castledoom.com

JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

I'm always loathe to suggest other forums you guys can visit, but this suggestion is pretty well dedicated to a singular genre.

The writing of and talking about science fiction.

It's a hangout for several well established writers, plenty of newcomers, and their critics/fans.

It's also owned by one of the biggest publishers of the genre, Jim Baen......as in Baen Books.

The writers like to test drive their new ideas there and you could read whole chapters of a forthcoming book a couple years before final publishing and perhaps influence the writer about flaws or virtues you see. You might even test drive one of your own ideas. Jim Baen has signed writers and published them right from this forum. He's offered bookdeals to people who were unpublished before they showed up at his forum and tried their hand at this craft for the first time.

The site is www.baen.com

The hit the link for Baen's Bar and you have to sign up like any other forum, get the confirming email, and go login.

It's not a fancy site, but quite meaty for those fans of this type of fiction.

Think you have the next great SF novel swimming around in your head? This is the place to find out if you have what it takes. Nor do you need to go the old route of submitting manuscripts to distant PO boxes and waiting months for a reply.

Or maybe you just want to read excerpts from David Weber or John Ringo as they type them up fresh just for the Bar to opinionate on them.

Dochartaigh · Joined: 27 May 2006 Posts: 63

whoah that sounds way kewl. i will mos def havta check that out. it will havta wait as summer classes are intensive and next session is gonna be more intensive than this one.

crispybacon · Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 3:53 pm Post subject:

Gotta love Baen. Great site, great authors. Havent tried the forum yet.

On a random note, the site claims Baen died recently. A great man. He brought us Honor Harrington. He brought us 1632. He brought us the Vorkosigan series. He will be missed.
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JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

Yeah, he died very recently.

He started that forum and it took a life of its own.

Plenty of the "house" writers use that forum to flesh out their next novels.

I've even seen the authors include thanks by name in their books about members who helped them polish their work at the forum.

It's also a great place to bug them to get working on that sequal you've been waiting for. :lol:

crispybacon · Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2006 4:00 pm Post subject:

Thats kinda low :) . I prefer to ask them about what they're working on in person. That way you get to know what awesome things are brewing AND ask/bug about that needed sequal
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JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

Low? Low is making us wait a year while the publisher tries to make you buy a hardback or trade paperback at $15 to $40 when all you want to do is buy the mass market paperback so you can finish the rest of the story.

Since I can finish off most paperbacks in a couple days it forces me to have a "stable" of a hundred writers to keep track of just to keep me in reading for the next year.

My only advice to most writers is Type Faster! :P

crispybacon · Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2006 9:31 pm Post subject:

I feel your pain. My reading speed has been described by teachers, classmates and whatnot as "inhuman". I too keep long lists of my favorite authors. Is this such a bad thing? Variety adds interest.

Also, would you have them write hurridly or turn out a fully edited, revised, complete work of literature? All the authors I like I would not rush, so that I recieve a quality piece in the end.
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JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

Bah! They have time to write properly and still get it out fast.

Personally, I think they waste far too much time of frivolous pursuits.

That whole sleeping/eating thing wastes over half of a perfectly good writing day. :lol:

crispybacon · Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 9:33 pm Post subject:

True that! And while we're at it, same applies for webcomics. Forget "personal life" and "the real world"! I want my comics!
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JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

I never would have figured that a voracious reading habit could actually be a handicap, but there it is.

Three hundred years ago, we would be considered esteemed men of letters and be hired at exhorbitant fees for our sage advice.

Now we just have a $15 a week habit that's difficult to satisfy.

Who would have thunk it? :?

crispybacon · Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 10:56 pm Post subject:

Even as late as three hundred years ago we would be wealthy in our own rights to afford as many books. Now at least we have the ability to develope to the limit of our abilities. Sure that would have been a sweet job but at least now we can yell at people because they truly have no excuse for being stupid.

Fortunately, us men of letters can use our own methods of employment. Intellect and a decent effort will not always overcome, but it does make things a lot easier.
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JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

And we don't have to wear girly britches and stockings either. :lol:

NibbyCat · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 3203 Location: Eastern Ohio

Damn. I wish I'd read this thread before.

~the kitty thwaps JJ with her furry tail, on general principles.~

Just think how odd I'd be considered, back 300 years ago, with how much I read.

I can't afford to buy all the books I want, but I think I've melted a couple of library cards.

Brf · Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:13 am Post subject:

Women reading? That is heresy. Who ever heard of an educated woman? Reading and pondering about reading would take too much time from their cooking and nursing duties.

ExarKun · Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 2322 Location: USA

I've read so many books that I am starting to forget what I did in the fourth grade.

crispybacon · Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 11:16 am Post subject:

I was reading novels in kindergarden. I don't really remember the stuff I did that year, but I remember the books I read. And that is a recurring theme up until...6th grade or so.
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TriBeCa · Joined: 02 May 2006 Posts: 748 Location: NY, NY

If you're looking for more stuff to read, pick up Iain Banks and Iain M. Banks (same author, different genres). I posted about him in this forum already, so you can check up on him there. His current list of publications should be able to keep even the most voracious readers going for several months (I think he has over 20 novels out now), and he publishes roughly 2/year. But believe me, they don't come off as being rushed. If sci fi is your thing, I'd recommend starting with Excession by Iain M. Banks, if not then start with Complicity by Iain Banks.

JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

Haven't checked this out yet, but I just got this email from the Baen Bar:

Quote: Cutting Edge discussions of Bleeding Edge technologies

This was some kind of mass mail as I've only watched the site and never posted there, but it sounds intriguing, to say the least.