Wednesday, May 1, 2019

The Power of Language #IWSG

Publication:
My sci-fi short story has been officially published with AntipodeanSF today! You can find my story, Between the Ticks here and you can read Issue 250 in full here. This issue will be online for three whole months and a paperback edition will also be released. I'm super excited.

AntipodeanSF is an Aussie online magazine that's devoted to the monthly publication of fabulous and original science-fiction, fantasy, and horror mini-stories of about 500–1000 words each, with occasional longer feature stories.

Books:
I read more than two books in April, but these are the best
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo--I can't recommend this highly enough. It is a great study in character interactions, engaging dialogue, beautiful world building. This is a YA Fantasy with class and some dark edges. So gorgeous. Ok, I'll stop gushing now.

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (Known in the UK and Oz as The Rivers of London). The voice in this book is a real treat. It had me laughing out loud quite a bit. It's a police procedural set in London with a bunch of magic thrown in. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are currently working on adapting the series for TV, so think Hot Fuzz meets Harry Potter ;)

Shows:
Avengers: Endgame
No Spoilers here. I just wanted to say how much it surprised me. I loved it. With it being 3 hours long, I had thought they were going to drag it out and get all indulgent, but no. Every scene mattered. The movie had so much unexpected heart. I was thrilled.

Game of Thrones.
No spoilers again. So glad it's back. I've been thoroughly enjoying it. I think I want more surprises than we've got so far. The last episode in particular. But I'm still loving it.

Insecure Writers Support Group:

The question for the month: What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

There's a silly children's chant I learned when I was young because I was bullied a lot: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." I wish it were true. Words do hurt. They can build a person up and they can pull them down and tear them apart. I was pulled down and torn apart an awful lot. It hurt worse when it came from people who were supposed to be my friends. I became small and escaped into stories where the weak overcame overwhelming odds, the little guy who was dismissed by society became the hero. Would I change any of it? No. Everything I've experienced--the good, the bad, the ugly--has shaped me into the person and the writer I am today.

What books have you been reading? What shows have you been loving? What's been your experience with the power of language?

56 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Congratulations! Is that the one Ion Newcombe runs?
Endgame did have a lot of heart.
I was surprised who killed the Night King though. Thought it would be someone else.

Liza said...

I think I escaped into books to avoid a lot of those painful sticks and stones, too. Congratulations on your story being online!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Congrats on the published story.

As foster parents, we saw first hand how words can destroy someone.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Congratulations!

So happy GoT is back, too. Can't wait to see where it goes these next few episodes, although I really don't want it to end!

I think I have Six of Crows on my To Read list....

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Super cool about your story being published. Congratulations! And don't get me started about GoT. LOL I almost had a heart attack at the end of this last episode.

The Cynical Sailor said...

Congrats on your publication!

Endgame is three hours long? Wow. Everyone is raving about it. I might need to see it.

Michelle Wallace said...

Congrats on the story publication.
Books have always been my refuge, a buffer over the years against harsh and hurtful words...
Happy IWSG Day.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the publication! So exciting.

I've always thought the "sticks and stones" rhyme was utterly ridiculous. Words are like razors, and can cut sharp and deep, leaving lasting scars. Books were a refuge for me, perhaps even a salvation.

Pat Garcia said...

Congratulations on our release in the online magazine. I hope you get lots of exposure.
All the best.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

Rachna Chhabria said...

Congratulations on your sci-fi story publication.
I've heard a lot about Six of Crows, must read it fast.

emaginette said...

Congrats on your success. And you are so right, without our past we would be different people. :-)

Anna from elements of emaginette

Sarah Foster said...

I've seen a lot of people mention the "sticks and stones" line today. Words can definitely hurt.
I literally have Six of Crows in my TBR pile! Like, an actual pile of books. I'll get to it eventually!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats on your story being published! I was bullied a lot as a kid too.

Nick Wilford said...

I know how words can hurt too, but it's amazing we can turn it around and use them for good now. Congrats on your acceptance - fantastic news!

Jemi Fraser said...

I've never understood that chant - because it is completely untrue. I guess it's supposed to be an armour we don to protect ourselves, but it doesn't work very often!
Congrats on the story!!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Yep!! It is! He is a great supporter of Australian speculative fiction.

I wasn't surprised....

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Liza

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Yeah, it's scary the impact words can have.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Read it! You'll love it.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

heart attacks are part of the fun!! ;)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Yep, it's a great movie (will make more sense if you've seen all the others though)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

There are so many ways books are awesome

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I totally agree

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks so much Pat

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

It's so great!!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Everything that happens shapes us :)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

It was an IG recommendation for me so I went out and bought it. I wasn't disappointed.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I suspect all the great readers and writers were.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Exactly!! And thanks! :)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

It's a thin armour, but when you have nothing else, it helps.

Jennifer Hawes said...

I will have to check out Midnight Riot. I've been reading a ton of Sherlock Holmes YA adaptions and really enjoyed them. Truly, Devious and the sequel were truly amazing. Congrats on your publication!!

Pat Hatt said...

Words sure have power, but sticks may hurt a bit more at the time and linger into old age if hit hard enough haha

Tyrean Martinson said...

Words definitely have power to cause pain, but they also have the power to heal, even if it does take 10 positives to get rid of a negative. We can overcome those negatives!
I haven't seen Endgame yet ... it's partly because my family has been busy and partly because I want to savor it when I get to the theater.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Jennifer.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

wish that weren't true ;)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Hopefully you'll be able to avoid any spoilers before you see Endgame.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Love Six of Crows and everything that Leigh writes. I'm enjoying GoT and like you, could do with more surprises. I'm distressed that so many of my writer friends were bullied in their younger years.

Fundy Blue said...

Congratulations on your sci-fi story being published today, Lynda! What a thrill that must be for you. I just finished Tonja Drecker's "Music Boxes," and I'm well into "Masquerade Oddly Suited." Both are very satisfying reads. I'm closing in on the end of Yuval Harari's "Sapiens" which is a fascinating take on the history of humans from their earliest beginnings. Movies/Shows ~ Definitely sad as GOT draws to a close. The "Sticks and Stones" chant never made any sense to me either. As a third grader teacher I used it when my class and I discussed the importance of names and how words can hurt. If you want to know the power of words, just ask third graders!

Denise Covey said...

Congratulations Lyn. Read about it on my phone this morning but it was in one of its moods and I couldn't comment. Such great news. Can't wait to read Six of Crows.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I meant to tell you when we had lunch, but it totally slipped my mind, lol. Too much yacking... ;)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

It's why we're writers :)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Oh yes, third graders would be good teachers in that regard ;)

Juneta key said...

I disliked that saying because bones will heal, and sometimes wounds from words never do. I remember from my childhood too. Congrats on the publication. Wahoo! happy IWSG.

Carol Kilgore said...

Congrats on your story publication!
I wish I could read more than two books a month. I struggle to read one.
Happy May!

Blue Grumpster said...

I LOVE your short story. LOVE it. "...this traveller could rearrange the ticks so the one after the next could go before and the one before could wait until tomorrow." If only.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Lynda - congratulations on getting your story published ... while the publication sounds a very professional one. I've made a note of the Ben Aaronovitch London one ... cheers Hilary

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Juneta

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

30 mins a day can achieve a lot of reading. It's well worth it :)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I'm so thrilled you like my story. Super thrilled. Thanks so much for taking the time to read it. Hugely appreciated.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thank you so much, Hilary

Blue Grumpster said...

How long did it take you to write it?

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Not long, but I did sit on it for a long while then I changed the ending. It originally had a darker ending, but I can't do them anymore, lol.

Mark said...

Big congrats! You must be so proud:)

Mandy said...

What a great post! That is so true – that everything a person experiences influences their writing and who they are/have become. I know I would definitely be a different person/writer without the life experiences I've had.

I'm a little late, but congrats on the publication of your story! That's awesome!

With Love,
Mandy

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Mark

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Mary