In this riveting episode of the Dead Robots’ Society podcast, we lucky few get a chance to sit down and speak with a living legend, Mr. Tracy Hickman, a bestselling author several times over, as well as a star in the podiobook sphere. This was a treat for all of us, and hopefully it will be a treat for you as well.

Also, please visit these fine links that Tracy was kind enough to share with us:

www.trhickman.com

www.dragonhearthproductions.com

www.killerbreakfast.com

Hey all you dead robots! The past several days have been chaotic as hell, and because of that none of us is prepared to record a show tonight (luckily, I still have a job, yeah!). But, to help cushion the blow, tonight we will be releasing an extra long episode that will hopefully see you through until we can get together again. We were fortunate enough to interview Mr. Tracy Hickman, and I think all of you will enjoy hearing what he has to say. I’ll post it up as soon as I can.

Anyway, thanks for your patience, and please let us know if there is anything you would like to hear us discuss. Or, if you have an idea for an interview, please pass it along! I’m trying to book some tasty interviews myself, but it isn’t easy. It’s all for you, though, kind listeners. I live to serve…

Graham wrote:

Slightly behind the times, I thought I should spread the word of the News from Poughkeepsie, a new project from the Mighty Mur Lafferty.

To quote the Murster herself:

I’m going to blog an idea a day for 1 year. It will usually be in the form of a blog post, but it may be in the form of an audio or video podcast, delivered to you if you’re subscribed to the Murverse feed.

You can find said feed through the Murverse site. Go, read, enjoy, make use of (the ideas are under a Creative Commons attribution license). They’ve already got my idea cogs turning. Now all I need to do is find the time to put them to use (and also to stop my developer mind from using the brainjuice first; that bit’s a real battle).

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Last week it was good to be bad, but this week we take a look on the goody-two-shoes side of the tracks. Join us as we talk about heroes we like, what goes into a good protagonist, and if you should mix some bad with your good. Enjoy.

Justin wrote:

… art is never finished, only abandoned. That becomes more real to me every time I read my work. No matter how many times I go over it and make changes, I learn something new or realize something, and suddenly I know of a way to improve my writing. It’s frustrating, but it’s also wonderful.
I’m saying [...]

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Every story needs a hero, and your hero can only be as good as the antagonist that they are pitted against. Join the Dead Robots as they discuss what makes for a good bad guy (or gal), both in their own writing, and in the culture at large. Enjoy.

Amanda wrote:

Lovely day at work today. There’s a lot to be said for good weather and the presence of friends. I’m thoroughly exhausted, and not really looking forward to tomorrow much, but I’ll cope. This week will be pretty light for me–only 20 hours–which is good. It’s nice to have a little break every now and then. Plus there’s a little camping trip my family has planned in late May to look forward to, as well as my dad’s birthday coming up soon. I’m especially excited about the camping, since I’ve never been before in my life. It’s going to be really cool. =D For now, my biggest challenge at home is to keep writing (I’ve got a new project that I’m very excited about–no details yet but it’s going to be fun) without convincing myself that it’s no good before I even get started. I’ve encountered a couple of small plot snares and they’ve been beating my motivation to a pulp, but I’ve decided to set them aside for now and fix them later. The answer will come to me, I just have to give myself a chance and not succumb to the urge to head for the hills. Hopefully I’m making the right choice by doing that and I won’t end up with another gnarled monstrosity like TSW on my hands. I just can’t think straight when it comes to that book. *shudder*

I love being busy.

Oh, and before I forget, this is my new favorite thing. These reviews are brilliant and funny and definitely not safe for work. >=D If you like video games at all, check this guy out.

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Justin wrote:

My wife is a good woman. She works hard, she takes care of me and the pets, and she shoulders so much responsibility silently. So, a little while ago, I told her that she needed to take some time for herself. “A night out,” I said. “Go get a hotel room, enjoy a day at [...]

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Hey, folks. As some of you may or may not know, Scott Sigler recently had his first mass-market book released upon the public. The success of this novel will have ramifications far beyond himself, and I’m calling upon all of our listeners to support him. Thankfully, he’s also a damn fine writer, so your rewards will be many. Click on the link below to buy his novel. Thank you.

Everyone, I just wanted to pop in with a quick note apologizing for the lateness of this week’s episode. Normally we try to make it available by Monday, but Ryan – who edits the shows – has been sick this week. He let me know that he should be done today, so we’ll have the episode up tonight. I’ll try my best to get us back on schedule!

Thank you for your patience.