I’m reading Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward’s Writing the Other (at last), and they mention this essay from 1949, which shows that questions of representation in SFF have been under discussion for a while. (Also, that petty, small-minded reactions to those discussions have been around for just as long.)
Via Laura Gibbs. Some of the best work I’ve done hasn’t been work I’ve done, but work done in a diverse team with different viewpoints.
Originally shared by John Hagel
Take diversity out of the legal, political and moral realm and focus instead on its productivity/creativity benefits
If you’re writing really far-future SF, here’s a resource.
Originally shared by Yonatan Zunger
Warning: Nerd Sniping Ahead
This is an absurdly interesting Wikipedia article: a timeline of various events in geology, biology, physics, and culture which we can expect at various points from ten thousand years in the future on forward. Almost each line of this table has a giant story behind it which could be the seed for an hour of discussion or more.
I blame Craig Sosin for this, and for the fact that I will have to consciously avoid reading this if I want to get work done today.
I’ve shared this before, but it’s been a while, and I just had occasion to refer to it. It bears re-reading.
(By one of the screenwriters for Leverage, and if you don’t know why that’s a recommendation, go immediately to Netflix and watch Leverage.)
Something I never got around to using in my Gryphon Clerks novels was the idea that people used different ink colours depending on the purpose of the letter.
Originally shared by Winchell Chung
Imagine a world in which the font you use is chosen for you, based entirely on your demographic affiliations. All doctors write in Garamond, while designers are mandated Futura Bold. Middle-aged men get Arial; women, Helvetica. Goofy aunts must use Comic Sans.
Seem strange? A few centuries ago, that was just how things worked.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-hidden-messages-of-colonial-handwriting
“Unfortunately, the makers of technology are generally not encouraged to be introspective or reflect too deeply on what they are making, and this really worries me…Reading science fiction is like an ethics class for inventors, and engineers and designers should be trying to think like science fiction authors when they approach their own work… I feel with great urgency that we need to very thoughtfully consider what we build as well as encourage that same thoughtfulness out in the world.”
Via poor ginger living in a trailer park.
Originally shared by Thomas Frey
Hidden under your feet is an Internet-like information superhighway that allows plants to communicate and help each other out. It’s made of fungi.
http://www.impactlab.net/2016/05/03/under-your-feet-is-an-information-superhighway-made-of-fungi/
Originally shared by Adafruit Industries
The Wood Wide Web #Biohacking
https://blog.adafruit.com/2016/05/08/the-wood-wide-web-biohacking/
A new study shows that trees of different species can exchange large amounts of carbon via the fungal internet that connects their roots, via The Atlantic
In 1999, a team of scientists led by Christian Körner did what thousands of people do every Christmas: they wrapped Norway spruce trees in tubes. Except this was in March, not December. And the trees were 40-metre-tall giants in the middle of a Swiss forest, not 2-metre pipsqueaks in a living room. (The team had to use a crane). And the tubes had no lights or baubles on them. Instead, they had a series of tiny holes, which pumped out carbon dioxide.
Read more
https://blog.adafruit.com/2016/05/08/the-wood-wide-web-biohacking/
Via MrsA Wiggins.
I should note that there’s currently an SFF anthology with the theme of refugees seeking submissions, for charity, but paying pro rates. Check on The Submission Grinder – I think it’s called “Welcome”, but “refugee” is in the name as well.
Originally shared by N.R Dewi Nurmayani
Originally shared by MJ Bush
When Characters Argue
Punctuate with action. Like leaving.
Don’t let it get drawn out and flimsy.
DO something.
A drawn out argument loses punch, and makes us wonder why neither is putting their foot down or compromising. It makes the positions look weak and the emotions seem insincere.
Action solidifies a position and makes us believe they mean it. Makes us believe they feel it.
Not open to negotiation? Leave.
Ready to fight? Throw a punch.
Bonus: Give them attitudes and multiple things to argue over, then let subtext reign. Even if it lasts longer, this adds substance and keeps the exchange from seeming flimsy and insincere.
#writingtips