August has been a chaotic month--but in the best way. It started with KillerCon, followed by a brief respite, and then Worldcon. Still, I found time to work on the rewrite of my shared world collection Fall of the Infinite City. With this project, there have been ups and downs, exhilaration and exhaustion, even moments … Continue reading Reading, Rewriting, and Worldcon
science fiction
Outliner’s Disease
Authors of speculative fiction often joke of “Worldbuilder’s Disease.” One spends so much time working on their setting that they neglect the project they’re creating it for. About six months ago, I experienced a similar affliction but with plotting. I try to accomplish three things before I start writing a first draft. I begin with … Continue reading Outliner’s Disease
Living by Heinlein’s Rules
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to improve my work ethic. I envy authors like Robert Silverberg and Brian Keene who put out quality work consistently and prolifically while balancing multiple other projects. While I’m nowhere close to them, I’ve found a set of rules that I think will help me achieve my resolution. … Continue reading Living by Heinlein’s Rules
Resolutions 2025 + Top 10 Books
I recently came to the embarrassing realization that I’ve achieved none of my resolutions this year. My failure mostly stemmed from the fact that my interests and goals changed over the course of twelve months. That said, I accomplished a lot, learned so much, and evolved as a writer. I found a new home in … Continue reading Resolutions 2025 + Top 10 Books
Science Fiction Fever
I’ve learned more about writing in the last six months than I have in twenty years as a writer. I accomplished this with the help of two invaluable books and a plethora of informative YouTube videos. Unfortunately, this new knowledge has made me want to rewrite everything I’ve ever written. September marks the seventh month … Continue reading Science Fiction Fever
A Spontaneous Novella
Many of my best stories started out as accidents. I would be messing around with words and ideas for no real purpose when out of nowhere a complete story would blossom in my mind—plot, characters, and all. In the case of M: The Plastic Prometheus, it turned out to be an entire novel. Earlier this … Continue reading A Spontaneous Novella
Building a Mythos
For years, I’ve wanted to tell stories that have different exteriors yet share a common thread. They could take place in the past, future, or present. Set on Earth or in a world far different than ours. They could span the spectrum of speculative fiction. Yet all these stories would be interconnected, taking place in … Continue reading Building a Mythos
A Detour into Fantasy
I’m entering the fifth month of my new obsession with science fiction and fantasy (SFF). Last month, I focused solely on sci-fi. The genre is somewhat new to me, and I wanted to build a foundation by reading the classics and penning some stories. April, however, has been all about fantasy. I read some great … Continue reading A Detour into Fantasy
My First Steps as a Sci-Fi Writer
It was a gamble veering off into a new genre after writing horror all these years, but I am so glad I made that choice. Science fiction is fast becoming my new obsession, with so many ideas flooding in and so much to explore. I was worried in last month’s post that I would quickly … Continue reading My First Steps as a Sci-Fi Writer
The Next Chapter
With my novel finished, I’m ready for the next chapter of my writing journey. But what to do? I love this freedom, a thousand directions I could go in. After much thought, I’ve decided to get back into writing short stories before I start another long project, but not necessarily horror. Before I go any … Continue reading The Next Chapter
Zé Burns | Blog 