Using setting in fiction, the ‘CC for authors’ debate, existential asteroid threat…

• 1 – Thoughts on Setting

  “Setting frequently serves at least two functions: it tells the readers where they are, and it reflects the mood of the story or the mood of the character.” More sound tips from Jim van Pelt.

  (tags: scenery description setting advice skills craft fiction writing)

• 2 – Why The Rich Get Richer

  “A new theory shows how wealth, in different forms, can stick to some but not to others. The findings have implications ranging from the design of the Internet to economics.” Interesting stuff.

  (tags: systems network poor rich wealth money theory economics commerce)

• 3 – Guardian Unlimited: Arts blog – books: Don’t feel bad about abandoned books

  Simply closing a book after a couple of chapters, perhaps with half a mind to come back to it, is often all it takes show them who’s boss and to allow future encounters to unfold on more equal terms.

  (tags: opinion unfinished reading book novel fiction)

• 4 – The Creative Commons Confound: Whether releasing your book for free will help boost your sales

  Peter Watts: “It’s a niche strategy, in other words. It only works as long as most artists aren’t doing it– and as long as that’s the case, I’d certainly consider releasing my future books under a CC license.”

  (tags: longevity success marketing Commons Creative release free publishing book novel fiction online)

• 5 – Sizing Up the Asteroid Threat

  “The risk of being blindsided by such an object emphasizes our need to develop a space-based observation platform [...] along with providing more accurate information about the movements of larger Earth crossers.”

  (tags: devastation economy environment risk existential collision Eath asteroid space)