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| Credit: Pixabay.com |
Like
in many parts of the state, Northern California has been having its
summer wild fire problem. Even though Sacramento hasn’t been hit by
any of the flames (the closest fire has been in Redding) the smoke
blows over to here. Even so, and even though it’s been frying in
the triple digits, I put on my gas mask (okay, my clinical anti-germ
mask) Saturday
afternoon and braved the extreme heat to take advantage of
a sale at one of the comic book stores. It almost wasn’t worth it.
I kind of thought maybe the time would have been better spent
continuing to work on a short story that will probably take more than
three months to complete because it involves inter-dimensional time
travel. So this is a story that I have to bring all kinds of quantum
mechanical concepts into and I’m no astrophysicist.
Worldbuilding To Create Aliens
However,
I’m done with the worldbuilding part of the story, unless future
drafts prove otherwise. What helped me was drawing out the aliens.
When I’d draw them with certain features, such as a Cyclopean eye
and jaw-tipped appendages, I had to build a backstory about how and
what on their planet made them evolve that way. For my other science
fiction stories it’s been vice versa: I would first brainstorm and
determine the planet’s atmosphere and geography and then sketch out
the native beings accordingly. So drawing doesn’t have to be just
for illustrating books themselves. It can help in the worldbuilding
process for the story, including monster creation!
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| A concept sketch of aliens in a science fiction story I'm working on. Credit: The Blogger |
WorldCon 76 News
The76th World Science Fiction Convention
is less than three weeks away
and I’ve been taking preparations to attend! I’m not going to
have a table there but will be simply enjoying the events and talking
with the other writers and artists. Yesterday, I cast my vote for the
Hugo Awards which accepts votes until July 31.
I
would have selected the con’s events I’d like to attend but the
program was removed. And probably for good reason. According to
chairman Kevin Roche
“too many errors” were made in the program that was published
at the website Sunday July 23rd. He said the program
“slighted and angered so many of the people we are gathering to
meet, honor, and celebrate.” Many of these people were reported to
have complained that panels were rejected because their creators,
including certain authors, and topics were not well known enough. The
whole idea of a panel is to inform people. If a topic or author or
some other creator isn’t known then panels are supposed to attempt
to make them known. Another cause for the reaction
against the program was the misrepresenting of Hugo Award finalistBogi Tokacs’ gender identification in a bio. Roche apologised for the problems in the program and declared that a
new program will be made from scratch. When it will be publicized is
unknown at this time.
The
76th World Science Fiction Convention runs from August 16
to 20, 2018 in San Jose, California. See the convention’s website
for more details.
Fellow
fiction writers: How do you develop your otherworldly characters?
Fellow fiction writers and sci fi/fantasy fans: Are you planning on
attending WorldCon 76? Who would you like to see get a Hugo this
year? Feel free to leave your answers and any other comments in the
box below!
Until
next time . . .
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