Ron Toland
About Canadian Adventures Keeping Score Archive Photos Also on Micro.blog
  • The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

    Basically perfect. It’s low-key, character-driven sci-fi, stuffed with cool ideas and diverse cultures. Completely scratched my Firefly itch, in a good way :)

    Three things it taught me about writing:

    • Can think of chapters as episodes of a TV series, with cuts between multiple points of view, similar beats, and cliffhanger endings.
    • Having the Shit Go Down at the end of the book rather than the beginning gives the reader time to know and care for the characters, making it more tense.
    • You can get away with an infinite amount of info-dumping if it's a knowledgeable character explaining things to a clueless character.
    → 6:00 AM, May 29
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