They say there are no new stories--just new ways of telling the same story. I found this irritatingly true when I was trying to come up with a new dragon story for an anthology called Firestorm of Dragons.
I don't know why, but I felt determined to get into this anthology from DragonMoon, so one afternoon, I cornered my husband and demanded he brainstorm with me. Rob has a brilliant mind; plus, as a cadet, he read every science fiction and fantasy novel in the Air Force Academy library and had been struggling to keep up ever since. If someone had popularized a particular take on dragons, I trusted him to know it.
He did, too. No matter what idea I came up with--from the dragon as a victim to dragon in human form, he remembered someone who'd done it before. After a frustrating half hour of "How about...?" and "Been done," we called a break to go watch TV with the kids.
Our favorite show at the time was Whose Line Is It, Anyway?, a comedy improve, where comedians do skits. Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles have a noir schtick that pokes fun at those movies of hard-boiled PIs of the 40s and 50s. As we sat on the couch laughing, I realized I could write comedy noir--with a dragon! Rob hadn't heard of one, so from there, I started mining the cliché's.
Wrong side of the tracks: Let's put him on the wrong side of the Interdimensional Gap.
Disrespected by authority, unable/unwilling to get an "honest" job: The Gap recently happened, and the two universes don't trust each other. People in the mundane universe especially don't trust a real dragons. One thing's for sure--the US isnt' giving him a Green Card.
Chip on his shoulder: What better for a dragon than a bad run-in with St. George. Of course, our St. George killed dragons, so I decided to twist that. Faerie dragons, I decided, can't die, so George would have to find some other way to inconvenience/incapacitate him. I decided to make Holy Mages, and George put a spell on Vern: he took away all his dragon glory--size, strength, flight, magic, fire--then told him he could earn it back by serving sentient beings under the direction of the Church. (I had no idea then how important this idea would be to the DragonEye, PI, universe.)
From there, I added a damsel in distress, a romantic lead, a diabolical plot, and got "Dragon Eye, PI."
"Dragon Eye, PI" appeared in Firestorm of Dragons--much to my joy!--and I had the opportunity to see how others treated the theme of "dragons." I was floored by the imagination of my fellow contributors.
And I'm so very grateful to editors Michelle Acker and Kirk Dougal, and Gwen Gades, publisher of DragonMoon. I could not have done it without you!
Monday, March 09, 2009
Monday, March 02, 2009
Karina on the KXMC
I'm on TV!
I wasn't able to convert the file, so I've posted it in my Downloads section on Fabianspace.
We're still waiting on cover art for Magic, Mensa and Mayhem, so I took the opportunity to talk about Leaps of Faith instead. Hopefully, I can come back in April before my book signings.
I want to thank Carla Burbidge, the producer and host, not only for having me on the show but for letting me post this to share!
I wasn't able to convert the file, so I've posted it in my Downloads section on Fabianspace.
We're still waiting on cover art for Magic, Mensa and Mayhem, so I took the opportunity to talk about Leaps of Faith instead. Hopefully, I can come back in April before my book signings.
I want to thank Carla Burbidge, the producer and host, not only for having me on the show but for letting me post this to share!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A liberal environmentalist vegetarian memoir
There's been a discussion going in the MuseConference Yahoo! group about the tastefulness of this humorous story by Ben Greenman, "My Holocaust Memoir." Greenman's poking fun at all the hacks who are trying to cash in on the "fact" that holocaust memoirs are trendy. (Something I was not aware of.) In the discussion, my friend, Tanja Cilia commented: Ah, yes, but to grab our attention he chose the Holocaust, and not the mating habits of the lesser-spotted crested pink frog of Filfla...
...which, of course, inspired my own memoir. (Click on the link and read at least the first couple of paragraphs before reading mine.):
I was born in Seattle in 1989. Shortly afterward, in 1971, my entire family was rounded up by Greenpeace and sent to the Seakitten camp, along with tens of other liberal environmental vegetarians for world peace, who hailed principally from Southern California, Oregon and the Latte belt of Washington State, in order to study the mating habits of the lesser-spotted crested pink frog of Filfla. The first few days there, separated from civilization and McDonalds, denied even the most basic Value Meal, I was in a state of shock. I could hardly eat or sleep, and, to make matters worse, I had witnessed the actual mating ritual. I felt screwed. (This would not be the first time that a metaphor appeared in time to help make sense of a difficult situation.) As a teen in Chicago, I spoke about the ritual to everyone. Few understood my plight. Then I met a hot emo named Amalie. She was deathly ill-looking, but I could tell from her pierced eyes that she was kind, and the next week my appraisal was confirmed when she handed me a package wrapped in Kleenex.
It was a set of razor blades. Gillette, the best a man can get.
Whaddya think? Shall I finish it and send it to the New Yorker?
...which, of course, inspired my own memoir. (Click on the link and read at least the first couple of paragraphs before reading mine.):
I was born in Seattle in 1989. Shortly afterward, in 1971, my entire family was rounded up by Greenpeace and sent to the Seakitten camp, along with tens of other liberal environmental vegetarians for world peace, who hailed principally from Southern California, Oregon and the Latte belt of Washington State, in order to study the mating habits of the lesser-spotted crested pink frog of Filfla. The first few days there, separated from civilization and McDonalds, denied even the most basic Value Meal, I was in a state of shock. I could hardly eat or sleep, and, to make matters worse, I had witnessed the actual mating ritual. I felt screwed. (This would not be the first time that a metaphor appeared in time to help make sense of a difficult situation.) As a teen in Chicago, I spoke about the ritual to everyone. Few understood my plight. Then I met a hot emo named Amalie. She was deathly ill-looking, but I could tell from her pierced eyes that she was kind, and the next week my appraisal was confirmed when she handed me a package wrapped in Kleenex.
It was a set of razor blades. Gillette, the best a man can get.
Whaddya think? Shall I finish it and send it to the New Yorker?
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Making Negative Press Positive
I have a book blog, VirtualBookTourdeNet, where I post a cover and short summary of books. I occasionally do interviews and reviews, but in general, it's just a simple way for folks to get their book out in the blogsphere, and for me to return the favor when someone posts about one of my books. It's drawn the attention of some publicity firms, so sometimes I get some pretty high-level books, too, which is neat.
This week, I toured "You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence, but You Can't Make Him Think" by Ray Comfort. In addition to the standard info, Ray provided a excerpt from his book, too. The next day, the blog got a comment linking to a video of Ray's "banana proof."
At first, I thought about deleting it--it really was kind of mean-spirited in its approach, and the video is obviously edited for parody--but instead, I passed it on to his publicist to see if Ray wanted to reply. A couple of days later, Ray (through his publicist) posted a very enlightening explanation about "That Dumb Video."
Regardless of your spiritual beliefs--or even what you think of Mr. Comfort's proofs, it's an excellent example of how negative press can actually become positive. Ray has given me permission to reprint that comment here:
This week, I toured "You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence, but You Can't Make Him Think" by Ray Comfort. In addition to the standard info, Ray provided a excerpt from his book, too. The next day, the blog got a comment linking to a video of Ray's "banana proof."
At first, I thought about deleting it--it really was kind of mean-spirited in its approach, and the video is obviously edited for parody--but instead, I passed it on to his publicist to see if Ray wanted to reply. A couple of days later, Ray (through his publicist) posted a very enlightening explanation about "That Dumb Video."
Regardless of your spiritual beliefs--or even what you think of Mr. Comfort's proofs, it's an excellent example of how negative press can actually become positive. Ray has given me permission to reprint that comment here:
For years I have held a coke can in one hand and a banana in the other, and compared the two (I have done this in Yale and other universities when I have spoken on the subject of atheism). Both have a tab at the top. The banana has a wrapper with perforations, is biodegradable, has outward indicators of inward contents--green too early, yellow, just right, black--too late, etc. It was a parody; the point being, if someone designed the coke can then obviously Someone designed the banana.
I put it into a booklet form ("The Atheist Test") and sold over a million copies. Then Kirk Cameron and I put it into our TV program. However, atheists removed the coke can, and sent the clip all over the Internet, saying "Ray Comfort believes that the banana is proof of God's existence." They really made a monkey out of me. I became the laughingstock of atheists all over the atheist world . It was very embarrassing. The below is typical (PZ Myers is a biologist/atheist):
"The banana man thinks he's got atheists on the run. Category: Creationism • Kooks: Ray Comfort has a new site, www.PullThePlugOnAtheism.com It's a series of short pages which consist mainly of plugs for some bad books he is peddling, with a few paragraphs in which he announces a few of his misconceptions about atheism, with the air of one who has trounced every objection. It really is as bad as his pathetic blog."
But here's the amazing irony. Atheists have unwittingly given me a huge international platform. I was interviewed more than 80 times about my new book--including the BBC (worldwide) and The Alan Colmes Show. You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence but You Can't Make Him Think, rocketed up the Amazon.com rankings on its first day of release, moving from No. 69,572 to No. 38 in 24 hours. The book was also the No. 1 book in the categories of religion and atheism on “Darwin Day,” bumping Richard Dawkin’s famous book. Secular radio stations have been extending the length of their interviews because there was such interest in the shows. I have started a daily column for a secular site called Examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/x-3329-Creationism-Examiner/) in which I am called their "National Creation Examiner." They have thousands of "Examiners" but it seems that (for some unknown reason) quite a few are interested in my column. In the first week, the national average page views for all the Examiners was 2,141. My column was viewed an incredible 12,125 times! So this is a wonderful opportunity to take the gospel to those who normally wouldn't darken the door of a church. Each time the column is viewed, one penny is donated to Children's Hunger Fund (I had them donate it to them). Please feel free to check it out regularly, and at the same time help to feed a hungry child.
I never thought that I would have ever thank God for that dumb banana video, but I truly do. What was intended by atheists for evil, God has turned out for the good.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
My Novel's Journey: the Little ReWrite That Grew
2009 has been a flurry of conferences, outside opportunities (i.e. non-writing work), sick family members and things I keep forgetting. I find myself dreaming of an author's getaway. A little hotel room. No internet, no kids, nothing but me and my current WIP. Unfortunately, neither my finances nor my life are suited for such luxuries.
I sure could us it, though. Discovery is giving me fits. I have made one important discovery with it: re-writing a NaNoWriMo draft is not as easy as it looks.
I loved this story when I wrote it in the flurry of a November. I still love the idea, and some of the scenes are terrific. However, I'm finding that there's waaaay too much talking, explaining, rehashing... A couple of the characters have told me their motivations, but like bad actors, appear cardboard in the text.
So the process has literally been write a great scene, rip out a bad one. In four months, I've only progressed 10,000 words. (Consider my usual modus operandi is to write a complete novel in 6 weeks.) I approach the document with dread and moan or snarl as I read the stuff I thought was so clever only three years ago.
So why am I bothering? Why put off my DragonEye novels (GapMan, and Damsels and Knights) to do this? Because there's a story in there--a great story. A story about finding love that transcends romance and living a good life that does more than follow the rules. Sister Rita and James, Chris and Andy, Sister Ann and Sister Tommie are wonderful characters. I want to tell their story.
Wish I could get them all alone in a hotel for a week so we could hammer it out. But it looks like I'll just have to take it one scene at a time.
Magic, Mensa and Mayhem update: Got the colored in cover art. Vern is the wrong color, so I sent a picture of the shades I imagined.
I sure could us it, though. Discovery is giving me fits. I have made one important discovery with it: re-writing a NaNoWriMo draft is not as easy as it looks.
I loved this story when I wrote it in the flurry of a November. I still love the idea, and some of the scenes are terrific. However, I'm finding that there's waaaay too much talking, explaining, rehashing... A couple of the characters have told me their motivations, but like bad actors, appear cardboard in the text.
So the process has literally been write a great scene, rip out a bad one. In four months, I've only progressed 10,000 words. (Consider my usual modus operandi is to write a complete novel in 6 weeks.) I approach the document with dread and moan or snarl as I read the stuff I thought was so clever only three years ago.
So why am I bothering? Why put off my DragonEye novels (GapMan, and Damsels and Knights) to do this? Because there's a story in there--a great story. A story about finding love that transcends romance and living a good life that does more than follow the rules. Sister Rita and James, Chris and Andy, Sister Ann and Sister Tommie are wonderful characters. I want to tell their story.
Wish I could get them all alone in a hotel for a week so we could hammer it out. But it looks like I'll just have to take it one scene at a time.
Magic, Mensa and Mayhem update: Got the colored in cover art. Vern is the wrong color, so I sent a picture of the shades I imagined.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
True Love--Faerie and Mundane Style
In honor of Valentine's day, I have two stories to share.
For True Love, Faerie Style, I wrote a funny little story about Cupid's "rampage" on the Los Lagos Mall. Please go on over to DragonEye, PI and check it out!
For True Love--Mundane, I'd like to share this story: Scientists: True love can last a lifetime. Rob and I certainly believe this!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Conventions and Cover art
The Catholic Writers Conference Online was a spectacular success! We had 283 attendees, 48 one-hour chat presentations, 12 week-long forum workshops, 37 pitches given to six publishers and more kudos than I counted. Here's what some folks said:
This is a great conference. It's easy to navigate and your detailed instructions are the best. The downloadable handouts and docs are so easy also. The workshops I've been in are packed with such useful information. I give it an A+.
---Karen Coiff
Great job to all who put this together. The exposure to fellow writers and pros in the field has been immensely positive and helpful to me! I've been amazed at the wealth of information and knowledge available. And to think I didn't have to leave my home! I look forward to next time. Thank you so very much and may God bless you all.
---Katherine Shine
Congratulations on this year's conference. I thought it was very well done. A lot of worthwhile information. You are providing a wonderful service for many, many people.
---Jackie Lindsey, Our Sunday Visitor
We're already hard at work on the Catholic Writers Conference--Live! set for August 5-7. The 2010 CWCO will be Feb 22-27.
Roe has sent the cover sketch for Magic, Mensa and Mayhem! Isn't it a hoot?
I'm still not totally happy with Vern's face, but I think it's the angle more than anything. Roe certainly listened to my concerns about Coyote-what a difference! He's inking now. I'm dying to see the finished product! The back will have an endorsement from Jody Lynn Nye and a quip from the Publisher's Weekly review. (More on that later; publisher asked me to hold it until late Feb.)
Monday, February 09, 2009
More workshop fun
An update: Got the cover sketch from Roe. I am soooo excited! It's a fun cover--basically the characters gathered for a group shot in front of the Citrus Stars hotel. It was just an outline sketch, though, so I'm not posting it, though.
Last day of the conference is today. I've ahd a terrific time, but am suffering from BICHOK. (Butt in chair, hands on keyboard) Last night, I actually sat on an ice pack, that's how sore I am from sitting. If I ever have to do a story with a character on bedrest, I can now relate.I'm actually reclined on the couch today. Thursday, I'll try to give you some stats of the conference.
Devon's Dialogue workshop was, once again, one of the most fun for me. I used it to work on some scenes for the next DragonEye story, GapMan! Here's a snippet:
Ronnie set his elbows on the railing beside him. The scaffolding creaked at the change in weight, but he ignored it, intent on the scene below.
Captain Infinity had delivered the usual lines of "You fiend! You won't get away with this" and received the obligatory punch in the gut from a stocky dwarf minion--Kent, Ronnie realized. Hawgin threw back his head and laughed.
His voice rose. "Show him what awaits his secret beloved!" The minion fangirls bowed and rushed off, stage left. Moments later, a squad of pixies flew in. Ronnie squinted at them.
"Are they glowing?"
Goldleaf's sigh was half groan. "That's the Tweet Troupe. Studied Mundane method acting. Graduates of the 'They Were Discovered' Complete Video Course for the Aspiring Thespian."
"Is the glowing magic, then?"
"Uh, no. Radioactivity."
"For real?"
Goldleaf shrugged. "They snuck through the reactor in Los Lagos. Don't ask me how. They take their art very seriously."
Last day of the conference is today. I've ahd a terrific time, but am suffering from BICHOK. (Butt in chair, hands on keyboard) Last night, I actually sat on an ice pack, that's how sore I am from sitting. If I ever have to do a story with a character on bedrest, I can now relate.I'm actually reclined on the couch today. Thursday, I'll try to give you some stats of the conference.
Devon's Dialogue workshop was, once again, one of the most fun for me. I used it to work on some scenes for the next DragonEye story, GapMan! Here's a snippet:
Ronnie set his elbows on the railing beside him. The scaffolding creaked at the change in weight, but he ignored it, intent on the scene below.
Captain Infinity had delivered the usual lines of "You fiend! You won't get away with this" and received the obligatory punch in the gut from a stocky dwarf minion--Kent, Ronnie realized. Hawgin threw back his head and laughed.
His voice rose. "Show him what awaits his secret beloved!" The minion fangirls bowed and rushed off, stage left. Moments later, a squad of pixies flew in. Ronnie squinted at them.
"Are they glowing?"
Goldleaf's sigh was half groan. "That's the Tweet Troupe. Studied Mundane method acting. Graduates of the 'They Were Discovered' Complete Video Course for the Aspiring Thespian."
"Is the glowing magic, then?"
"Uh, no. Radioactivity."
"For real?"
Goldleaf shrugged. "They snuck through the reactor in Los Lagos. Don't ask me how. They take their art very seriously."
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Why I love Workshops
By far the most popular part of the Catholic Writers Conference Online has been the chats. We have experts from all areas of publishing come and chat for an hour, giving mini-lessons and taking questions. I usually end up transcribing them for our e-book. (BTW--If you couldn't make the conference and want to purchase the e-book, it's available for a $20 donation to the CWCO. CWCO is part of CWG, a non-profit, so you can count it as a charity or as a business expense!)
For me, however, the week-long workshops are far more useful. I love being able to put the learning into practice, and I always come away with great stuff. Monday, I shared a scene I came up with in Devon Ellington's Dialog class. Today, I want to show you the difference a few tips from Kim Richards made to a scene in Discovery that I truly hated:
I hope some of you will be able to make it to an writers conference, on- or off-line. They really are worth the time.
For me, however, the week-long workshops are far more useful. I love being able to put the learning into practice, and I always come away with great stuff. Monday, I shared a scene I came up with in Devon Ellington's Dialog class. Today, I want to show you the difference a few tips from Kim Richards made to a scene in Discovery that I truly hated:
OLD: James managed to make it to the auditorium as the last of the stragglers were coming in. About half of the researchers had decided to come to the briefing. Some wanted to see the images of the alien ship again. Some were curious to see the miner's reactions. He noticed that they all took spots opposite the Rocky Flat's team, who had taken position in a lopsided semi-circle around Hayden and his senior staff, forming their own island of humanity among the dark, empty seats.
Hayden sat in the front row, Captain Addiman to his left and Andy to his right; then Sister Ann, Sister Thomas, and Rita. After Rita, the row sat empty, as did the seats behind her. He watched as she gave the empty seats a seemingly incurious look. He knew she recognized the barrier.
She knows all about barriers, he thought, surprised at the bitterness of his inner voice. Then again, she'd put a barrier between them half the size of the solar system. Why couldn't she just tell me?
NEW: James managed to make it to the auditorium as the last of the stragglers were coming in. The fifteen or so researchers that crowded together at one side. Some leaned forward, hungry eyes on the blank viewscreen. More were nudging each other and looking at the Rocky Flats mining team. The miners had created their own island of humanity on the opposite side of the auditorium, chattering amongst themselves, ignoring the researchers. Hayden, his senior staff and the Rescue Sisters stretched between the groups like an incomplete bridge.
Rita formed the last bit of that bridge. She gave the empty seats around her an incurious look, but James knew she recognized the invisible barrier they formed.
She knows all about barriers, he thought, surprised at the bitterness of his inner voice. Then again, she'd put a barrier between them half the size of the solar system. Why couldn't she just tell me?
I hope some of you will be able to make it to an writers conference, on- or off-line. They really are worth the time.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
CWCO: Workshop assignment
What a day yesterday was at the Catholic Writers Conference Online! Eleven hours of informative chats on everything from generating ideas to polishing manuscripts. We have seven more to go!
I was up until 1:30 working on the homework in the forums workshops. Those really are my fave, because I get to practice my skills. Devon Ellington always has a fun dialogue workshop. I'm using it to generate ideas for the next DragonEye, PI novel, GapMan! Thought you'd like the snippet:
Assignment: Two characters are traveling. As they do, they discuss a situation, and a third person.
With a moan and an arthritic grinding of gears, the conveyor belt started moving. The gaps and hills made by the rollers beneath her caused her to bump up and down.
Kitty tugged and pulled at the cords that held her bound. She kicked her legs, trying to pull free of the bond that held her ankles together, and caught her heel on the rubber of the conveyor belt. She snarled in frustration, went back to twisting her hands--
"Would you stop? You're poking my back!"
She turned her head to snarl at her fellow captive. "Well, do something, GapMan! Snap the bonds. Fly us out of here. Something!"
"You think I haven't tried? I can't. The bonds are made of Faeriemet."
"Like kryptonite. Great!" Kitty groaned with despair, then with pain as she threw her head back, whacking the back of his. "Who thinks to make a cable out of Faeriemet?"
"I dunno--maybe someone who's read your interview? I thought that was off the record."
"Oh, so this is my fault now?'
"Now that you mention it."
"Look! I was just doing my job--"
"Gee, me, too. Look where that got us."
She dug her heels into the rubber and tried to pull herself forward against the motion of the conveyor. The ropes dug into her chest as the weight behind her didn't budge.
"Help me!"
"What do you think I was trying to do! But would you follow me to safety? 'Just a few more minutes. Let's see what's behind that door.'" His voice went high and twisty in a nasty parody of hers. "Any more brilliant suggestions?"
"I don't think you're properly motivated!"
GapMan barked a most unheroic laugh. "Motivated? Who's the one facing the incinerator? What else did you write?"
"What?"
"What else did you write? Am I going to find a picture of myself in Faerie-Mundane Quarterly? The sequel to 'I dated a Faerie Dragon'?"
"Could we talk about this another time?"
An increase in pitch in the engines.
"It's speeding up!" Her voice wobbled in time with the bumping of her tailbone on the belt. She twisted and pulled, trying to drag him with her. They wobbled toward the edge.
"Stop it! That's a 30-foot drop!"
"Better than burning to death!"
"He was right about you, you know!"
"Who?"
"Vern!" his shout echoed across the abandoned factory.
Hers was nearly as loud. "You've been talking to me about Vern?"
"No, you idiot! I'm calling for help. Vern! Help us!"
"NO! Not him, not!" She twisted, caught a glimpse of the glowing Destination of Death, shrieked through her teeth. Slamming her heels against the conveyor belt more in tantrum in terror, she screwed up her face and screamed, "Vern!"
I was up until 1:30 working on the homework in the forums workshops. Those really are my fave, because I get to practice my skills. Devon Ellington always has a fun dialogue workshop. I'm using it to generate ideas for the next DragonEye, PI novel, GapMan! Thought you'd like the snippet:
Assignment: Two characters are traveling. As they do, they discuss a situation, and a third person.
With a moan and an arthritic grinding of gears, the conveyor belt started moving. The gaps and hills made by the rollers beneath her caused her to bump up and down.
Kitty tugged and pulled at the cords that held her bound. She kicked her legs, trying to pull free of the bond that held her ankles together, and caught her heel on the rubber of the conveyor belt. She snarled in frustration, went back to twisting her hands--
"Would you stop? You're poking my back!"
She turned her head to snarl at her fellow captive. "Well, do something, GapMan! Snap the bonds. Fly us out of here. Something!"
"You think I haven't tried? I can't. The bonds are made of Faeriemet."
"Like kryptonite. Great!" Kitty groaned with despair, then with pain as she threw her head back, whacking the back of his. "Who thinks to make a cable out of Faeriemet?"
"I dunno--maybe someone who's read your interview? I thought that was off the record."
"Oh, so this is my fault now?'
"Now that you mention it."
"Look! I was just doing my job--"
"Gee, me, too. Look where that got us."
She dug her heels into the rubber and tried to pull herself forward against the motion of the conveyor. The ropes dug into her chest as the weight behind her didn't budge.
"Help me!"
"What do you think I was trying to do! But would you follow me to safety? 'Just a few more minutes. Let's see what's behind that door.'" His voice went high and twisty in a nasty parody of hers. "Any more brilliant suggestions?"
"I don't think you're properly motivated!"
GapMan barked a most unheroic laugh. "Motivated? Who's the one facing the incinerator? What else did you write?"
"What?"
"What else did you write? Am I going to find a picture of myself in Faerie-Mundane Quarterly? The sequel to 'I dated a Faerie Dragon'?"
"Could we talk about this another time?"
An increase in pitch in the engines.
"It's speeding up!" Her voice wobbled in time with the bumping of her tailbone on the belt. She twisted and pulled, trying to drag him with her. They wobbled toward the edge.
"Stop it! That's a 30-foot drop!"
"Better than burning to death!"
"He was right about you, you know!"
"Who?"
"Vern!" his shout echoed across the abandoned factory.
Hers was nearly as loud. "You've been talking to me about Vern?"
"No, you idiot! I'm calling for help. Vern! Help us!"
"NO! Not him, not!" She twisted, caught a glimpse of the glowing Destination of Death, shrieked through her teeth. Slamming her heels against the conveyor belt more in tantrum in terror, she screwed up her face and screamed, "Vern!"
Thursday, January 29, 2009
More character sketches for Roe!
It's so much fun to see what an artist can do with your characters. Sometimes, the resutls are...mystifying, like when a magazine artist made drew of my Rescue Sisters in a form fitting spacesuit--and gave her a figure that would have made Barbie jealous. And inhumanly large hands. Needless to say, the magazine ran a different illustration, but I kept a copy of the sketch in my files. To this day, I wonder just what I wrote in the story to have made him imagine a nun looking like that.
Roe Mesquita, cover artist for Magic, Mensa and Mayhem, has not read the book. He's been going off the descriptions I've sent him (and some pictures off the Internet.) A couple of days ago, he sent these sketches of the supporting characters:
I'm thrilled with the results. I love how with just a few details, he managed to capture the personality as well as the look of most of these characters.
Galendor: I gave Roe a picture of Legolas for this one, and told him to age it a bit. Galendor looks angry because in the cover, he and Gozon will be fighting. I wasn't sure about the cheekbones, but I like him.
Gozon: Oh! Roe caught the aging powerful beaurocrat look very well. Gozon will always look like this in my mind now.
Sister Grace: By far, my favorite. Sweet and intelligent. In Live and Let Fly, Vern comments that he could be happy just watching Grace smile at him all day. Vern adores this sketch.
Kent is actually Garn, but that was my bad--I switched the names in the description. I love him, though, and Garn is who we need for the cover, anyway.
Galinda is just lovely, with a touch of pert. I'd always imagined Galinda with tight waves in her hair for some reason, but didn't mention them in the description. I'm glad I didn't--Roe's sketch is so Faerie Princess in the Mundane world.
Coyote: I didn't like Coyote much at first, and my daughter Amber agrees. We'd always imagined him more "boy band" and less "Geronimo." Rob, however, tooka look and commented, "Not what I expected, but he nailed him." So I looked at some photos online of Native Americans and that is the right face. However, the expression is wrong. No matter how conniving Coyote may be, it never shows on his face. He's the happy-go-lucky dog type--the kind that gets into your trash can and looks at you as if saying, "I found the bacon grease! Aren't you so proud? What a fun game! Can I have a cookie now?" I sent him back some photos of panting coyotes and happy Labradors to give him an idea of what I mean.
Roe Mesquita, cover artist for Magic, Mensa and Mayhem, has not read the book. He's been going off the descriptions I've sent him (and some pictures off the Internet.) A couple of days ago, he sent these sketches of the supporting characters:
I'm thrilled with the results. I love how with just a few details, he managed to capture the personality as well as the look of most of these characters.
Galendor: I gave Roe a picture of Legolas for this one, and told him to age it a bit. Galendor looks angry because in the cover, he and Gozon will be fighting. I wasn't sure about the cheekbones, but I like him.
Gozon: Oh! Roe caught the aging powerful beaurocrat look very well. Gozon will always look like this in my mind now.
Sister Grace: By far, my favorite. Sweet and intelligent. In Live and Let Fly, Vern comments that he could be happy just watching Grace smile at him all day. Vern adores this sketch.
Kent is actually Garn, but that was my bad--I switched the names in the description. I love him, though, and Garn is who we need for the cover, anyway.
Galinda is just lovely, with a touch of pert. I'd always imagined Galinda with tight waves in her hair for some reason, but didn't mention them in the description. I'm glad I didn't--Roe's sketch is so Faerie Princess in the Mundane world.
Coyote: I didn't like Coyote much at first, and my daughter Amber agrees. We'd always imagined him more "boy band" and less "Geronimo." Rob, however, tooka look and commented, "Not what I expected, but he nailed him." So I looked at some photos online of Native Americans and that is the right face. However, the expression is wrong. No matter how conniving Coyote may be, it never shows on his face. He's the happy-go-lucky dog type--the kind that gets into your trash can and looks at you as if saying, "I found the bacon grease! Aren't you so proud? What a fun game! Can I have a cookie now?" I sent him back some photos of panting coyotes and happy Labradors to give him an idea of what I mean.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Fun Working with a Cover Artist
I've said it before and I'll say it again: one great thing about working with a small press is getting to work with the cover artist.
Roe has already considered my suggestions and come back with the next iteration of Vern. I love it. I feel like he's caught the fun side of Vern's personality, which, really, Vern has just been discovering himself.
The only thing I still didn't like are the eyes. In part, I'm not thrilled with the "googly" factor (the circle and lines surrounding the eyeball), but more than that, I've made a big point in Live and Let Fly that Vern has 270 degree vision because of the position of his eyes--but that he can only see directly in front of him because of magic. In Live and Let Fly, as his magic drains, he starts going blind in front of his nose.
I'd already sent Roe some links to illustrations of the eyes I was thinking of, so to make sure he understood what I meant, this time, I decided to draw them myself.
As you can see, I traced over his sketches and made my changes. I'm a good tracer. :) I know he'll make it look terrific.
Someone asked me about the style we'd chosen, and why we didn't go for something more grand. We deliberately chose a cartoony/caricature style because it best suits the tone of the book. I spent an hour in the bookstore looking at the different cover styles and deciding what they said to me. Even the painting-style covers of books I knew were humorous did not say "slapstick," and they tended to blend in with the high fantasy or even get pushed out of the limelight. However, these covers stand out:
Myth, Inc. by Robert Asprin (RIP) and Jody Lynn Nye are similar in tone to Magic, Mensa and Mayhem and Phil Foglio's covers reflect the book perfectly. I wanted the same for MM&M. In fact, if I'd thought I had a chance at getting Foglio, I'd have jumped, but I'm glad I got Roe Mesquita. He's great to work with.
Roe has already considered my suggestions and come back with the next iteration of Vern. I love it. I feel like he's caught the fun side of Vern's personality, which, really, Vern has just been discovering himself.
The only thing I still didn't like are the eyes. In part, I'm not thrilled with the "googly" factor (the circle and lines surrounding the eyeball), but more than that, I've made a big point in Live and Let Fly that Vern has 270 degree vision because of the position of his eyes--but that he can only see directly in front of him because of magic. In Live and Let Fly, as his magic drains, he starts going blind in front of his nose.
I'd already sent Roe some links to illustrations of the eyes I was thinking of, so to make sure he understood what I meant, this time, I decided to draw them myself.
As you can see, I traced over his sketches and made my changes. I'm a good tracer. :) I know he'll make it look terrific.
Someone asked me about the style we'd chosen, and why we didn't go for something more grand. We deliberately chose a cartoony/caricature style because it best suits the tone of the book. I spent an hour in the bookstore looking at the different cover styles and deciding what they said to me. Even the painting-style covers of books I knew were humorous did not say "slapstick," and they tended to blend in with the high fantasy or even get pushed out of the limelight. However, these covers stand out:
Myth, Inc. by Robert Asprin (RIP) and Jody Lynn Nye are similar in tone to Magic, Mensa and Mayhem and Phil Foglio's covers reflect the book perfectly. I wanted the same for MM&M. In fact, if I'd thought I had a chance at getting Foglio, I'd have jumped, but I'm glad I got Roe Mesquita. He's great to work with.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Making an Obamanation out of Simple Responsibility
We have a new President, and I know a lot of people are excited about that, but I've got to tell you, the Obama-rama is really starting to annoy me.
Frankly, this doesn't even have to do with President Obama himself. (That's a separate issue.) It's the "celebrating a new era" that really is the old era for most of us, just with fancier dressing. Case in point is a YouTube video about how Obama is ushering in a "new era" of personal responsibility. I won't post the YouTube link because I refuse to submit anyone to such schmaltzy feel-good celebrity back-patting. Essentially, you have about 15 seconds of flashy OBAMA hype followed by a bunch of celebrities smiling as they pledge to do the kind of things ordinary people have been doing for ages:
What is boils down to is "I pledge to take part in propagandizing responsible behavior as as something newly inspired by the Obama administration."
It's along the lines of all those commercials of movie stars who were nowhere near New York nor had family there talking about how 9-11 has traumatized them and changed their lives. By airing their personal pain, they trivialize the people who were experiencing real pain--and not just in the US. In the same way, this "celebrate Obama" video trivializes the millions of ordinary citizens who don't pledge but have actually been good parents, worked for charities, spent years of studying in order to become the kind of people who can find a cure for Alzheimer's, continue working for a charity (big or small) without advertising themselves, and have not bought into the need to separate themselves from our joint heritage by making themselves a sub-section of the American people.
Are we really such a spoiled brat people that we need to wear our tragedies like badges of honor and our responsibilities like a medal?
I wish I had the resources to make a counter video. I'd show my friend, living alone in Alaska with six kids while her husband is deployed to Korea. There's a good mom.
I'd show people actually working in the soup kitchens and doing food drives like they have for years. They are feeding the poor. I'd show the PhD who can't afford a nice car because he's still paying off student loans while he does post-doc work in neurology. He's our best hope to find a cure for Alzheimer's.
And I'd post this guy. Here's someone who has been looking past his color to look at the issues not because it's the new "cool." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acQluy7nymw&feature=channel
One more thing: this is an interesting take on the "difference" between what Bush and Obama say. Skip the sarcasm in the beginning but look at the clips from their speeches: http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=216538&title=changefest-09-obamas-inaugural
Guess what? Some things never change--they just want you to believe they have.
Frankly, this doesn't even have to do with President Obama himself. (That's a separate issue.) It's the "celebrating a new era" that really is the old era for most of us, just with fancier dressing. Case in point is a YouTube video about how Obama is ushering in a "new era" of personal responsibility. I won't post the YouTube link because I refuse to submit anyone to such schmaltzy feel-good celebrity back-patting. Essentially, you have about 15 seconds of flashy OBAMA hype followed by a bunch of celebrities smiling as they pledge to do the kind of things ordinary people have been doing for ages:
* be a good mother (WHAT was she before?)
* help feed the poor (been doing that for years myself--is this a new idea?)
* find a cure of Alheimers (with her theater degree?)
* I pledge to CONTINUE my work for Unicef (so she's already been doing something good, but now that Obama is President, it's special?)
* consider themselves a American and not an African-American (This one makes me especially furious because its what we ALL should have been doing for ages.)
What is boils down to is "I pledge to take part in propagandizing responsible behavior as as something newly inspired by the Obama administration."
It's along the lines of all those commercials of movie stars who were nowhere near New York nor had family there talking about how 9-11 has traumatized them and changed their lives. By airing their personal pain, they trivialize the people who were experiencing real pain--and not just in the US. In the same way, this "celebrate Obama" video trivializes the millions of ordinary citizens who don't pledge but have actually been good parents, worked for charities, spent years of studying in order to become the kind of people who can find a cure for Alzheimer's, continue working for a charity (big or small) without advertising themselves, and have not bought into the need to separate themselves from our joint heritage by making themselves a sub-section of the American people.
Are we really such a spoiled brat people that we need to wear our tragedies like badges of honor and our responsibilities like a medal?
I wish I had the resources to make a counter video. I'd show my friend, living alone in Alaska with six kids while her husband is deployed to Korea. There's a good mom.
I'd show people actually working in the soup kitchens and doing food drives like they have for years. They are feeding the poor. I'd show the PhD who can't afford a nice car because he's still paying off student loans while he does post-doc work in neurology. He's our best hope to find a cure for Alzheimer's.
And I'd post this guy. Here's someone who has been looking past his color to look at the issues not because it's the new "cool." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acQluy7nymw&feature=channel
One more thing: this is an interesting take on the "difference" between what Bush and Obama say. Skip the sarcasm in the beginning but look at the clips from their speeches: http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=216538&title=changefest-09-obamas-inaugural
Guess what? Some things never change--they just want you to believe they have.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The Chili of 1989 Lives Again!
The first meal I ever made for Rob was before we were dating. I was having a movie night and made a big pot of chili. It was my first experience with chili, so I spent a lot of time fussing over it. I'd add spice, stir, taste, add a little more... When it was just right, I put the pot in the fridge. I'd made it in the morning, and the party was late afternoon.
No one ever told me the awesome power of steeping chilis. In four short hours, that chili went from "just right" to "nuclear fusion." Even the most stout-hearted of taste buds survived only after a liberal amount of cheese, crackers and milk. It made culinary history, along with the Gravy That Stood On Its Own and the Turkey That Set The Oven Afire.
This weekend, my daughter had her Confirmation retreat. I agreed to make chili for the kids. I've become quite a pro at it, and usually make it mild in deference to my kids. I thought, "These are teens, so I'll spice it a bit." I tasted, added, tasted, added...
And stopped. I remembered the chili of 1989.
What I didn't remember was that I was supposed to make chili for Saturday, not Friday. So I had to take the pot back home and stick it in the fridge, where it steeped and chili juice seeped for 24 hours.
Yes, The Chili of 1989 Lives Again!
Fortunately, someone else made mild chili, so they mixed it. It gave them a few laughs--and me, too--and we brought the leftovers home. Where they are steeping in the fridge.
My youngest, the spicy daredevil, wants some for lunch. I have a gallon of Lactaid waiting.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
We have a cover artist!
W00t! We have a cover artist for Magic, Mensa and Mayhem!
The other artists I'd mentioned earlier did some sketches of Vern, and although they are very talented, they didn't get the feel Dindy (the publisher) and I wanted, so we started the search anew. We considered about a dozen other artists as recommended by friends and acquaintances. I perused art websites and DeviantArt... I was getting worried.
Last week, three talented finalists sent their sketches. One by Gregory Price made me laugh.
It wasn't quite Vernish. I sent him some suggestions; lots of suggestions. Maybe I scared him? Either way, he had a family emergency happen after Christmas and could not have completed the work.
Another artist, Justin Shauf, Sent me this one at the last minute. Can you believe this is his first time drawing a dragon?
My daughter, who goes by Amblifier, had a great sketch going, but at 13 wasn't ready for the assignment, and didnt' get the sketch done by deadline. However, her concept was very good. You may see some of her stuff on my stories I sell as PDFs later. She wants to finish her sketch before I put it up.
So, we have Roe. Yay! Dindy found him on Deviant Art, and he's doing another cover for her, so we know he has experience. Roe is from Brazil and had a comic-book style that I wanted for MM&M. English is his second language, so I was very impressed that he was able to parse my long-winded description of Vern and come up with the sketches above. (I sketched the changes I thought needed to be done.)
I'm relieved the search is over and excited to see what the cover looks like.
Want to know how Vern felt about being sketched? Go to www.dragoneyepi.net and read it for yourself.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Friday, January 09, 2009
Thursday, January 08, 2009
A Dragon's Eye View Newsletter Out!
I've started a newsletter about my DragonEye, PI universe that I love to write about. A Dragon's Eye View comes out bi-monthly and includes a short article from me, a rant from Vern, Faerie Facts and special offers. It's available to DragonEye, PI members, so sign up today.
In the inaugural issue:
* How Karina came up with the idea for DragonEye, PI
* Vern rants about human misconceptions regarding dragons
* Vern's explanation of the Faerie World (from Magic, Mensa and Mayhem, coming March 2009 from Swimming Kangaroo)
* Special offers and events
Sneak Peak:
* I am not a fire hazard. I can control my fire better than you can control your bowels, thank you very much. Also, it took me over 800 years of service to earn my fire back--I am not going to lose it because you annoyed me, forgot the title of my book, called me a dinosaur, whatever. I can deal with you in other ways.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Monday, January 05, 2009
Catholic Writers Conference Online--register by Jan 15!
Hi, folks!
Just a reminder that the second annual Catholic Writers’ Conference Online will be held February 2-9, 2009. The online conference is free of charge and open to writers of all levels who register by January 15.
This year's conference boasts 60 presentations with over 40 editors and writing professionals from all over the country presenting. Editors on this year’s faculty include Brian Saint-Paul (InsideCatholic.com), Ami McConnell (Thomas Nelson Publishers), Susan Brinkman (Canticle Magazine), diocesan newspaper editor Kyle Eller, and Sister Maria Grace (Pauline Books & Media). Lea Schizas, Terri Main, Frank Creed, Karina Fabian, Devon Ellington, Mark Shea, Melanie Rigney, Michelle Buckman, and Tom Grace will also be presenting in their areas of expertise.
Workshops include: writing humor, worldbuilding, characterization, idea generation, writing devotions, writing and canon law, the business of writing, editing your manuscripts, crossing genres, virtual book tours, selling yourself and your works, and more.
In addition, at least five publishers will be holding pitch sessions, including Loyola, Pauline, Twenty-Third Publications and Our Sunday Visitor. (Pitch sessions require separate registration and authors must ensure their work meets the requirements of the publisher.)
This is open to all writers, but we ask that you respect our faith. Anyone using this conference as an opportunity to troll, argue or "evangelize" will be removed.
Registration closes January 15. Although the conference is offered free of charge, donations are accepted; proceeds will go toward future conferences. To register or for more information, go to http://www.catholicwritersconference.com.
Blessings,
Karina Fabian
www.fabianspace.com
www.dragoneyepi.net
Just a reminder that the second annual Catholic Writers’ Conference Online will be held February 2-9, 2009. The online conference is free of charge and open to writers of all levels who register by January 15.
This year's conference boasts 60 presentations with over 40 editors and writing professionals from all over the country presenting. Editors on this year’s faculty include Brian Saint-Paul (InsideCatholic.com), Ami McConnell (Thomas Nelson Publishers), Susan Brinkman (Canticle Magazine), diocesan newspaper editor Kyle Eller, and Sister Maria Grace (Pauline Books & Media). Lea Schizas, Terri Main, Frank Creed, Karina Fabian, Devon Ellington, Mark Shea, Melanie Rigney, Michelle Buckman, and Tom Grace will also be presenting in their areas of expertise.
Workshops include: writing humor, worldbuilding, characterization, idea generation, writing devotions, writing and canon law, the business of writing, editing your manuscripts, crossing genres, virtual book tours, selling yourself and your works, and more.
In addition, at least five publishers will be holding pitch sessions, including Loyola, Pauline, Twenty-Third Publications and Our Sunday Visitor. (Pitch sessions require separate registration and authors must ensure their work meets the requirements of the publisher.)
This is open to all writers, but we ask that you respect our faith. Anyone using this conference as an opportunity to troll, argue or "evangelize" will be removed.
Registration closes January 15. Although the conference is offered free of charge, donations are accepted; proceeds will go toward future conferences. To register or for more information, go to http://www.catholicwritersconference.com.
Blessings,
Karina Fabian
www.fabianspace.com
www.dragoneyepi.net
Thursday, January 01, 2009
2009 Goals: Making and Sharing
Happy New Year!
Did you make some resolutions? I did.
Resolutions are easy. Making them come true--that's hard.
The only way to do that is to make goals. A lot of people make goals, but how many of us meet them? Perhaps the problem is not in our effort but in the goal itself.
When I was in the military, they taught us the key to making goals is that they have to be realistic, measurable and specific. Based on that, I might then change a resolution from "develop a big DragonEye, PI fan base" to "have 200 people registered on the DragonEye,PI website."
However, that's still not really a goal. Why? Because it depends on other people. After all, I can work and work to get contracts on my Miscria novel, but if it's wrong for the market, or the publisher has a big backlog, or there's some (eek) fatal flaw in the manuscript I can't see and no one's taken time or energy to tell me about, then I'll never meet the goal no matter how hard I try.
Goals need to be something you can achieve, on your own. You want your goals to work for a desired result that may depend on others, but the success comes from doing what you can do.
With that in mind, here are my 2009 goals:
What are your goals for 2009? Share a couple with me.
I'm pleased to announce that the latest issue of Wayfarer's Journal has my sci-fi story, "Code Seven. Check it out online!
If you'd like to get the DragonEye, PI newsletter, be sure to register on the website: www.dragoneyepi.net. I'm posting the first issue tomorrow!
Did you make some resolutions? I did.
--Lose weight and gain strength
--Get contracts on two books
--Sell some stories and thousands of books
--Develop a big fan base for DragonEye, PI
--Get the many projects in the Catholic Writers Guild running smoothly
Resolutions are easy. Making them come true--that's hard.
The only way to do that is to make goals. A lot of people make goals, but how many of us meet them? Perhaps the problem is not in our effort but in the goal itself.
When I was in the military, they taught us the key to making goals is that they have to be realistic, measurable and specific. Based on that, I might then change a resolution from "develop a big DragonEye, PI fan base" to "have 200 people registered on the DragonEye,PI website."
However, that's still not really a goal. Why? Because it depends on other people. After all, I can work and work to get contracts on my Miscria novel, but if it's wrong for the market, or the publisher has a big backlog, or there's some (eek) fatal flaw in the manuscript I can't see and no one's taken time or energy to tell me about, then I'll never meet the goal no matter how hard I try.
Goals need to be something you can achieve, on your own. You want your goals to work for a desired result that may depend on others, but the success comes from doing what you can do.
With that in mind, here are my 2009 goals:
1. Publish 6 DragonEye, PI newsletters.
2. Publish 4 issues of Faith-Filled Fiction.
3. Sell 4 stories via my dragoneyepi website.
4. Submit ISIG II to publisher (Jan 5)
5. Submit proposal for Discovery (end of Jan)
6. Finish Discovery (end of March)
7. Write next DragonEye, PI novel (end of November)
8. Set up a better system for reminding CWG officers and project heads about their duties so that more gets accomplished this year.
9. Contact 50 university and 50 high school markets about ISIG I.
10. Write an article about using SF for teaching morals and theology and submit to homeschool mags.
11. Make a new workshop for MuseCon.
12. Write chapter on Internet Marketing for book (mid Feb deadline! eek!)
13. Lose 20 pounds by working out on the elliptical 4 times a week and cutting down snacks to one a day.
14. Submit Miscria to at least four publishers or agents
15. Submit at least 6 stories to magazines.
What are your goals for 2009? Share a couple with me.
I'm pleased to announce that the latest issue of Wayfarer's Journal has my sci-fi story, "Code Seven. Check it out online!
If you'd like to get the DragonEye, PI newsletter, be sure to register on the website: www.dragoneyepi.net. I'm posting the first issue tomorrow!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Amish Friendship Bread--Chain Mail as Food!
If you've read my blogs for awhile--or if you just know me--you know my low opinion of those "forward me" e-mails that never seem to die. You know--the kind that beseech you to pass it on to 5 or 10 or 50 of your "closest" friends--but only if you truly love them? The gift that keeps on cursing!
Little did I know that the Amish have their own low-tech version of the "forward to your friends" curse.
At after-Mass fellowship early in December, Rob brought over a bag full of dough and a sheet of paper: Amish Friendship Bread.
"Thought you might like to try it. Could be fun," he said.
Warning bells should have gone off. After all, was he going to make the bread? Was he going to clean up afterwards? Did he read the instructions? But no, naïve and trusting, I thought, "Sounds neat," and took the little bag of trouble home.
And actually, it was kind of fun. For five days, all you do is squish the bag. Kind of takes you back to when you were a kid and got to play with dough--only not as messy. Day five, you add more ingredients and continue to squish the bag for five days more. (And of course, realize that I have not read ahead in the directions.)
Day ten, they drop the bomb--or, to keep it Amish, swing the scythe.
Now you pour the bag into the bowl, add more ingredients and separate out four more bags of the stuff to give your friends!
It's a chain letter with food guilt!
It gets better: The instructions for actually making the bread are more complex than any I've worked with in a long time--with 11 ingredients, plus the starter. One of the ingredients is Instant Vanilla Pudding! (So much for being Amish. Or did they take pity on us "gentiles"? So Amish women really make vanilla pudding from scratch just to toss into this bread recipe?)
.JPG)
I was a sport. I made the bread. It's not bread. It's dessert! It's so wonderful, it's almost sinful. If I'd been on a diet, it would have ruined it totally. I decided to save one bag of starter for myself and give the other three away.
Did I mention that most of my friends are long-distance? By the end of the week, I'd only managed to find two victims--er, friends--and those were the boys' teachers, who would never turn down such a loving gift from such a sweet face. (The boys', not mine.) Meanwhile, squish, squish, squish.
Christmas rolled around, and I still had two bags of the stuff. I decided to go ahead and do a mega-bake-off, cook the entire contents of one and split the other. I'd give folks a completed bread and the starter and the instructions--with the additional instruction of "If you don’t want to hassle, just toss it. I won't be offended!"
.JPG)
That was three days ago. I've managed to give one bag away.
Which reminds me. I'd better go squish the dough.
Little did I know that the Amish have their own low-tech version of the "forward to your friends" curse.
At after-Mass fellowship early in December, Rob brought over a bag full of dough and a sheet of paper: Amish Friendship Bread.
"Thought you might like to try it. Could be fun," he said.
Warning bells should have gone off. After all, was he going to make the bread? Was he going to clean up afterwards? Did he read the instructions? But no, naïve and trusting, I thought, "Sounds neat," and took the little bag of trouble home.
And actually, it was kind of fun. For five days, all you do is squish the bag. Kind of takes you back to when you were a kid and got to play with dough--only not as messy. Day five, you add more ingredients and continue to squish the bag for five days more. (And of course, realize that I have not read ahead in the directions.)
Day ten, they drop the bomb--or, to keep it Amish, swing the scythe.
Now you pour the bag into the bowl, add more ingredients and separate out four more bags of the stuff to give your friends!
It's a chain letter with food guilt!
It gets better: The instructions for actually making the bread are more complex than any I've worked with in a long time--with 11 ingredients, plus the starter. One of the ingredients is Instant Vanilla Pudding! (So much for being Amish. Or did they take pity on us "gentiles"? So Amish women really make vanilla pudding from scratch just to toss into this bread recipe?)
.JPG)
I was a sport. I made the bread. It's not bread. It's dessert! It's so wonderful, it's almost sinful. If I'd been on a diet, it would have ruined it totally. I decided to save one bag of starter for myself and give the other three away.
Did I mention that most of my friends are long-distance? By the end of the week, I'd only managed to find two victims--er, friends--and those were the boys' teachers, who would never turn down such a loving gift from such a sweet face. (The boys', not mine.) Meanwhile, squish, squish, squish.
Christmas rolled around, and I still had two bags of the stuff. I decided to go ahead and do a mega-bake-off, cook the entire contents of one and split the other. I'd give folks a completed bread and the starter and the instructions--with the additional instruction of "If you don’t want to hassle, just toss it. I won't be offended!"
.JPG)
That was three days ago. I've managed to give one bag away.
Which reminds me. I'd better go squish the dough.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
My Novel's Journey: Reactions and Writing Group Reactions
You're on an asteroid mining team has just been hired for a secret mission. Your supervisor will only tell you that it's the most amazing thing you'll ever do and that it'll pay a wonderfully obscene amount of money plus a percentage of what you recover.
Your team boards a ship heading to the edge of the solar system. You find it populated with a minimal crew and a bunch of scientists who lord it over you like you're some kind of ditch digger from Earth. No one will tell you anything until the mission commander (an astronomy professor who's enjoying his time as King of the Hill) decides to brief the entire team.
The time comes--and you learn you're about to excavate the first-ever discovered alien spacecraft.
How do you react?
This is the question I was struggling with for Discovery. My group of miners were on the ship Edwina Thomas heading to the Kuiper Belt for a week before the Rescue Sisters could join them, and only then would Dr. Thoren agree to brief everyone. In the first draft, he had already briefed everyone but the sisters, but I thought it'd show his controlling nature to make them all wait. Besides, it'd be fun to write the reactions.
I wanted a range of reactions, so I asked some of my favorite groups. I got surprisingly similar answers. As one friend summed it, "Fear or excitement. that's about it."
But is it? There's denial, stunned silence, awe, even greed for what they might find and sell. (In this future, which has become highly commercialized in the academic circles, that's actually the prevailing motivation: how can this turn a profit and improve my stature?) Then there're those like Sister Thomas, who simply look at it from a practical standpoint; or Sister Ann, who immediately empathizes with the aliens who have died and starts praying a rosary for them.
And of course, humor, because I don't write anything without a little bit of fun.
It's always interesting to ask questions like this and see what ideas you get, but when it comes to writing, you have to know your characters' personalities to get their reactions. No one can dictate those for you.
Fave Phrase: Here's how the scene panned out. I don't see Thorem saying "all right!" so I need some more pompous exclamation for him.
"Ladies and gentlemen--"
He put a hologram of the alien ship.
Sleek and dark against the gray of the asteroid, the ship rested. Six arms, like crescent moons arched away then back toward a roughly ball-shaped center, then ends of one settling on the join of the next, except for one that was half-buried under rubble from the crash. Even after months of studying it, Kris never tired of admiring the design, or what it meant for humankind:
"--we are not alone."
There was a moment of silence, then.
"Oh, vac! How long are you going to yank our chain?"
"He's serious, Harper," Hayden said.
"You're kidding right? Why wouldn't we have seen it by now?" Fred Harper griped.
"No one's looked!" Kris said. He almost yelled; the answer seemed so blindingly obvious. He pulled up another hologram--this one of the solar system and the route taken by the Seeker probe. While he tried to explain about the probe and how he'd happened upon this discovery, the miners started talking amongst themselves. Some were hooting with joy, others shaking their heads, but a few were snarling. Did they think he was still lying? He kept talking, but cast an uneasy glance at Dr. Thoren.
Hayden snapped, "All right, people, focus. You can gripe about the bet later."
"--on the far side of the asteroid when it crashed-- Wait a minute. You had a bet?"
"Sure. On what we were digging up."
"And I won," Dale Michaels said smugly.
"Right and I don't believe for a minute you--"
"Mr. David!" Sister Ann spoke up. "Your ship didn't crash. Did it, Tommie?"
Sr. Thomas mashed her lips together a moment, then said, "No. It's not a great landing, but it's not a crash. An uncontrolled collision and that ship would have blasted that rock apart. Instead..." She got up and walked to the display. By setting her hands on the section she wanted, she was able to rotate it toward the miners and enlarge. She pointed to one area. Kris walked around so he could see as well.
"Instead, you have this one spoke that's dug into the side of the asteroid. They had to have been going pretty slow at this point, or they'd have sheared off that part of the rock. More of an angle, and they might have caught and flipped. Of course this is all looking at it like a human pilot."
"What if it's an anchor, like the screw on a MiGR?" Sr. Rita asked.
Sr. Thomas was looking over the ship carefully, causing the miners to holler for her to move away so they could see. "I don't see much damage at all. Are we sure it's a ship and not a station?"
"Uh, we're really not sure of anything," Kris answered. From the corner of his eye, he saw Andy grinning. Did she wink at him? He looked hear way, but she'd turned to the youngest nun.
Sr. Thomas grunted. "Hope for a ship. Easier to move."
"I'm all for easy!" one of the miners called out and promptly received a number of derogatory comments from his peers. Side conversations started as the miners, now accepting that these people at least believed they'd found an alien ship and weren't pulling some kind of sick practical joke, speculated on what they'd find, how they'd extract it...
The noise rose, but Kris didn't care. Interspersed among the mundane discussions of equipment and procedures, he heard comments like "I hope it's a station; we'll see how they lived," "What do you think they looked like?" and "Can you imagine if we find..."
Some people were almost shouting in their excitement, but under it was the whisper Kris had longed to hear: kindred spirits...
George Powers, a loudmouth even in the best of circumstances, stood and hollered, "I cannot believe we are going to be the first to encounter aliens! Actual Goddamn, fuckin' aliens!"
Sr. Ann stood and turned on the miner. "Shame on you! We don't know what God's plan is for those poor souls."
"Or how they reproduce," Galen added dryly, causing the room to erupt with laughter and a speculation of a different kind.
"All right!" Thoren called out. "Let's get back on topic, shall we?"
Your team boards a ship heading to the edge of the solar system. You find it populated with a minimal crew and a bunch of scientists who lord it over you like you're some kind of ditch digger from Earth. No one will tell you anything until the mission commander (an astronomy professor who's enjoying his time as King of the Hill) decides to brief the entire team.
The time comes--and you learn you're about to excavate the first-ever discovered alien spacecraft.
How do you react?
This is the question I was struggling with for Discovery. My group of miners were on the ship Edwina Thomas heading to the Kuiper Belt for a week before the Rescue Sisters could join them, and only then would Dr. Thoren agree to brief everyone. In the first draft, he had already briefed everyone but the sisters, but I thought it'd show his controlling nature to make them all wait. Besides, it'd be fun to write the reactions.
I wanted a range of reactions, so I asked some of my favorite groups. I got surprisingly similar answers. As one friend summed it, "Fear or excitement. that's about it."
But is it? There's denial, stunned silence, awe, even greed for what they might find and sell. (In this future, which has become highly commercialized in the academic circles, that's actually the prevailing motivation: how can this turn a profit and improve my stature?) Then there're those like Sister Thomas, who simply look at it from a practical standpoint; or Sister Ann, who immediately empathizes with the aliens who have died and starts praying a rosary for them.
And of course, humor, because I don't write anything without a little bit of fun.
It's always interesting to ask questions like this and see what ideas you get, but when it comes to writing, you have to know your characters' personalities to get their reactions. No one can dictate those for you.
Fave Phrase: Here's how the scene panned out. I don't see Thorem saying "all right!" so I need some more pompous exclamation for him.
"Ladies and gentlemen--"
He put a hologram of the alien ship.
Sleek and dark against the gray of the asteroid, the ship rested. Six arms, like crescent moons arched away then back toward a roughly ball-shaped center, then ends of one settling on the join of the next, except for one that was half-buried under rubble from the crash. Even after months of studying it, Kris never tired of admiring the design, or what it meant for humankind:
"--we are not alone."
There was a moment of silence, then.
"Oh, vac! How long are you going to yank our chain?"
"He's serious, Harper," Hayden said.
"You're kidding right? Why wouldn't we have seen it by now?" Fred Harper griped.
"No one's looked!" Kris said. He almost yelled; the answer seemed so blindingly obvious. He pulled up another hologram--this one of the solar system and the route taken by the Seeker probe. While he tried to explain about the probe and how he'd happened upon this discovery, the miners started talking amongst themselves. Some were hooting with joy, others shaking their heads, but a few were snarling. Did they think he was still lying? He kept talking, but cast an uneasy glance at Dr. Thoren.
Hayden snapped, "All right, people, focus. You can gripe about the bet later."
"--on the far side of the asteroid when it crashed-- Wait a minute. You had a bet?"
"Sure. On what we were digging up."
"And I won," Dale Michaels said smugly.
"Right and I don't believe for a minute you--"
"Mr. David!" Sister Ann spoke up. "Your ship didn't crash. Did it, Tommie?"
Sr. Thomas mashed her lips together a moment, then said, "No. It's not a great landing, but it's not a crash. An uncontrolled collision and that ship would have blasted that rock apart. Instead..." She got up and walked to the display. By setting her hands on the section she wanted, she was able to rotate it toward the miners and enlarge. She pointed to one area. Kris walked around so he could see as well.
"Instead, you have this one spoke that's dug into the side of the asteroid. They had to have been going pretty slow at this point, or they'd have sheared off that part of the rock. More of an angle, and they might have caught and flipped. Of course this is all looking at it like a human pilot."
"What if it's an anchor, like the screw on a MiGR?" Sr. Rita asked.
Sr. Thomas was looking over the ship carefully, causing the miners to holler for her to move away so they could see. "I don't see much damage at all. Are we sure it's a ship and not a station?"
"Uh, we're really not sure of anything," Kris answered. From the corner of his eye, he saw Andy grinning. Did she wink at him? He looked hear way, but she'd turned to the youngest nun.
Sr. Thomas grunted. "Hope for a ship. Easier to move."
"I'm all for easy!" one of the miners called out and promptly received a number of derogatory comments from his peers. Side conversations started as the miners, now accepting that these people at least believed they'd found an alien ship and weren't pulling some kind of sick practical joke, speculated on what they'd find, how they'd extract it...
The noise rose, but Kris didn't care. Interspersed among the mundane discussions of equipment and procedures, he heard comments like "I hope it's a station; we'll see how they lived," "What do you think they looked like?" and "Can you imagine if we find..."
Some people were almost shouting in their excitement, but under it was the whisper Kris had longed to hear: kindred spirits...
George Powers, a loudmouth even in the best of circumstances, stood and hollered, "I cannot believe we are going to be the first to encounter aliens! Actual Goddamn, fuckin' aliens!"
Sr. Ann stood and turned on the miner. "Shame on you! We don't know what God's plan is for those poor souls."
"Or how they reproduce," Galen added dryly, causing the room to erupt with laughter and a speculation of a different kind.
"All right!" Thoren called out. "Let's get back on topic, shall we?"
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Book signing in a Snowstorm
Saturday, I had a book signing at the BX, our on-base department store/mall. I'd thought about backing out, as it was snowing and a blizzard was expected that afternoon. (It never really hit, though we got a lot of blowing snow and it's been -10 to -50 all weekend.) However, they'd advertised it, and I had at least one person who'd said they'd come, so I packed my stuff in the car and braved the bitter cold. (Rob came to help me unpack. Love that man.)
As it turns out, I sold 6 books. This was the weekend for fantasy, it seemed, so five of those six were Firestorm of Dragons, although I had two folks ask for the ordering information for Infinite Space, Infinite God. I also had an interesting conversation with a lady who was completely convinced that dragons are Satan. Needless to say, I did not make a sale, but I did get a great start for Vern's first article in his newsletter, A Dragon's Eye View. (The newsletter comes out in January--to subscribe, register on the website at www.dragoneyepi.net.)
I also had the chance to use the terrific poster my daughter made for me:
As you can see, I have made it so I can adapt it for different events. You can't tell on the photo (and not live, either), but there are three page protectors in the frame. I can print up event-appropriate flyers and insert them. In this case, I was also doing a charity booksale for St. Paul the Apostle Parish, so the CWG flyer is there to advertise that.
Amber would like to make this a business, so if you'd like to have a basic background designed for your book signing poster, e-mail me and I'll get you in touch with her.
As it turns out, I sold 6 books. This was the weekend for fantasy, it seemed, so five of those six were Firestorm of Dragons, although I had two folks ask for the ordering information for Infinite Space, Infinite God. I also had an interesting conversation with a lady who was completely convinced that dragons are Satan. Needless to say, I did not make a sale, but I did get a great start for Vern's first article in his newsletter, A Dragon's Eye View. (The newsletter comes out in January--to subscribe, register on the website at www.dragoneyepi.net.)
I also had the chance to use the terrific poster my daughter made for me:
As you can see, I have made it so I can adapt it for different events. You can't tell on the photo (and not live, either), but there are three page protectors in the frame. I can print up event-appropriate flyers and insert them. In this case, I was also doing a charity booksale for St. Paul the Apostle Parish, so the CWG flyer is there to advertise that.
Amber would like to make this a business, so if you'd like to have a basic background designed for your book signing poster, e-mail me and I'll get you in touch with her.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
My Novel's Journey: Rewrite, Rewrite, Rewrite
Discovery is going far more slowly than I'd anticipated. There's something daunting about taking a two-year-old manuscript and re-writing it. On the one hand, you'd think it'd be easy, since I'm 55,000 words ahead and have the plot all lined out. However, the rehashing of scenes, the decision to keep this, scrap that, move the other is more mentally taxing than just sitting and writing afresh. Must be because I'm a seat-of-the-pants writer and not a big outliner. (LOL--I wrote "poutliner" at first--you can see my mindset.)
At any rate, with all the cutting, I've probably written 10,000 words and only have 3,000 to show for it. That's OK--they're better words. Right now, I'm re-writing a scene for the second time. It's a rather comic scene, where I illustrate some of the problems Sisters Thomas, Rita and Ann will have to deal with as far as the attitudes of the research team and the asteroid miners. The first time, I had a walk-and-talk as Andy tells them the problems. This time, I have Sister Rita have to deal with them--miners grumbling about cleaning up the messes the researchers are leaving, researchers pouting about having to keep the place so hyper-neat, researchers scattered all over the ship as they pick whatever room they feel like, and one adventurous professor who thinks handling a exoskeleton should be easy. That scene is fun--in the first write, I just mentioned that he pulled his shoulder trying to use the mechsuit. This time, I have him losing his balance, falling on his back like a turtle and putting dents in the walls as he struggles to get up, calling the whole time, "I'm OK! I can do this! I--ow!"
Second writing was from Kris David's POV. Kris is a grad student at Luna Technological Institue (yes, he's a LunaTech). He discovered the alien ship that they're going to explore. His supervisor is the leader, and a bit of a pompous jerk, so Kris is going to get slowly pushed into a leadership role. This is his first "push." I did it as a flashback, but that didn't work, so I did it again as he experienced it. However, that's not working out--there's too much him reacting to what Sister Rita does. So, I'm going to re-write it with Sister Rita in the limelight and have her observing him floundering. Then at the end, I may have his overall reaction when Andy comes over to talk to him.
In the meantime, I have my Christmas story up on the DragonEye, PI website. "Christmas Spirits: From the Case Files of DragonEye, PI" is available for download for $1.50.
Fave Phrase: Since I'm re-writing the mech suit scene, here's Sister Rita's, Sister Ann's and Sister Thomas' first view of the Edwina Thomas, the interplanetary cruise ship ColeCorp bought to carry the research team to the alien ship:
The Edwina Thomas, so named for the actress who starred in a successful series of holographic games called Lola Quintain and the Star of Vengeance, was a bullet-shaped behemoth with a shiny metallic finish and red piping along the three fins that flared over the "bottom" third of the ship.
"It's almost as big as the convent," Rita whispered, then laughed. "I can't get over the stabilizer fins, though! 'Pre-millennial motif,' indeed!"
"It gets better--look!" Tommie focused the forward screens on the stories-high painting splashed over the nose cone: A buxom woman with skin the color of expensive coffee dressed in a hardshell spacesuit posing in front of the words Edwina Thomas.
"Well, that's certainly..." She tried to think of an appropriate word and ended up snorting through her nose and falling into giggles.
"And this is what ColeCorp bought to explore an alien ship?" Tommie asked. She tried--and failed--to sound stern.
"I guess the secret's safe!" Rita managed to gasp out. The magnitude of their mission and the lack of sleep from the preparation had left her feeling punchy. She'd taken a nap, but it had been short and full of weird dreams she only half-remembered. At least the only time she had thought of James was when she prayed, and then only to notice that she hadn't thought of him. Still, laughter brought welcome release.
At any rate, with all the cutting, I've probably written 10,000 words and only have 3,000 to show for it. That's OK--they're better words. Right now, I'm re-writing a scene for the second time. It's a rather comic scene, where I illustrate some of the problems Sisters Thomas, Rita and Ann will have to deal with as far as the attitudes of the research team and the asteroid miners. The first time, I had a walk-and-talk as Andy tells them the problems. This time, I have Sister Rita have to deal with them--miners grumbling about cleaning up the messes the researchers are leaving, researchers pouting about having to keep the place so hyper-neat, researchers scattered all over the ship as they pick whatever room they feel like, and one adventurous professor who thinks handling a exoskeleton should be easy. That scene is fun--in the first write, I just mentioned that he pulled his shoulder trying to use the mechsuit. This time, I have him losing his balance, falling on his back like a turtle and putting dents in the walls as he struggles to get up, calling the whole time, "I'm OK! I can do this! I--ow!"
Second writing was from Kris David's POV. Kris is a grad student at Luna Technological Institue (yes, he's a LunaTech). He discovered the alien ship that they're going to explore. His supervisor is the leader, and a bit of a pompous jerk, so Kris is going to get slowly pushed into a leadership role. This is his first "push." I did it as a flashback, but that didn't work, so I did it again as he experienced it. However, that's not working out--there's too much him reacting to what Sister Rita does. So, I'm going to re-write it with Sister Rita in the limelight and have her observing him floundering. Then at the end, I may have his overall reaction when Andy comes over to talk to him.
In the meantime, I have my Christmas story up on the DragonEye, PI website. "Christmas Spirits: From the Case Files of DragonEye, PI" is available for download for $1.50.
Fave Phrase: Since I'm re-writing the mech suit scene, here's Sister Rita's, Sister Ann's and Sister Thomas' first view of the Edwina Thomas, the interplanetary cruise ship ColeCorp bought to carry the research team to the alien ship:
The Edwina Thomas, so named for the actress who starred in a successful series of holographic games called Lola Quintain and the Star of Vengeance, was a bullet-shaped behemoth with a shiny metallic finish and red piping along the three fins that flared over the "bottom" third of the ship.
"It's almost as big as the convent," Rita whispered, then laughed. "I can't get over the stabilizer fins, though! 'Pre-millennial motif,' indeed!"
"It gets better--look!" Tommie focused the forward screens on the stories-high painting splashed over the nose cone: A buxom woman with skin the color of expensive coffee dressed in a hardshell spacesuit posing in front of the words Edwina Thomas.
"Well, that's certainly..." She tried to think of an appropriate word and ended up snorting through her nose and falling into giggles.
"And this is what ColeCorp bought to explore an alien ship?" Tommie asked. She tried--and failed--to sound stern.
"I guess the secret's safe!" Rita managed to gasp out. The magnitude of their mission and the lack of sleep from the preparation had left her feeling punchy. She'd taken a nap, but it had been short and full of weird dreams she only half-remembered. At least the only time she had thought of James was when she prayed, and then only to notice that she hadn't thought of him. Still, laughter brought welcome release.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Christmas Houses--Fun to watch!
This has been the craziest year for Christmas events. In the past weekend, we attended four parties, one of which I coordinated with my friend Melissa Healy, and we hosted the after-Mass fellowship. Further, in addition to the Christmas presents to our-of-towners, I sent out about 20 copies of Leaps of Faith and Infinite Space,Infinite God to contributors and reviewers--and the first royalty checks for ISIG! (Imagine splitting royalties 17 ways--it takes a while to build past pennies.)
At any rate, I have neither the time nor the inclination to decorate the outside of my house. I'd rather use that time to some much needed prayer and playing a game or watching TV with the kids. And maybe mopping my floor...
However, here are some folks with time and inclination. I love to watch these!
At any rate, I have neither the time nor the inclination to decorate the outside of my house. I'd rather use that time to some much needed prayer and playing a game or watching TV with the kids. And maybe mopping my floor...
However, here are some folks with time and inclination. I love to watch these!
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Gift Giving Ideas for Authors and Fantasy Readers
I'm taking the week off of writing to do all the Christmas "stuff": gifts, getting ready for parties and events, etc. I'm also working on building up the DragonEye, PI website, in which I have posted a short story for sale.
When FlintCorp Developing threatens to destroy the businesses and homes of Territory to build a mall and luxury condos, neither Vern nor Grace are feeling the Christmas spirit. But when Flint is threatened by the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, they put aside their humbug feelings in order to solve the mystery. Will they succeed before the Ghost of Christmas Future makes a lethal visit? And will their modern-day Scrooge have a change of heart?
This is my first experiment with selling my DragonEye, PI stories online. Vern, the cynical dragon private detective made his debut in Firestorm of Dragons and has garnered many fans who enjoy is witty satirical perspective. This story looks at his and Grace's first Christmas together, a tough one for Grace, who is not used to the bluster and commercialism of the Mundane world.
A nice little electronic "stocking stuffer" for the fantasy lover on your e-list.
$1.50 for PDF Download at http://dragoneyepi.net/index.php?name=Content&pid=7
My daughter also designed this great poster background for me.
I'm going to use it for book signings. I've got a frame for it (22 x 28) and will have three page protectors attached to the frame. Then I can slip in a printout of whatever I need for a booksigning or event. In this way, I can use the same general poster and customize to the occasion. The local BX (military mall) has one like it for book signings, and it looks great. Amber will make one for you for $12.50-$20, depending on the complexity. (Mine is a $12.50 job.) Contact me if interested.
When FlintCorp Developing threatens to destroy the businesses and homes of Territory to build a mall and luxury condos, neither Vern nor Grace are feeling the Christmas spirit. But when Flint is threatened by the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, they put aside their humbug feelings in order to solve the mystery. Will they succeed before the Ghost of Christmas Future makes a lethal visit? And will their modern-day Scrooge have a change of heart?
This is my first experiment with selling my DragonEye, PI stories online. Vern, the cynical dragon private detective made his debut in Firestorm of Dragons and has garnered many fans who enjoy is witty satirical perspective. This story looks at his and Grace's first Christmas together, a tough one for Grace, who is not used to the bluster and commercialism of the Mundane world.
A nice little electronic "stocking stuffer" for the fantasy lover on your e-list.
$1.50 for PDF Download at http://dragoneyepi.net/index.php?name=Content&pid=7
My daughter also designed this great poster background for me.
I'm going to use it for book signings. I've got a frame for it (22 x 28) and will have three page protectors attached to the frame. Then I can slip in a printout of whatever I need for a booksigning or event. In this way, I can use the same general poster and customize to the occasion. The local BX (military mall) has one like it for book signings, and it looks great. Amber will make one for you for $12.50-$20, depending on the complexity. (Mine is a $12.50 job.) Contact me if interested.
Monday, December 01, 2008
My Novel's Journey: Off to the Publisher
Live and Let Fly went to the publisher at 10:30 CST last night!
I want to thank those who took the time to proof and critique the manuscript, especially my friend Ann Lewis. Ann's mother died last month, so she only got through the first chapter before her life went topsy-turvy. However, she pegged me on my main weakness--the early data dump--and called me on it. As I looked it over, I decided I liked the narrative, and didn't see a way to weave it into the action of the first chapter, so I made it the prologue, which is a much nicer fit for the information, anyway. Then I needed a title for that, and Ann came through again.
Everyone who read the manuscript and got me back comments made a difference. When you read it, know that you have them to thank.
Of course, another great help to a manuscript is to read it after not having laid eyes on it for a few weeks. As I went through it for the last time this weekend, I found even more repeated words (that's becoming my pet peeve!) and a few places where I missed a detail or felt, now that I saw the action with new eyes, that I hadn't explained enough. No matter how much you tweak a manuscript, there's always something more you can do.
However, there's also a point where you say, "Good enough!" and send it off. That time was late last night. I feel really good about Live and Let Fly.
What's next? Christmas decorating, editing Infinite Space, Infinite God II, and finishing my sci-fi novel, Discovery. I had planned to make Discovery hard sci-fi, but given the publisher I hope to send it to, I'm going to soften it up by putting more of the tech behind-the-scenes. It's less pressure on me, too. Stay tuned Thursday evenings or Friday mornings for my next Novel's Journey as we explore writing Catholic sci-fi.
I want to thank those who took the time to proof and critique the manuscript, especially my friend Ann Lewis. Ann's mother died last month, so she only got through the first chapter before her life went topsy-turvy. However, she pegged me on my main weakness--the early data dump--and called me on it. As I looked it over, I decided I liked the narrative, and didn't see a way to weave it into the action of the first chapter, so I made it the prologue, which is a much nicer fit for the information, anyway. Then I needed a title for that, and Ann came through again.
Everyone who read the manuscript and got me back comments made a difference. When you read it, know that you have them to thank.
Of course, another great help to a manuscript is to read it after not having laid eyes on it for a few weeks. As I went through it for the last time this weekend, I found even more repeated words (that's becoming my pet peeve!) and a few places where I missed a detail or felt, now that I saw the action with new eyes, that I hadn't explained enough. No matter how much you tweak a manuscript, there's always something more you can do.
However, there's also a point where you say, "Good enough!" and send it off. That time was late last night. I feel really good about Live and Let Fly.
What's next? Christmas decorating, editing Infinite Space, Infinite God II, and finishing my sci-fi novel, Discovery. I had planned to make Discovery hard sci-fi, but given the publisher I hope to send it to, I'm going to soften it up by putting more of the tech behind-the-scenes. It's less pressure on me, too. Stay tuned Thursday evenings or Friday mornings for my next Novel's Journey as we explore writing Catholic sci-fi.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Picking Book Covers!
One of the joys of working with independent presses is that they often give the author a say in their book covers.
Book covers are very important. You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but an attractive cover that reflects the theme of the book will draw readers. In the bookstore, that will get a book off the shelf and into someone's hands--and from there, you the author can sell the story. Now, this is my educated opinion, but it's been corroborated by authors with more experience than me and some case studies. Here's a series of articles on book covers by Laura Resnick, and an abstract asserting that the reputation of the author (in the case of technical books), reputation of the publisher and the attractiveness of the cover influence readers.
Rob and I have been fortunate that we have worked with publishers who listen to us. the eye-catching cover of Infinite Space, Infinite God was a last-minute decision when the more complex cover just didn't work out. (It would have made a gorgeous print, but didn't work as a cover.) Leaps of Faith started out with a ship entering a space station. Unfortunately, the station looked like a giant PacMan brain to me and I had visions of Monty Python for some reason. I let Cynthia know, and she made some simple changes--using a planet instead of a station--and the cover is very eye-catching.
Dindy at Swimming Kangaroo is letting me take an even closer hand with the cover of Magic, Mensa and Mayhem. She has given me a list of four very talented illustrators to choose from. they are all terrific; so much so that none stood out and screamed "I'm Vern's illustrator!" I spent most of the weekend poring over their art, looking at their websites, consulting with my artist daughter and with Rob. I narrowed it down to two and sheepishly sent Dindy a note with my thoughts. I concluded with the wish that the two I chose would Vern in the style we were thinking of. I really didn't expect that she'd then take that request to them, but later that day, she asked me to send her a description of Vern for the two authors to try out.
So the exciting process continues!
Magic, Mensa and Mayhem comes out March 1, BTW. I can hardly wait!
BTW--here are the finalists I chose:
Brian England
http://www.eiotech.com/html/color/portfolio1.html
Megan Stringfellow
http://stringfellowart.net/wordpress/
Book covers are very important. You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but an attractive cover that reflects the theme of the book will draw readers. In the bookstore, that will get a book off the shelf and into someone's hands--and from there, you the author can sell the story. Now, this is my educated opinion, but it's been corroborated by authors with more experience than me and some case studies. Here's a series of articles on book covers by Laura Resnick, and an abstract asserting that the reputation of the author (in the case of technical books), reputation of the publisher and the attractiveness of the cover influence readers.
Rob and I have been fortunate that we have worked with publishers who listen to us. the eye-catching cover of Infinite Space, Infinite God was a last-minute decision when the more complex cover just didn't work out. (It would have made a gorgeous print, but didn't work as a cover.) Leaps of Faith started out with a ship entering a space station. Unfortunately, the station looked like a giant PacMan brain to me and I had visions of Monty Python for some reason. I let Cynthia know, and she made some simple changes--using a planet instead of a station--and the cover is very eye-catching.
Dindy at Swimming Kangaroo is letting me take an even closer hand with the cover of Magic, Mensa and Mayhem. She has given me a list of four very talented illustrators to choose from. they are all terrific; so much so that none stood out and screamed "I'm Vern's illustrator!" I spent most of the weekend poring over their art, looking at their websites, consulting with my artist daughter and with Rob. I narrowed it down to two and sheepishly sent Dindy a note with my thoughts. I concluded with the wish that the two I chose would Vern in the style we were thinking of. I really didn't expect that she'd then take that request to them, but later that day, she asked me to send her a description of Vern for the two authors to try out.
So the exciting process continues!
Magic, Mensa and Mayhem comes out March 1, BTW. I can hardly wait!
BTW--here are the finalists I chose:
Brian England
http://www.eiotech.com/html/color/portfolio1.html
Megan Stringfellow
http://stringfellowart.net/wordpress/
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Atheism--the Logical Choice?
Rob found an article about atheist greeting cards. (Here's a site where you can see some.) Now you can celebrate all the crass commercialism of the holiday season without any of the uplifting spiritual message!
Rob didn't keep the link to the article, but the comments were both intense and very funny. the best had to be the atheist saying he was "sure as hell..." I don't think that should mean to him what he thought it means. Someone else posted this sign:
I'm not trying to argue atheism vs. Christianity here, just using this to point out that, from a logical, rational standpoint, both sides are on the same ground. At some point, the empirical method breaks down. It all comes down to belief.
BTW, Rob and I spent the past 3 days working like faith-filled maniacs on Infinite Space, Infinite God II. We hope to submit it to Twilight Times in early January--we are running our poor contributors through the editorial wringer this time. It's going to be a an awesome book.
Rob didn't keep the link to the article, but the comments were both intense and very funny. the best had to be the atheist saying he was "sure as hell..." I don't think that should mean to him what he thought it means. Someone else posted this sign:
I'm not trying to argue atheism vs. Christianity here, just using this to point out that, from a logical, rational standpoint, both sides are on the same ground. At some point, the empirical method breaks down. It all comes down to belief.
BTW, Rob and I spent the past 3 days working like faith-filled maniacs on Infinite Space, Infinite God II. We hope to submit it to Twilight Times in early January--we are running our poor contributors through the editorial wringer this time. It's going to be a an awesome book.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Tattoos and Good Taste
About twice a year, I hear from my godfather. "Hear" is a loose term; what I get is a copy of his tattoo directory. For 15 years now, he's made a business of publishing a catalog of tattoo parlors and piercing places across the US and the world. He often attends tattoo conventions, and as a former professional photographer, he takes photos.
Frankly, since I already suffer for art every time I get a rejection letter, I have no interest in enduring pain to put someone else's art on my body. However, as a writer, I have had characters get tattoos, from my nurse Sachiko who did it to explore her "wild side" to the nuns of Our Lady of the Rescue, who get wedding rings tattooed when they take final vows. Still, I find it hard to believe some of the "art" that people put on their bodies.
Let's talk basic good taste. There may actually be a place where skulls with large flowery eyes are an attractive decorating idea--but on your kneecaps? Chibi Golem in purple and red? Or what about colorful carp? On the buttocks? I'm telling you: your spouse had better have a sense of humor or your love life is toast--with a fishy spread. Then there was the woman with Our Lady of Guadalupe tattooed into the valley of her chest. I'm not sure the thinking process that goes behind having the Mother of God peeking out of your bra. Even worse, the artist did her with a man face.
On that topic--how about checking the actual talent of the artist? One guy had something tattooed to his eyebrow--I could not tell if it was an ice skate blade or a sideways kite. Do you really want someone's first impression of you to be "What the heck is that?" I saw one photo of a woman with an ugly nurse tattooed on her chest. Is her husband supposed to fantasize that he's having an affair with a disfigured Florence Nightingale?
I did see one that was tasteless, but funny at least: a large, orange Buddha tattooed on the guy's side. Buddhaside! At least, when the guy's belly gets bigger, so does Buddha's. Plan ahead, right?
The piercings can get even more bizarre. I saw one young woman who had eyelets inserted along her back so she could lace it up! Never mind how it looks--how do you ever lean against anything again? How do you sleep on your back?
There's a magazine that advertises in the catalog. It's called Pain. Talk about truth in advertising. Now if there were only one that was called, Pain with Good Taste...
Frankly, since I already suffer for art every time I get a rejection letter, I have no interest in enduring pain to put someone else's art on my body. However, as a writer, I have had characters get tattoos, from my nurse Sachiko who did it to explore her "wild side" to the nuns of Our Lady of the Rescue, who get wedding rings tattooed when they take final vows. Still, I find it hard to believe some of the "art" that people put on their bodies.
Let's talk basic good taste. There may actually be a place where skulls with large flowery eyes are an attractive decorating idea--but on your kneecaps? Chibi Golem in purple and red? Or what about colorful carp? On the buttocks? I'm telling you: your spouse had better have a sense of humor or your love life is toast--with a fishy spread. Then there was the woman with Our Lady of Guadalupe tattooed into the valley of her chest. I'm not sure the thinking process that goes behind having the Mother of God peeking out of your bra. Even worse, the artist did her with a man face.
On that topic--how about checking the actual talent of the artist? One guy had something tattooed to his eyebrow--I could not tell if it was an ice skate blade or a sideways kite. Do you really want someone's first impression of you to be "What the heck is that?" I saw one photo of a woman with an ugly nurse tattooed on her chest. Is her husband supposed to fantasize that he's having an affair with a disfigured Florence Nightingale?
I did see one that was tasteless, but funny at least: a large, orange Buddha tattooed on the guy's side. Buddhaside! At least, when the guy's belly gets bigger, so does Buddha's. Plan ahead, right?
The piercings can get even more bizarre. I saw one young woman who had eyelets inserted along her back so she could lace it up! Never mind how it looks--how do you ever lean against anything again? How do you sleep on your back?
There's a magazine that advertises in the catalog. It's called Pain. Talk about truth in advertising. Now if there were only one that was called, Pain with Good Taste...
Thursday, November 13, 2008
I "failed" the Jesus Test
I got a message from a friend today. She sent it because she liked the pictures, but it hits two of my pet peeves.
It's a "Forward to your friends" message--and those who know me know how I feel about them. This one was worse than usual.
It proposes to have a test for me and wishes me luck in getting 100. Then it has a bunch of famous paintings of Jesus' life. I'm thinking it's a trivia test, and since it's from a friend and the pictures are lovely, I scroll down instead of deleting it like I normally would. Sandwiched between the paintings and a photo of a mountain is this message:
Well, that's nothing I haven't heard before--and since Obama is now president-elect, I suppose I expected it. What I did not expect was this:
I'm not ashamed of my faith. I'm not ashamed to want Jesus in my life. But I'm not forwarding this message. It has nothing to do with shame. It has to do with my not using the name of my Lord in emotional blackmail. Perhaps, PERHAPS, if the message had been a reasoned argument, a link to an article or a personal and impassioned appeal for action, I might have considered it. This, however, will not change governments, minds or hearts, IMHO. It just spreads emotional spam. I deleted it and wrote this blog. Guess I failed.
Or did I?
It's a "Forward to your friends" message--and those who know me know how I feel about them. This one was worse than usual.
It proposes to have a test for me and wishes me luck in getting 100. Then it has a bunch of famous paintings of Jesus' life. I'm thinking it's a trivia test, and since it's from a friend and the pictures are lovely, I scroll down instead of deleting it like I normally would. Sandwiched between the paintings and a photo of a mountain is this message:
I'm not ashamed He is the only one that can save this
country and they want him removed from the government.
Our great nation will not stand if we delete HIM from all aspects of our government as the atheists want.
Well, that's nothing I haven't heard before--and since Obama is now president-elect, I suppose I expected it. What I did not expect was this:
Jesus Test
This is an easy test, you score 100 or zero. It's your choice. If you aren't ashamed to do this, please follow the directions. Jesus said,'if you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father.'
This is the simplest test If you Love God, and are not ashamed of all the marvelous thing he has done for you.. Send this to ten people
I'm not ashamed of my faith. I'm not ashamed to want Jesus in my life. But I'm not forwarding this message. It has nothing to do with shame. It has to do with my not using the name of my Lord in emotional blackmail. Perhaps, PERHAPS, if the message had been a reasoned argument, a link to an article or a personal and impassioned appeal for action, I might have considered it. This, however, will not change governments, minds or hearts, IMHO. It just spreads emotional spam. I deleted it and wrote this blog. Guess I failed.
Or did I?
Monday, November 10, 2008
44 Things About Me
A friend sent me this, but I hate those "forward to 200 of your closest friends" requests. However, it makes for good blog fodder, especially since I'm tired from the book tour and the damage control I had to do last week over a review.
1. Do you like blue cheese? Hate it. It smells and looks like mold. It's the kind of stuff you'd cut off cheese.
2. Have you ever smoked? No
3. Do you own a gun? NO
4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite? Ick. Overly sweetened, artificially flavored water should only be Coca-Cola.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? No
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Hm. Hot dogs as an issue...nope, not seeing it. Pass.
7. Favorite Christmas movie? Veggie Tales. Fave line: Mousetrap. I wanted to play Mousetrap. Ya roll your dice, ya move your mice. Nobody gets hurt.
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? coffee. Decaf, though that may be a contradiction to some.
9. Can you do push ups? If needed
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? earrings, but I don't wear jewelry very often
11. Favorite hobby? playing unusual card games with the kids and watching sci-fi
12. Do you have A.D.D.? Are you kidding? I have excellent concen---hold that thought! Just had a great scene come into my head. Ooo, and I'd better check my e-mail, and there's that laundry to be done. Did the kids eat? I'd better--what was the question again?
13. What's one trait you dislike about yourself? That I can't clone myself to get everything done
14. What is your Middle name ? Lynn-Gay
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: Rob should have gotten a down day. Think anyone will read this silly blog? Vern's having an...interesting...discussion with Santry. (I'm actually thinking the conversation, but that would take too long to write and be a major spoiler.)
16. Name three drinks you regularly drink: water. Coffee. Coke Zero
17. Current worry? Finishing Discovery, ISIG II and the ISIG study guide in time
18. Current hate right now? That I can't write faster? I don't hate anything, seriously. Or anyone.
19. Favorite place to be? with my family
20.How did you bring in the New Year? sleeping
21. Where would you like to go? Cruise the Mediterranean
22. Name three people who will complete this? Probably someone who received this, but not from me.
23. Do you own slippers? Yep. Wearing them now. Moccasin types, though I have others.
24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? red
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Yes, but not the pillow cases. I like two pillows and they slip around too much. Also satin is no fun in dry weather--too much static.
26. Can you whistle? Yes, with a metal whistle.
27. Favorite color? burgundy
28. Would you be a pirate? No. I like bathing, regular meals, and living a law-abiding life
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't. I dream up my next scene in the shower
30. Favorite Girl's name: Don't have one
31. Favorite Boys Name: Don't have one
32. What's in your pocket right now? air
33. Last thing that made you laugh? Vern scene I was working on
34. Best bed sheets as a child? Don't remember a best, but I used to have some with Raggedy Ann. My mom kept them and passed them on to my daughter.
35. Worst injury/illness you've ever had? Broke 3 metatarcels in my foot and had to have a pin put in to hold one in place
36. Do you love where you live? Yes--everytime we move, I love our new home
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? One
38. Who is your loudest friend? Don't know. We all laugh loud.
39. How many dogs do you have? One
40.. Does someone have a crush on you? My husband, even after 18 years and it's mutual
41. What is your favorite book? A Swiftly tilting Planet and the Myth, Inc adventures
42. What is your favorite candy? chocolates
43. Favorite Sports Team? Don't watch sports
44. What song do you want played at your funeral? On Eagles Wings
1. Do you like blue cheese? Hate it. It smells and looks like mold. It's the kind of stuff you'd cut off cheese.
2. Have you ever smoked? No
3. Do you own a gun? NO
4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite? Ick. Overly sweetened, artificially flavored water should only be Coca-Cola.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? No
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Hm. Hot dogs as an issue...nope, not seeing it. Pass.
7. Favorite Christmas movie? Veggie Tales. Fave line: Mousetrap. I wanted to play Mousetrap. Ya roll your dice, ya move your mice. Nobody gets hurt.
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? coffee. Decaf, though that may be a contradiction to some.
9. Can you do push ups? If needed
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? earrings, but I don't wear jewelry very often
11. Favorite hobby? playing unusual card games with the kids and watching sci-fi
12. Do you have A.D.D.? Are you kidding? I have excellent concen---hold that thought! Just had a great scene come into my head. Ooo, and I'd better check my e-mail, and there's that laundry to be done. Did the kids eat? I'd better--what was the question again?
13. What's one trait you dislike about yourself? That I can't clone myself to get everything done
14. What is your Middle name ? Lynn-Gay
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: Rob should have gotten a down day. Think anyone will read this silly blog? Vern's having an...interesting...discussion with Santry. (I'm actually thinking the conversation, but that would take too long to write and be a major spoiler.)
16. Name three drinks you regularly drink: water. Coffee. Coke Zero
17. Current worry? Finishing Discovery, ISIG II and the ISIG study guide in time
18. Current hate right now? That I can't write faster? I don't hate anything, seriously. Or anyone.
19. Favorite place to be? with my family
20.How did you bring in the New Year? sleeping
21. Where would you like to go? Cruise the Mediterranean
22. Name three people who will complete this? Probably someone who received this, but not from me.
23. Do you own slippers? Yep. Wearing them now. Moccasin types, though I have others.
24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? red
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Yes, but not the pillow cases. I like two pillows and they slip around too much. Also satin is no fun in dry weather--too much static.
26. Can you whistle? Yes, with a metal whistle.
27. Favorite color? burgundy
28. Would you be a pirate? No. I like bathing, regular meals, and living a law-abiding life
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't. I dream up my next scene in the shower
30. Favorite Girl's name: Don't have one
31. Favorite Boys Name: Don't have one
32. What's in your pocket right now? air
33. Last thing that made you laugh? Vern scene I was working on
34. Best bed sheets as a child? Don't remember a best, but I used to have some with Raggedy Ann. My mom kept them and passed them on to my daughter.
35. Worst injury/illness you've ever had? Broke 3 metatarcels in my foot and had to have a pin put in to hold one in place
36. Do you love where you live? Yes--everytime we move, I love our new home
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? One
38. Who is your loudest friend? Don't know. We all laugh loud.
39. How many dogs do you have? One
40.. Does someone have a crush on you? My husband, even after 18 years and it's mutual
41. What is your favorite book? A Swiftly tilting Planet and the Myth, Inc adventures
42. What is your favorite candy? chocolates
43. Favorite Sports Team? Don't watch sports
44. What song do you want played at your funeral? On Eagles Wings
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Religion and NOT Writing Just What You Know
I've had some interesting comments on Rob's and my latest anthology, Leaps of Faith. This is a collection of 14 stories of Christian science fiction. While I didn't fully itemize each faith represented, there are Anglican, Catholic and Christian stories and one Old Testament Biblical.
However, I've gotten a couple of comments to the effect that Leaps is a Catholic exclusive book. "written by Catholic writers" "a Catholic anthology" "I'm not Catholic but I enjoyed it." And the one that, frankly, insults the non-Catholic Christian contributors, the Christian publisher and my husband and me: "My only problem with this anthology is that uncomfortable feeling that the Catholics are the only people of God."
I'm not going to argue that here--you can check out the reviews on Amazon to see what people think about the mix of Christian and Catholic themes. What I want to talk about today is the ironic fact that many of the "Catholic" stories in Leaps--and some in Infinite Space, Infinite God, for that matter--were written by non-Catholics. In fact, we never asked anyone their denomination when we read the stories, and sometimes have been surprised ourselves to find out who practices what faith.
I'm always ticked at how that amazes and even scandalizes some people, even fellow writers. We think nothing of a housewife writing a detective novel or a computer technician writing a chick lit. Guys write romance with female protagonists while women write military sci-fi with predominantly male characters. Yet a person writes honestly about a particular faith, and people immediately assume the author practices that faith. Why is that?
I'm sure some people believe that to do anything different is to blaspheme in some way. I don't agree. To me, writing the faith that is right for the story is staying true to the creative talent God gave me. As long as I'm not glorifying a heresy or encouraging a sin, I feel safe in exploring other ideas, whether it's an atheist being pursued by a vampire or nuns living in outer space.
So what about writing what you know? I think writers that limit themselves to that do not go very far. There's such a wealth of adventure out there, some of which we will never know about first-hand. But we learn. I don't know asteroid mining--but I'm learning about it as I write Discovery. I didn't know Norse mythology until I started writing Live and Let Fly--and as I learned more, I had to change the story. That's what I love about writing. That's why I do it, even when I don't make the big bucks or get yet another rejection letter.
One person e-mailed me that he believed I preferred Catholic stories because that's what I'm more "comfortable" with. That's not true, not for me, not for a lot of writers I know. I'll stick with me, however. First off, I don't read a lot of Catholic fiction. (Yes, my fellow Guildies, I have not yet read Chesterson or Flannery O'Connor. They're on my list.) I read about wizards and aliens and serial killers and all kinds of non-comfortable things. I've written a story about a psychic teen who was mentally tortured. I've tortured one of my favorite characters while her best friend was forced to watch, and I have a scene for an upcoming book where the main character has to fight off a rapist. Think these were comfortable? Not at all, but they were disturbingly interesting to write and necessary to the story.
If I were to write what I "know" and what is "comfortable," I'd be putting out stories about how my kid didn't want to wear his jacket in the blizzard. That's about as much angst as I get in my life and believe me, I like it that way!
So it is with writing faith--not all my stories are Catholic. In one trilogy, the alien planet is Deist, and the other has its own odd mix of faith. They each had their own salvation stories, too. My Faerie world has what is called a Catholic Church, but "catholic" means "universal" and while it's similar to the Roman Catholic, there are enough differences that it is a unique religious organization. I could have (and maybe should have) called it the Faerie Church; I'm betting I take some heat from both Catholics and non-Catholics for it as time goes on. But if I do, I know it's because I've written a convincing world.
I'm starting to ramble here, but my point is that writers with real talent do not need to be limited by their current knowledge or beliefs. Imagination can take us to many exciting--and sometimes uncomfortable--worlds, and writing talent can help us share those worlds convincingly with others.
That's what the writers of Leaps of Faith and Infinite Space, Infinite God did. That's why I'm proud to have edited these anthologies.
However, I've gotten a couple of comments to the effect that Leaps is a Catholic exclusive book. "written by Catholic writers" "a Catholic anthology" "I'm not Catholic but I enjoyed it." And the one that, frankly, insults the non-Catholic Christian contributors, the Christian publisher and my husband and me: "My only problem with this anthology is that uncomfortable feeling that the Catholics are the only people of God."
I'm not going to argue that here--you can check out the reviews on Amazon to see what people think about the mix of Christian and Catholic themes. What I want to talk about today is the ironic fact that many of the "Catholic" stories in Leaps--and some in Infinite Space, Infinite God, for that matter--were written by non-Catholics. In fact, we never asked anyone their denomination when we read the stories, and sometimes have been surprised ourselves to find out who practices what faith.
I'm always ticked at how that amazes and even scandalizes some people, even fellow writers. We think nothing of a housewife writing a detective novel or a computer technician writing a chick lit. Guys write romance with female protagonists while women write military sci-fi with predominantly male characters. Yet a person writes honestly about a particular faith, and people immediately assume the author practices that faith. Why is that?
I'm sure some people believe that to do anything different is to blaspheme in some way. I don't agree. To me, writing the faith that is right for the story is staying true to the creative talent God gave me. As long as I'm not glorifying a heresy or encouraging a sin, I feel safe in exploring other ideas, whether it's an atheist being pursued by a vampire or nuns living in outer space.
So what about writing what you know? I think writers that limit themselves to that do not go very far. There's such a wealth of adventure out there, some of which we will never know about first-hand. But we learn. I don't know asteroid mining--but I'm learning about it as I write Discovery. I didn't know Norse mythology until I started writing Live and Let Fly--and as I learned more, I had to change the story. That's what I love about writing. That's why I do it, even when I don't make the big bucks or get yet another rejection letter.
One person e-mailed me that he believed I preferred Catholic stories because that's what I'm more "comfortable" with. That's not true, not for me, not for a lot of writers I know. I'll stick with me, however. First off, I don't read a lot of Catholic fiction. (Yes, my fellow Guildies, I have not yet read Chesterson or Flannery O'Connor. They're on my list.) I read about wizards and aliens and serial killers and all kinds of non-comfortable things. I've written a story about a psychic teen who was mentally tortured. I've tortured one of my favorite characters while her best friend was forced to watch, and I have a scene for an upcoming book where the main character has to fight off a rapist. Think these were comfortable? Not at all, but they were disturbingly interesting to write and necessary to the story.
If I were to write what I "know" and what is "comfortable," I'd be putting out stories about how my kid didn't want to wear his jacket in the blizzard. That's about as much angst as I get in my life and believe me, I like it that way!
So it is with writing faith--not all my stories are Catholic. In one trilogy, the alien planet is Deist, and the other has its own odd mix of faith. They each had their own salvation stories, too. My Faerie world has what is called a Catholic Church, but "catholic" means "universal" and while it's similar to the Roman Catholic, there are enough differences that it is a unique religious organization. I could have (and maybe should have) called it the Faerie Church; I'm betting I take some heat from both Catholics and non-Catholics for it as time goes on. But if I do, I know it's because I've written a convincing world.
I'm starting to ramble here, but my point is that writers with real talent do not need to be limited by their current knowledge or beliefs. Imagination can take us to many exciting--and sometimes uncomfortable--worlds, and writing talent can help us share those worlds convincingly with others.
That's what the writers of Leaps of Faith and Infinite Space, Infinite God did. That's why I'm proud to have edited these anthologies.
Monday, November 03, 2008
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