On Quitting Writing; Magic vs Science

•Last week there was some discussion over the 101 Reasons to Stop Writing blog.

For those of you who may have missed them, here are jaylake‘s post and arcaedia‘s post.

Also, don’t miss jimvanpelt‘s Signs that you need help quitting writing.

I don’t have any thoughts to add: basically, I don’t see the point in quitting writing, or telling other people to quit writing. If it’s something I enjoy, why would I quit just because I’m unsuccessful?

•Via sartorias, swan_tower on Magic vs Science in fantasy.

If you remove that personal element, making the procedure something anyone can do, then you have science, not magic. Even if it doesn’t obey the laws of science as we know them, it’s imaginary or invented science, not magic.

Very interesting essay; also useful to me in terms of clarifying what I can do to strengthen my distinction between magic and science in Shadow Play (and in the rest of the books in that world, but it’s less confusing there).