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Under Siege #25: That’s Doctor Hight, if you please
It’s been one, two, three… 125 days(!) since I posted my last blog. That is a shamefully long time. I’m sure you’re wondering what I have been doing during my lengthy hiatus. On second thought, you could probably care less. No matter, I’m going to tell you anyway. I’d like to say I’ve been busy…
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Popped Culture #4: Westerns
I have made a shameful mistake. And I don’t mean failing to blog for the last two months, although I suppose that is a bit shameful, too. No, this is a far more nefarious error: as one of my readers pointed out, I failed to include any westerns on my list of favorite historical fiction…
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Under Siege #24: The Formula
What is the secret to writing a bestselling novel? What is the formula to use to ensure that the dialogue crackles, the plot moves with pace, and readers are hooked? There are as many answers to these questions as there are how-to books touting that they alone have the elusive formula for successful writing. There…
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Popped Culture #3: My Cup Runneth Over
I have written nothing for a week. Not one word. This sloth is unprecedented, but I have a good excuse. I have been on vacation at a lake in Michigan, lulled into a sense of happy complacency by the clear blue sky, the sound of the waves lapping against the shore, the smell of the…
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SIEGE: Beyond the Book #2 – Schism and Union
In Siege, the emperor Constantine pushes through the Union of the Catholic and Orthodox churches, hoping to receive aid from the West. However, his push for union only divides his people, inciting the Greek monk Gennadius to do whatever it takes to keep union from occurring. While the role of Gennadius is somewhat exaggerated in…
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Under Siege #23: History or Fiction?
What is historical fiction? Is it history? Is it fiction? How real should it be? An aspiring author recently wrote me to ask just these questions. More specifically, he wanted to know two things. First, do I research as I write, or do I research before I start the writing process? And second, how do…
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SIEGE: Beyond the Book #1 – Genoa
I first visited Genoa, or Genova as the Italians call it, in 2005, while writing Siege. My first day there, my wife and I spent the afternoon wandering the medieval quarter, a network of quiet, shaded courtyards connected by narrow passages that cut between three- and four-story buildings. As dusk settled, we came upon a…
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Popped Culture #2: Prince vs. Hood
I would apologize for the length of time since my first Popped Culture blog, only it’s not really my fault. For the past month and more there just hasn’t been very much to write about. I could have blogged about the greatest cultural event in the history of the world—the World Cup—but I’m saving myself…
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Under Siege #22: Selling Out (Hopefully)
Each year approximately 100,000 English-language novels are published. This Thursday, my first novel Siege will join their ranks, making its debut in the UK. It is a thrill to see my book in print… such a thrill, in fact, that I’m happy to sign any book that is sent my way—I’m currently working through a…
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Under Siege #21: Michigan
Apologies are in order. I have taken a nearly three week vacation from my blog: a blogation or a vaclog, if you prefer (which I do). But I have not taken a vacation from writing, far from it. I’ve been doing my best to fulfill every stereotype associated with writers: sitting in a log cabin…
Jack Hight
Writer of history, sci-fi, and more…
