tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47811923883860792132024-03-13T10:58:50.559-07:00D. L. MackenzieTruth or fictionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-81031546876562035742014-07-14T10:47:00.001-07:002014-07-14T10:47:57.724-07:00Four Questions, Four Disturbing Insights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4ZngPc8pBWGKgH4-gPgNv2hk0w7o7LjjW5qKcrOwih5HJGsdqLacOvbwFjWWyNlcP_uY2GWrRgpuGTenSesZB-JIoHe2zCvElr7AbS-o_W8CAHqVdNnaCQs3kuW5bdlbh7ag8IhM62c/s1600/RonBurgundy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4ZngPc8pBWGKgH4-gPgNv2hk0w7o7LjjW5qKcrOwih5HJGsdqLacOvbwFjWWyNlcP_uY2GWrRgpuGTenSesZB-JIoHe2zCvElr7AbS-o_W8CAHqVdNnaCQs3kuW5bdlbh7ag8IhM62c/s1600/RonBurgundy.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Hat tip to <a href="http://thiscorneroftheuniverse.com/" target="_blank">Britt Ringel</a>, author of the This Corner of the Universe series of military sci-fi novels, for tricking me into participating in this “Writer’s Process Blog Tour.” Each week a new set of writers answers four questions about what they are working on, and how they work on whatever it is they’re working on. I've invited three more brave souls to join me in this tour by blogging their responses next week. If they do not maintain the chain, bad luck will befall them.* You’ll find links to their pages below.</i><br />
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<b>Question 1: What are you working on?</b><br />
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I've typically got way too many irons in the fire, and right now is no exception to that rule. I am working in fits and starts on two books: One is <i>The Kraken of Cape Farewell</i>, which is the sixth volume in my <i>Magnetron Chronicles</i> series. The other is a paranormal/psychological thriller called <i>Station Five</i> (honestly, I haven't even looked at it in months). I'm also putting the finishing touches on a deluxe edition of my previously self-published <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CCTUL4M?tag=dlma0b-20" target="_blank">Rise of the Hogalum Society</a> to be published later this summer by a small independent press. And speaking of irons, I recently joined a flash fiction writing group at <a href="http://theironwriter.com/" target="_blank">The Iron Writer Challenge</a>. I've had two winning stories so far, and as of this date I am in the running for the TIW Summer Open Finals.<br />
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<b>Question 2: How does your work differ from others of its genre?</b><br />
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Most of what I've written is loosely categorized as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk" target="_blank">steampunk</a>, but I think of my stories as “retro-Victorian adventure spoofs.” Most steampunk is written with a fairly modern voice, but I go to great lengths to capture the flavor of the “scientific romance” masters of yore, such as Jules Verne. I find that most steampunk is excruciatingly earnest, but I like to spoof the genre with a (I hope) comically overblown style, dramatic irony, pop culture Easter eggs, and a completely ludicrous and insanely complex plot. Phineas Magnetron (the narrator) is so serious, he clearly doesn't know that most of what he says is actually quite silly. Even though the stories aren't terribly serious, I’m deadly serious about story construction and historical accuracy. <br />
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<b>Question 3: Why do you write what you write?</b><br />
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That’s actually a long story, but let’s just say I stumbled into the genre years ago, long before I had ever heard the term “steampunk.” I fell in love with the period and the larger-than-life characters. I found it incredibly challenging to emulate the style of the old masters, and I guess I just love a challenge.<br />
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<b>Question 4: How does your writing process work?</b><br />
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I'll have to start by warning anyone reading these words not to write the way I do. I do not recommend my method for anyone, necessarily. It just seems to work for me.<br />
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That said, I’m definitely a plotter, but you won’t catch me writing a genuine outline with Roman numerals. I start by sketching out my main story arc in a Word document with each major plot point on its own line, resulting in a "Dick likes Jane," "Spot likes bones" skeleton. Then I start fleshing things out, filling in the details on new lines as the spirit moves me. I keep a digital recorder with me to verbally jot down whatever crazy idea comes to me throughout the day, and then I scan through my sort-of outline and enter my little inspirations wherever they seem to fit or flesh something out with a bit more detail.<br />
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I do my writing right there in the same Word document. Eventually, I will have an unwritten Chapter One, a Chapter Two which has been written and rewritten eight times, a sketchy Chapter Three, and a press-ready Chapter Four. I just work on whatever task suits my mood at the time, whether it's transcribing notes from my recorder, double-checking my timeline for continuity, or going on an undisciplined writing jag. At some point, I take it from the top and bring everything up to code. This is followed by extensive rereading and rewriting to make sure everything flows precisely the way I hoped. Yes, it’s an extraordinarily undisciplined and labor-intensive process, and I kick myself all the time for my shameful lack of self-discipline. But it works for me.<br />
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So, that's it for my weirdness. It's time to pass three batons to the next <strike>suckers</strike> writers in the chain. As it happens, they are all writers I've met in The Iron Writer Challenge group, and they're a pretty talented lot. They'll be posting next week around Monday, or they'll suffer the consequences.*<br />
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<ul>
<li>Mary Fletcher's blog, <a href="http://www.iwritetoemptythecrazy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I Write to Empty the Crazy</a>, is proof that Mary is a much better blogger than I am, and also proof that she might be just a bit crazier than I am. She writes poetry, short stories, and exorcises her own demons online for your enjoyment and her emotional health. Hopefully, she will never run completely out of crazy.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.danielleleezwissler.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Author Danielle Lee Zwissler</a> has never owned up to stealing my initials, but isn't a bad sort overall. She's a prolific indie author with five gun-totin' cowboy romance titles to her credit. She also blogs, reviews books... you know, typical writer stuff.</li>
<li>Tony Jaeger writes some really strange short stories for Iron Writer and blogs on his <a href="http://www.creativewritingtime.com/" target="_blank">Creative Writing Time</a> site, where he has also published a novella called <a href="http://www.creativewritingtime.com/tony-jaeger/prologue-chef" target="_blank">Chef</a> one chapter at a time. “<i>The French Dip here is so fresh,” the waiter joked, “that when you order it, the chef actually goes and kills a Frenchman, just for your sandwich.</i>” See what I mean?</li>
</ul>
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* <i>Bad luck will befall anyone who breaks the chain! One writer failed to post his blog entry and when he submitted his novel to a publisher it was declined without even so much as a polite form letter! And then a grand piano fell on him as he was checking his mailbox for the rejection letter! And the letter never came anyway!</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-44818266777957069322014-07-06T14:00:00.000-07:002014-07-06T14:00:08.990-07:00Elegy for a Mayfly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhKeXNdB9JSa4tfUXcrVtLMhb8qp3rW8FR_8SBlMijlYvKpNnypESsT81H6V3PS79LteYkVTevra6NXHGKzXUS4cCPLeLtyGQc-ewBO7lVxehX4_6l7Xpg5hLIBT8KWvmWo0aoF6y8xI/s1600/avengers-jla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhKeXNdB9JSa4tfUXcrVtLMhb8qp3rW8FR_8SBlMijlYvKpNnypESsT81H6V3PS79LteYkVTevra6NXHGKzXUS4cCPLeLtyGQc-ewBO7lVxehX4_6l7Xpg5hLIBT8KWvmWo0aoF6y8xI/s1600/avengers-jla.jpg" /></a></div>
A short time ago I found out I had clinched a spot in <a href="http://theironwriter.com/" target="_blank">The Iron Writer</a> Summer Solstice Open, and the Preliminary Round is underway now. The challenge elements for this story are:<br />
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The Avengers vs. The Justice League of America (as if I know anything about superheroes)<br />
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A Minion (yes, one of those Twinkie-looking creatures from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1323594/" target="_blank">Despicable Me</a>)<br />
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A Traveling Chamber Pot Salesperson (as if I know anything about traveling chamber pots)<br />
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Also, the story must be told from the point of view of Death, the Grim Reaper.<br />
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I was up against three other writers in my bracket (The Anne Rice bracket) but two of them bowed out, a craven dodge I'm presumptuously attributing to my intimidating reputation. One brave soul dares to defy me, however: Danielle Zwissler. She must be destroyed.<br />
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To that end, I humbly beseech you, dear reader, to vote for my flash fiction (525 words) short story, "Elegy for a Mayfly."<br />
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Please <a href="http://theironwriter.com/anne-rice-bracket/" target="_blank">read and vote</a>, or save time and <a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/8164036/" target="_blank">just vote</a>. I won't tell!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-64140632832315698892014-06-22T14:03:00.000-07:002014-07-06T14:33:46.462-07:00Iron Writer Challenge Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-p75gnuZZdHc1zWhdeuM8tYnHIk0YE4G9vB7HdT_BVw9i6l_m3QunD7BzYa98qzk8RGigtNl_Fdk13IAX6h6jeYb8LWrWXPwTyKso-skZewEncqYD7bnijMjP3fnBLqqQF1QZIuPCG_c/s1600/dance3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-p75gnuZZdHc1zWhdeuM8tYnHIk0YE4G9vB7HdT_BVw9i6l_m3QunD7BzYa98qzk8RGigtNl_Fdk13IAX6h6jeYb8LWrWXPwTyKso-skZewEncqYD7bnijMjP3fnBLqqQF1QZIuPCG_c/s1600/dance3.gif" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the winner is... me!</td></tr>
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Thanks to everyone who voted for my flash fiction story, "<a href="http://theironwriter.com/challenge-67/" target="_blank">Like a Steel Trap</a>" during the Iron Writer Challenge #67. I came in second in the reader poll but the panel of judges selected my story the winner!<br />
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Obviously, the judges were more discerning than the mob of philistines who voted for my competitors.<br />
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Now, on to the next challenge. I think this win qualifies me for the upcoming Iron Writer Summer Solstice Open. Details and shameless importuning for votes to follow....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-2582371116900572272014-06-14T14:58:00.000-07:002014-07-06T15:00:23.636-07:00Leonardo Cerebelli: Gadfly scientist and man about town<i>In preparation for an upcoming release of a deluxe omnibus edition of The Magnetron Chronicles, I've finally gotten round to finishing the biographical sketch of the redoubtable Leonardo Cerebelli....</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6w-brFN2U_OyeIiuzi-TORpSTrK_M-E0xYh8xKgA5jQjEpinhdMVpqOa3iCf-a5ztNxk2ZNav0Sbw79h9AG3LtqKqiFBLCv0kD6Ejx7ou1ZTtiIj4iIv0CRRYPgHCQBEtJLtgeiv0tA/s1600/Cerebelli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6w-brFN2U_OyeIiuzi-TORpSTrK_M-E0xYh8xKgA5jQjEpinhdMVpqOa3iCf-a5ztNxk2ZNav0Sbw79h9AG3LtqKqiFBLCv0kD6Ejx7ou1ZTtiIj4iIv0CRRYPgHCQBEtJLtgeiv0tA/s1600/Cerebelli.jpg" /></a>Although no official written documents remain, credible accounts indicate that Leonardo Cerebelli was born in 1830 in New York’s Flatbush community to grocers Enzo and Aurora Cerebelli. Nevertheless, Cerebelli was dogged for much of his life by rumors he was truly the son of notorious Cosa Nostra mafioso Nunzo “Il Capo” Tosto, fearsome patron of a post-feudal Sicilian cosca, or crime family. Il Capo had reputedly sired dozens of illegitimate children and sent them abroad to appease his domineering spouse. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Leonardo was spirited out of Sicily as an infant, hidden in a shipment of castelvetrano olives bound for New York.<br />
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Clever and industrious, young Leonardo excelled in his schoolwork but chafed at his duties in the family business. This fractious state of affairs was typified by one of Leonardo’s earliest experiments, an inquiry into chaos theory in which the eight-year-old prodigy dropped hundreds of fragile inventory items to the floor and took detailed notes. His father was horrified, as was his instructor, who labelled Leonardo’s pioneering work “unadulterated rubbish.” Leonardo’s wry humor began to emerge as he coined derogatory Latin nicknames for regular customers, until his sly linguistic indiscretions were detected by one of his father’s business associates, after which time Leonardo took up Ancient Greek.<br />
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<a href="http://themagnetronchronicles.blogspot.com/2014/06/dr-leonardo-cerebelli-18301897.html" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Strong Verbs: The Writer's Action Heroes">Read more »</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-19881157124299366382014-06-07T14:49:00.000-07:002014-07-06T15:02:28.228-07:00Like a Steel Trap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLalBoN7BslQmmUdlsz_4ST8L_KJdJJTnbmnpHp0cR27wpFjS87uFo0AHT7Sh2YQCec18m2fi160N5gjBkNok-7zLdH7rtbRe4hZ-A_pWWXTYq6Q7oBRKQeeDPc9_nJ-RZKeFZIGNo5k/s1600/mnemosyne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLalBoN7BslQmmUdlsz_4ST8L_KJdJJTnbmnpHp0cR27wpFjS87uFo0AHT7Sh2YQCec18m2fi160N5gjBkNok-7zLdH7rtbRe4hZ-A_pWWXTYq6Q7oBRKQeeDPc9_nJ-RZKeFZIGNo5k/s1600/mnemosyne.jpg" /></a></div>
I recently joined a great online writing group called The Iron Writer, which challenges writers to write 525-word "flash fiction" stories using four preselected elements from a mystery basket. My first Iron Writer Challenge story is called "<a href="http://theironwriter.com/challenge-67/" target="_blank">Like a Steel Trap</a>" and includes the following four elements:<br />
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The Gods<br />
Dice<br />
Cocktails<br />
Irrigation boots<br />
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That's right. Irrigation boots.<br />
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I chose Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory, and put together a gritty little tale that answers the question, "what if forgiving and forgetting just isn't an option?"<br />
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<a href="http://theironwriter.com/challenge-67/" target="_blank">Read <strike>and vote</strike></a>, please! (Update: voting is now closed)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-69714933329505848542014-03-15T21:15:00.000-07:002014-07-06T14:34:29.906-07:00Crowd-subsidized Publishing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://igg.me/at/the-infernal-aether/x/3425975" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOnHKvO4lgBsjij4b_Urh4q5wRE5S_byBh32Y6hyZdIncLEssn-q1b6M9ctrg3O0-M6o6n2XRDzFSnQWS49nhyphenhyphenE_YczPlxQG8QWufo4Anznh0Ws7fMfMn6d91QSW_FKl87yNmH9Yr-dE/s1600/TheInfernalAether.gif" /></a></div>
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It's been a terribly long time since I have posted anything on this blog, and indeed, it's been a long time since I've written much of anything. Why? I've been busy working on a project called <a href="http://www.fictivitypress.com/" target="_blank">Fictivity Press</a>. In short, it's an experiment in what we are calling "crowd-subsidized publishing," a method of self-publishing similar to a vanity press (also known as subsidy press). The main difference is that—instead of the writer paying to have his or her book prepared for publishing—Fictivity Press raises much of the funds through so-called crowd-funding sites such as <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/" target="_blank">IndieGoGo</a>.<br />
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The first book selected for Fictivity Press's BookLaunch program is Pete Oxley's The Infernal Aether, which I've already invested a lot of time in. I'll be doing the line editing and proofreading for the book some time after the IndieGoGo campaign has ended. We're off to a very convincing start on this inaugural project but we can use all the help we can get. You can pre-order an electronic version of the book for a contribution as small as $5.00. Please visit the <a href="http://igg.me/at/the-infernal-aether/x/3425975" target="_blank">campaign home page</a> and contribute what you can, even if it's just helping spread the word.<br />
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Is "crowd-subsidized publishing" for real? So far, it looks pretty good!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-33683382862028874222013-08-02T10:24:00.000-07:002013-08-02T10:24:55.190-07:00Pantsers vs. Plotters<div class="separator" style="float: left; margin: 15px 0 15px 15px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYm0KX1ccupsc_WjF1yji7j4F4-pC-MUuOazh64qFOOg1pSTZGBIpspEYNgrutVo0FrDdpnfvl0cXQdbmgoNIy4-lxt9MZvuCjU-CHtbvpKU417u4w6RB87Hpntn8ZWuhapAzZtGMbmU/s1600/pantserplotter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYm0KX1ccupsc_WjF1yji7j4F4-pC-MUuOazh64qFOOg1pSTZGBIpspEYNgrutVo0FrDdpnfvl0cXQdbmgoNIy4-lxt9MZvuCjU-CHtbvpKU417u4w6RB87Hpntn8ZWuhapAzZtGMbmU/s1600/pantserplotter.jpg" /></a></div>
I've written <a href="http://dlmackenzie.blogspot.com/2013/05/dem-bones.html">here</a>, <a href="http://dlmackenzie.blogspot.com/2013/06/one-thing-leads-to-another-story.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://dlmackenzie.blogspot.com/2013/06/metamorphosis-on-plastic-nature-of.html">there</a> on the topic of creating plots, outlines and story lines in fiction, but I still frequently become embroiled in the "Pantser vs. Plotter" wars. In other words, some writers sit down and write "by the seat of their pants," while others meticulously plot every jot and tittle before writing a line. For some reason, many seem to think this is an all-or-nothing decision, but I disagree.<br />
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I am a notorious fence-sitter, which permits me the luxury of criticizing every ideological tribe with abandon. With respect to writing, I find this manifests as a virulent strain of Plotting Pantserism, as I prefer to use a hybrid method combining elements--and advantages--of both strategies. Lee Strayer at Atomic 27 Media has interviewed me on my peculiar (but eminently sensible) approach, and featured an excerpt of our conversation in his latest <a href="http://www.atomic27.com/index.php/podcast/" target="_blank">Magnetic Wireless</a> podcast.<br />
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<a href="http://www.atomic27.com/podcast/episode-3-dl-mackenzie-robert-e-keller/" target="_blank">Give it a listen</a>, won't you? I mean, can't we all just get along?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-15783885726607157032013-07-28T09:05:00.000-07:002013-07-28T10:56:53.047-07:00Can You Hear Me Now?<div class="separator" style="float: left; margin: 15px 0 15px 15px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCxdZXWQ3r9mcHwFBEDa10Wz84i3NG6R_y6SYtAnBP2if6dMlHxWFQM-Vf0SUprBC-XB_ZLEgJnMVLY6n6wvzxWXx2kdI9sWyxt8EFPJ98E-T5zMeqsXdacgnyLd9Pr9xXkuZx4HRmBQ/s1600/audio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCxdZXWQ3r9mcHwFBEDa10Wz84i3NG6R_y6SYtAnBP2if6dMlHxWFQM-Vf0SUprBC-XB_ZLEgJnMVLY6n6wvzxWXx2kdI9sWyxt8EFPJ98E-T5zMeqsXdacgnyLd9Pr9xXkuZx4HRmBQ/s1600/audio.jpg" /></a> </div>
A year and a half after publishing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007FU2IKI?tag=dlma0b-20" target="_blank">The Last Adventure of Dr. Yngve Hogalum</a>, I'm now venturing into the brave new (for me, anyway) world of audio publishing in two different media forms.<br />
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I'm in the early stages of an <a href="http://www.audible.com/" target="_blank">Audible.com</a> audiobook production read by the incomparable Lee Strayer of <a href="http://www.atomic27.com/" target="_blank">Atomic 27 Media</a>. The plan is to release the Magnetron Chronicles stories as they were originally conceived: in serialized form. More details as they become available...<br />
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In other news, New Zealand-based <a href="http://www.booktrack.com/" target="_blank">Booktrack</a> has created a new hybrid media form that enhances ebooks with synchronized music, sound effects and ambient sound <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ85N5NrDZg" target="_blank">(sample)</a>. Booktrack has invited me to try out their upcoming beta studio, so I hope to have some titles available in their store soon. That's assuming they have an appropriate sound effect for a zombified severed head piloting a steam-powered spacecraft. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-48029761581379680212013-07-28T07:42:00.002-07:002013-07-28T10:55:31.282-07:00Strong Verbs: The Writer's Action Heroes<div class="separator" style="float: right; margin: 15px 0 15px 15px;">
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<i>This is the ninth installment in the continuing story of "Editing
Mister D," a joint project to coach British nonfiction writer Pete Oxley
through completion and publication of his first novel-length fiction
work, now tentatively titled "The Infernal Aether."</i><br />
<br />
Perhaps my most distressing writing bugbear is the scourge known as
the “weak verb.” Verbs are action words, so it would seem that simply
using a verb would tend to jazz up an otherwise unremarkable noun but,
alas, that is not always the case. Some verbs are just so wan and
lethargic they sap the life from entire paragraphs.<br />
<br />
What is a weak
verb? My definition is: a verb which conveys too little information or
description. Hold on—a verb is supposed to be descriptive? Isn’t that
the job of adjectives and adverbs? Well yes, adjectives and adverbs
describe, but verbs can often do so as well, often better than any
adjective or string of adjectives. A verb can even contain a metaphor,
all in a single word. And a verb that can do all of that is what I
call a “strong verb.”<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Let’s take an example, a forlorn little
sentence with a verb but not much action: <i>She walked down the street</i>.
Did she now? Well, isn’t that something?<br />
<br />
The trouble with the
word “walk” is that it doesn’t convey <i>how</i> she walked. Did she creep
furtively or saunter carelessly? “Walk” is somewhat ambiguous, which
prompts us to tack on adverbs or adverbial phrases to refine our
meaning. She walked furtively, or she walked in a daze, or some such
thing. Now, I’m not one of those people who rail against adverbs, but I
do recommend choosing a stronger, more descriptive verb before
resorting to an adverb. If an adverb will further refine your meaning,
go ahead and add it, too.<br />
<br />
For instance, perhaps she ambled,
tiptoed, sauntered, crept, or strode. Perhaps she even slithered,
scuttled, or toddled. The words all mean “walked,” but they convey more
information. They’re simply more descriptive, and they add more verve
and dynamism to your sentences. In the case of “slithered,” the image
of a snake will likely come to mind, an illustration of the metaphorical
capacity of verbs.<br />
<br />
Please note that not just any synonym will
do. If you’re going to consult a thesaurus, please keep a dictionary
nearby as well. Your devastating femme fatale had better not <i>toddle</i>
down the street, and your elderly spinster had better not <i>saunter</i> in
her orthopedic shoes. When your verbs are more descriptive, you have to
take care with their often subtle connotations so as not to confuse your
reader or muddle your meaning.<br />
<br />
Another caution: Sometimes people
just walk. Don’t go overboard trying to punch up something mundane with
outsized verbs. If the action doesn’t require any more description,
let it be.<br />
<br />
This goes for the verb “to say” as well, at least in
dialogue. In long exchanges of dialogue, it can be tempting to replace
“he said” with “he muttered,” just to break up the monotony of he
said-she said-he said-she said. There are ways of dealing with this,
but overusing overwrought synonyms for “say” is usually a bad idea.
Likewise for re-purposed almost-synonyms as in: “This is disgusting,” he
grimaced.<br />
<br />
Watch out for some of these commonly used verbs which convey almost no information on their own:<br />
<br />
Have
(to possess): He had a gun. Did he really? When did he have it? A
week ago? Did he still have it? Was it holstered, or stuffed in his
waistband, perhaps? Was he waving it, brandishing it, or aiming right
at your head?<br />
<br />
Be plus adjective: She was sad. Aw, poor thing.
But how do you know she was sad? Was she weeping, or perhaps her eyes
were dry but still pink and puffy. Was she gazing off into the distance
with tears in her eyes, or balled up on the floor wailing? Don’t tell
us about her sadness--show us her sadness.<br />
<br />
Look plus adjective: He
looked excited. As above, saying that a character “looked” excited is
merely telling rather than showing. Was he jumping up and down and
screaming at the top of his lungs? If so, it's obvious that he's excited, so you don’t have to tell us.<br />
<br />
Get (to become): He got tired. Why get tired of something? Wouldn’t it be easier to simply tire of it?<br />
<br />
Now, for Pete’s latest installment of <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/story/6709337-the-infernal-aether" target="_blank">The Infernal Aether</a>, <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/21814214-the-infernal-aether-chapter-4-things-that-go-bump" target="_blank">Chapter Four</a>, let’s start with some examples of what he’s done right:<br />
<br />
Augustus doesn’t react nervously, he <i>flinches</i>.<br />
Augustus doesn’t sit or bend over, he <i>squats</i>.<br />
Maxwell and N’yotsu don’t stand together, they <i>huddle</i>.<br />
Maxwell’s equipment isn’t left in the sitting room, it is <i>abandoned</i>.<br />
Maxwell does not hold Milly’s arms and legs, he <i>pins</i> them.<br />
<br />
If
I pluck the verbs out of their sentences, the difference is even more
obvious. Which set of verbs seems more dynamic and descriptive?<br />
<br />
react, sit, stand, leave, hold<br />
flinch, squat, huddle, abandon, pin<br />
<br />
Of course, there are some missteps. Pete used some unnecessary synonyms for “said” that ended up sounding redundant.<br />
<br />
“Granted,” I conceded.<br />
“Please stop,” I pleaded.<br />
<br />
There
are also some instances in which Pete might have used more vibrant
verbs but didn’t. For instance, in the same sentence in which Augustus
“pins” Milly’s arms and shoulders, the hapless butler must resort to
“dealing with” her legs. I would suggest he might have wrestled or
perhaps grappled with them, clutching at them, hopefully seizing or
restraining them.<br />
<br />
But that’s what editing is for…Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-52395924260227344572013-07-06T11:46:00.001-07:002013-07-28T10:57:17.802-07:00Where to Start: Opening Your Story<div class="separator" style="float: right; margin: 15px 0 15px 15px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6DGHG68floOE8IJZhhZ8ts8ZLrUbPtdtSYKUbcgMDJRPUK9I-fkosHEa9gGAXfq7-UjTfOUhTdOZNJVf_pH6RdNSWuU8txM-5ynUlE-bL3klVsnnJpilP5mBqCXJXEjZuQffGCbVuVs/s1600/Editing+Mister+D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6DGHG68floOE8IJZhhZ8ts8ZLrUbPtdtSYKUbcgMDJRPUK9I-fkosHEa9gGAXfq7-UjTfOUhTdOZNJVf_pH6RdNSWuU8txM-5ynUlE-bL3klVsnnJpilP5mBqCXJXEjZuQffGCbVuVs/s320/Editing+Mister+D.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>This is the eighth installment in the continuing story of "Editing
Mister D," a joint project to coach British nonfiction writer Pete Oxley
through completion and publication of his first novel-length fiction
work.</i><br />
<br />
You’ve been quite disciplined about your new story idea, laying out
the whole plot, getting a good handle on your storyline and characters,
and so you sit down to write. The blank screen is your canvas, the
keyboard your brush, and the world is full to bursting with
possibilities. Getting started is half the battle, you tell yourself,
and you hunker down to write that smashing first sentence, which will
flow naturally into your sparkling first paragraph, setting the stage
for your compelling first chapter. After a few false starts, you begin
to type:<br />
<br />
<i>“It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell
in torrents — except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a
violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London
that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely
agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the
darkness.”</i><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
You may recognize this unfortunate sentence as the quintessentially bad opening sentence of the novel Paul Clifford. It was written by Victorian Era writer George Edward Bulwer-Lytton, namesake of the <a href="http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/" target="_blank">Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest</a>, an annual celebration of bad writing. This tongue-in-cheek literary competition “challenges entrants to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels” in homage to Bulwer-Lytton’s regrettable legacy of purple prose.<br />
<br />
So, what’s so bad about this sentence? How do I count the ways?<br />
<br />
For starters, I should mention that the worst thing about this sentence is that it is part of Paul Clifford, a novel which is universally recognized as awful. But the sentence itself has some appeal, doesn’t it? It’s descriptive, certainly. It “sets the mood.” It’s earnest, literate, and evocative. Be honest, you think it might be better than your own writing, don’t you?<br />
<br />
The flaws in this sentence are many, but perhaps the most egregious is that it relies on a weather report to set the stage for the story which, as it happens, has precious little to do with the weather. And for all the florid prose, Bulwer-Lytton has used fifty-eight words, three commas, one semicolon, one dash, and one parenthetical remark to tell us the story is set in London and the weather is frightful. Modern writers might be forgiven for such a misstep since it mirrors a typical opening scene in, say, a horror film, but Bulwer-Lytton wrote this line in 1830, long before cinema began to poison the minds of fledgling writers.<br />
<br />
Delving a bit deeper, we see that in addition to being stormy, the night is, well, dark. Let that sink in a bit. Now, it’s fair to say that some nights are darker than others, and perhaps the author is “setting the mood” by observing that the night is not lacking merely sunlight but also the light of the moon and stars. Again, hardly an unusual occurrence during a storm, when clouds tend to obscure the moon and stars. In the final analysis, we have a dark night, and one uncommonly cumbersome sentence.<br />
<br />
It may seem like nitpicking to remark that wind does not generally “check” rainfall; or that the mention of “streets” doesn’t necessarily suggest that the setting is in London as the author seems to think; or that the self-referential use of the expression “our scene” immediately reminds the reader that the story is merely a story and nothing more; or that the lamps which at first seem to be struggling against that rattling wind are ultimately found to be struggling against darkness (you didn’t forget it was dark, did you?). Perhaps it is nitpicking, but a single sentence with so many flaws (and there are others I haven’t mentioned) is worthy of ridicule. But apart from these flaws, the awkward construction and clumsy imagery, the truly unforgivable sin is that it is essentially a dead metaphor signifying nothing in particular.<br />
<br />
So, how to avoid such missteps in your all-important opening sentence, opening paragraph, and opening chapter? The first rule is to ignore the voice in your head that tells you the best place to start is at the beginning. True, Dickens got away with it:<br />
<br />
<i>“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was born (as I have been informed and believe) on a Friday, at twelve o'clock at night. It was remarked that the clock began to strike, and I began to cry, simultaneously.” </i><br />
<br />
Even though Dickens starts out David Copperfield with a birth announcement, you’ll notice that the this first paragraph is pregnant with the suspense imparted by the first sentence. Will he turn out to be the hero of his life? And since the story takes the form of an autobiography, starting with birth makes a certain amount of sense. The simultaneous striking of the clock and crying of the protagonist is no empty metaphor, either.<br />
<br />
However, my point is not necessarily that your story needn’t start at the beginning, but that the writer needn’t start writing at the beginning. If you feel comfortable starting with line one, paragraph one, then go ahead, by all means. If you are staring at that blank canvas cursing its blankness, unable to type the first word without striking it out minutes later, however, the best way through this special strain of writers’ block is to simply skip it and start writing chapter two. Seriously, if you have a fully formed idea banging around in your head just begging to be written, why torture yourself trying to write something that doesn’t want to be written yet? Ride the horse in the direction it’s going, and come back later to write the beginning.<br />
<br />
There are plenty of good reasons not to start writing at the beginning, too. Think back to when you wrote your last five-paragraph essay in school. You have an introduction, a three-paragraph body, and a conclusion. It is always easier to write the body first and then write the introduction and conclusion. Why? By definition, the introduction introduces what is to come in the body. If you haven’t written the body yet, your introduction will tend to be vague and uninteresting because you’re trying to generalize something you haven’t examined in any detail yet.<br />
<br />
The same is true of stories. When your story is almost finished, you will know your characters better, and be better prepared to foreshadow the events to come. Until then, your opening paragraphs and chapters will tend to be comparatively lifeless preambles to the good stuff that comes later. If you skip writing chapter one and jump right to the meat of the story, you’ll simply be better prepared to write a compelling first chapter later on.<br />
<br />
Incidentally, the same can be said for book titles as well. How many times have you wracked your brain for that most evocative, elegant, and emblematic title and finally settled on a mundane "working title?" Well, there's a reason writers have working titles: They're just placeholders waiting for inspiration to hit and and a better title to come unbidden. Opening sentences, paragraphs, and even entire opening chapters can be just as easily swept away when the opportunity presents itself.<br />
<br />
Another reason to avoid writing chapter one first is that many writers tend to want to “lay the groundwork,” or orient the reader in our fictional setting and introduce our fictional characters. Try to avoid this tendency. Don’t put your readers in a classroom and bore them with ski lessons. Just strap on their skis and push them down the hill, and trust that some magical combination of momentum and survival instinct will do the rest.<br />
<br />
Probably not a good way to learn to ski, but it’s a great way to read, and therefore to write. Put your readers smack dab in the action. Give them just enough information to orient themselves, but not so much you’ll bore them, and set the story in motion.<br />
<br />
Although Pete Oxley has shelved his story “The Exploding Moon,” for the time being, the opening paragraph is a solid example of getting the ball rolling with a compelling first paragraph:<br />
<br />
<i>“He stumbled through the snow, half-dragging and half-carrying the unresponsive form of his brother. The sounds of pursuit from behind grew steadily louder, a scrabbling and scratching that set his nerves on edge. Willing himself to keep looking forward, keep moving away from the hunter, he found himself muttering through gritted teeth, praying to a God he had not acknowledged for a long time.” </i><br />
<br />
This sets the mood without relying on a weather report, and sets the wheels in motion with plenty of tension. Immediately afterward, Pete drops into a measured narrative of some comparatively mundane events which gradually lead up to the scene we’ve previewed, but we’re already hooked. We know that this story is heading for a thrilling climax, so we settle in for the ride.<br />
<br />
For another example, here’s the opening paragraph from Pete’s newest installment in his Infernal Aether series:<br />
<br />
<i>“My name is Augustus Merriwether Potts and I am a survivor of the terrible events which took place in 1865 and the years that followed. Events which took so many lives and changed the course of history, showing our Realm to be so much stranger, more deadly and more vulnerable than we ever conceived it could be.” </i><br />
<br />
This paragraph is a little rougher around the edges because Pete hasn’t been laboring over it as long as his first story, but look at where this is headed. Who is Augustus? He is a survivor, and indeed, this is one of his defining characteristics. We get the who and the when in a no-nonsense first sentence, and then the tension is immediately ratcheted up with the promise of death, destruction, and strange goings-on. Is it dark? Is it raining? Who cares?<br />
<br />
<br />
By the time Pete’s story is finished, he will be able to refine his opening paragraph into something even more gripping, which is where editing comes in. He might even find that the best “point of attack” or opening scene is buried somewhere in chapter four, which will require a bunch of cutting and pasting. The lesson to be learned is that the closer you get to the end of your story, the better you will know what is the best place to start, and the best way to start.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-46912894831324611042013-06-23T20:23:00.000-07:002013-07-28T10:57:37.958-07:00Stirring the Pot: Creating Lifelike Characters<div class="separator" style="float: right; margin: 15px 0 15px 15px;">
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<br />
<i>This is the seventh installment in the continuing story of "Editing
Mister D," a joint project to coach British nonfiction writer Pete Oxley
through completion and publication of his first novel-length fiction
work.</i><br />
<br />
The wait is over, at least for me, as Pete sent me his newest story
outline today. He's got a much tighter storyline even though the story
still combines steampunk elements such as clockwork automatons and
paranormal phenomena together with fantasy elements. It's a
multi-layered setting unlike any steampunk world you've ever visited.<br />
<br />
We'll
be delving into some specifics in the next installment, but for now,
the good news for Pete is that he gets to start writing again. His
outline will keep him on track, and his character sketches will help
guide him as he scripts the story. He was concerned about returning to
writing with the character sketches not quite finished, but I advised
him get back to writing again. This doesn't mean character sketches
aren't important, but they will often draw themselves to some degree as
we write.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
The fact is, there is no better way to get a feel for
your characters than to write about them. Whether you're writing
dialogue or regular narrative, you can come to know them better by
writing the story than by pounding away on a detailed character sketch.
As you write, remember that the key to building your characters into
fully formed, three-dimensional, living, breathing people is <i><b>contrast</b></i>.<br />
<br />
One
way to understand contrast is to think of it as conflict. All stories
are about conflict. You have conflict between your protagonist and your
antagonist, of course, but it's all of the other small differences of
opinion among all of the characters that not only add texture, but keep
the plot humming along.<br />
<br />
Looking at it from the other end, suppose
all of your characters were in perfect agreement on everything. There
would be no conflict, and by extension, no story. Even a love story,
which requires some measure of accord to qualify as romance, would be
dull as an insurance policy without conflict. Without conflict,
everyone would just sit around the campfire and sing kumbaya, and the
reader would rapidly lose interest.<br />
<br />
In the same way, each
character should have his or her own set of mannerisms, personality
quirks, obsessions, etc., to distinguish them from the other
characters. Otherwise, you risk your characters blending into one
another. Is your character brash, meek, or somewhere in between?
Courageous, craven, or somewhere in between? Life of the party,
wallflower, or somewhere in between? When you pair this character with
another character in a given scene, you can make the interactions more
interesting and lifelike by drawing contrasts between them. In this
way, characters will start to flesh out automatically as you distinguish
them from other characters.<br />
You can cook up personality traits
and throw them at a character sketch initially, but the real tempering
of these characters comes as in real life: by interacting with other
people. Put them in a situation with another and ask yourself what is
the source of the conflict. Not just how they differ, but why they
differ.<br />
<br />
One character wants to crash down the front door and
confront the bad guys, but the other character thinks discretion is the
better part of valor. When you understand why they approach situations
differently, you begin to understand them and build a consistent vision
of who they are. I say "consistent" because once you have established a
character's tendencies they should tend to behave consistently later
on. This sets the character's personality in your mind--and the
reader's mind--to the degree that the character's behavior can almost be
predicted in later scenes.<br />
<br />
Now, there is one critical exception
to the foregoing, and that is what is known as character growth. This
is a great example of how your characters are bound up in the plot and
vice versa, linked inextricably to one another. The sentiment that
"people don't change" may have some truth in it, but it has no place in
your story. It's essential that at least your protagonist undergo some
change as a result of what happens in the story, and the storyline must
be affected materially by the change the protagonist has undergone.
It's possible for multiple characters to undergo multiple changes, but
at the very least your hero has to learn a lesson, have a change of
heart, or be transformed in some way.<br />
<br />
The timid character who
could be counted upon to back down from confrontations finally has
enough and stands up for himself. The self-involved snob has some
comeuppance that brings him down to earth and opens his heart. Or
perhaps the altruistic good guy is pushed by circumstance to save his
own skin. There are innumerable variations, but the point is that your
character behaves consistently until one day your plot comes knocking on
the door and changes them. And when the character changes, the plot
thickens. That's the formula.<br />
<br />
So, even though I recommend drawing
up character sketches to get the ball rolling, a character sketch can
only deliver so much in the way of realistic characters. As you write
about them and create their dialogue, insights will come to you that you
couldn't have dreamed up in a month of treating them in isolation as
with a character sketch or bio. Let them loose in your world and
observe their behavior, adding notes to their character sketches as you
go. Always look for contrast, consistency, and above all, character
growth. As their personality tightens up, the plot will tighten up, and
your story will lead naturally to a satisfying conclusion.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-56020281922571163862013-06-15T07:46:00.000-07:002013-06-15T07:46:09.375-07:00Metamorphosis: On the Plastic Nature of Stories<i>This is the sixth installment in the continuing story of "Editing
Mister D," a joint project to coach British nonfiction writer Pete Oxley
through completion and publication of his first novel-length fiction
work.</i><br />
<br />
If you are constantly asking questions about your story, characters,
setting, and so forth, the troublesome result is that you will have
answers. I say that answers are troublesome because they force you to
be specific about things that were once shapeless and ambiguous, and
because they oblige you to make changes. They say no one likes change,
but change is an integral part of the writing process.<br />
<br />
Now that
Pete has returned to the developmental stage, he has made a great
variety of changes, from renaming two of his central characters to
cutting out an entire chapter's worth of story line. This isn't at all
unusual in the developmental stage, but the need for remaining flexible
and open to change continues throughout the writing and editing stages
as well. As I've said, nothing is carved in stone until a story goes to
press. Until that time, no aspect of a story should be considered
sacrosanct or beyond reconsideration.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
It's a natural outgrowth of
any creative process that we get new inspirations as a result of
thinking creatively. For instance, my Magnetron Chronicles series of
stories started as a fairly serious attempt at recreating Victorian Era
science fiction in the mold of Jules Verne. Now, apart from editing and
re-editing, adapting from short story to serialized story, adapting
from serial to novelette, and changing several characters' names, I also
completely changed the character of the stories. They went from
serious to tongue-in-cheek, a shift that took many months to internalize
after a sudden inspiration caught me unawares.<br />
<br />
As I was writing, I
was trying to adopt a Victorian voice, but as I got into my narrator's
head I also found myself unintentionally overwriting pretty much
everything. I had learned to write with strong verbs and avoid
adjectives and adverbs as much as possible, but my narrator refused to
be limited by such sound writing advice. Thus, although his sentences
still relied on vigorous verbs, they were also festooned with a dizzying
array of flowery adverbs, hyperbolic adjectives, and complex
syntactical constructions (see what I mean?). I couldn't help myself,
it seemed, but for all the additional verbiage, my stories still felt
like pale imitations of the real thing.<br />
<br />
Then, inspiration struck.
I was rewriting my first story for the umpteenth time and wrote a line
of dialogue uttered by the character Dr. Hogalum:<br />
<br />
"I do not wish
to appear ungrateful after having been raised from the dead, but I must
ask why you did not see fit to include my body in this enterprise!"<br />
<br />
It
dawned on me then that this was the missing element in my stories:
humor---bone dry humor by a narrator who doesn't realize what he's
saying is funny.<br />
<br />
I had found the key to make my stories work, even
though they broke so many rules of good writing. My sense of humor
would be hidden in the overblown language of my pedantic narrator. All
of the characters became ludicrous caricatures of themselves, despite
the narrator's overtly reverent tone. The storylines morphed from
science fiction tales into science fiction farces, made all the more
farcical by contrast with the narrator's ostentatious, deadpan delivery.<br />
<br />
Now,
in Pete's Mister D (now N'yotsu) stories, he had intended to have some
humor and good-natured joshing between some of the major characters, but
as the story development is proceeding the plot has taken on a deadly
serious tone that might not benefit from humor. Where will that lead?<br />
<br />
Character
names have changed, some characters have been eliminated or combined
with other characters, and new back stories and rationales are being
constructed. The setting is being nailed down, which in historical
fiction requires historical research. Pete has come to understand that
the more you try to assemble the puzzle of a new story, the more you
realize there are both missing pieces and pieces that don't belong in
your puzzle.<br />
<br />
The crucial thing to remember is that this process
doesn't stop when you're done outlining and making character sketches.
As you write, new inspirations will come to you if you are open to
them. Your hero might become an antihero. The end of your story might
become the beginning of your story. Your main protagonist's goal might
turn out to be illusory or counterproductive, forcing a major plot
shift. Don't fear the change. Have the courage to cut out things that
don't help the story, even if you have already fallen in love with a
character or a nice turn of phrase.<br />
<br />
Do not ask "will it be too
much trouble to change the story?" Ask "will the story benefit from
these changes?" At some point, you will find that never being satisfied
with your story is the natural order of things, which is just something
you'll have to learn to live with.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-48535862159200278142013-06-11T07:35:00.000-07:002013-06-15T07:38:58.385-07:00Why, Indeed! Strengthening Your Story with Questions<i>This is the fifth installment in the continuing story of "Editing
Mister D," a joint project to coach British nonfiction writer Pete Oxley
through completion and publication of his first novel-length fiction
work.</i><br />
<br />
If you have ever spent much time around kids, you know that some time
after the Terrible Twos, they turn into "Why-maraners," asking "why?"
about everything under the sun. Kids are just naturally inquisitive;
they're not trying to drive adults insane. They really do want to know
why the sky is blue.<br />
<br />
Kids also have poorly developed internal
governors, so they often horrify grown-ups by asking uncomfortable
questions. "Why is your hair blue?" "Why is your belly so big?" "Why
do you smell funny?" Again, they're just curious, and the easiest way
to find answers is to simply ask questions, right?<br />
<br />
So, what does this have to do with writing? I'm glad you asked!<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I
advised Pete to review his own story with the attitude of a precocious
four-year-old, asking "why?" about everything in his story, even the
uncomfortable questions. "Why does my character do what he does?" "Why
doesn't he do what he doesn't do?" "Why is this character even in this
story?"<br />
<br />
I asked him plenty of questions, too (and even made the
mistake of trying to come up with possible answers), and as painful as
it might have been, Pete answered every question and made his story much
stronger than it would have been. Why? Well, there are three reasons:<br />
<br />
First,
your reader will very likely ask the same questions, and you had better
know the answers. It doesn't necessarily have to be spelled out at the
outset, but you still need to know the answer. For example, say you
have a character who kills another character, and then goes to a party.
Why? Is he a psychopath, completely unaffected by his actions? Is he
trying to establish an alibi? Is he meeting with his partner in crime?
Does he have another victim in mind? Or perhaps you copied and pasted a
scene in where it wasn't supposed to be. The point is, if your
characters don't have credible--not necessarily rational, but
credible--reasons for doing what they do, they simply won't be
believable, and neither will your story.<br />
<br />
Second, every book--not
just murder mysteries, but every book--needs a motive. This is why we
spend so much time trying to get inside the heads of our characters. We
want to know what makes them tick. When we ask why a character does
something and answer that question, we have more insight into the
character. This not only makes characters more believable, it makes the
plot hang together better because it is driven primarily by your major
characters and not by coincidence or happenstance.<br />
<br />
Third, by
asking why you will identify plot devices immediately and treat them
accordingly. For instance, your characters are driven out of a building
by a fire. Why a fire? <i>I needed them to leave the building for the next scene.</i> Why did the building catch fire? <i>Hmm. I don't know.</i>
Perhaps the fire is a random occurrence, in which case you will want to
lend credibility by making it a rickety old firetrap of a building, an
old match factory perhaps, with a few old cans of gasoline left in the
garage. Better, see if you can replace overly stagey plot devices with
something that is driven by one of your characters' motives.<br />
<br />
Note
that the most well-developed characters have reasons for the things they
have done before the story even started. If your character is a
paroled felon, what crime did they commit, and why? Each question asked
and answered provides greater insight into your characters, making them
more believable and strengthening the plot.<br />
<br />
Now, Pete had the
unusual situation of having two characters who are essentially two
halves of another supernatural character. Intriguing, but here comes my
question: Why does this character elect to split himself in half? Pete
didn't have a fully formed answer, which posed a major problem for the
rest of the story. In the end, he had no choice but to come up with
answer. In doing so, he has come up with an immensely compelling back
story that simultaneously answered several other key questions--and
added an entirely new dimension to the story in the process. He changed
a fatal flaw in his story into a new strength. And he did it by simply
asking questions and then answering them.<br />
<br />
I've run into some
authors who have dialogues with their characters, either written or
verbal, in order to gain insight. They ask their characters annoying
questions and let the characters respond. I've never tried it, but it
seems to me this could work well as long as you are not overheard having
conversations with imaginary people and promptly medicated with
antipsychotic drugs. However you do it, do it. Your characters and
stories will be stronger, and your readers will be happier.<br />
<br />
But don't ask me why, or I'll have to use your parents' favorite answer: <i><b>Because I said so!</b></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-62359050299834911912013-06-07T19:27:00.002-07:002013-06-07T19:39:44.541-07:00One Thing Leads to Another: Story Planning<i>This is the fourth installment in the continuing story of "Editing Mister D," a joint project to coach British nonfiction writer Pete Oxley through completion and publication of his first novel-length fiction work.</i><br />
<br />
Pete and I have been batting his story outline back and forth for
about a week, with all sorts of editorial gore, gnashing of teeth, and
the obligatory return to drawing board scene. In short, I'm putting
Pete through the wringer, with good reason, and he is coming through
with flying colors thus far.<br />
<br />
Why is this
process so difficult? We're not trying to do any elaborate setting of
scenes or nuanced dialogue. We're just laying out all of the major plot
points in a rough chronological sequence. The reason, as Pete is
finding out, is that we approach our stories in the wrong way.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
First,
you get the inspiration. "Eureka! I have come up with a unique
concept that gets me all giddy and makes me want to write and write and
write!" And so you write. And you write some more. Then you continue
to sit at your computer without writing. Eventually you realize you're
staring blankly at the screen. "Where was I going with this anyway?"
you ask, and then you notice that your Facebook news feed has blown up
and you're done writing for the day. You come back later, but the spark
is gone. Another great idea that just somehow didn't pan out.<br />
<br />
If
this has ever happened to you, I'll wager you didn't outline your
story. You didn't really nail down the storyline. You didn't develop
your characters or setting enough. And you probably didn't give near
enough thought to your plot. Your great idea was doomed by your failure
to create a compelling story in which that idea could come to fruition.<br />
<br />
Not
all writers distinguish between outline, storyline, character, setting,
and plot the way I do, so let me explain by dragging out the shopworn
metaphor of the roadmap. Let's say you're taking a lengthy road trip.
You have a map (we'll use an old-fashioned paper map) with a line drawn
from your starting point to your destination. This is your outline. It
shows how you're going to get from Point A to Point B and nothing more.<br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
Does
your route take you through bustling cities or desolate deserts?
Daytime or nighttime? Are you a passenger on a bus or alone in your
car? Are you driving a gleaming sports car, an eighteen-wheeler, or a
decrepit jalopy that might not quite make the trip? This is your
setting.<br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
Now, if you hop in your car and
start driving, you're a character in this story. Any passengers? More
characters. Every gas station attendant, motel desk clerk, and short
order cook you run into is a character. And your destination will
surely be populated with at least one more character. You're driving,
so we'll say you're the main protagonist. But why are you driving from
Point A to Point B? What's so great about Point B, anyway?<br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />
This
is where our plot comes into play. Why are you driving? Are you
running away from something? Are you meeting someone? Why is it
important to meet them? What will you gain? What will you lose by
leaving Point A? What if you don't reach your destination? These kinds
of questions, and their answers, make up the plot. The plot is the
very reason for telling the story. Without a plot, you never would have
got into the car in the first place.<br />
<br />
Now, the storyline combines all four of these critical components--outline, characters, setting, and plot--in an <b><i>organized</i></b>
fashion. It looks just like an outline, except that it includes the
rationale for everything that happens including the back story, or
things that happened before the story started.<br />
As
an example, here's a short excerpt from Pete's outline of The
Whitechapel Incident stripped down to just the story outline components:<br />
<ul>
<li><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Augustus is drinking in a dingy tavern in the East End</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">He is approached by a prostitute he knows.</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">She tells him about a series of terrible murders caused by "the
devil."</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Augustus agrees to walk her home.</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> As they walk, the streets grow quieter and quieter</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">They are attacked</span></li>
</ul>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">All right, we have our
setting, which is Victorian London's East End. We have three
characters, Augustus, the prostitute, and the attacker. What motivates
these characters? Why is Augustus drinking in a tavern? How well does
he know this prostitute? Why is she drawn to Augustus to ask for his
help? What is the nature of this attacker? These questions have to
have some fairly detailed answers, or the characters become lifeless
forms drifting from scene to scene. (Pete has answered most of these
questions, but not all of them).</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br data-mce-bogus="1" /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Many of the questions about
character are bound up in the plot, and vice versa. On the surface,
Pete's story is an adventure, with a series of events providing the
structure for what is a fairly complex plot involving discovery,
metamorphosis, transformation, and rivalry. Since rivalry is a plot
component, perhaps Augustus is drinking because he has had a
disagreement with his comparatively successful brother. We can assume
that, but Pete has to <i><b>know</b></i> that.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Now there are several things
that can move the plot forward, and the writer has to have a firm hand
on all of them. Ideally, the characters move the plot forward.
Augustus is drinking because he is dissatisfied with his station in
life. Consequently, he frequents taverns and houses of ill repute.
Consequently, he encounters a prostitute he has met before. We have a
sensible, logical progression of events.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">As it happens, the attack by
the mysterious "devil" is a plot device. In other words, it only
happens to advance the story, present the protagonists with a challenge,
and move them closer to solving their mysteries and meeting their
respective fates. There are many kinds of plot devices, but there are
only two rules that I observe: first, use them sparingly, and second, do
not use them gratuitously. To boil it down to one rule: use them only
when nothing else will do.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> As you have no doubt
guessed, all of this planning is an extraordinary amount of work, but I
have good news: The amount of detail you put into your storyline is up
to you, and you can start writing at any time. Indeed, if you have a
good feel for your characters, a plot hole just might resolve itself by
writing a few pages of dialogue. However, leaving gaping plot holes and
largely unanswered questions go until you're writing the last chapter
is a roadmap that leads nowhere.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">As Pete and I have gone through his outline and components of his storyline, several weaknesses have become readily apparent, <i><b>which is precisely why we do it</b></i>. The purpose is not to shoot holes in your story until you give up on it; the purpose is to <i><b>fill</b></i>
holes and give you the confidence to finish. Adequate preparation sets
you up for a successful story, just as knowing your destination, your
route, your passengers, and your goals set you up for a successful road
trip. And just as you can take side trips during your journey and make
unexpected acqaintances along the way, your story planning doesn't have
to hem you into a static, pre-chewed formula. It's your story to tell
any way you like, and the right amount of planning is the key to doing
just that.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-59950373956350917032013-06-01T13:45:00.001-07:002013-06-07T19:31:07.677-07:00Short and Sweet: An Introduction to Branding<i>This is the third installment in the continuing story of "Editing
Mister D," a joint project to coach British nonfiction writer Pete Oxley
through completion and publication of his first novel-length fiction
work.</i><br />
<br />
If you’re writing just for the fun of it,
branding may very well be irrelevant. However, if you think you may one
day want to become a professional writer, it’s never too early to think
about developing your brand. What is "branding?" Like General Mills,
Cadillac, Swatch, or any number of instantly recognizable names, a brand
is a kind of stamp, a shorthand way of telling your customers—er,
readers—what to expect. "Branding" is the process of creating your own
unique brand, and the practice of stamping that brand on everything you
do.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Stephen King, Nora Roberts, and John Grisham are flesh and
blood human beings, but their names have also become brands. If you see
“Stephen King” on a book, you have a pretty good idea what to expect.
It won’t be a historical fiction romance, will it? No, it will be some
kind of paranormal thriller that will make you sleep with the lights on
for a while. You know that just because you read “Stephen King” on the
cover.<br />
<br />
Now, I can’t call myself an expert on branding, but I’ve
learned a few things over the years anyone can use to position themselves as a recognized brand. The scale of that recognition is something
that comes with time because it takes time to distribute your brand and
impress it upon enough minds that it actually qualifies as a brand.
Moreover, it takes time to hone your brand into something specific and
compelling. There’s a certain amount of trial and error involved, so
again, it’s never too early to get started.<br />
<br />
First things first:
Whether it’s your real name or a pseudonym, your nom de plume is your
calling card. Once you’ve settled on the name you’re going to use, use
it exclusively. Even your Twitter handle should be as close to your writing name as possible. For instance, if
you intend to publish as Herkimer MacGillicuddy, your handle
should be @HerkimerMacGillicuddy, not @xxHockeyPuck1982xx. You want
your readers to see your name over and over, and associate it with your
writing.<br />
<br />
The second thing to look at your social networking
<i><b>profiles</b></i>. Do you go on about your favorite bands, or are you
introducing readers to your writing? Adding personal details to your
profile makes it easier for your readers to connect with you on a
personal level, but it is not a substitute for a carefully crafted
statement about your writing. You want to create an “elevator speech,”
or a short statement that will sum up your writing in as few words as
possible.<br />
<br />
A great branding exercise is to write a very short (no
more than 300 words) essay about you and your writing. Pack everything
in this essay that you feel describes you and your writing, particularly
whatever it is that you feel makes it unique. Make a copy and edit
your essay down to half its length. Make another copy and edit again,
reducing by half again. Each time, you will be forced to identify the
truly crucial points and cut out the less important points. Repeat this
process until you have pared your message down enough to fit into a
Twitter profile (160 characters or less). Keep all of these short
descriptions to refine and use as you develop your brand.<br />
<br />
As part of my "Editing Mister D" project, I've been analyzing writer Pete Oxley's branding, and I've found he's already off to a good start. Visit
<a href="http://peterdoxley.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://peterdoxley.co.uk/</a> and near the top of the page you will see
three short statements that sum up his writing and qualifications quite
nicely in forty-two words. As we progress, we’ll be refining his
fiction writing profile to include something like “Author of the Mister D
series of paranormal steampunk adventure tales,” but you get the idea.<br />
<br />
Once
you’ve begun to create your branding, start using it everywhere. Put
it in your email signature, use it as a tagline on message boards, add
it to your Facebook, Twitter, and Wattpad profiles, etc. As you refine
your message, you’ll have to change it everywhere, but it’s worth the
trouble to keep your message consistent.<br />
<br />
Creating a brand before
the story is ready to publish might seem like putting the cart before
the horse, but it really isn't. In self-publishing, <b><i>branding</i></b>
is the horse. Merely publishing a book is no guarantee that you will
sell even a single copy, but if you have connected with hundreds or
thousands of people and introduced them to your brand <i><b>before</b></i> you publish, you'll have a ready-made market clamoring for your stories.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-50959801766181733922013-05-26T17:35:00.000-07:002013-06-07T19:29:18.647-07:00Dem Bones: No Tears Outlining<i>This is the second installment in the continuing story of "Editing
Mister D," a joint project to coach British nonfiction writer Pete Oxley
through completion and publication of his first novel-length fiction
work.</i><br />
<br />
We've all heard that an outline is the first step in writing a story
or anything at all lengthy. I'm like you, though. I hate outlining.
Let's face it: outlining a story is about as inspiring and feels about
as creative as copying the first 100 pages of the phone book with a golf
pencil. The sheer drudgery of it can take the wind out of your sails
before you've even begun to get creative. Just the Roman numerals alone
are enough to put me off outlines and just plunge right into the fun
stuff: <i>writing</i>.<br />
<br />
There's just one problem with this: you still have to outline.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Now my current project is helping to develop and edit Pete Oxley's Mister D series of steampunk stories. They were written as an expression
of creativity, and of course, he hoped to get some feedback and work
from there. Although he currently has <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/user/Pete_Oxley" target="_blank">two short stories on Wattpad</a>,
they are tied together by common characters, and were intended as the
first two parts of a longer compilation with its own complex story arc.
Unfortunately, I felt the stories didn't quite fit together, and I
couldn't get a feel for the larger story.<br />
<br />
As part of our joint
project, we were analyzing his story in some depth, and I asked him for a
copy of his "story arc" notes, which he sent me. This document was
chock-a-block with some very intriguing concepts and possible plot
points, but it still didn't quite hang together. In short, he had a box
of bones when what he really needed was a <i>skeleton</i>.<br />
<br />
One
of the most oft-repeated maxims in the scribbling biz is: "write down
the bones," which can be misinterpreted a thousand ways. For me,
"writing down the bones" means writing my entire story out in Dick and
Jane terms:<br />
<br />
<i>Opening scene: Augustus is dragging Maxwell through the snow</i><br />
<br />
<i>He hears noises behind him; he is being chased</i><br />
<br />
<i>Though he is not religious, he prays</i><br />
<br />
<i>... and so on</i><br />
<br />
That's
my outline. No Roman numerals. No tab stops. No special writing software. Just sequential lines
of simple text that spell out all of the action so I can follow my story
from beginning to end before I really get down to the business of
writing. It doesn't have to be terribly detailed, as long as all of the cause and effect and major occurrences are included. With just this bony structure, logical leaps and continuity
errors stick out like, well, a broken bone. Once I've built a sound
skeleton, I can flesh it out however I want. I can copy and paste and
rearrange at will without worrying about an outline hierarchy. Simple,
yes?<br />
<br />
Here's the best part. Once I have my skeleton, I can add
bits and pieces right in that document. If a snippet of dialogue comes
to me, I scroll down and plop it roughly where it belongs. If I find
something relevant in my research, I paste the link right there in the
document. Sometimes, writing and research combine to create a new
insight that utterly escaped me as I was building my skeleton, or
sometimes I start writing at some point and find myself on wild tear,
ignoring the outline and just letting 'er rip. No problem. I can
always compare later to see if I need to make any adjustments, either to
my new prose or to the outlined portion. It really couldn't be simpler.<br />
<br />
So that is what Pete is doing now: diligently arranging his bones into a proper skeleton. Not an outline, you understand. A <i><b>skeleton</b></i>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-60820885945529546022013-05-25T12:45:00.000-07:002013-05-26T17:10:00.885-07:00Editing Mister D: A New ProjectI've been contemplating branching out into editing for years now, and I've finally taken a concrete step toward that goal. I ran a short contest at <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/home" target="_blank">Wattpad</a> and found a talented writer named <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/user/Pete_Oxley" target="_blank">Pete Oxley</a>, who is working on a kind of steampunk series featuring a mysterious character known only as Mister D. We're going to be collaborating on a project to get Pete's intriguing stories refined into a finely tuned, hugely marketable ebook for sale at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all the usual suspects.<br />
<br />
As this project progresses, I'll be blogging selected excerpts of our work, our communications, and behind-the-scenes activity of getting a manuscript from draft to print. We'll even be building Pete's social media platform and doing some basic promotion. If you're a writer, you'll learn a lot by following along. Even if you're not a writer, this ought to be an entertaining look at the brave new world of ebook self-publishing.<br />
<br />
I've just asked Pete a whole slew of questions to get a better handle on where he's going with his stories, and as soon as I get some answers, I'll be posting some of our work here. Stay tuned...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-2296751953223098192013-05-23T09:18:00.000-07:002013-05-23T09:20:22.717-07:00Four Techniques for Sparking Your Creativity<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><i>Today I'm guest blogging at <a href="http://ageofsteam.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Steamed!</a> about how to spark your creativity.</i><br />
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Readers often ask me, “Where do you get all of your ideas?” as
if they’re hoping I’ll share some magic formula, or perhaps a link to an online
idea consignment boutique presenting prepackaged suites of novel concepts
attractively priced for struggling writers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My stock answer to the question “where do you get your ideas” has always
been “from everywhere and anywhere,” which—while true—isn’t a particularly
helpful bit of advice to an aspiring writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Upon further reflection, I realized that I hadn’t devoted much conscious
thought to the murky mechanics of my creative process, and I didn’t really care
to, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like turning on the lights
at a séance, I feared a dispassionate analysis of my own creativity might break
the spell for good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m pleased to
announce that I’ve conquered that fear, it didn’t hurt a bit, and I have
actually gleaned some useful (I hope) insights into the creative process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve identified four techniques I had been
using all along without really thinking about them.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ageofsteam.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/four-techniques-for-sparking-your-creativity-by-d-l-mackenzie/" target="_blank">Read more>></a> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-60897440669857580752013-04-13T15:53:00.003-07:002013-04-22T21:41:43.258-07:00A Fifth of Magnetron<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CB7WDZU?tag=dlma0b-20" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hZIdQBWLV2KaPyw_mZKq_0jLqxf0xvgmX8rjwQbQMupGLmHpCwtkUCjCr2iXbuwtPCha_Mj6CjhRL5AtGkS-ZIOS9w0szBYUSea0OlRiMz_cMRE9ZygnPjFeC1Mvk1LeqgxSAw9fRLW2/s320/Vol5Cover310x450.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CB7WDZU?tag=dlma0b-20">Volume Five has arrived!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The wait is over. Phineas and friends are back in a new Magnetron Chronicles adventure, now available exclusively in Kindle format from Amazon.<br />
<br />
<i>"In this fifth volume of Magnetron’s journals,
the strange truth regarding Phineas J. Magnetron’s previously unexplained
disappearance in 1901 is revealed, as are hitherto unremarked romantic
interests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having journeyed to Berlin, the Hogalum
Society members seek to clear their names and hunt down Eldridge Compost before
he can wreak more havoc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In so doing,
they will be drawn into Compost’s twisted schemes, culminating in a battle to
the death over German skies."</i><br />
<br />
Come, come, now, dear reader, the opportunity is upon you. Seize your mouse at once, direct it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CB7WDZU?tag=dlma0b-20">hither</a> and click thereon as expeditiously as is practicable. Do not fail to avail yourself of this thrilling tale of yesteryear!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-10035059679198641372013-03-17T10:43:00.001-07:002013-03-17T10:45:53.484-07:00E-pulp? That's a good thing, right?After my rant on dumb reviews by dumb reviewers, I am very pleased to announce an intelligent review by an intelligent reviewer. Dieselpunk author and pulp aficionado Grant Gardiner has recently
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/473557723" target="_blank">reviewed "The Last Adventure of Dr. Yngve Hogalum" on Goodreads</a>, giving
it 4 Stars (Recommend). Gardiner's latest project is his "Tommy Thunder
and the Tales of the Aether Age" series, set in an alternate timeline
1920s America. Thankfully, he took some time out to offer some
insightful remarks on the first book in the Magnetron Chronicles series,
calling it "fantastic... whacky steampunk... in the style of an H.
Rider Haggard adventure story."<br />
<br />
As an example of utilizing thoughtful criticism to better one's writing, I have taken Grant's suggestion to "package [the] stories together" to create a "more fulfilling reading experience." More on that later....<br />
<br />
Check out Mr. Gardiner's review <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/473557723" target="_blank">here</a>, and then plot a course for his blog <a href="http://www.tommythunder.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. There be two-fisted, hair-part flipping action and adventure dead ahead...
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-65765528966561352092013-03-16T10:30:00.000-07:002013-03-17T10:49:37.513-07:00Reviewing reviewers reviews...<i>"This book is dumb. People can never seem to speak proper English. I wouldn't read this book again if I were dying of boredom"</i><br />
<br />
<i>"The book was o.k. It's not my type of story so I wasn't really
interested. I guess it's because it's an old-fashioned book, I'm more
into Harry Potter."</i><br />
<br />
<i>"It had no story, the charaters were lame, the plot was-yuck! and the way
the talk was just difficult to understand.Seriously, if you are
choosing something to read this is definitely NOT the book, unless your
trying to find a book that you'll snooze all the way through it!"</i><br />
<br />
Uh-oh, I've got some bad reviews! Perhaps I need to go back and review my writing, re-work it somehow to cater to my readers and expand my readership. Or... perhaps not.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Anyone who has ever been criticized (yes, I'm talking to you) knows the sting of truly insightful criticism. It doesn't matter a whit if the criticism is "constructive" or not. In the end, what matters is whether the criticism is relevant, warranted, and based in fact. If it is, you've got some soul-searching to do.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, our interconnected world is teeming with verbal litterbugs who wouldn't know an ampersand from a rack of lamb, and yet persist in showering us with pearls of vacuity. As writers, much of the criticism we receive is quite simply not worth the electrons which were pressed into service to deliver it. For example, take the three remarks above, which were each taken from one-star Amazon reviews of... Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain. That's right. Mark Twain.<br />
<br />
If I may be so bold, I declare Twain's legacy intact.<br />
<br />
I have received some profoundly muddleheaded criticism of my writing too. One reader complained that the plot was "absurd" (it was intentionally so), but also found it "predictable." Come again? Another reader claimed he had given up after reading five pages, but then proceeded to describe the plot as "stagnant" and lacking "entrigue (sic)."<br />
<br />
No, I haven't missed a minute of sleep.<br />
<br />
The question is, how does one know the difference between useful criticism and illiterate kvetching? It's not as easy as it might seem. It's extraordinarily difficult if not impossible to be objective about one's own writing, and there are matters of taste, after all. I can certainly understand why someone would simply not care for my subject matter or style of writing. For the record, I'm fine with that. I have no intention of changing, because it would annoy those readers who do care for my writing.<br />
<br />
One professional reviewer might dismiss an immensely popular book as illiterate trash, whereas another might lament the lack of hot sex and bomb blasts in more cerebral works. Half of your reviews bemoan your wordy descriptions, and the other half say you're not descriptive enough. Some say your pacing is ponderous, and the rest say it flies by too fast. What to do?<br />
<br />
The answer is as always: Write what you like. If you like it, others will too. Consider thoughtful criticism from people you respect, and take the rest lightly. If someone doesn't care for your subject matter, ignore their remarks. They aren't your target audience, by definition. If someone takes you to task for the mechanics of writing such as spelling, grammar, etc., get a good editor and get back to writing your next book. If the majority of your reviews are negative, look for common complaints and try to address them.<br />
<br />
Don't overlook the possibility that the primary source of your negative reviews might be off-target marketing. If you're inadvertently appealing to the wrong target market, you'll disappoint over and over.<br />
<br />
Negative reviews come with the territory, but in the end, the value of criticism is in whether it spurs improvement. Solid feedback can help you hone your craft, but some feedback is just noise. Learn the difference, and keep writing. If you're ultimately successful, one day you'll have dozens of famous people saying truly awful things about you. Then, you will have <i>arrived</i>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-28636577511232870982012-12-08T06:14:00.000-08:002012-12-08T06:14:05.735-08:00The Smiljan Breach in Print<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.efictionmag.com/shop/esteampunk/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyl0K8ChX3hqrrSBMVL4KoDaoxZaa1BWCEDgFx9Y2yqfv6osE60qlbyJk1jcjDn2cCBIxQcgTlF0msh6vALVTq_5jE6uX1p213IAOJNz1ulLSFbwO9Coo644UVGhd4wrNm1b5At4PIGk/s320/esteampunk.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.efictionmag.com/shop/esteampunk/" target="_blank">eSteampunk's long-awaited second issue</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
At long last, the December 2012 issue of <a href="http://www.efictionmag.com/steampunk/" target="_blank">eSteampunk</a> is available from the steampunk imprint of <a href="http://www.efictionmag.com/" target="_blank">eFiction</a>. This issue features "The Smiljan Breach," my prequel to the Magnetron Chronicles series, featuring Dr. Hogalum on a Viennese bender, the <i>Luftigel</i>'s maiden voyage, and a cameo appearance by none other than Nikola Tesla.<br />
<br />
eSteampunk's second issue also brings you Matt Bett's "The Safest Passage," George S. Walker's "The Case of the Night-walking Automaton" and eSteampunk's first serial, "Black Dragon Blues," plus stunning cover art by Jonathan Hunt. Available in PDF, MOBI, and EPUB formats for only $3.99!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-6507244559774179392012-11-13T08:27:00.001-08:002012-11-13T08:27:08.022-08:00New Novel Underway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32e6hbas-TfYIzqoq0u2oLHrYZOLAa4TJ_LubWhKnVxGzyAAURLZFghmISJIFkPOyCY-Y6UNPVjUJtWSukJ0Uf-S17hiPO8YDuw1x8mwjKKY5eWvVSH8cit2-vh-zmSbsL31ZUFmLti5b/s1600/cover688x1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32e6hbas-TfYIzqoq0u2oLHrYZOLAa4TJ_LubWhKnVxGzyAAURLZFghmISJIFkPOyCY-Y6UNPVjUJtWSukJ0Uf-S17hiPO8YDuw1x8mwjKKY5eWvVSH8cit2-vh-zmSbsL31ZUFmLti5b/s320/cover688x1000.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm trying my hand at modern horror, with <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/story/2597102-station-five" target="_blank">Station Five</a>, a paranormal thriller set in a skilled nursing facility:<br />
<br />
"<i>Mia Cordova is a nurse's aide at Los Arcos Care Center, a large skilled nursing facility caring for the profoundly disabled. Abby Tate, Mia's patient, has been in a coma for almost two years, kept alive on a ventilator. When Abby unexpectedly wakes up to find herself a quadriplegic, she is overcome by inexpressible fear, grief and anger. It seems that only Mia can connect with her bright young patient and calm her rage, but Abby's fury soon takes on a dark, malevolent power that threatens to destroy everyone and everything around her.</i>"<br />
<br />
As of this writing, I've pretty much completed Chapter One, available free at Wattpad. Enjoy, and feel free to comment!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-75795194443789626462012-10-01T11:16:00.000-07:002012-10-01T11:16:58.690-07:00It's a Wattpad Thing... You Wouldn't Understand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.wattpad.com/home" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiql9erpAUlzmclF9kv-leQklDkQPd0lvAt6_TvvAEOIkTXJwRQixiuJPF4DX0MOtgobq_RZv3uoaTiiKSlzLtihn-NlMZWX3NhcTafL-ndKrjHRF0_BBhZDn09Auw16fvThImXie7CrHL_/s1600/wattpad.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.wattpad.com/about" target="_blank">Wattpad</a> is a Canadian creation, a sort of Youtube for aspiring writers of every age and skill level, with more than 5 million free stories posted. As a "creative, welcoming and completely free community to connect with readers from around the world," Wattpad has also attracted some established writers, most notably, poet, writer, and activist <a href="http://www.margaretatwood.ca/" target="_blank">Margaret Atwood</a>.<br />
<br />
I decided to publish <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/story/1117048-the-last-adventure-of-dr-yngve-hogalum" target="_blank">The Last Adventure of Dr. Yngve Hogalum</a> (the first volume of the Magnetron Chronicles series) in its original chapter-a-week serialized form at Wattpad. It has garnered quite a bit of praise and more than 12,000 reads at last count, and now I'm pleased to announce it has been selected by Wattpad as a "<a href="http://www.wattpad.com/featured" target="_blank">Featured Story</a>" from among the millions of other stories available. <br />
<br />
If you haven't yet sampled the outstanding free fiction, poetry, and nonfiction works available at Wattpad, I invite you to do so. If you're a writer, join us! The <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/getmobile" target="_blank">Wattpad mobile app</a> is also available for all major platforms, so you can read and write on the go!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781192388386079213.post-42114027862973481732012-09-29T11:17:00.000-07:002012-09-29T11:23:22.354-07:00Writer's World Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.wattpad.com/story/1701045-writer%27s-world" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.wattpad.com/7621866-writer%27s-world-discussion-with-dlmackenzie" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nig75_KzvhtA9U9eI_wowU2BR7i-qcumg1HiLGUnMYKjI0FBrMcP65v_p1O2u7XjZiYKzqUr2-CGtFv6I2TfoeQw6yD4UqTUHImcnn4GlMwdINY1W8UM-vyZvFwRHgifkSjxIIkGLren/s1600/writersworld.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Hanging out at <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/" target="_blank">Wattpad</a>, I ran into <a href="http://wattpad.com/ThomasBerryman" target="_blank">Thomas Berryman</a>, an Aussie writer who is compiling a series of virtual interviews of Wattpad writers. He surprised me by asking some downright intelligent questions, which I was obliged to answer. Check it out!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wattpad.com/7621866-writer%27s-world-discussion-with-dlmackenzie" target="_blank">Read the interview here</a>!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0