Comm – Page 9 – Warpworld

Why I Shunned Social Media (and why you should, too)

I wonder if any two words divide people into separate camps faster than “social media”? Do you embrace Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and their many spawn with zeal, or do you loudly proclaim their inanity whenever possible? These days, if you’re a writer who isn’t George R.R. Martin and you’re not on the social media bandwagon, you’re viewed as an unfortunate dinosaur by many of your peers. And even if you are on the bandwagon you’re going to be bombarded by blogs and articles telling you how to get on the bandwagon better! Stronger! Faster! I’m leery of professional advice from…

The Huchack

Warpworld makes numerous references to the huchack, a rather loathsome creature that is the main pivot around which the economy and indeed the entire structure of the World turns. Huchacks were genetically modified at some point in the murky history of the World, after the arrival of the Storm. As material scarcity began to pinch down on the survivors of the initial confusion, new methods of production were necessary in order to maintain a level of technological survivability. The huchack is a pond-dwelling creature, roughly akin to a water-breathing porcupine. Huchacks feed by grazing on algae and minerals, which they…

Better Than a Mutated Pony

What childhood gifts do you remember most? For me, it would have been the pony or the science experiment kit I longed for, but of course my parents were not complete lunatics and, thus, never gave me either of those items. I’m sure they had a vision, (a very accurate vision), of collecting their ten-year-old daughter from jail and having to explain the mutated pony and the trail of destruction left along Scott Road, while an exasperated detective held up a set of beakers and vials as evidence. Unknowingly, my mom and dad may have saved quiet, suburban North Delta…

What if Nobody Loved Alexander?

I don’t consciously model characters on real people very much. I’ve never been particularly comfortable working with characterizations that I haven’t created myself, which is why I’d probably be lousy at licensed fiction for established universes. That said, there are traits that will tend to be attached to people who achieve certain types of success. So when you’re writing a character that’s following a particular path, you’ll find that those traits will tend to follow along with the traits you associate with personalities you’ve studied or envisioned. I’m no historian. I don’t have a library of primary source documents and…

Goodreads Giveaway Countdown!

It’s almost over so don’t miss out – citizens of Lichtenstein, we’re counting on you! Less than a week left to win on of five double-signed copies of Warpworld. Goodreads Book Giveaway Warpworld by Kristene Perron Giveaway ends December 02, 2012. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win

What in the (Warped) World Are You Reading? Joshua Simpson

I couldn’t end this fun author Q&A series without one more special guest – my writing partner, Joshua Simpson! One of the benefits of writing with a partner, (something I never imagined I would do), is that our production meetings often spin off into enthusiastic discussions about books, stories, and storytelling. Writers begin as readers, and we write on the backs of those that came before us. Many aspects of Warpworld, (and the books to follow), have been inspired by other authors. We owe a debt to books, to reading, to stories and to storytellers. And I owe a debt…

What in the (Warped) World Are You Reading? Michael F Stewart

We’re at the end of our week-long author Q&A series for the National Reading Campaign. (Well, almost. Tune in tomorrow for one more special author!) All of our guest authors have talked about the joy of reading as a child. Whether it was the feeling of importance from seeing gold stars on a board, or receiving a monthly Dr. Seuss book, or from the delightful feeling of escaping into exotic and strange lands such as the World of Og, reading was a joyful experience. If you’re a parent, how do you encourage your kids to read? If you’re a teacher,…

What in the (Warped) World Are You Reading? Rita Moir

Our author Q&A series continues, in celebration of the National Reading Campaign. You probably won’t surprised to hear that reading is good for you but, for those who want proof, you might be interested in What Reading Does for the Mind by Anne E. Cunningham and Keith E. Stanovich. Rita Moir is the author of four award winning (or close to) books of creative non-fiction and plain old non-fiction: Survival Gear; Buffalo Jump; The Windshift Line; and The Third Crop: A personal and historical journey into the shoeboxes and photo albums of the Slocan Valley, 1800s to early 1940s. She lives…

What in the (Warped) World Are You Reading? Claude Lalumière

What does Margaret Atwood’s birthday have to do with the National Reading Campaign? Nothing, really, but it’s a good excuse to wish one of Canada’s literary icons a Happy Birthday! It’s not author Claude Lalumière’s birthday, but his thoughts on reading are worth celebrating, too. Claude Lalumière (lostmyths.net/claude) was born in Montreal, where he spent most of his life, and now lives on the West Coast. Claude was a bookseller from 1986 to 1998; he sold his two bookstores to become a writer and editor. He has edited or co-edited twelve anthologies, including the Aurora Award finalist Tesseracts Twelve: New…

What in the (Warped) World Are You Reading? Adrian Barnes

I had no idea when we started this Q&A series that dog-earing was such a contentious issue! Perhaps technology, in the form of e-readers, will unite these opposing camps? Isn’t science wonderful? Today we welcome author Adrian Barnes, freshly returned from his book launch in the UK. (Do they dog-ear in London, I wonder?) Adrian Barnes is the author of the novel NOD, published by BlueMoose Books. He is also a partner in Lone Sheep Publishing and teaches English and Creative Writing at Selkirk College in Castlegar, BC. Q: What are you reading right now? A: Longitude, by Dava Sorel–the…