Weekly Posts

The Next Big Thing Blog Chain: Judith Starkston’s novel-in-progress, Hand Full of Fire.

Obituaries aren’t usually quite this exciting. I held my lunch partner spellbound reading this one of James Mellaart, a groundbreaking archaeologist in ancient Anatolia/Turkey.

If you are a writer or reader of mysteries and thrillers, you will want to attend the WriteNow! 2012 Desert Sleuths Conference on August 11, at the Millenium Resort in Scottsdale, AZ. The theme is “Criminal Minds: Investigating Today’s Writing Scene” and will feature a number of speakers including Dennis Palumbo, Dana Kaye, and Sean Chercover.

Celebration! I have had a story accepted for publication, “The Season for Death.” Read all about it in this blog entry.

If you’ve ever thought about the relationship between historical fantasy and historical fiction (think Tolkien vs. Forester), how HF writers cope with the strictures of following known history, why Cornwell will never write “alternate” history, how to write a great battle scene, or love either of these writers, you’ll enjoy this interview between Bernard Cornwell and George R.R. Martin.

Some moments in history stay actively in human memory. Others drift silently away until no hint remains. Two recent archaeological digs demonstrate how much we have “forgotten” about the past, one in Israel and one on the Greek island of Despotiko.

Two sets of ancient ruins—the graceful temple columns rising against the backdrop of shimmering desert sands in honor of the Mesopotamian god Bel, and a Persian mountain fortress containing a possible Zoroastrian fire altar—these disparate places, one in modern Syria and one in northern Afghanistan, reveal two sides of modern archaeology: the allure of beautiful and exotic locations that connect us to the past and the dangers archaeologists face while digging in the midst of wars and conflict.

A blog post about Judith Starkston’s writing projects and a discussion of whether it’s better to work from a planned outline as a writer or go on a magical mystery tour into unknown territory. Also a link to an eloquent discussion of the subject by Alex Shakar.

The process of writing fiction is an elusive process. The Wall Street Journal’s “Word Craft” column has once again delivered some excellent pearls about the layered truth and the unpredictable force of imagination in writing.

Have you ever wondered what ancient music sounded like–Stone Age or a Greek bard? An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education reveals a hot new field in archaeology and some amazing discoveries you’ll even be able to listen to.