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Fisherman/Writer’s dilemma

The dock and boat lift are out of the water. Leaves scatter across the yard and what’s left of the huge oak’s canopy, filters the grey sky.

A strong, northwest wind has whipped up the open water on the lake. Whitecaps roll along for nearly a mile before crashing into the south shore creating a foamy line. However, in my protected cove, the water just ripples. The reflected light throws off yellows and golds between flashes of the grey sky. It looks cold. Dark and cold. The cool clarity of Spring and the light green warmth of the summer algae bloom are gone.

The lake still calls to me. To test my skills against its denizens. I reach for my rod and reel. One more day of fishing before the North Wind turns the water to ice. The sharp air cuts into my fingers. Tiny white flecks of snow give me pause.

I look over my shoulder through the glass door and see a fire crackling away in the wood stove. The quilt mom made lays draped across my favorite chair. The laptop sits quietly on the side table waiting patiently for the me to create the next scene.

The weather man said tomorrow will be warmer with less wind. He’s been wrong this year as many times as there are leaves on the ground. “One can only hope,” I mutter. I shove my hands back into my coat and head into the cabin.

The warmth of the fire hits me as I walk through the door. “What tortures can I inflict on my character today?” I ask myself.

The writer wins … today.

 
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Posted by on October 28, 2013 in Musings and Odd Thoughts

 

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New Writing Partner Needs a Name

Hallo! I would introduce myself but, I have no name.

Hallo. How are you called?

What name are you called?

I recently came to rest on the desk of  Rabbit Hare’s Tales. My last acquaintance was a Sage in the great city-state of Alusia. How I came to reside in this writer’s space is still a mystery to me. The one usually sitting in the chair apparently acquired my services to assist in creating a masterpiece of fantasy fiction. Ha! Talk about a fantasy.

Because his brain is as idled as his body appears to be, he has yet to provide an adequate name for me. Being that his wits are limited, I offered up two suggestions, Bob and Prince. He stated that the former was already taken by a spirit who consults a wizard out of Chicago and the latter was taken by a musician of some sort. The musician apparently can’t make his mind if he likes the name or not.

SO, I ask for assistance from the cosmos internet to provide a suitable name that I might perform my duties and respond to something other than Skullboy. Please leave your suggestions in the comments area provided below and I will demand that my new master fairly compensate the one who provides the most suitable name with accolades and verbal gratuities.

Alas, I beg you please do not tarry as he grows restless and may start calling me poor Yorik.

 
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Posted by on October 14, 2013 in Musings and Odd Thoughts

 

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100th Post

100th

 

 

 

 

Well, it’s been a little less than two years since I started this blog and today I’m writing my 100th post. I never would have thought that this blog would be as much fun nor become such a big part of my writing world.

I have shared a little of who I am, a little of what I know, and even some of my rough drafts. Hell, I even wrote and shared a freaking poem! I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings as much as I’ve enjoyed reading yours.

I have learned a great deal from all of you. Whether you believe it or not, I am a better writer because I hang out with you. Now that is a scary thought! You never cease to entertain me and always look forward to reading your posts and your comments.

Oops, hold on. Mmmm. Dove chocolate and caramel. As a beautiful redhead once said, all life experiences are improved with chocolate. But I digress.

Back to business. I want to give you a heads up as to what you will see here going forward. First we are T minus 45 days to the MAVEN launch. For those of you who are wondering what a MAVEN is, you will need to stay tuned because it is not a book. I will be cranking up a few posts prior to the launch date and beyond. Also, I will continue to post  on topics that were discussed at panels from the 2013 4th Street Fantasy Conference. My usual odd thoughts and musings will be interspersed with odd writing bits and maybe an excerpt from my WIP. An article or two on archery (my third love) and a few vignettes will keep things interesting.

Thank you. Now get back to writing! 🙂

 

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Does Too Much Detail Spoil the Pace?

I’ve been working on a scene involving a spiritual ceremony. It is based on a real ritual. The initial part scene is full of sensory details and the mechanics of the ceremony. Yesterday, I sat down to write and as usual, I read the last few paragraphs to refresh my recollection and get into the mood of the scene. During the read back, I realized that, though vivid, the scene had so much detail that is slowed the pace to a crawl. Just as important, was the fact that so much detail was, not necessarily, important to help create the feelings I wanted the reader to experience.

This particular scene has two primary purposes. First, to foreshadow upcoming events and second, to enhance the conflict. As I wrote the scene initially, I went into all of the details of the ceremony trying to make it as real for the reader as if they were actually there. My thinking was that it would be easier for the reader to understand the source of ‘visions’ (i.e action) the protagonist was having in the later part of the scene. When I read the scene, the experience of the ceremony was there. However, it took a long time to get to the purpose of the scene. I’m not ready to trash the experiential detail as yet. I want to finish the scene and see if the action of the second half offsets the slow pace of the beginning. If it does, I’ll leave it in. If not, it will get sliced during revision.

I much prefer a quicker paced read.  Give me enough detail to paint a picture and move on. My imagination is vivid enough to fill in the blanks, Some of the ‘Masters’ e.g. Tolkien, Jordan, Brooks, drive me nuts with the amount of detailed description. Is a four page dissertation about a pastoral setting really necessary to bring the reader into the setting? I’m sorry, but the answer is, no. Most people who read the fantasy genre already have overactive imaginations. They only need a swift kick in the pants to get an image in their heads and to the reader, their version is more vivid than the writer can explain it anyway.

However…There are times when detail is necessary. Usually this happens when the thing being described is critical to the story. For example, the description of the one Ring in LOTR. It is THE critical piece of the story so taking the time to describe it, makes perfect sense. The thing to keep in mind when adding detail to your scene is, ‘How important is the description to the Plot?’. If it is not that important, a few words or lines should be sufficient to set the scene and bring in the reader’s senses. If it is ‘the One Ring’ of your story, go ahead and take some time. It will add emphasis the reader will grasp.

As always, try to mix your setting details and descriptions into the action and/or dialogue so as to avoid the infamous info dump.

So, tell me, Do you prefer a lot of detailed description or can you get by with just enough to pique your imagination?

 
12 Comments

Posted by on October 7, 2013 in Thoughts on Writing

 

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Cultural Integration in Fantasy and Sci-fi

What do sushi, craft beer, Christmas, body piercing, and Bollywood dancing all have in common. They are cultural integrations. Any time two cultures come together, whether for trade, war, or accident, there will be some form of conflict.This is good for the story line. However, there will also be some form of integration, whether it’s food, entertainment, religion, clothing, naming, or art. This can enhance the depth of the setting. Let’s use sushi as an example.

Japanese culture comes to the United States

Japanese culture comes to the United States

Sushi has been around, in Japan, since the early 1800’s. In 1966, a gentleman by the name of Noritoshi Kanai along with a Jewish business partner, Harry Wolff, opened Kawafuku Restaurant in Los Angeles. Initially successful with Japanese businessmen, they then introduced it to their American colleagues to the ‘new’ cuisine. Soon after, sushi bars began to pop up in both New York and Chicago. Now, you can find sushi bars throughout the U.S.

Christmas vs. Yuletide

Christmas vs. Yuletide

Easter vs Various Fertility Festivals

Easter vs Various Fertility Festivals

Another example is the way the ancient Romans aligned religious holy days with pagan festivals in an effort to pacify and convert the conquered Peoples to Roman beliefs.

Keep in mind that the most frequently integrated pieces of a culture were ideas/beliefs, things that could be easily carried, or things created from raw materials common to both cultures. So, the genres of Fantasy and Sci-fi are the perfect vehicles to play and experiment with this type of cultural integration. First of all, the author already has strange cultures to develop. Why not add a few cultural integrations and connect these strange cultures in a real way.

Food and drink are the easiest by far. Just add a race or place-name and your there. E.g. Fae wine, Romulan rum, French fries, hot springs water. Clothing is a bit more subtle in that the fabric can be placed from somewhere else or perhaps the cut of the clothing. E.g. Italian cut suit, Chinese silk, or Western wear blue jeans. Some things will take some explanation as to the origin and for the integration, like sushi or chocolate. This can be tricky as the author needs to balance need for information against the dreaded info dump.

The bottom line is this. Cultural integration happens wherever two or more cultures bump into each other. The exchange of ideas and information enriches the affected cultures, though not always equally. Fantasy and Sci-fi authors who fail to incorporate these cultural integrations, short-change their world, the story, and ultimately the reader.

So, as I sit back in my Adirondack chair, wearing polar fleece, western denim jeans and Navajo boot moccasins, drinking Russian vodka and Sprite soda, nibbling on Klingon krinkles and Wisconsin cheddar cheese, I will contemplate how best to incorporate a group of intoxicated faeries into a Plains Indian Eagle Dance.

 
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Posted by on September 30, 2013 in Other Strangeness, Thoughts on Writing

 

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Menagerie

I have a new favorite first line! “Digging graves is hell on a manicure, but I was taught good vampires clean up after every meal.” I just started reading “Red-headed Stepchild” by Jaye Wells and with an opening line like that, it promises to be an unusual read. I plowed through the first four chapters last night and actually missed most of the Denver Broncos vs Oakland Raiders football game. I will provide a review of it for my friends at Find Stuff 2 Read.

The past four days have been event filled, to say the least. Let me give you a little rundown. First, Friday night, the domestic CEO and I went to see the Broadway musical, ‘Wicked’. It was her first Broadway production. Excellent show based on an excellent script. I picked the book up several months ago but have yet to read it. A cold weekend in front of the fire at the cabin might be the best place for that.

Saturday night was spent with or neighbors. Now for most people, that sounds pretty mundane. However, Our neighbors are professional boxing trainers and boxing promoters. So, we spend a quiet Saturday night with several thousand inebriated boxing fans watching one of our neighb’s fighters win the USBA Middleweight title. The fight ended in the fourth round with Caleb knocking out his opponent. He is now ranked 2nd in the US and 10th in the world! I think I see Las Vegas in our future travels.

Sunday was spent CLEANING the house. Considering how much time we have spent at the cabin this year, it is no surprise the house needed a good scrubbing from top to bottom. I find that helping the CEO with this project scores MAJOR points that will come in handy when a writing conference or archery tournament comes up that I really want to go to. And, as I stated in a previous post, being a gentleman is just how I roll.

To top it all off I added a year to my existence and am looking down the barrel of the AARP as they try and recruit me into the ranks of geezerhood. Not yet my friends. I’m at the tail end of the baby boomers and as the youngest of the brood, I will fight it all the way. Actually, for the record, fifties are the best time. Even better than being forty-something.

The best part of the weekend was getting some writing in on a very difficult scene that has been giving me fits. It seems to be working its way out.

 
 

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Link fixes and MAVEN

First I need to apologize. In my previous post the link to my guest post was broken for a time. I fixed it however, many of you indicated you had some difficulty with it. So for those of you who would like to read my guest post from last week, here is the link.

Fantasy, the purest form of fiction.

Now for some interesting news. I received a call from my brother who works for Lockheed-Martin, an aerospace contractor. He proceeded to tell me that a launch date was set for the project he has been working of for several years. The project is called MAVEN and stands for, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft. According to NASA:

The  MAVEN mission, scheduled for launch in late 2013, will be the first mission devoted to understanding the Martian upper atmosphere.

The goal of MAVEN is to determine the role that loss of atmospheric gas to space played in changing the Martian climate through time. Where did the atmosphere – and the water – go?

MAVEN will determine how much of the Martian atmosphere has been lost over time by measuring the current rate of escape to space and gathering enough information about the relevant processes to allow extrapolation backward in time.

-according to NASA Mission pages website.

Unloading MAVEN spacecraft at KSC (Photo credit NASA photo library)

Unloading MAVEN spacecraft at KSC (Photo credit NASA photo library)

My brother has been the requirements and verification lead relating to the MAVEN space vehicle. His responsibilities included overseeing the definition of the spacecraft and ensuring that all requirements are met. Sounds cool doesn’t it? Hell, I get goosebumps just writing about it. Anyway, after years of work by a large team of individuals, it is finally going to launch.

Since I have a personal interest in this event, it is my intention to post periodic blogs relating to preparation for the launch and hopefully, the launch itself. If you have specific questions relating to the project, I will try to obtain correct answers and provide them during followup posts.

This is just plain cool!

 
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Posted by on September 16, 2013 in MAVEN

 

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