by Melinda Snodgrass | Jul 25, 2013 | About Writing
Since I will be writing a Wild Card graphic novel for Bantam books I have begun to really study this art form. Lucky for me I have an outstanding coach in this endeavor — I’ve got Len Wein the creator of Wolverine and Swamp Thing among many other memorable characters. First some background. I tend not to buy individual issues of a comic. Partly because I don’t have a comic shop anywhere near me, and I don’t think to mail order them. They were also not part of my youth. My parents...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jul 16, 2013 | About Writing
I’ve always like Ken Follett’s spy novels, and THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH had been recommended by my architect husband and several other people. So I downloaded it onto my IPad mini and started reading. I was struck initially at the rather pedestrian, workman-like quality of the prose, and the rather arm’s length almost omniscient POV despite, supposedly, being in a particular character’s POV, and I wasn’t sure I was going to actually finish the book. But then I...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jun 29, 2013 | About Writing, TV & Movies
SMASH the NBC show about the trials and tribulations of bringing a show to Broadway was, alas, cancelled at the end of their second season. I really loved the show, but then I’m a singer and have performed in a lot of broadway shows with the New Mexico Civic Light Opera. I fell in love with the dreadful, womanizing director played by Jack Davenport, it was a great nuanced performance. The two young women had amazing voices, and I enjoyed and bought a lot of the music from BOMBSHELL....
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jun 28, 2013 | The Craft of Writing
I just finished reading Daniel Abraham’s third installment, THE TYRANT’S LAW, in the Dagger and the Coin series. This is a terrific novel and just continues to up the stakes and tension from the first two novels. I adore the characters, particularly Clara. I love the fact that banking and the role of money plays such an integral part in the plot. It’s rare that economics is mentioned much less analyzed in most science fiction or fantasy novels, but money is a superpower,...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jun 20, 2013 | Blog
Thought I’d just post a little update about what’s happening. I learned yesterday that a comic book proposal was selected to become a graphic novel. I’m really jazzed. Writing for comics is like doing a screenplay, but without the budgetary limitations. More on the actual comic as more details are locked down. I’m working on a novelette set in the universe of my urban fantasy series. It’s going to be fun — a raid on fairyland or the Fey, and it will tie...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jun 13, 2013 | Game/Writing
Well, I have played Citadel. I have played almost every permutation of the “party”. I appreciate the fact that BioWare has sent me a box of chocolates and some roses, that this DLC (downloadable content) was a love letter and maybe even a bit of an apology from the folks at BioWare. I enjoyed large sections of this add on, but ultimately it feels like another missed opportunity. I’m going to talk about the interactions with your teammates, friends and LI (love interest)...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jun 10, 2013 | Blog
I’m a bit bemused by the uproar over Prism and the NSA, etc. etc. From the moment I joined Genie, back in the dark ages of the internet, I never thought my information would be private. We are shouting into the ether, sending digital messages in electronic bottles that can be swept up by any passing ship. Additionally, in a conversation with my friend, Sage Walker, she made the really brilliant observation that “privacy” was a concept that probably only existed for a brief...
by Melinda Snodgrass | Jun 10, 2013 | Blog, The Craft of Writing
“They want leadership. They’re so thirsty for it they’ll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there’s no water, they’ll drink the sand.” So says Lewis in Aaron Sorkin’s wonderful film The American President. In the movie they’re talking about leadership, but I realized that this quote can apply equally well to creators. Thinking about this quote made me realize that writers are leaders, taking their...
by Melinda Snodgrass | May 30, 2013 | Blog
I had a bit of fun having my Shepard learn to cook in my Mass Effect story. Then I thought — why not have some more fun and actually upload the recipes? So three of them are now up, and can be found on the Writing Page of my website. Look for the recipes from the dinner party to show up in the next week or so. First I have to finish this novel before I can type up how to make salmon en croute, and butternut squash soup. The cookies are, however, delicious.
by Melinda Snodgrass | May 30, 2013 | Blog
There is a new Wild Card story up at Tor.com. This one was written by Paul Cornell, and it is funny, and wise, and heartbreaking, and very bittersweet. And for any of you long time Wild Card fans it also features Croyd Crenson aka The Sleeper so it’s a treat on so many levels. There is also lovely art by John Picacio. Do go check it out. You can find it here: Elephant in The Room – Wild Card Story by Paul Cornell
by Melinda Snodgrass | May 29, 2013 | Blog
In addition to being obsessed about this current novel I’m going to have some fun with the Mass Effect story. There’s a big riff about learning to cook, and I described a number of meals and dishes so I’ve decided to post the recipes for the dishes that were prepared in the story. From the Spectre’s Kitchen? Cooking with Shepard? Cuisine a la N7? 🙂 I have to talk to Corie about where to place these recipes. Hey, it keeps me out of bars and away from the X-Box,...
by Melinda Snodgrass | May 29, 2013 | About Writing
I’m hit that point in the third Edge novel were all the dominoes have been arranged, and I went flick with a finger, and now they are falling as I race toward the climax. I love this point in a book. I don’t want to stop. I cancelled my riding lesson today. I didn’t get to the gym. I didn’t eat. Now I’m trying to make some dinner because I can’t keep going without food, but I don’t want to stop. These are the moments you live for as a writer. I...
by Melinda Snodgrass | May 28, 2013 | Blog
I’m starting to develop a complex. This Phillipa Bornikova chic seems to be surpassing the Snodgrass. 🙂 Of course the core personality has been busy writing a movie, and is just about to finish a new novel, that damn that Phillipa is tearing things up. Okay, joking aside. I don’t go looking for reviews — good, bad or indifferent. Writers are fragile little bunnies and bad reviews hurt, and make me feel helpless because the book is done and published and there’s not...
by Melinda Snodgrass | May 27, 2013 | The Craft of Writing
A few months ago I had sent out a tweet about the power of myth and how you deny it at your peril. My off-handed remark was read by Aidan Moher who runs the website A Dribble of Ink. He contacted me, and asked if I would do a guest post for his site jumping off from that one throw away line about myth. I was both flattered and intimidated, but I tackled it, and it forced me to really think about stories. Why I like them. Why I tell them. What about them makes them work. Well, my...
by Melinda Snodgrass | May 27, 2013 | Blog
It’s very odd, but it seems that the writers at BioWare and I were on some strange wave length. I wrote and completed my Mass Effect story months ago. I had delayed posting it because I had other deadlines, but now a section a week is going up over in WRITING section on my website. Meanwhile this DLC, Citadel is released. I had resisted buying any of the Mass Effect 3 downloads, but after a conversation with someone I decided to give this one a look. And it’s sort of eerie how...
