Building Wings

“…jump off the cliff and you build your wings on the way down.” – Ray Bradbury

Friday night I finished up my work on, and submitted my space octopus sci-fi/horror short story, which became titled “The Dark Reaches”. Having that completed I took the weekend off of writing projects while Tabitha and I indulged in a Read-a-thon. We both finished the book we’d been trying to complete and read another whole book.

Starting a new week I began thinking about the writing projects I have in different stages of progress.

– Three stories in process of editing. (1 of which I have an anthology to which I’d like to submit it to early in June.)

– A fantasy novella/novel idea that I’ve kind of started and have about 60% plotted.

The fantasy novel has been in the works for a long time. Too long.

I’ve decided, that beginning tonight, I am going to restart this project (which like most of my stories — don’t have actual titles until the very last minute). With parts of a couple chapters started, Neith, (as I’ve grown to call this, based solely on it being the main character’s name) will be getting a fresh start based on my recent eureka plotting moments.

The title of this weeks blog I chose because I don’t have the entirety of Neith plotted, but I have a good idea where I want the story to go. I could spend years nitpicking the plot points I’ve already worried over or I could just build my wings on the way down.

That said:

Goals

– minimum of 30 minutes each day writing

– grand total of 5000 words written

Too Weird

I have always been a reader of science fiction and fantasy. I enjoy the books that take on the tried and true tropes, but are written well and involve such incredible world-building. When done correctly the fact that the characters and settings are typical of the genre don’t detract from the atmosphere and the ambiance created by the author. On the other hand I love when an author can take those same tropes and successfully turn them upside down.

There have always been authors that blur the lines of genre; pushing boundaries. In the last 20 or so years doing so has not only become more common, but when done well, it can draw significant attention in the literary and book communities. I recently read “The Sky is Yours” by Chandler Klang Smith. The world she creates, with the melding of flying cars dodging two dragons that fly above the city, is fantastic.

Along with that blending of genres has come a new “style” often referred to as the “new weird.” In many ways it is related to both slipstream and bizarro fiction. The whole point is to mash genres together with a literary bent. As of recently I’ve attempted a few works categorized in the new weird. I have finished a collection of short stories and two of three novels in a trilogy.

As a fan of things that stretch my imagination I had very high hopes for what I would find among the pages of these books. At this point in my reading journey, I have to admit at being disappointed. Not entirely, to the point of giving up on these authors or the genre, but unsure how much farther I’m willing to dive in. There are hints and glimmers of what I wanted to find, but apart from a few of the short stories in the collection living up to my expectations, my interest in waning.

It’s possible that I should have done more research about the new weird before beginning. I was expecting a wonderful blend of Joe Hill, Ray Bradbury, and Lovecraft. My overall impression so far is that these authors desperately wanted to create something as unsettling and unnerving as Lovecraft and the old gods, with skewed view of reality that comes with so much Bradbury, while upping the literary “chops” of the book. My opinion is that they haven’t quite done what they set out to accomplish. (My opinion may be incorrect, if not blatantly wrong to some people … and that’s fine. It’s just my opinion.)

Too much time is spent in these books and stories attempting to give eerie and analogous descriptions of creatures or creations that don’t belong in the natural world. In wanting to leave dark spots for the reader’s imagination to fill in, for me, they end up just being vague and not giving shape to whatever they’re envisioning.

Often, it also seems that these authors try to give sudden shocks to the reader presented as eye-opening revelations. A particular twist in the book I just finished was certainly meant to give the reader a jaw-dropping reaction, while for me it simply garnered a “I thought that guy was dead?” response. And did not generate a desire to find out where he’d been before being tossed into the story.

I will finish the trilogy. I’m two books in. I can hope that the payoff at the grand conclusion will offer some retroactive enthusiasm. For the time being, I’ll be happy with a generic explanation and a tidy wrap-up.

I’m not calling with quits with the “new weird” yet, but maybe it’s just a little too weird for me. I’ll take concrete descriptions and hair-raising situations over ambiguity.

Graphic Novels AS Reading

A large number of my posts regard epiphanies or thoughts relating to whatever my current writing situation is. As we enter the last quarter of 2018 I’ve started thinking some about 2019 and what kind of reading and writing goals I would like to accomplish.

This year I have put a lot of effort into attempting to read a short story every day. I find it a way to make myself spend at least a little bit of time each day reading, while also using it as a chance to study the form of short stories more. I figure its a good idea, since that’s what I find myself writing as of recently. I’m definitely on target, at this point to make my goal. While I won’t have read one each and every day, I’ll have read one FOR every day of the year.

Next year, I want to incorporate collections of short stories among my reading of novels, which will free up the time I’ve spent on short stories each day. So, my hope for next year is to focus on graphic novels. Recently, the Booker Prize (a very prestigious book award) has, for the first time, shortlisted a graphic novel. And I got to thinking.

I’ve enjoyed comic books for a very long time and I read an number of monthly titles, but there are some stories better designed for a longer graphic format than 25-30 pages a month. Thanks to the wonderful people at Lion Forge comics, through the podcast (The Geek Awakens) I’m a part of, I’ve gotten the chance to read a few of these such graphic novels, Lighter Than My Shadow and Sheets (just to name a couple). The story telling in conjunction with the incredible and poignant art is a fantastic medium; something I feel like as a story teller I could definitely use as a learning tool.

So, here’s my question to you, my readers. Do you have any of these such graphic novels that you’ve read that you feel like everyone should read? It can be something as pop-culture as Frank Miller’s Dark Knight trilogy or something as literary as Maus. (Needless to say, those are both already on my list for next year.) But, what else have you got? Give me some suggestions. I want 52. 1 per week for all of 2019.

Viciously Good

It’s a cardinal rule of being a writer. You must read in order to write. My only problem is that often, when I am deeply involved in a writing project (or even buried in editing my own work) any other reading I’m doing comes to a complete halt. I seem to be unable to focus on the novel while scrutinizing my own words. In my perusing of Facebook writing groups I’ve found that I’m not the only one with this particular issue. But then, occasionally, I find a book that I can’t put down; one that inspires my own desire to write.

Vicious, by V.E. Schwab is one of those such books. I could list the things I love about this book, but then I would never stop blogging about it and would spoil all the fantastic surprises she tucks in the pages.

And I won’t give a short synopsis, because you’re better off reading the blurb on the back or online. The long and short that Victor and Eli, two college friends, give themselves powers. And not necessarily of the typical superhero variety. These powers cause an irreparable rift between the two leading to an epic confrontation.

The way Schwab begins the book immediately hooks the reader. You are torn between the now and ten years ago and it is clear that the two timelines are going to come crashing together. After only the first two chapters I wanted to know what happened between Victor and Eli to drive them apart and yet force them back on a collision course.

On the greatest strengths of the book is Schwab’s ability to blur the lines between hero and villain. A case can be made for Victor or Eli on either side of the equation and none would be an incorrect interpretation. My favorite character trait of either is Eli’s religious background. It creates an interesting juxtaposition with his desire to play God in both cheating death and his aim once he’s beaten the odds and survived his near death experience.

Another of my favorite aspects is how she incorporates magic/superpowers into her world. As I’ve been working on a short piece that balances magic and technology myself, I couldn’t help but be in awe of how simply she manages this in Vicious. There is no need to explain the gritty details of how the powers come into existence or the reasoning behind them. The main characters are experimenting with the creation and circumstances themselves, so they don’t have all the answers and you never expect them to. It is a genius way to avoid info-dumping and explaining how it all works.

In all reality I could go on for hours about the details I love about this book and how expertly crafted it is. I don’t often find books that I can’t put down and books that I read in less than a week. This was both. The sequel comes out this fall. And I don’t usually pick up books when they’re released, but I will be there day one to see how this saga and these incredibly complex characters continue.

World-building: Part 1

Since my move to outlining before I start writing I’ve spent more time with what is referred to as “world-building”. It gives me more time to organize my thoughts and ponder questions related to the worlds I’m creating with each individual story. In turn, I feel like I’m creating more complete worlds that exist around my main characters and their particular stories.

The idea of world-building isn’t new by any stretch of the imagination. It’s a necessary part of any work of fiction, especially those existing outside the framework of everyday society. But world building isn’t relegated to just books. Movies are also prime examples of both good and bad, in depth and lacking, world building. And just like everything I read or watch, it becomes a study of how to do this well, and pitfalls to avoid.

My most current brainstorm has me attempting to coalesce science fiction elements with a fantastical magic system. My musings have led me to question how detailed my magic system and the background surrounding the usage and users need to be in order for the story to make sense. At the same time I don’t want to spend too much time hammering out details that aren’t necessary or significant.

World-building, like every aspect of storytelling is a skill that needs to be tried, learned, and practiced. I may never be as skilled as someone like Patrick Rothfuss, but as long as I succeed in creating worlds with more answers than questions, similar to my feelings for the Netflix movie, Bright, I feel like I’m headed in the right direction.

Death of a Character

Yesterday was the 11th anniversary of the “Battle of Hogwarts” and has become customary, JK Rowling tweeted out an apology for killing off a character during the battle. This year she chose someone outside the battle, but a character who died to save those who would win. Dobby, the house elf.

In general there seem to be two sides to the thought of killing characters. Either the author should respect the characters and their fictional lives making death only and option when no other is logical, feasible, or avoidable. The second, seemingly championed by George R. R. Martin and Robert Kirkman, is that no one is safe. Any character, at any time could be killed. My own feelings lie somewhere in between.

So far, in my writing, I have only killed off two characters. The first was in a story/book that isn’t finished or published. The second is the main character of a story called “Unfathomable”. While writing this story I speculated and teased the idea that my main character would survive with a horrific tale to tell of the sights he observed, but the more I thought about it the less that path felt right. It wasn’t as if I needed my main character to be sacrificial for the story to work, but in order to create the fear and tension required to put the reader in the small cramped submersible trapped in an underwater cave tracking down an undiscovered creature, his death was the only option.

I respect my characters. I put a lot of work into breathing life into each and every one of them. I strive to make them all unique in some way and doing so means that unless it serves the story I don’t plan on killing them off. But, that doesn’t mean that it is unavoidable. There are times where it will be necessary. And when death comes to a character I hope my readers will understand it wasn’t without cause or reason.

Rowling’s tweet yesterday frustrated me. In order for the Battle of Hogwarts to be epic and hold the weight it did, fictional lives had to be lost. Sad, though they may be. If everyone came out the other side with a few scratches, but otherwise unhurt, the fight wouldn’t have felt as big or as important. Going back now and apologizing for the deaths of characters as she does makes it seems as if she’s bowing to the will of a few disgruntled readers. In turn, compromising the story she wrote and in some ways minimizing the fictional lives and sacrifices of those characters.

As such, I promise never to apologize for the death of a character. If they die. It was necessary.

The Infamous TBR List

As a writer I am most definitely a reader as well and as such I typically receive a fairly hearty pile of books for Christmas and birthday gifts. But once all the wrapping is discarded and the new and wonderful books sit piled high next to my desk the real trouble begins. Where do I start?

In all reality I’m making this a bigger deal than it is, but still…

Aside from finishing whatever book I’m currently reading, how do I pick the next one? Should I go with the one I’ve wanted the longest or the newest release that looks incredibly enticing?

Like most readers I have a running To Be Read List (TBR) that is longer than a skyscraper is tall. It’s a list that is never ending and grows longer more than it shrinks. Some books have been on the list for years and others only a few months or less. Do I pick up where I left off? Or pick up something different too keep things from getting tedious?

Back sometime last year I decided I was going to try and read an entire series (16 books) beginning to end. Haha, yeah. That didn’t last. Maybe the reason I stopped was me, maybe it was the series. Maybe someday I’ll go back and revisit that question along with the remaining 14 books. But nevertheless, I made it 4 books into that series and was distracted by a new flashy title away from books that (although I wanted to read – and still do) I planned to read. With that task abandoned I am back at square one.

This year I received a couple of classics, a couple of graphic novels, and a couple of newer releases I’ve been waiting to get my hands on. So, as I am about halfway through one of those newer releases I couldn’t wait to get my hands on I’m already itching to pick up another of the shiny new covers from the TBR.

Sometimes I think about actually creating an all encompassing TBR instead of the mental one I currently have so that when I can’t decide what to read next I can literally just throw darts and TADA!

Until then, I’ll just continue to look over the top of my current read, eye-balling the pile, already ruminating over where I’ll let me mind travel next.

Book of the Year (2017)

A few weeks ago for the last episode of The Geek Awakens we went around and discussed a few of the things that we remembered most about 2017.

On air I spoke about how Wonder Woman was probably the geek highlight of the year for me. And as far as movies go, I maintain that stance. There was little about it wasn’t phenomenal and exciting. But I would be remiss if I didn’t add to my choice from the show.

While I was thrilled with myself and my ability to read the books I did during the year there was one in particular that stood out to me. A God in the Shed by J-F Dubeau. A title produced by Inkshares (a crowdfunded publisher of sorts), blew me away. The book was exciting, haunting and profound. The book begins with the capture and arrest of a serial killer that has been terrorizing a small Canadian town for eighteen years. That’s how it starts! And it goes downhill from there. Secrets that should have remained buried are unearthed. A killer behind bars, but people continue to disappear and a creepy circus sets up camp on the edge of town. There are touches of Lovecraft, King, and Barker, all blended together magnificently with some thriller and crime novel aspects woven in as well.

Simply put, this is a book for anyone that enjoys any of those genres. (One small note, there is some gore, but if nothing out of the ordinary for fans of King or Barker.)

Two years in a row now, my favorite book has been one I’ve discovered through Inkshares. Like with all publishers, there will be some that stand heads above the rest, but two in a row is good enough odds for me to dig through their upcoming titles and read another.

Start to Finish

Starting this week I’m trying something new. I’m going to read a series of books beginning with the first and continuing until I have reached the end of the most recently published novel. This is a task I’ve never done. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read full series before, just never one after another after another until finished.

I wanted to read something I knew was fun and an easier read, but can’t remember where I left off in the series. So, I figured why not start over from the beginning to refresh my memory.

Because of the flawed reasoning of my much younger self there are a couple series I have thoroughly enjoyed the beginnings of, but never completed. For some reason I thought that if I continued reading a series (longer than a trilogy) that before I got all the way through I would be tired of the characters and the world, so instead of finishing the series it would be forever abandoned.

Needless to say, as I’ve grown in my writing I’ve come to see the flawed logic in this. If I did ever read a series and get bored with characters or such it wouldn’t be a knock on my reading stamina, but more so the abilities of the writer. That should be part of the fun for a writer embarking upon a series. Not only should the characters grow and change as the books continue, but there should be things that both the reader and writer discover about the characters past and personality as the series moves forward. This is definitely something I need to ponder and scratch out as I begin toying with the ideas for what I hope to be a forthcoming (not likely anytime soon) fantasy series.

But for now, back to reading and using this read-through as enjoyment and research. Besides, if this read through goes well, it looks like I have added (or re-added) a few books to my constantly expanding TBR List. Part of me feels like I should have started this project with a series shorter than 16 books, but then again, I’m not starting the Wheel of Time.

Same Words, Different Book

As a sociology student in college it was ingrained in our heads that who you are and how you act/react is largely a product of your upbringing and circumstances. Despite being an English major and seeing firsthand how different people discovered different truths I never truly thought to apply that to casual reading. I made that realization based on a recent read.

On a recommendation from a friend I recently loaned the ebook of Becky Chambers The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. I loved it. It was awesome. I highly recommend anyone who has ever read and enjoyed anything science fiction to pick it up. While I was reading it, we chatted about a few highlights throughout the book and I mentioned a few scenes that caught my attention. But, what really struck me was after I finished she mentioned what was what she took from the book as a whole, “it’s just full of great messages about gender equality and sexual identity and consent and acceptance.”

Her assessment is completely true, and an excellent lesson to take from an incredibly well written book, but it wasn’t the message I took from the book. In fact, I wasn’t looking for a greater overall theme or meaning. After completing the book I was in awe of Chambers ability to build the world and the characters in such a detailed manner without weighing down the book and feeling like I was reading a report of fictionalized alien races and worlds.

I’m not likely to sit and contemplate other viewpoints of future fiction I read, but the recent discussion with my friend has reminded me that while we may all read the same words we each read a different book. Something to keep in mind as I dive further into my own writing.