Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Okay, this is a departure from the usual focus of this blog. But most of you know I have been going through a huge crisis with my wife, Bianca. Bianca has Bipolar Disorder I, a serious mental illness which involves manic episodes in which she is very aggressive and angry and hard to control. Bianca  [ Read More ]

Guest Post by John H. Ginsberg-Stevens “But there was little sense, in criticism and reviewing of the fifties, of ‘space opera’ meaning anything other then ‘hacky, grinding, stinking, outworn’ SF stories of any kind” – Kathryn Cramer & David G. Hartwell, The Space Opera Renaissance (pp.11-12). “Space Opera” always sounds so majestic when you first hear  [ Read More ]

Guest post by Patty Jansen Many people are surprised when agents and editors say that they often don’t need to read an entire story to know that they’ll reject it. Some writers are even insulted. But if you read five to ten story submissions a day, and you keep this up for a few years,  [ Read More ]

Last Tuesday, 1 month before our 4th anniversary, I had to put my wife in the mental hospital against her will for the second time. Bianca is a highly intelligent, gentle, sweet, giving, joyful person. But when her bipolar II flares up she’s angry, mean, arrogant, and mischievous. I woke up at 5 a.m. and  [ Read More ]

http://nyti.ms/exAwaz — non-traditional stores are selling more books than ever. Good news for authors, marketers, and publishers. And also for readers. http://lmstull.com/2011/03/06/so-you-want-to-write-fantasy/ – a workshop on worldbuilding for fantasy authors and a contest to boot. http://reluctantadults.blogspot.com/2011/03/that-setting-thing.html – Kat Richardson writes up her talk from Rainforest Writers Village Session 2 on “Setting” http://www.shimmerzine.com/2011/03/16/confessions-of-a-slush-reader-why-should-i-care/ – a slushreader explains  [ Read More ]

Dear Bipolar Disorder: I hate you! You know who you are. You’re the one who takes a beautiful, intelligent, determined, kind, giving, loving, wonderful girl and turns her into a stranger who rants, yells, destroys, and insults. You’re the one who steals time, precious time away from her husband and family. You’re the one who  [ Read More ]

Today was a much better day as far as productivity. No more sickness, a settling into the routine. I produced 2725 words today, and despite the later hour, if inspiration hits later, I’ll keep going. The work today was all focused on novel 2 of which Chapter 4 is now close to complete. Although I  [ Read More ]

I’ve been given a tremendous gift in my sponsorship to Rainforest Writers Village, Session 2. Held at Lake Quinault, Washington on the edge of the Olympic National Forest, the natural setting is almost as inspiring as the vibe of my fellow writers as we write together at tables in the Lounge of the Resort restaurant.  [ Read More ]

Thought I should take a moment and fill you in on the latest with me. It’s been a while since I’ve done that and, in case anyone wants to know, here it is. I finally signed the contract for my first book deal Monday after three months of negotiations and delays. “The Worker Prince” will  [ Read More ]

http://www.blackgate.com/2011/02/27/epic-fantasy-notes-toward-a-definition/ – Black Gate column discussing what is epic fantasy? http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150111579106705&id;=689201067 — Why heroes are still important, related to the above. Another perspective: http://bit.ly/hHRRfk http://talktoyouniverse.blogspot.com/2011/03/ttyu-retro-show-dont-tell-exposed.html – Great post on Show V. Tell–often a bane of writer’s existences– by the talented Juliette Wade. http://faerye.net/post/find-n — Great post by Felicity Shoulders on dealing with rejection as a writer. http://bit.ly/dTATvX —  [ Read More ]

Very excited to have best selling author Kevin J. Anderson on the SFFWRTCHT next Wed but Kevin’s got some haters. In particular, a group of hecklers who follow him around and try and make things very unpleasant for him and anyone who dares talk to him kindly. To avoid problems, I have blocked them, as  [ Read More ]

“Merlin Meets Godzilla” By Bryan Thomas Schmidt The beast came from sea, near the northern edge of the kingdom, and took the villages by surprise. The reports of devastation shocked Camelot, and Arthur hurriedly dispatched Merlin and Lancelot to address the situation, leading half the army. “Do what you must” was all the King instructed.  [ Read More ]

At the beginning of February, I started writing my first sequel novel, tentatively titled “The Returning,” which carries on the story of my forthcoming first novel “The Worker Prince.” An epic space opera series, the books tell the story of Davi Rhii, born a slave but raised a Prince, who helps his native people of  [ Read More ]