News from Codex Writers

Luc Reid launches self-motivation study site

2009-04-26T13:35:00.000-07:00

Luc Reid's new site, WillpowerEngine.com, is a study site for better understanding how self-motivation works and for discussing insights, research, and self-motivation techniques. The site was started to spread some of the information he has gathered in his self-motivation research and coaching experience for current book project, The Willpower Engine.

Terminal Mind Wins Philip K. Dick Award

2009-04-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

David Walton's novel Terminal Mind won the Philip K. Dick Award at Norwescon on April 10. The award is given annually for the best paperback original science fiction novel of the year.

Instead of presenting a special citation, this year's award was presented as a tie between Terminal Mind and Adam-Troy Castro's novel Emissaries from the Dead.

Silk and Shadow

2009-02-26T11:32:00.000-08:00

Tony Pi's fantasy story "Silk and Shadow" is now available in issue 11 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies.

H. Beam Piper: The Most Influential Writer You Never Heard Of...

2009-02-24T17:24:00.001-08:00

Guy Stewart's new article about H. Beam Piper is up on THE FRIDAY CHALLENGE, Bruce Bethke's (PKDick Award for HEADCRASH and inventor of the the word "cyberpunk") new blog at

http://thefridaychallenge.blogspot.com/

Bethke also posted an article Stewart wrote about Michael Shaara, Civil War writer and 1975 Pulitzer Prize winner for THE KILLER ANGELS...who started his career writing pulp SF and then graduated to REAL writing...You can find that one, under December 13, 2008, at:

http://rantingroom.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html

The Lonely Heart

2009-02-19T07:17:00.001-08:00

Aliette de Bodard's horror story "The Lonely Heart" is now available in issue 9 of Black Static.

Codex Writers Participate in BYU Symposium

2009-02-19T06:44:00.000-08:00

Several members of Codex will be participating in "Life, the Universe, and Everything," Brigham Young University's science fiction and fantasy symposium. Attendance is free. Events involving Codex members (in bold):

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19:

10:00 AM:
*Looking through a glass darkly: cautionary tales and post-apocalyptic fiction. Writing post-apocalyptic fiction can be a way to write a cautionary tale, or it can be a prediction of the future. Why are people so interested in this sub-genre and how can you as a writer tap into the form?
(James Dashner, Nathan Shumate, Eric James Stone, JoSelle Vanderhooft, Dan Wells)

4:00 PM:
*Reality in Sci-Fi. Or, "Why doesn't the cyborg's arm tear off when they lift a car?"
How can we make Sci-Fi more realistic? Can a writer create an internally consistent universe that also follows the basic laws of physics and still have an interesting story.
(Eric Swedin, Aleta Clegg, Robert J. Defendi, Eric James Stone, James Brown)

5:00 PM:
*Ami Chopine presentation: 3D on the Cheap: Creating your own 3D art for very little or even free

7:00 PM:
*Writing groups. What are they good for? How do you find one? How can you use one effectively?
(Suzy Gehring, Jeremy Remy, Eric James Stone, Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury, Bethany Fuller)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20:
Noon:
*Writing Romance
(Lynn Kurland, Lesli Muir Lytle, Laura Hickman, Tracy Hickman, Stacy Whitman, Julie Wright)
1:00 PM:
*The Principles of Suspense: what things might the reader feel suspense about, how is suspense different in different genres, key factors in generating reader suspense, things that ruin it, and the role of suspense in a satisfying story.
(James Dashner, Roger White, Howard Tayler, John Brown, Berin Stephens)

3:00 PM:
*Podcasting for writers 1: What Podcasts will help you be a better writer
(Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler, Robert J. Defendi, Scott Danielson (m), Tracy Hickman, Laura Hickman, Dan Wells)

5:00 PM:
*Following through on your plot promises. So many times an author or a book promises to answer certain questions or solve certain problems, and then the book goes in a totally different direction. How can you be true to your story and true to your promise? How do you know if your story is making promises you can’t keep?
(Clint Johnson, Julie Wright, Tracy Hickman, Aleta Clegg (M), Greg Park)

6:00 PM:
*John Brown: “3 Things You Must Learn to Write Killer Stories” workshop

7:00 PM:
*John Brown: “3 Things You Must Learn to Write Killer Stories” workshop

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21:

9:00 AM:
*Current trends in Fantasy and Science Fiction. What are the current trends? How do you know what is hot, what is fading and what will be the next big thing? And should you even care?
(L. E. Modesitt, Jr., Brandon Sanderson, Eric James Stone, Dave Wolverton)

1:00 PM:
*Myth and Mythology in SF&F. How is myth and mythology used in science fiction and fantasy? How do you rewrite a myth to make it a new story? How can you create your own mythos without detracting from the tale. Or how can you make it the tale?
(Mette Ivie Harrison, L. E. Modesitt, Jr., Aprilynne Pike, Nathan Shumate, John Brown)

2:00 PM:
*Signing (BYU Bookstore):
James Dashner
Jessica Day George
Rebecca Shelley
Greg Park
Julie Wright
Eric James Stone

3:00 PM:
*Readings (1/2 hour each): John Brown, Robert J. Defendi

5:00 PM:
*The Golden Age of Science Fiction. What makes it “golden” and who are the authors that we should read from this period?
(David Ferro, Eric Swedin, Scott Danielson, Janus Daniels (M), Julie Wright)
*Creating a world for your RPG/story. Robert J. Defendi

6:00 PM:
* SF Movies as Ambassador
(John Morehead, Eric Swedin, Nathan Shumate, Dan Willis, Robert J. Defendi)
*Readings (1/2 hour each): Roger White, Eric James Stone

7:00 PM:
*Copyright and the Internet. How to avoid plagiarim. How to know what you can and cant’ put on the Internet and still sell a story/novel/work of art. How can you protect yourself from plagiarism?
(Brandon Sanderson, Eric James Stone, Howard Tayler, Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury, JoSelle Vanderhooft)

Pear Noir!

2009-02-19T05:18:00.000-08:00

Jason Heller's story "The Astonishing New Adventures of Free Hot Boy Aboard the Slaveship to Venus" is available now in the debut issue Pear Noir!, a new literary magazine that runs the gamut from magic realism to bibliophilia. The first issue is 140 pages, perfect-bound, and can be purchased here.

The Monster in the Closet

2009-02-03T07:21:00.001-08:00

Alethea Kontis continues her Beauty & Dynamite series of essays with her latest installment, "The Monster in the Closet", now available at Apex Magazine.

Northern Haunts

2009-01-28T16:02:00.000-08:00

Northern Haunts, an anthology featuring "100 original tales of ghosts, creatures, mad men, and other horrifying mysteries" is now available. It includes William T. Vandemark's short story, "Snip and Rip."

Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.

Eric James Stone Book Signing

2009-01-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

Eric James Stone will be signing books at the Orem, Utah, Barnes & Noble on Saturday, January 17, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Blood Lite: An Anthology of Humorous Horror, containing Eric's story "P.R. Problems" alongside stories by Jim Butcher, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Charlaine Harris and others, will be available. The InterGalactic Medicine Show anthology, containing Eric's stories "Tabloid Reporter to the Stars" and "Taint of Treason" alongside stories by Orson Scott Card, David Farland and others, will also be for sale.
[Facebook page for this event]

In Memory

2009-01-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

A reprint of Eric James Stone's story "In Memory" appears in the January 2009 issue of Apex Magazine. Originally published in Writers of the Future, Volume XX, the entire story can now be read online for free here.

The Future Fire

2008-12-27T10:56:00.000-08:00

You can see Rick Novy's latest story at The Future Fire.

Codex starts news blog

2008-12-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

As of today Codex, a group for neo-pro writers of fantasy, science fiction, and other genres, has started a news blog, where members will post book deals, appearances, new publications, and other news.

Codex is an online writers group whose members exchange writing techniques as well as news and information on the business of writing. We conduct regular writing contests and provide a variety of critiquing venues to members. The groups is open only to writers who have made at least one pro fiction sale or who have completed a major, by-audition-only writing workshop. Since its founding about 5 years ago by graduates of Orson Scott Card's Literary Boot Camp together with recent winners of the Writers of the Future contest, Codex members have seen published dozens of books and hundreds of short stories, won major contests, been retained as editors and agents, and been included in various Years Best anthologies, along with other accomplishments. Codex currently has about 140 active members.