Tag Archives: Guy Gavriel Kay

Tuesday Musings: What Makes An Effective Villain?

Posted on February 18, 2025 by dbjackson

I love villains. I love writing them. I love reading them. I love seeing them brought to life on big screen and small. Well, let me modify that. I love villains in fiction and movies and television shows. I can’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Character, Fantasy, Islevale Cycle, Novels, Thieftaker, Time's Assassin, Time's Children, Time's Demon, Writing, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Monday Musings: Memories On Our Walls

Posted on February 10, 2025 by dbjackson

A couple of weeks ago, a dear friend posted on Facebook an image of a photo print she’d purchased from me years ago, along with a caption saying she still considered the image one of the things in her living … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Friendship, nature, photography, travel, Writing, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Monday Musings: Memories On Our Walls

Professional Wednesday: Reading Books Several Times

Posted on August 23, 2023 by dbjackson

I have just started reading a book that I have read at least one time before. Maybe two. It is Under Heaven, by Guy Gavriel Kay, a terrific historical fantasy set in a world modeled after Tang Dynasty China. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Business of publishing, Fantasy, Friendship, Novels, Reading, Writing, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Professional Wednesday: Reading Books Several Times

Professional Wednesday: Beginnings, Middles, and Endings, part V — What Makes a Good Ending?

Posted on July 12, 2023 by dbjackson

Continuing my Professional Wednesday feature on “Beginnings, Middles, and Endings,” (previous posts can be found here, here, here, and here) I now turn to endings. And I will begin by stating the obvious: The ending to our story is likely … Continue reading →

Posted in Falstaff Books, Fantasy, Islevale Cycle, Novels, Reading, Setting, Short Fiction, Thieftaker, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Professional Wednesday: Beginnings, Middles, and Endings, Part I — Openings

Posted on June 14, 2023 by dbjackson

This week, I launch a new series here in the Professional Wednesday feature — “Beginnings, Middles, and Endings.” Sometimes I focus on minute details of writing in these posts, arcane points of craft or business that are helpful to some, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bell Bridge Books, Belle Books, Friendship, Novels, Radiants, Short Fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Professional Wednesday: Beginnings, Middles, and Endings, Part I — Openings

Professional Wednesday: My Approach to Writing Book Reviews

Posted on May 11, 2022 by dbjackson

After publishing my review of Guy Gavriel Kay’s marvelous new book, All the Seas of the World (coming from Viking Press on May 17), the good people at Black Gate Magazine approached me about writing more reviews for them, something … Continue reading →

Posted in Business of publishing, Fantasy, Novels, Publishing, Writing, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Professional Wednesday: My Approach to Writing Book Reviews

Professional Wednesday: Punctuating Our Stories (Not the Way You Think I Mean It)

Posted on March 23, 2022 by dbjackson

“Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” We all know the line. Even people who haven’t seen Casablanca know the line. (And please, don’t get me started about not seeing Casablanca. I mean, sure, it’s dated, … Continue reading →

Posted in Character, Ethan Kaille, Islevale Cycle, movies, Novels, Thieftaker, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Professional Wednesday: Punctuating Our Stories (Not the Way You Think I Mean It)

Professional Wednesday: “Write What You Know,” part II

Posted on January 12, 2022 by dbjackson

Put another way, I was driven . . . not merely by the fact that I “know” these things, but rather by the fascination and passion that drove me to learn about them in the first place. With last week’s … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Novels, Publishing, Thieftaker, Writing, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Professional Wednesday: “Write What You Know,” part II

Writing-Tip Wednesday: Ten Books You Should Read

Posted on December 23, 2020 by dbjackson

Early in the year — even before the pandemic hit — I wrote a post in which I basically said that all writers should read. There are certain “rules” about the profession that are actually negotiable — writers don’t really … Continue reading →

Posted in Business of publishing, Character, History, Novels, Publishing, Reading, Setting, Short Fiction, Writing, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Writing-Tip Wednesday: Ten Books You Should Read

Monday Musings: How I’m Coping

Posted on October 19, 2020 by dbjackson

I’ve written about politics and social issues a lot in recent weeks, and I want desperately to avoid doing so again this week. It’s not that I don’t have more to say. I do. But I feel as though I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking, Family, food, Music, nature, Novels, photography, Politics, Writing, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Monday Musings: How I’m Coping