Well… Read More
2022-04-08 11:00
Writer's Craft Article by Karen S. Wiesner Do I Need a Professional Editor? From CPR for Dead or Lifeless Fiction {A Writer's Guide to Deep and Multifaceted Development and Progression of Ch… Read More
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