New Issues for a New Year: RGR and HFQ, and Writing Advice

The boys are back in town: Heroic Fantasy Quarterly starts 2010 with its third issue, and the editorial team expands by one. I haven't had a chance to read the stories yet, but will deliver a review as soon as I do. The past issues are excellent, so I expect this one will be no different.

And Ray Gun Revival delivers its 55th edition, the final in the current .PDF format, which I like well enough, but there are big things promised for the new version of the magazine. RGR is an homage to the pulpy goodness of old-fashioned science fiction, and offers a variety of story styles. Check out the review columns, too, and the artwork -- good stuff.

As with the last few reports of my progress on Thieves' Honor, the serial I write for RGR, Episode 11 remains unfinished. It has gone through a couple incarnations, and is facing a third. The dilemma lies in the need to balance dialogue with action -- there's too much of one, and not enough of the other. However, for the sake of clarity and characterization, a certain amount of dialogue is required.

Then again, maybe I'm just stressing over small stuff.

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On her blog, friend Jade has posted a couple entries of interest to writers and movie buffs -- "Why reading 'bad movie' reviews is good for the writer" and "Amadeus and editing".

Over at The Writer's Handbook Blog, Philip Martin offers great advice to writers about composing blog posts (advice I can certainly use).

Another friend, writer and editor David Farney, in a recent post on his "Storm of the North" blog, pays tribute to author Robert E. Howard and soldier Robert L. Howard, and shows the durability of ancient heroic poetry.

Speaking of heroic poetry, HFQ could use some poetry submissions that fit the heroic fantasy theme of the magazine. It ain't easy to write, but if you're up for the challenge, check out the submission guidelines and give it a go.