New Version of Writing for the Media

When I was younger, it was ambitious to dream of writing for media outlets–newspapers, paid subscriber journals or magazines, or network television. To get such a job seemed impossible–it was grabbing the gold ring on the carousel.

With the major announcement of the merger of a large metropolitan newspaper (in the USA) with a major internet company, a long-standing trend has been confirmed.

According to Preston James, PhD, columnist for internet-based  military and foreign affairs journal Veterans Today:

You cannot easily find any young people going to mainstream mass media TV network news for information, they all go to the alternative news sites on the web like Drudgereport.com, Rense.com, Presstv.ir, whatreallyhappened.com, Veteranstoday.com, rt.com, infowars.com, amtvmedia.com, rinf.com, wired.com (danger room), and so many more fine newsfeed websites like these that it would fill pages.

Today, the reality of attaining  a media writing job is within reach.  Learn more about creating Internet content. Search “writing Internet content” on your favorite search engine. Happy reading!

Fifty Shades of Grey Started as an E-Book

CBS reported on their morning news program that Fifty Shades of Grey started out as an e-book. After e-publishing exposure, it was picked up by a traditional publisher. The rest, as they say, is history.

Barnes & Noble reports this year there has been an excellent line-up of hardback books, resulting in an uptick in book sales. Fifty Shades of Grey has been one of the stellar performers, flying off bookshelves.

In my opinion, e-publishing enables new authors to get exposure and build a following. Success in the e-market can lead to success in the traditional book market. It is an encouraging time for new writers. Afterall, Fifty Shades of Grey is the author’s first novel.

Barnes & Noble Says Print Books Still Top Sellers

Barnes & Noble reports in-store book sales were up 4.5% in the last quarter. Despite this uptick, Barnes & Noble is still operating at a loss.

E-books are expected to be the future of publishing. Nevertheless, print books still outsell e-books in today’s market.

Will Creative Humans Be Replaced by Machines in the Future?

The intelligence and military agencies of the United States are working on automated systems to replace human  analysts in intelligence work. The human brain is a masterful “sensemaking” device, but it is subject to the human weaknesses of fatigue, bias or stress. Therefore, the government is going all in to find a machine that can do the work as well as an human, and maybe better.

Until now, the agency points out, the human brain has remained “the only known  example of a general-purpose sensemaking system.” Not for long:  Iarpa wants a  computer that would mimic human strengths, like analytic reasoning or learning  from mistakes, but do it without the accompanying weaknesses. The ideal Iarpa  system would first process and explain human sensemaking: why an analyst opted  for one hypothesis over another. Then, the computer would improve upon it, by  determining whether a decision-maker was affected by ambiguous data, deception,  or even denial. Finally, the system would offer its own sensemaking hypothesis – without any extenuating influence – instead.

Iarpa suggests that the  system would help out “overburdened analysts with routine, low-level analytic  tasks.” But a 2001 report from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense  points out that sensemaking is most often compromised in high-stress situations,  and, for that reason, humans are usually the weakest link.

Read more: http://www.disclose.tv/forum/spytech-agency-wants-software-brains-to-connect-the-dots-t13503.html#ixzz27ISZRsVk

All this gets me wondering, will there come a day when machines are used to write books, create poetry, works of art and music? Will a computer frame a photograph as well as Ansel Adams? Will 3-D copiers create art to rival Michelangelo’s masterpieces using flesh and blood models or mere mathematical formulas derived from analysis of 2-D items? And, if that day comes, who will the audience be?

Positioning Yourself in Your Market

A few days ago I read a great quote from a financial web site that has great relevance for writers who intend to sell their work in the open market. If you plan to be commercial, then spend a few minutes thinking how these words apply to you.

Rick Rule, founder and CEO of Global Resource Investments said:

The trick is not to be right all the time; it’s to be right more often than you’re wrong. And to position yourself ahead of trends that are unstoppable, then to wait for the market to come to you.

To me the perfect example of positioning is the Harry Potter series. The interest in things supernatural or fantastic started snowballing with author Anne Rice’s series about the vampire Lestat. The stories of Harry Potter and the associated witches and warlocks populating his adventures were positioned to surf the trend.

Positioning doesn’t discount the need for writing a good tale. Rather it suggests ways to determine which tales to tell to achieve commercial success.

Author Vernon Vinge: On Writing, Fiction and the Singularity

Excellent interview with science fiction author Vernon Vinge

This video explores the platform of science fiction as a vehicle to advance ideas. The interview offers advice for writers, as well as thoughts about the future.

Microfiction: The Sins of the Father

Thought I’d share a noir/ science fiction/ flash-, sudden-, micro-fiction creation of 33 words that I jotted a few days ago after listening to a trends analyst speak. His projections took my mind in a dark direction regarding our future as a species. No pretty picture here.

The Sins of the Father

by F. Moore (c) 2012

Father works secretly on his biological weapon. The plan goes awry. He doesn’t consider the unintended consequences; the creation’s malevolence is greater than supposed. The creation consumes Father’s family, then stalks the world.

Advanced E- Learning

My Aussie e-friend at e-Learning Provocateur has posted a collection of blog sites for advancing one’s knowledge. As writers, we are a curious lot who love to learn new things, so we can incorporate those things into stories.

For you “already professional” authors, one of the blogs cited deals with social business on a global scale. If you are planning to take your book products outside of North America, you may glean some tips to speed your process along.

Another blog mentioned focuses on futurism and related trends. Syfy writers take note. The remaining topics covered in Provocateur’s list are vast — a true treasure trove. Check it out. Feed your head.

http://ryan2point0.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/my-15-favourite-australian-e-learning-bloggers/#comment-2004