Tee Morris

Writer, podcaster and video game streamer

Chuck Wendig

Are You Paying Attention to Your Social Media?

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It’s a good idea, if you have a Twitter account, to pay attention to it.

Check Twitter. Like NOW!

While the much-maligned platform seems to be dominated by cyberbullies — some of whom occupy large white houses in historic districts of the United States — there are some people in the Twitterverse that will make your day at the most unexpected of times.

And let’s be honest — those times are the ones most welcome.

Case in point: my Saturday morning started off with a lovely tweet from someone I deeply admire in the Destiny and Twitch Community…

I mean, wow! I’m blushing over here. Seriously.
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Six Things to Know When Searching for an Agent

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A new and uncharted path lies ahead for this word-herder…

You might have heard me talk a little about this on The Shared Desk, or you might have bumped into me at an event and asked me “So, what’s next for you?” Well, since you are curious, here’s what I’m currently up to — I’m agent hunting.

If this comes as a shock to you, then you really should listen to The Shared Desk.

Yes, I’m looking for an agent. Bylines with the biggest publisher in “How To” books, awards and accolades for a successful steampunk series, and years of being in the business of storytelling does not shield me from starting from Square One all over again. See, my latest idea yielded a book that isn’t Science Fiction. It isn’t Fantasy. It’s not even Horror. My latest completed novel is a thriller.

Albeit, this is a thriller set in the video games and eSports industry, so it’s still very much me. Have no fear in that.

Write what you know.

Since I’m braving undiscovered country, I’m putting together a cover letter and proposal for agents. Again, the confusion probably deepens as many of you know I’m no stranger to the D.I.Y. approach of publishing. Thinking about it, I want this title to find a home with a traditional publishing house (or, as the cool kids call it — trad publishing — which is…cool…I guess…). That means agent hunting; and seeing as how almost twenty years has passed between the last time I did this and now, a lot has changed…

…but some of the basics in seeking representation still stand.

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What You Do When Your Book Gets a Bad Review

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You know, I wish we didn’t need to have this conversation, but yeah, we do.

GOT-pleaseEveryone has their own way of dealing with reviews, and let’s be frank—not everyone will like what you do. Reviews, good or bad, are part of the territory. Reviews are a rite of passage for authors, the objective points-of-view that sit down with the final product and say, “Holy crapbuckets, this is the best book I’ve ever read!” or “Many trees died to make this book. Avenge them.” Whenever a new work hits the shelves, virtual or literal, I am always on edge. You have been working closely with editors and peer readers who all invest a part of themselves in your title because they believe in what you do; and if you are fortunate, these voices because they believe in you are going to be blunt, honest, and sometimes cruel to be kind. “My job as an editor is not to change a book,” I heard Ellen Datlow say on a podcast. “My job is to take a good story and make it great.” [Read more…] about What You Do When Your Book Gets a Bad Review

Makign Mistekes: They’re Okay to Do. Just Don’t Dwell On Them.

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moreviI’ve never considered myself a nostalgia kind of guy (says the writer of steampunk). If I do look back, it’s only to see how far I’ve come. I try not to look back in anger, or in ennui, but I look back more in consideration and contemplation. I’ve caught myself looking back at MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe and Askana lately, that first book from over a decade ago. Maybe I’m doing that as it’s come up in conversations online. Funny how it tends to do that.

MOREVI has got a following, I know, especially in the podcasting circles. I had an old friend from JMU tell me how much they enjoyed Rafe Rafton, and that makes me smile…

…especially when I think about all the mistakes I made back in that book.

It’s hard for me to re-read or even listen to MOREVI. I still am very proud of the story, don’t get me wrong. It’s an epic pirate adventure with heroes, villains, intrigue, romance, sex, explosions, swordfighting, more explosions…

i-prefer-run

Shit, I forgot the rum. I had scotch in there, but I forgot the rum. [Read more…] about Makign Mistekes: They’re Okay to Do. Just Don’t Dwell On Them.

I’m a “Real” Fan of Star Trek…and That’s Not a Good Thing.

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I ranted on Chuck’s Facebook thread (sorry, Chuck…) concerning yet another dust-up over Star Wars. Thing is, this brouhaha brought up a few memories worth sharing. These are memories about me being a hardcore fan of Star Wars and Star Trek, and about hardcore fans of Doctor Who…

…and how that can sometimes be a problem.

See, what’s happening within the Star Wars fandom—in the wake of other “real fan” movements—is nothing new. It’s just more public. “Real” fans who draw lines in the sand, piss all over a movie poster or toy collection (mint-in-box, of course), and claim to be the Keepers of the Sanctity of Insert-Your-Favorite-Science-Fiction-Sacred-Cow-Here, thanks to social media and the Internet, are making their voices heard; and are exhorting to extreme measures to protect their Precious.

To understand just how dangerous a mentality this is, you can take a look at my own experiences. Experiences where I was on both the receiving and the giving end of this kind of “real” fandom.

Let me take you back to the 1990’s. I’m thinking the summer of 1996. Yeah, that sounds about right… [Read more…] about I’m a “Real” Fan of Star Trek…and That’s Not a Good Thing.

4 Things that Star Wars Fans Should Be More Upset About than Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath

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chuck-wendig-aftermathSo, if you might have heard, author Chuck Wendig released a book.

Chuck is the author behind Star Wars: Aftermath, the first (of three) books bridging the gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. Since its release, both Jedi and Sith alike are losing their midichlorian-laced shit over this book.

The common threads amongst haters are:

  • Chuck wrote the story in 3rd person present tense. Very different from previous Extended Universe books.

    • In Aftermath, we meet a character that is gay.

    • This is Star Wars done in the style of Wendig. If you have not read some of his other works like Blackbirds or Zeroes, this is a very different approach.

    • There is an unexpected crossover between new Star Wars character Norra Wexley and Marvel favorites, Rocket Raccoon & Groot.

Okay, I might have totally made up that last one, but those other gripes are what a lot of panties twisted in special knots only learnt at Jedi Summer Camps. After reading thinly-veiled attempts at hiding homophobia or anti-Disney sentiments behind various “This is bad writing…” comments, I’m a bit stunned. Star Wars fans are pissed over a gay character and Chuck’s style? Seriously? After everything we’ve dealt with across six movies?

Over the decades, we fans have weathered some serious missteps. And no, I’m not talking about:

  • Midichlorians
  • Jar-Jar Binks
  • The feeble attempts to have Han Solo appear to shoot in self-defense

We’ve talked about those (and continue to talk about them) at length. What I’m talking about is the kind of writing or direction that should have made fans call them out to the center of the octagon, but I’ve rarely seen happen. If you really want to be pissed off about something in the Star Wars universe, have you considered… [Read more…] about 4 Things that Star Wars Fans Should Be More Upset About than Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath