Ahira's Hangar

I doubt anyone really knows this yet, though duchess may have an inkling, I am going though a severe mid-life crisis, but in a good way. After turning 50 I've decided to persue my own true goals. I've gotten to the point where I'm sick and tired of having other people squeeze the life blood out of me to get their quotas and forcing me to carry out their ridiculous petty rules. So I've decided I'll squeeze my own lifeblood, thank you very much. I'm going to try to find a way--no, I WILL find a way to attain three primary goals: become a published author, run a Sci Fi/Fantasy bookstore and become an associate professor--probably of creative writing/Sci Fi Fantasy pop culture...somewhere along those lines.

To help me in this endevour I not only need your feedback, but I'm going to talk to Luci about expanding Bardo's Collections to include writers workshop threads. I know a lot of literary forums include such a forum and they can tend to look a bit pretentious---that's why I want to start some threads, instead of creating a full blown forum. If it sounds self-indulgent it is-if anyone has an inkling to write or is a writer or just wants to contribute perhaps it can grow into a bigger thing. Not all the threads have to deal with grammar and semantics, in fact my idea for the first thread could be alot of fun for everyone.

The first thread I plan on putting up has to do with 'world-crafting' and I plan to base the intial debate on a discussion of David Zindell and Dan Simmons' amazing future universes. Why? Because, to an aspiring writer they are incredibly daunting, sorta like my 'pop-gun' vs their abombs, so to speak. The more I read Simmons the more I see common lines of thinking between him and Zindell, however it appears that Simmons eclipses him by the sheer amount of research he puts into his work, which is not a necessarily bad thing on either author's part-just a different approach--so yes we could have some fun discussions along these lines...Another question on research might be 'can a book be 'over-researched' or if you are planning to do extensive research must you devote 10 years of your life to it ala Susanna Clarke?

So see you don't have to be a writer to enjoy some of the new, proposed, threads there. And it's won't be limited to Sci Fi-in fact the first thing I'm going to attempt to write is a semi-insane fantasy with a world already partly envisioned in my head. So feel free to discuss daunting Fantasy writers as well such as Donaldson and his Land or Martin and Westeros.

Or any author in any gerne who's style you feel is worth exploring-for instance Simmons tend to revere Flaubert (sp) so I may start reading Madame Bovary for the first time to see what's up with that.( )

Your thoughts? *****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i>Edited by: danlo60 at: 9/15/06 10:12 am
</i>

My thoughts? GO DANLO, Go Danlo! Just do it!

does it sound enthusiastic and encouraging taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Buffy fans Chicago
my livej<i>Edited by: taraswizard at: 9/15/06 10:15 am
</i>

Thanks for your nod taras! I was worried I'd step on some toes doing this, primarily yours. Now I'm excited! *****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i></i>

Why should you be danlo? (Unless there's some part of the story I'm missing.)

Anyway, sounds like a cool idea. And your crises sounds more like an awakening than anything else.

I can't promise how much I'll participate beyond the discussions though, not only am I the laziest writer ever, but I learned long ago that I don't have the stamina for novels. Poetry is far more my meter.

That said, I do love intricate worlds. Very much. They're often more important to me than the story. So I look forward to this.

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A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>

I'd certainly be willing to participate. Another interesting author to throw into the world building mix would be Donaldson - the minimalist vs. say Simmons and the maximal.

And what about timelines? Writers such as Tolkien and Herbert cover thousands of years; others only days or months...that could be an interesting discussion as well. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i></i>

I like thousands of years personally. even if there's just 1000,s of years history to the world.

--A ____________________________________

A sense of the sardonic preserves a man from believing in his own pretensions. -The Sayings Of Maud'Dib<i></i>

The first discussion is going up today. *****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i></i>

When my thoughts are a bit more clear, I will be joining in the discussion. Looks pretty interesting from what I saw. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i></i>