Justus M. Bowman

Three years ago, the US made a ruckus. Why?

2012-01-26T08:07:00.003-06:00

Well, roughly three years ago. Remember when we elected the country's first black president?! Weren't you just so excited?! I mean a black man became president!! Except that's not a big deal in a country occupied by reasonable people. Correct? Why make a big deal out of something that should be common, expected, what have you? Yes, statistically it's significant, because it's never happened before in the US. But emotionally we should already have been beyond this point. Why surprise? Why anything? This just makes sense.

It reminds me a lot of how many blacks separate themselves from others by making their own magazines, their own television channels, etc. Why does this happen? We should be behaving as one in our endeavors, without reliving the evils of the past in as many ways as possible. Forget black history! Forget white history! It's history. That's what it is. It's all intertwined.

Now before someone claims that I'm pretending to not see the difference in skin color, think again! I very much dislike when people pretend skin doesn't have a color. It does have a color. But that doesn't mean much on its own. If people want to study black history, Egyptian history, whatever, let them. Let's just not use one month of every year to remember that the past was dark, that we're not physically identical now, that we've come from different lands, so on and so forth. It's too much. Text in history book? Okay. Everywhere else? I'd prefer not.

We're supposed to be brothers and sisters of the human race. Let's act like it.

Weighted Women

2012-01-25T07:24:00.006-06:00

I wish women didn't have this idea that they are incomplete, imperfect, that they are in need of a change. When does a little girl decide she's no longer enough? When does it become clear to her that she must enhance her breasts, shave her legs, and cover her face (yes, even in our culture) in order to please men and to be right in the eyes of society?

From what I know, it didn't start with someone out to make a buck, but it's certainly evolved into big industry. Any chance we had of shaking off this nonsense went out the window when the livelihood of many began to depend upon the propagation of the lie that women are flawed.

My daughter is 11 months old, and I can tell you that no woman will ever mean more to me than she does now. She's pure, simple, hopeful. I do not look forward to the day in which some fool warns her that she lacks something essential. Yet how to blame any one individual when all of society and much of the world crushes them with titanic deception?

Break Over

2011-01-04T12:09:00.001-06:00

Break is over, and I'm back to work. A couple of my accounts, including my e-mail account, got hacked during vacation, so if I sent anything odd to you, don't blame me!

Hope everyone else had a hackless good time.

Question about Romeo & Juliet

2010-12-22T13:54:00.003-06:00

Was it intended to be a harder read than Hamlet? Because I'm certainly stumbling over far more words and phrases than I ever did while traveling with Prince Denmark. Perhaps a difference in editing?

Shakespeare

2010-12-15T15:08:00.002-06:00

I've finished reading my first Shakespearean play that wasn't forced upon me (well, not this time), and I'm happy to say that I'm happy! Good stuff. Now about these "star-cross'd lovers"...

Of the classics

2010-12-13T13:56:00.002-06:00

Which is your favorite? Right now, I'm traveling with the Prince of Denmark to England, but after that, I know not where I go.

Reading

2010-12-07T10:44:00.001-06:00

I finally agree that it's essential for writers to read regularly.

Forced Reading

2010-11-27T13:44:00.003-06:00

Although most of us were forced to read similar material in school (Shakespearean plays come to mind), I imagine we don't all feel the same about it. Did teachers help you by forcing you to read, or did they instill in you a hatred for literature?

Creative Post

2010-11-25T17:05:00.001-06:00

Eat food. Visit people. Be thankful.

Into Thin Air

2010-11-19T22:40:00.008-06:00

Into Thin Air is a book about a mountain-climbing tragedy that took place on Everest in the 90s. I found it while I was searching for some information on the good and bad of mountaineering. It's a tragedy before it starts - I have turned many times to the list of names succeeding the words "in memory of" - yet somehow that adds to my desire to keep reading. So I know the ending, and I know who lives and who dies; but the "how" and the skill of the writer, Jon Krakauer, persuade me back onto the mountain.

Edit:

After finishing the book, I'm revolted by the thought of climbing a mountain. I am, however, glad I read the book; it detailed an incredible recovery and allowed me to climb vicariously - the only way I'll ever climb. Two quotes:

"Given up for dead yet again, Beck had simply refused to succumb." - the author, referring to a climber who miraculously survived terrible hardships.

"She was so little. I can still feel her fingers sliding across my biceps, and then letting go. I never even turned to look back." - another climber, Beidleman, expressing regret over a decision he felt forced to make for the good of everyone.

Changing it up

2010-11-19T07:42:00.005-06:00

I don't have much time, but here's my novel's updated information:

One-liner:

A inflamed rivalry hurtles the human-dragon contention toward its fiery conclusion.

Query material:

Vhakula dreams to reign eternal over his fellow dragons, but his rival Kannutae thwarts him by using a stolen wish to transform him into a human. While Vhakula tries in vain to shed his humanity, Kannutae savagely establishes himself as dragon king and proclaims his intent to snuff out the torch of mankind. It is only when the opportunity arises for Vhakula to regain his old life that he realizes his heart no longer belongs to the dragons of his past. So in spite of his birthright, Vhakula assembles a motley army to protect those he loves; and when the time for drastic action comes, he steps up to make the ultimate sacrifice.

P.S.

Good? Bad?

When do you work?

2010-11-16T18:11:00.004-06:00

While you can't always see problems ahead of time, when you do see a problem, do you stop to solve it? Do you save it for later? In other words, do you smash out 80-120k words, then look at your manuscript carefully, or do you make sure each chapter is superb before you move on to the next?

I ask because I've been doing a lot of work up front recently. Every time I'm ready to move on to the next big thing, I realize there's more to work out as far as history, geography, etc. To me, having a solid chapter is very important, and I hope to feel proud of my work all the way through my experience - even if I'm stutter writing, so to speak.

Perhaps I've satisfied with this style because I'm building a world and every creation has a place. For example, I've decided to change Soul of a Dragon in a way that will cost me some progress; but I was able to create and develop characters, get familiar with the landscape, etc.

Anyone still rooting for the tortoise?

A Dragon of a Different Color

2010-11-15T13:20:00.003-06:00

As I finished up my second chapter of Soul of a Dragon, I realized my cyclopedia needed more information about dragons. So my question is what colors should I use to divide them? I'm willing to work with up to seven colors, but that's it; I need to assign a power (more or less) to each color, and I don't want to end up making different powers for every shade of green, blue, etc. Obviously my description won't end at "green," but lime and emerald color dragons would have the same powers.

All clear? Thoughts?

Making Up Words

2010-11-13T22:03:00.004-06:00

Who does it? How do you justify it? Do you make up chat words only, or are you willing to toss out queries with questionable terms included? I definitely leave words in my manuscript that are frowned upon by Word and my dictionary. Examples from today: "should've" and "reattuned." Curse you, red squiggles!

Dual Narrative

2010-11-11T11:02:00.003-06:00

It is now my intention to write Soul of a Dragon from two different perspectives: the antagonist's and the protagonist's. I'm not sure how difficult this will be for me, but I've considered dual narrative ever since I began writing seriously. Perhaps it fits my style better.

Also, the Conan the Barbarian soundtrack is amazing. Talk about setting the mood for fantasy.

Birthday Boy

2010-11-08T08:08:00.007-06:00

Hooray! I'm an old man. To celebrate my antiquity, I'm going to set a writing deadline - something I haven't done in many moons. By the end of November, I will have written at least 20,000 words. That's more than I've written in the past year - for a novel - so it's good for me (die in a fire, NaNo).

Today, besides writing (we hope), I will finish off a map, update a timeline, and gather some images for my continent. Let it be known that I don't blame people for sticking with Earth and sometimes even their hometown when writing; it's difficult to create something from scratch that is semi-realistic. Sure, realism in fantasy isn't always necessary, but if you make a 100-ft-tall mountain with a snow cap, people may ask for an explanation.

Another thing I've noticed while sweating and bleeding over fictional geography, history and so forth is that you can never know enough; every little thing you know makes your world richer. For example, if you know that five books down the road King William will be slain in a cherry orchard, you can craft sentences that foreshadow the event; or if you know that an earth-shattering volcanic eruption occurred 700 years before your current story, you can alter the way people respond to natural disasters.

In essence, this.

The Habit

2010-11-05T09:12:00.004-05:00

As you can imagine, I haven't been writing much for a long time now. In order to facilitate the writing process, I'm going to share my current project with you, beloved readers. The working title is "Soul of a Dragon." Yes, more dragons! It takes place before The Dragons' Oracle, and the following is information I'm working with and from.

Spoiler Alert: for those of you who love surprises and expect to ever read this - in any form.

One-liner:

A dragon must overcome prejudice to save himself and mankind from ruin.

Query material:

Vhakula seeks immortality so that he may reign eternal over his fellow dragons; however, a powerful dragon named Kannutae learns of Vhakula’s plans and wishes the young dragon into human form. Vhakula tries to escape the human life he’s literally fallen into, but a wiser Kannutae foils his attempts. By the time Vhakula encounters a sympathetic dragon from his past, he’s already engaged to Ruth – his human guide. As Vhakula’s motley army fights off Kannutae and his beguiled supporters, Ruth is lost, and only by sacrificing his old dream can Vhakula bring her back.

I call it "query material," but for the time being, it's much more a mini-outline to help me in my quest. Madness imminent.

Return

2010-11-04T08:19:00.002-05:00

It's been nearly a year since I last posted. Does an old man such as myself still have a place in this world? Regardless, there is much to change about this outdated site. Sleeve rolling initiated.

While Revising

2009-11-16T11:57:00.004-06:00

How do you respond when a reader suggests something trivial and perhaps incorrect ("Move that comma back one space or something")? I expect you consider but then disregard such advice, correct? And other times when they make a suggestion, you say "no way" then shortly after realize they were right, yes? That's fine and dandy, but what if they suggest something quite specific and as you read through your work you realize the story has exactly what they asked for?

Example:

Reader X: "Hey, you need a scene with Character B performing Action C in response to Situation D."
Book: "Did you even read me?! It's all in the fifteenth chapter, duh!"

Do you think such complications arise because the readers do not read closely enough, because rare problems can and do occur (e.g., readers receive the wrong draft), or because despite the scene including all the reader's suggestions the most important actions are not emphasized enough?

Advise moi. I'll live if you don't, but I wouldn't mind a bit o' of your mind.

A Possible Return to Greatness of a Base Sort

2009-11-10T12:51:00.005-06:00

As money and time become tighter, I might be forced out of certain hobbies. If that occurs, and I almost want it to by this point, I should have more time to amaze you with my mastery of the Catholic doctrine, English language or none of the above. It's also possible that I'll be building stick figures with my kid as that's all I'll be able to afford to do. Anyway, rather than burden you with my financial worries, I'll let you ponder my above whining about my fiscal troubles.

So about those readers...

2009-11-03T12:34:00.003-06:00

A small tale for you:

When I completed the second draft of my first novel, I recruited about seven people to critique it for me. Two didn't finish, two finished but wrote no more than a paragraph of helpful information (if that), and three finished the book and made many suggestions. Certainly that wasn't what I would call great participation, but at least they didn't ostracize me after reading that mess.

Let us fast forward.

About a month ago, I asked four people (two of whom had done well critiquing my first novel) to critique the second draft of my second novel (more or less). When the deadline came, only one person had sent me an e-mail with suggestions and one hadn't read beyond page 10 or 15. Two others should be finishing shortly, but still I'm wondering how one should pick readers. I know writing is a lonely task, but it'd be nice to have at least four people who are quite enthused about your work. Right?

I've been so busy and sick the last few days I haven't had much time to consider revising again (lazy, perhaps), yet I would've liked to have received critiques back "on time." I know some of my readers read this blog, but don't you lash out at me! Don't you dare!

Comments welcome. Except for you. Don't you dare!

A interesting find in First Blood

2009-10-30T10:59:00.003-05:00

I've seen the film First Blood at least a few times, but I just recently picked up the novel. For those of you who like the Rambo character in the films, you'll be quite surprised if you ever read about the original Rambo; though a lot of the scene settings are the same, Rambo's personality is entirely different. Also, the ending differs dramatically from that of the first film.

Anyway, here are my question(s):

If someone created a video series based on your novel, would you be upset if they changed the title character's personality? The ending? What if it was arguably a good decision, and you were later given rights to write novelizations for all the films in the series?

Small impediment

2009-10-23T11:42:00.004-05:00

While working on a brief outline for my "second" book (second in the series, I suppose), I realized that somewhere I had written about the climate for the continent on which the events of the second book are going to take place. Immediately I put away my outline, read about the climate and began working on a map. Once my brain started to hurt from poring over excessive details, I thought, "Surely the reader will forgive me if my protagonist runs one second longer than the land would require from him." What I mean is that if I get my map, miles, speed and so forth rather accurate (say, 90 - 95%), no one is going to throw a fit. The important part is that I actually write the story!

So, that's that. Nothing too profound.

A Start

2009-10-16T09:58:00.004-05:00

My working title for this next novel, after some deliberation, is "Realm of Chaos." I think it covers the material well enough. Anyway, I created a one-liner and a paragraph nearly worthy of entering into a query letter. They're still "in the works," but they should help me stay focused as I begin and continue writing.

Have a looksie (and feel free to comment):

One-liner: A haunted man battles to unite a chaotic land under his rule.

Paragraph: As Darius and his men sail toward a new life, a catastrophe strikes, and an opportunistic traitor dies only after shattering Darius’s mind and sending him into the sea. When Darius wakes upon a beach, he remembers little more than his name, and soon he realizes the pain of recollection is not worth the effort and that a satisfactory existence can be found amongst the beasts. But when he encounters rugged natives of the land, he quickly embraces war and leadership, driving his new people against their rivals and the chaotic island itself. All seems well until a distant king’s forces are brought into play and Darius must decide between life and conviction, fear and courage, isolation and destiny.

Too vague, too passive, too detailed? I said feel free to comment, but now I'm demanding you comment!

P.S. With my limited programming skills, I've begun building simple tools to help me translate chosen base languages into my fantasy languages.

A bad writer

2009-10-12T12:01:00.002-05:00

I haven't done much since my last post two weeks ago. Well, that's a lie: I've done a lot of programming homework. But I think there'll be a break in here soon, and if there's not, perhaps I should make one; writer must write!

A brief update

2009-09-28T11:30:00.002-05:00

I went to a meeting for NaNo people just to see what it was all about. It went poorly, and around the time they started a 10-minute video of Yu-Gi-Oh, I walked out. Anyway, someone managed to convince me that I should start working on my next novel. I don't know if my schedule will allow for that at the moment, but it's possible that someday soon an outline will be in the works.

You know, it seems Arkansas might not be famous for its literary figures. Can't understand that at all. Nope.

They've got the whole draft in their hands...

2009-09-24T11:04:00.003-05:00

Who Ray!

I completed the second draft of The Dragons' Oracle yesterday. The word count was ~50,000, whereas the first draft sat at about 23,000 words. Not bad, not bad, but still too short. I expect draft three will end up much closer to 80,000 words - especially since I have some readers combing through the second draft for errors.

In other news, my programming homework is getting away from me, so if in the coming days you wonder where I am, search under Zork.

Missed Deadline

2009-09-14T09:57:00.001-05:00

The second draft's closer to done, and I expect it done this week - even with a programming test on the horizon. I would feel worse about missing the deadline except shortly after I proclaimed my goal, I realized I had misjudged the remaining words by several thousand. It may seem a difficult thing to, but there are complications. At least, my mind makes it so.

Soon!

From 1st to 3rd

2009-09-10T11:41:00.004-05:00

I could have posted this long ago...yep. Anyway, I wrote the first draft of The Dragons' Oracle as a 1st-person narrative. Sometime before starting the second draft, I decided to transform the first draft into a 3rd-person narrative. That can be a lot of work, so I decided to take a bit of a Find and Replace shortcut:

I=He
me=him
my/mine=his

This worked out well in some cases, not so well in other cases. For example, turning "Vaul didn't like me" into "Vaul didn't like him" can work, but turning "I can't believe it! She's obviously in love with him, not me" into "He can't believe it! She's obviously in love with him, not him" is just weird.

That's it. Back to writing/revising.

High grass, no more

2009-09-09T10:22:00.003-05:00

So, an old man came to my house recently. From whence he came (fancy), I know not, but perhaps it was from across the street. He saw my vain struggle against the high grass and offered his assistance. Shortly after that, my grass opponent fell, and I waved goodbye to the mysterious man (who might or might not be my neighbor).

I have begun to write again! Not a lot, not too little, but some. And I opened my big mouth and told my wife I'd finish this draft by the end of the week. That means someone (Uncle) should expect to read a disasterpiece rather soon. Please enjoy.

It's a Three Act Life for me

2009-09-01T12:14:00.006-05:00

Often on Blogspot we've discussed why most books are structured the same: rising action, climax, denouement. Some have suggested experimentation while others refused to give up the old ways. Never during those discussions did I consider that other arts might use the same guidelines.

However, recently I watched multiple performances by a stand-up comedian on Youtube, read, listened to songs, Et cetera. And now I've realized something: it is universally better to build up to your best than it is to start with it. So maybe there's no need to kick against the three-act structure after all. Perhaps it's built into everything for a reason.

P.S. Sorry I didn't use stork examples, Uncle. I know you love them!

The Tall Grass

2009-08-20T14:31:00.003-05:00

Not long ago, for various reasons, my lawn got away from me. Now it's 5 to 10 times harder for me to mow. It wouldn't be so tough a task if I had a gas mower, but I've got a "reel" mower. You know, the kind with the spinny blades that your grandpa used during his childhood.

Anyway, the situation got me to thinking about how much easier it is to sustain momentum than it is to create it. If you write or mow or whatever on a regular schedule, it's much less stressful to write, to mow, or whatever.

So keep moving forward as long as you can; you don't want to face the tall grass.

Obligatory Post: Fun!

2009-08-05T14:33:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted in quite some time, so here you go. Basically, I'm trying to balance hobbies and responsibilities in my life, and I've never been skilled at balancing. Most days I write (and soon it'll be every day), but I don't write a lot. Still, there's a lot of other stuff going on, so a little is better than none.

Hmm, I'm not sure what to say other than that. I can quit anything I want without much regret, but I cannot deal well with moderation. Time conflicts are the bane of me.

Time passed...

2009-07-29T12:12:00.005-05:00

I need a year or two to pass for my protagonist. How do I best handle the passing of time? That isn't a rhetorical question, so let me give you a couple of options to choose from:

A) At the beginning of my next chapter, I essentially let the protagonist/narrator explain everything that's occurred since the end of the previous chapter.

B) I start the new chapter off with a scene and drop lots of hints about the passing of time (e.g., during a card game, the once smooth-faced protagonist scratches his beard).

Do either of those work? If not, tell me what you think would work. This decision is stalling my progress, and I can't have that!

Think before you write

2009-07-23T10:20:00.003-05:00

On a piece of paper located on a wall at my work place, a writer gives some advice on how to stay safe from the sun during the summer. He essentially says:

Wear pants, long-sleeve shirts, and a hat. Growing your hair long doesn't hurt. Put sunscreen on your face, hands, and feet. Sit with your back to the sun, in the shade, and with an umbrella nearby. Wear sunglasses if necessary. You see, with just a few simple steps, you can enjoy summer and stay safe from the sun.

Does that sound simple or enjoyable to anyone? Why not just stay inside? The author should have reread his words and altered the advice. Or maybe he should have thrown away the article. Now that would have been fun and simple.

Progress

2009-07-16T08:13:00.001-05:00

My novel's going to have less than the typical word count when I'm finished with this second draft of sorts, but I think the material's better than it was. That's something, right?

Writer's Block

2009-07-09T11:44:00.005-05:00

Has anyone sat in their writing chair, knew exactly what they wanted to write, how they wanted to write it, where it fit in with the rest of their story, and still been unable to write?

Edit: I don't have writer's block. As usual, I vainly hoped people would read my words carefully. Boohoo! Okay, maybe I knew that wouldn't happen, and I actually wanted you unable to discern my position so that I would get an honest answer; people tend to respond in the way they think they "should" respond. It's bothersome - unless one wishes to engage in manipulation. Alrighty, end o' rant. Do I have any friends left? Did I just sow confusion once more? Ha ha. What a destiny.

News

2009-07-06T07:40:00.001-05:00

My wife and I moved into our new home a couple of days ago, so I'm tired. Forgive me if I don't write 20,000 words per hour. Please!

You'll see!

2009-06-29T10:55:00.012-05:00

'Not anymore.' He picked up his coat.

She said nothing, but her eyes followed him as he stepped across their carpet, touched their door, and left their home.

THE QUESTION:

Did anyone imagine her eyes tearing from their sockets and following the man? Honestly.

The Dragons' Oracle: Revising

2009-06-25T11:12:00.005-05:00

While revising the first draft of "The Dragons' Oracle," which Scott referred to as "a very long outline," I've managed to transform the first 6,000 words and a few ideas into 15,000 words. So, I'm wallowing in exultation, or something. Yay, me, as certain uncles say. Anyway, that's all I have to tell about my progress. There's a lot more to revise and create, so, until the next time, I bid you farewell.

Constantly bidding you farewell now.

Those dumb pretty heroes

2009-06-21T21:05:00.005-05:00

Remember how bored you were when you read the Good News? I mean: Jesus disdained sin. Boring! And remember when Superman saved the day and all that stuff? He should've snorted cocaine on the side; it would have deepened his character. Maybe they should have given him a past full of misdeeds. Then I'd be interested!

Okay, so I'm joking, but numerous sources tell us that protagonists need bad qualities. Why? We love Jesus, and we love Superman. Don't we? Would the crucifixion have meant as much if Jesus executed unbelievers? Obviously not. Here's what I think about the issue: protagonists should have flaws, weaknesses, whatever you want to call them, but I don't think they need to be immoral. Give them a peg leg, an inclination toward depression, Et cetera. But don't think people only root for dubious heroes.

Am I wrong? Please explain.

Patience

2009-06-17T10:45:00.007-05:00

Recently my dad-in-law and I were heading to work. We were stopped at the train tracks when one train car moved too close to where the tracks intersected with the road. Because he and I could see it was just one car, we waited patiently behind the gates.

The owner of the vehicle directly behind us most likely couldn't see the track around the edge of a nearby building. As he was in the middle of performing a u-turn, the train car backed up and the gates lifted.

Will you give up only moments before you would have succeeded? How do you know?

Keep writing.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow

2009-06-15T11:30:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow marks the end of my wait; it'll have been one month since I finished the first draft of The Dragons' Oracle. I considered starting my revisions today, but "Writing the Breakout Novel" arrived at my library. So I'll read that before writing the breakout novel! As you know, anyone who reads the book must succeed - at least, anyone whose last name starts with "B" and ends with "owman" must succeed.

Still, do any of you wonder why I didn't start today? I mean, what's one more book to read on the side, right? Well, the way I do things, I like to know everything and have mastered everything before beginning a task. If I sound crazy it's only because I am; you can't judge me too harshly. If you want to blame anyone for my stalling, blame Bad Bailey. He's the one who demanded I wait one month before revising my first draft. As you think about how bad Bad Bailey is, I'm going to finish this book. Only 55% more to go.

Brooding

2009-06-11T12:59:00.004-05:00

So here I sit, knowing soon I must write again. Perhaps for some of you writing always comes easy and you laugh with every word written, but for me, because of my fanatical tendencies, writing is nigh impossible; it requires me to take all of my imperfections and create something perfect from them, and once I've begun this mad task, there can be no stopping until it's finished.

Honorable Loser (and a bit o' bitter humor)

2009-06-10T14:07:00.003-05:00

Well, AWC sent me an envelope with two cards lovely placed inside. Each card told me a poem of mine had placed in a contest. I kept looking for checks (seriously) until someone said that regardless of the place (1st, 2nd, you get the idea), "HM" stands for honorable mention, which means no money. Darn!

But, they misspelled my name on one of the cards (in a different way than they misspelled on it on my name tag), yet spelled it correctly on the other card. Sound like a simple mistake, or two? Not so! I sent them a manila envelope with my name on it and 20 contests entries, all of which included my name, so they have no excuse for rejecting my beauteous poems, I mean, for misspelling my name. I'm cool, they're not, and I'm really cool. If you don't believe me, just ask me.

A tip

2009-06-08T09:07:00.004-05:00

The narrator of "The Hobbit" said this:

Now it is a strange thing, but things that are good to have and days that are good to spend are soon told about, and not much to listen to; while things that are uncomfortable palpitating, and even gruesome, may make a good tale, and take a deal of telling anyway.

After saying that, he skipped a week, perhaps a fortnight, of peaceful time so that he could tell of tumultuous times.

AWC 2009: My impressions

2009-06-08T07:55:00.004-05:00

Some details will be altered to conceal identities

The first thing I noticed was that the majority of attendees was elderly, and of those, the majority was female. (Okay, the first, first thing I noticed was my name misspelled on my name tag.) Only one child sat in at any events: my son. So, right off you can tell that I didn't blend in well. The incongruity likely affected my attitude.

During the first event I attended, I quickly grew weary of the speaker reading from his own works and saying things such as, "don't let loved ones make suggestions," "don't let editors tell you to cut material," etc. Yes, as you probably guessed from the comment about editors, this man had self-published his books. Now, to be fair, he had worked many years as a columnist, but I came as an aspiring novelist, not as an aspiring columnist.

The next speaker, much to my surprise, seemed to understand writing. Several of her short stories had been published in magazines and her novels had been published at a small publishing company (though she might have been an editor at said small publishing company). She advised, "editors won't waste time on unskilled writers," "writing is a business," "don't describe minor characters," "think in acts," and so on. I felt much better after listening to her.

The main speaker, Layne Longfellow, spoke eloquently, but mostly he spoke of poetry and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Also, I never interacted with Layne except for when I apologized for hitting him in the nose with a door. Seriously.

The last time I hoped to hear anything of use was when the program listed a "novelist" as a speaker. Well, guess what, he had self-published all his novels. And, he gave everyone a handout with the word "proflic" on it, which I assumed was a misspelling of "prolific." I forgave this person for the misspelling, but then, after reading from his works (surprise!), he read aloud from the handout and actually said "proflic." Although it wasn't the first time a speaker had used an odd or nonexistent word, it irritated me.

Fortunately, a few attendees could write, one even signed his book of animal poems and gave it to Ashton, and most everyone, besides myself, enjoyed the conference. They wrote to be happy, and they came to socialize and possibly learn a trick or two. So, they found joy, while I searched in vain for editors, agents, and small cliques of ambitious writers.

That's all, folks! I need to catch up a bit on work.

Secrets of Successful Fiction

2009-06-04T09:34:00.003-05:00

I just finished "Secrets of Successful Fiction" by Robert Newton Peck. Instead of reviewing it, I'm going to list some of the author's opinions. Enjoy.

"Writing is not an art. It is a craft. And the more you work at it, the better you become."

"Readers want a picture -- something to see, not just a paragraph to read. A picture made out of words."

"Avoid putting tears in the eyes of your character. Instead, create a picture to bring tears to the eyes of your reader."

"Writing is not a butterfly collection of adverbs and adjectives. Good fiction is a head-on crash of noun and verb."

"A plot is two dogs and one bone."

"Do not put the camera in the eye of a gnat up on a rafter who looks down and tells us what everyone says, does, and thinks. Be inside somebody."

"Flashbacks are allowed, but insert them only when your hero is at ease, and in a thoughtful or nostalgic mood. Not during a scene of dramatic excitement."

"So you must vary your work. It can't all be the same hue and be a work of art. Would you write a symphony that was two hours of tuba honks?"

"Shakespeare used humor as a change of pace."

"Before you begin Chapter 1, be sure to outline all your characters so that you know them inside and out."

"If you have a hero in your book, pour two ingredients into your mixing bowl: good and bad."

"This is a rut into which the emerging writer tends to stumble: He makes his characters too bland, too much alike, so much so that it is difficult to tell them apart, one from another."

"I once saw a play called Hamlet. Once. It was so long and drawn out that I would never force myself to sit through it again."

"When a person talks to another person, he hardly ever speaks the name of the other person."

"Maybe you've been so busy talking that you've never quite bothered to hear anything. Yet your reader wants to hear. Hum him a tune. Strum a ukulele. Stick a bee in his bonnet. Or a jackhammer!"

"A short and snappy chapter opening like that will win Rose [the reader] every time. She'll stay up until two a.m., and complain the next day that she 'just couldn't put that book down.'"

"So I suggest that aspiring fictions writers write a poem every day."

"Does an author have to do a lot of research to write a good historical novel? No, not nearly as much as you fear...after all, a writer of historical novels is not a historian. He's an author."

"Titles are darn important. Here's why: For every one person that reads your current novel, there will be a thousand who will just read your title."

"Painful though it may be to an author, when in doubt, throw it out."

"If, once published, you want to fail as a businessman, here's how to do it: Never appear in public."

"Even if you have no plans to write for TV, watch it anyhow. Television is actually a form of fiction, and there is much for you to learn if you approach it as a scholar instead of just another bored viewer."

"Write a book you're proud of. And when folks read it, let them feel finer and cleaner and stronger for so doing."

AWC

2009-06-04T08:52:00.003-05:00

My wife, our baby, and I are heading to the Arkansas Writers' Conference tomorrow morning. As I've never attended a conference before, AWC should be interesting, if nothing else. Right?

Only the Lonely Grammarian

2009-06-01T08:02:00.005-05:00

Have you ever wondered why people say "only" should be close to the word it modifies? Of course you've wondered! Let's consider some examples.

Here's one from the site Writer's Helper (wish I got paid for that):

The police are questioning you about a crime. Explaining your alibi, you say, "I only ran to the school." The detective has been watching NYPD Blue instead of reading a writers' style guide, so he is confused. He wonders, Does this mean you ran and didn't walk, crawl, or travel by train? Or does this mean you ran to the school and not to the mall, the wharf, or the courthouse?

Remember the rule? The modifier should be closest to the word it modifies. What you have told the detective is that you were running, not crawling or traveling by train. If you wanted to exclude the mall, the scene of the crime, you should say, I ran only to the school. That means you were not at the mall where the crime was committed.

Here are some from me:

Statement: "I only kicked him."
Implication: "Gee, ma, at least I didn't kill him."

Statement: "I kicked only him," and "I kicked him only."
Implication: "I kicked no one else. Okay, maybe Bob. But no one else!"

Statement: "Only I kicked him."
Implication: "Don't incriminate my date Peggy Sue. 'Twas I who kicked young Edwin."

The End (there can be only one!)

The Blogger Types

2009-05-28T08:18:00.005-05:00

Let's have fun! I'm going to describe a few blogger types I've encountered, then you're either going to comment on my descriptions or explain various blogger types you've encountered. If you're brave, you can comment and explain.

Number One:

S/he says "congratulations" or "lol" in response to 99% of all posts. You post about your grandmother's death and s/he LAWLSYCATS. Since I'm kind, let's call this blogger type the "Inattentive Blogger." We don't know what's really happening, but we can pretend s/he comments on 100 blogs a day and doesn't have time to read any of them. Often I wish the Inattentive Blogger wouldn't bother to comment. At least when I'm offtopic, it's intentional. Right?

Number Two:

S/he says "yep" or "right" in response to 99% of all posts. This sounds suspiciously like the Inattentive Blogger until you see their "signature." It looks like the following:

Name.com
Author of Such and Such
Link to Amazon page
Name
Invitation to love them

I'll call this blogger type the "Egocentric Blogger." Isn't that kind of me? One time a guy said to me, "Great blog. Let's chat some time," or something similar. I went to his site and found out he sold stuff. Surprised? Instead of dealing with his site, I went back to mine and responded with, "Sounds good." Oddly enough, he never said anything else. And I thought he loved me!

Number Three:

This blogger type, the Lunatic Blogger, combines the worst qualities of the Inattentive Blogger and the Egocentric Blogger. S/he is tricky in that s/he might say "yep," "congratulations," "right" or "lol" at any time. And, beneath every one-word response, you'll find a long signature detailing the greatness of said blogger. Perhaps worse than that, this blogger comments on any site; someone posts about monster trucks and "yep" assails them, another posts about a gourmet dinner and "lol" attacks. The Lunatic Blogger is more machine or animal than human. No one is safe.

Okay, I've done my part. Now do yours!

Characters & Viewpoint

2009-05-27T07:30:00.005-05:00

In the book Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card, I read a lot of Card's opinions. Only one area of the book did I loathe: the chapters on POV. Card consistently pointed out that 1st-person narratives required narrators who were telling the story to someone else, so taciturn characters wouldn't function well, arrogant characters couldn't be trusted, Et cetera. Essentially he acted as if 1st-person narrative could only effectively be used in rare cases. To illustrate this point:

"First-person and omniscient narrations are by nature more presentational than limited third-person--readers will notice the narrator more. If your goal is to get your readers emotionally involved with your main characters, with minimal distraction from their belief in the story, then the limited third-person narrator is your best choice."

Honestly? I thought if we could get into a narrator's head, see the world from his point of view, then we could sympathize more with him. If I'm wrong about this, I have lots o' work ahead of me.

"If you're writing humor, however, first-person or omniscient narration can help you create comic distance. These intrusive narrators can make wry comments or write with the kind of wit that calls attention to itself, without jarring or surprising a reader who is deeply involved with the characters."

Boring! I don't want comic distance. But perhaps Card's right about all this, and I'm just a bumpkin. What do you think about his view on views? Keep in mind that I value honesty over agreeableness.

Note: I'm not trying to diminish Mr. Card. I've enjoyed every book of his that I've read. That's something, coming from me.

To torture or protect, love or obsess?

2009-05-22T11:49:00.004-05:00

A while back I began to worry that if I were to become a popular author, I would torture my characters. It bothered me, because I really cared about my characters. Why should I kill them, take away their spouses, and burn down their homes? While I struggled to answer such questions, other writers continued to assure me that hate, not love, made money.

Sometime during rumination I came to a realization, or at least found a coping mechanism: to obsess is to cling, to love is to free. By giving our characters life and letting them choose their own way, we're loving them. If we were to create them, then set them aside to protect them, we're hating them; that is, we're not allowing them to fulfill their potential.

I know some of you couldn't care less for your characters, but for those of you who do care, perhaps this post will help you carry on when you feel like you're watching your protagonist clamber toward ruin. I'm personally interested in this topic for two reasons: one, I want to write without hate; two, I want to better understand the viewpoint of God.

Postdraft

2009-05-22T08:49:00.004-05:00

I'm taking some of Ole Bailey's advice and letting the first draft of The Dragons' Oracle rest so I can view it with fresh eyes the next time I see it. In the meantime, I'm studying the middle ages, weather, sailing, etc. As for fiction, I'm reading various novels, with emphasis on learning techniques of authors whose writing appeals to me. That's another of Ole Bailey's suggestions. What a hoot!

Oh, life offline:

My wife and I seal the deal on a house soon. Life's a changin'.

Rejected

2009-05-19T09:52:00.001-05:00

My two short stories, Kitty's Revolution and The Environmentalist, were rejected. I can think of a few possible reasons, but I don't have time to revise them right now; I'm building a world. Still, cry a little for me, will ya?

The Dragons' Oracle: First Draft

2009-05-16T08:18:00.006-05:00

Early this morning I completed the first draft of The Dragons' Oracle. It's a bit on the short side, because this is the first time I've written according to an outline, but at least all of the writing is relevant; I didn't write 40 scenes that, while fine, belonged in other books. Yeah, that happened in my first novel. Ha ha.

Draft 1 Wordle:

Some of you might not realize this, but the size of a word in the word cloud does not reflect how many times it was used in a story. Instead, the size reflects how many times it was used relative to the other words in the story; if you write a short short story and Wordle it, you might find that "hippy" looks rather large even though you only used it 10 times. Anyway, this Wordle resembles a lot of my Wordles: character names appear the largest. I'm not sure what to make of that.

1 week, in; 20k words, down; 2 thumbs, up; 1 sick man, out

2009-05-14T11:45:00.006-05:00

Yes, you read my title correctly. I started working on my novel, The Dragons' Oracle, last Thursday, and sometime before lunch today, I reached the 20k mark. And not all of the words suck! It's one thing to write a bunch of words; it's another to like them. Ha ha. Of course this is part of the first draft, so not all is well, but I think it's a great start. I'm excited about every part of the process: writing, rewriting, crying, rewriting. But as I type, I'm sniffling a little, and I blame my minor illness on my getting up early to write each day. I might take a short break (to sleep) before letting madness get behind my wheel again. Three cheers for me!

Question: I'm cool, huh? Thanks! As you can tell, this post is all about you blog readers. Aren't all my posts?

Who's your bestest blogging pal? Tee hee!

2009-05-13T09:19:00.011-05:00

Over at The Literary Lab, Davin posted about networking (more or less), which reminded me to create this post. Tip of the hat to ye, ole Malasarn.

The purpose of the post is rather simple; I want to hear your story (if you have one) about how you and another blogger have connected on a personal level. Do you visit them offline? Do you talk with them on the phone three times a week? Do you name protagonists after their children? Tell me!

As for me, well, I've met a lot of cool bloggers, but there's one in particular (you'll never guess) who has sent me at least 100 e-mails in a month and a half. Let's call him "Scott," or maybe "Bailey," but never SGFB. Whatever his name, he's a cool guy.

Why Push Yourself?

2009-05-11T16:11:00.005-05:00

If you know how many words (or pages) you need to write per day to "finish" your story by a certain deadline, why do more? Why work harder than necessary? Here are some valid reasons:

You don't know for sure how many words (or pages) your story needs until you've finished it.
Sometimes events and people unexpectedly take away from your writing time. In those instances it's nice to have a strong lead. Don't you think?
To become your best, you must push yourself beyond what you think necessary. It's a fact that if you're complacent, you're wasting your potential.
Most people die.

Having said all that, I say this: make sure to place the living high on your priority list. Books are great, but they aren't the most important things in the world.

My progress: I wrote about 3,000 words today for my novel. It's hard sometimes to keep at it, even when I'm working with lovely events and characters, but I must. Not to imply I'm unhappy with my accomplishments; nevertheless, until a completed Draft 1 smiles (crookedly) up at me, no amount is "enough." Work!

What I'm working on

2009-05-11T07:35:00.003-05:00

With Kitty's Revolution and The Environmentalist submitted, I have time to work on The Dragons' Oracle, my next novel. I'm approx. 9,000 words into it and enjoying the experience. Occasionally I'll step out of that world and into to this one. But don't wait up for me; my half-dragon friends need me.

Good word choice

2009-05-07T10:11:00.003-05:00

Good day! Good to see you! Good food. Good menu. Okay...so here's the deal: people use the word "good" too much. Try to go an hour, a day, or a week without using "good." But don't be surprised if it's tough for you to handle. It seems like most people are raised to believe that "good" is a substitute for any positive modifier. But that's bad, I say.

What do you folks think? Is good too good for its own good?

P.S. While this exercise might delight your mind, I'm not sure how wise it would be to permanently remove "good" from your vocabulary.

The Environmentalist: Completed

2009-05-06T10:36:00.004-05:00

I just completed the final revision of my short story, The Environmentalist. So, today or tomorrow I'll submit it to Fantasy & Science Fiction and acquire a million dollars. Right? Right...

Perhaps the most difficult part of the revision process was making the terminology precise and consistent. But I had little choice; if your protagonist is a machine with a human shell, it's important to exercise caution when choosing words. I'm honestly not sure I could handle that workload for the length of a novel.

Anyway, if you want to see what changes I made, if any, from one Wordle to the next, check my recent post. I updated it. And in doing so, I remembered something Davin had said about the first Wordle of The Environmentalist:

"I just brought it up because, having read the story, while the master is important, I don't consider him to be part of the major focus of the story."

He was referring to an earlier question he posed about the size of the term "master." And he's right...and he's wrong. While the master isn't the protagonist, he is of utmost importance to the story in that he created the protagonist and the protagonist worships him. Think about it: if your protagonist loves his mother, "mother" is going to show up in the Wordle of your story. It doesn't matter whether or not the mother even appears in the story; as long as your protagonist loves her, she is important. This is perhaps especially true for a 1st-person narrative.

Something to consider.

Shall we bleed blood?

2009-05-04T09:22:00.003-05:00

We've all read books in which the author introduced a character in chapter 6 and killed him in chapter 6.5. Boohoo, right? No, no one cares about Flat Bob who got stabbed and left behind faceless photos in his colorless wallet.

So, what do we do? We can't very well make every death tear the reader's heart apart. Or can we? When is it okay to kill cardboard characters? In war novels, anytime, never? I want some feedback on this, because despite the rule (unspoken or not) about cardboard slayings amounting to nothing, does anyone want to consistently kill off important people? Who could take it? Because I know I couldn't.

Once I stopped watching a television series after the writers killed off a certain character. Funny thing...he wasn't even a regular. But it disturbed me because of how noble they made him out to be, only to have him killed in a ignoble way. Maybe I'm a sissy. Ha ha.

Opinions, please.

P.S. Yes, I also hated Sturm's death. Might as well have killed him off during a bowel movement.

The Environmentalist: Wordle (Updated)

2009-05-01T12:43:00.007-05:00

Soon I will begin revising The Environmentalist. Here's the Wordle of Draft 1:

Draft 2:

Draft 3 (~final):

Oh! I learned something new about Wordle, today. If there's a word that isn't important to your analysis, you can right click it and remove it. Could come in handy.

More Research

2009-05-01T07:53:00.008-05:00

Yesterday I picked up Weather Wisdom, a book intended to increase the readers' awareness of natural weather-predictors (e.g., animal activities). It's well-written and highly informative, as the author introduces the reader to both old sayings and scientific facts. Because of how much Michelle cried the last time I mentioned research, I'm going to list a few tips for predicting weather.

Can you see remote mountains, smell subtle scents, and hear distant sounds more easily than usual? Rain/foul weather is likely.

Are seagulls, geese or other waterfowl staying inland or seeking coves? Rain/foul weather is likely.

Does your knee ache, your chair creak, and your pipe smoke fall toward the ground? Rain/foul weather is likely.

I bunched several tips together, but you get the idea. It's an interesting book.

Research

2009-04-29T07:30:00.005-05:00

If I don't post for a while, don't despair! I'm engaging in nautical research. Need proof?

Starboard Ship Wheel Caravel Carvel Port Bow Helmsman Stern Jib Mizzen Fore Aft Lateen Sail Keel Gary

Phew! Now I've proven it. But for what am I researching? My next novel, The Dragon's Oracle, of course. And this time I won't fail! Watch out agents, there's a captain on the prowl.

P.S. I'm no sailing expert, but if any of you desire answers to simple questions (e.g., "Which direction is starboard?"), perhaps I can be of service.

Unique creations

2009-04-27T11:28:00.008-05:00

Despite being built similarly, humans differ from one another in myriad ways. What does this have to with writing? Plenty. I'm pointing out that you don't have to break all the rules and detest structure in order to have your novel stand out. Think about it: how many television series have done well because 90% of the episodes followed a certain format? Now how many television series have done well because 90% of the episodes broke all the rules of the previous and following episode(s)? Get it?

Workshop

2009-04-25T13:12:00.006-05:00

Today I attended a workshop hosted by Cynthia Leitich Smith and her husband, Greg (who is also an author). The workshop lasted from roughly 10am to 12pm. Six people besides myself attended. Guess the name of the only male who attended! Yep. The truly of yore.

Cynthia spoke a lot about the different categories of books for young readers (early, easy, MG and YA), which I found interesting despite my lack of interest in writing books for children. Maybe someday, eh? Besides categories of books, Cynthia spoke about the typical outline stories follow. Some of you are probably familiar with this sequence: introduction to character, conflict arises, character takes action, fails, character tries again, fails, moment of despair, epiphany, resolution, denouement. Something like that, anyway.

Next Cynthia had the class create a character together. We ended up with Cora, a 16-year-old female who was raising her brother in a small city. Besides holding a job and aspiring to be a writer (surprise), she had to fight off the Child Services department (through cunning, most likely). This character was someone I would have never come up with, so when Cynthia told each of us to write a story in 15 minutes, I grew concerned. Ha ha. It turned out okay.

I could go on, but I want to revise my short story. Allow me to sum, please, brothers and sisters: Although Cynthia couldn't have gained much from hosting a free workshop for a small community, she gained my appreciation. And I think her advice really helped some of those present. Thanks, Cynthia!

P.S. Cynthia first impressed editors then got an agent. A bit backwards from the "usual."

Work and Workshop

2009-04-24T10:49:00.004-05:00

I've written/revised 0 new words today at my place of employment. My supervisor gave me another project to work on, which could turn into something huge soon. Aargh! What does he expect me to do, work? Don't worry, friends; I will do just that.

Tomorrow I'm attending a writing workshop here in town. It's free, and although Stephen King won't be attending, it's an opportunity for me to experience something new!

That's all, folks!

Give me dialogue...or give me micro fiction!

2009-04-23T20:22:00.004-05:00

After typing 2,700 words of The Environmentalist, I hit a wall. It took a lot of effort, and perhaps a lot of convolution, to add 1,300 more words to the story. I'll find out the details when I begin to revise. Yay! Well, as I mulled it over tonight, I realized my story included much less dialogue than my previous short story, Kitty's Revolution. And I began to think about how hard it is to write a story when you have a lonely protagonist.

Have any of you encountered this issue? Did you throw in a companion character, increase the amount of the time the protagonist spent in his own head, or do something else entirely?

Tricked Again

2009-04-23T12:50:00.006-05:00

Remember when I put a post-it note over the word count of my story to help me work harder? I done did it done again! I'm up to ~2,700 words, and I just started this morning. Not bad, considering I've accomplished other goals, like not losing my job. Ha ha. Yes, it means I must complete every task at a much faster pace, but it's worth the effort. We poor writers must steal time from so many sources. Woe is us!

I'm calling the story "The Environmentalist." I deliberately chose a word most people would understand, then I twisted what it meant. Should make for an interesting story. But, my mental outline has broken down; there's this gap between where the story is at now and where I want it to end. Oh, well. I'll figure out something.

By the way, I'm planning to start my next novel after I finish The Environmentalist. Woohoo! I'll keep you updated.

Newsflash: I brought The Environmentalist up to ~4,000 words. Phew! The prose doesn't rock yet, but I can work with it. That's enough for today.

Query

2009-04-22T09:09:00.003-05:00

I assume most people reading this post have queried agents, so I have a series of questions for you:

Had any of your work been published prior to you sending out queries for your book?
Did you mention your published material in your queries?
Did you receive a request for a partial or a full from an agent?
Did an agent offer you representation?

My (astounding) answers:

No. No. No. No.

Thanks for your participation!

Kitty's Revolution: Wordle (Updated)

2009-04-20T10:41:00.013-05:00

Some of you might not know it, but I'm working on a Sci-fi short story named Kitty's Revolution. Before submitting, I plan to check out its Wordle and read the story aloud. So, here's the Wordle. It's as least as much for me as it is for you, so don't feel compelled to comment (or to not comment).

Draft 1:

Draft 2:

Draft 3 (final):

As you can see, I made changes to the story between each Wordle. Some overused words remain, but I refuse to pick this story to death. Submission imminent.

P.S. My 2nd Wordle had an annoying color scheme, and I created my 1st Wordle last; that's why I missed the size of "room."

Pic

2009-04-20T09:33:00.002-05:00

I tried to look at least semi-nice for my new photo. Did I fail? Ha ha.

Is your genre your soul mate? Click here to...

2009-04-19T14:29:00.010-05:00

Based on what I've read, I believe it is easier for someone to break into science fiction than it is to break into fantasy. I'm writing a short story for Asimov's Science Fiction, and it is a science fiction short story, not borderline fantasy (which they also accept). When I look for either fantasy or science fiction novels, I unquestionably find more science fiction novels, and I seem to enjoy reading them as much or more than I enjoy reading fantasy novels.

I'm not sure what to make of it. Are authors of science fiction more skilled than authors of fantasy? Is it common for a writer to start out with one genre in mind then wonder if perhaps he or she is better suited for another genre? I don't plan to give up on fantasy, but I'm looking for answers.

A relevant note: I breezed through 250+ pages of Ender's Shadow in 1/8 the time it took me to struggle through ~50 pages of Artemis Fowl. It could be more of a Card vs. Colfer debate than a Science Fiction vs. Fantasy debate. Could be.

Racial confusion

2009-04-17T05:51:00.017-05:00

I discovered one reason why races were changed; a lot of them looked alike.

Take these gnomes. But no gnoming!

Don't they look an awful lot like these guys (who were called dwarfs)?

And what about this elf? Now, slap a beard on him. Look familiar?

I know this post just blows your socks off and makes you think, "How does Justus do it?". Well, I'm about to go to work, so accept whatcha git! Ha ha. Anyway, as you can see, there is a valid reason for people to change races. And whatever you do, don't make up a new race and describe the people as "short, humanoids who always wear hats."

How creativity crossed the line

2009-04-16T10:45:00.005-05:00

Recently I picked up Artemis Fowl and began reading it. Something about the story disgusted me, so I put the book down. Then I read a list of supposedly-great fantasy books, one thing led to another, and I ended up back with Artemis Fowl.

Yesterday, I pinpointed the problem I had with the book. You ready for it? Eoin Colfer had the audacity to make up new attributes for races. Fairies weren't the usual faeries, gnomes weren't the usual gnomes, etc. I had no idea how much this upset me until about a day ago (yeah, J.K. Rowling's elves and trolls annoyed me, but apparently not enough). Yes, thanks to Artemis Fowl, I found the truth; I despise race-alterations that spit in the face of the races I have known and loved.

Example: I'm familiar with intelligent, clumsy, short gnomes. While not every gnome is a fumbling, brainy, midget, many of them are just that. So, when I read stories that include gnomes with enormous butts, or gnomes incapable of intellectual conversation, it annoys the freak out of me! I also hate hill-giantesque trolls (I'm sure you're with me, DnD fans), floppy-nosed elves and so on. Wah, wah!

I could continue ranting for a while, but I want to tell you about a difficult decision of mine. Give me a moment to dry my eyes. I...might...forgive writers for being creative with nonhuman races. Yes, I'll let writers lie to readers about tall goblins or winged dwarves. I might even dabble in race-alteration myself. Ack! What will become of me?

How about you? Is there anything in writing that disturbs you? Have you gotten over it? What do you think about races? Should all elves be descendants of Tolkien's elves, Santa's elves, Rowling's elves, or your elves? Opinions, please!

Laziness does not become a writer

2009-04-15T12:19:00.006-05:00

Take the title how you will.

I wrote a short story recently and thought myself rather clever for doing so. After receiving two thorough critiques, and four less-thorough critiques, I'm ready to embrace the truth I feared; my impatience led to flat characters.

In order to resolve the problem, and prevent similar problems from occurring in the future, I've decided to create character profiles for every story I write (possibly excepting micro fiction and flash fiction). Even if a story is only 5,000 words, readers want to meet real people who have real problems. And if I don't know my characters, how can I expect the readers to know them?

The character profiles for my shorter stories are going to be less detailed than the character profiles I create for a novel, but it's still good to know my characters more than I know the guy on my cereal box. I don't even need to use all the information I create, because the readers will pick up on my increased knowledge without having to read something like, "Scott Sellen was a real guy with real problems. He stood about 5'11" tall, had brown hair, light-blue eyes and weighed approximately 160 pounds. His love in life was...".

I'm sure you've heard "haste makes waste" before. Well hear it again: haste makes waste.

The Price of Magic

2009-04-14T09:33:00.005-05:00

Magic, necromancy, illusion, spells, wizardry, divination: there are many names for the mystical, the supernatural, the miraculous. Regardless of what terminology you prefer, there is a way you can help me.

I'm currently reading How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card. He brings up the point that magic must somehow be kept in check. Unfortunately, all of his suggestions involve dismemberment or a similar ailment: if Joe uses magic, a limb falls off; if Joe uses magic, a random person's limb falls off; if Joe uses magic, his wife's limb falls off; and so on. I'm not fond of any of those suggested systems, yet I agree that magic must be kept in check. But how?

Should a magician's powers be limited by experience? Card scoffed at the idea (which he attributed to Dungeons & Dragons), but why shouldn't a magician grow more powerful through experience? Isn't that how many magic systems work? Don't authors suggest Magician X is incapable of Magic X because of inexperience, or is bloodline also of importance? Race? Stature?

Essentially, I'm asking for your opinion on magic. Should it cost the magician something? If so, what? If not, what is to keep a magician from destroying the protagonist, or even the planet, with a wink and a giggle?

JMB-F

2009-04-13T09:32:00.003-05:00

I have created a custom search engine and named it JMB-F. The link is under "Search Engines." JMB-F searches my blog and the blogs of my followers. Feel free to use it. Suggestions welcome.

Titles

2009-04-11T14:49:00.012-05:00

Snakes on a Plane, Knowing, The Haunting in Connecticut, and Fighting are all simple film titles. Do you like any of the titles? Do they seem similar to you? Here's my perspective:

Snakes on a Plane: The film is about snakes on a plane. I think all of us realize the inherent conflict. Success!

Knowing: The title says to me, "Someone knows something." Not too exciting. Who isn't knowing something at any given moment? Lame.

The Haunting in Connecticut: Haunting equals conflict. Connecticut is Connecticut. Not fancy, but it works.

Fighting: A film that involves lots of fighting. Duh! But, the movie trailer suggests romance, a man struggling to find his place in life, etc. "Fighting" doesn't do the film justice. If it does, scrap your plans to watch it, and go watch UFC.

Do you agree with my analyses, or does "Knowing" make you think, "Gee, who knows what? I love mysteries!".

Obviously titles don't matter as much now that films and books have trailers, but book trailers are still uncommon. What kind of book title grabs your attention? Which of the following titles do you prefer? Why?

Smoking
Tobacco Companies
The Freedom Stick
A License to Kill...your children

Titles
What's in a Title?
The Death of Creativity
Who Made up that Stupid Thing?!

P.S.

I called my brother to wish him a happy birthday, and he told me to vote for his band And the Angels Were Silent via this link: http://edgefest.edgelittlerock.com/pages/botb2009.html If you want to vote for him too, that'd be great. Thanks.

There, Zac. Happy Birthday!

How to Trick a Bowman

2009-04-09T12:56:00.010-05:00

Ha ha.

If you're a Bowman like me, you enjoy watching the word count of your documents. "Oh, I've written 300 words. Better take a couple of minutes off and get a drink," you'll say. "Oh, I guess 1,000 words is quite spectacular for one day's work!", you'll dandily exclaim. Indeed, indeed, foolish Bowman.

I now teach you a crude but effective trick:

1. Place sticky note over word count.
2. Type.
3. Realize your work is never done.

I used this trick for quite a while today before I cracked and tore at the sticky note with my clawed hands. The word count had gone up by ~1,700 words! It may increase even more, but I can't tell; many electronic voices call for my assistance.

Phew! One post down. Time to get a drink.

Newsflash: My second use of the trick netted ~1,100 words (today's current total: ~2,800). It could have been more, but I'm about to...switch locations.

I'm King of the World!

2009-04-08T16:09:00.009-05:00

Remember when I posted about the Arkansas Writers Conference and how I intended to send in 20 or more contest entries? Well, it's done! Yay! It's been such a hassle to deal with them and do anything else on the side.

Also, um, listen up, I added 1,500 words to my short story today, and I completed half of my tough homework. Plus, plus! I entered a contest yesterday and found what island I want to replicate to create my next novel's setting. Man, I'm feeling perty kool...whether I really deserve to or not. Ha ha.

That's enough from me. Anyone else feel like a billion bucks? Does?

Can numbers inspire?

2009-04-08T14:20:00.007-05:00

Let's try:

You write 100 words per day (easy) for 30 years = ~1,095,750 words = 10 109,575-word novels.
You write 1000 words per day (not so easy) for 30 years = ~10,957,500 words = 100 109,575-word novels or 10 1,095,750-word novels (for you talkative folk).

Of course, you can play with the numbers. What if you write 15 years? 60 years? 400 words per day? 250 words per day?

If you're waiting for inspiration to strike, stop. Start writing. Everyone who ever wrote, wrote today.

Magazine/E-Zine Submissions + Snowflake

2009-04-07T12:05:00.009-05:00

A.

Recently I submitted to an e-zine and failed. Admittedly, the e-zine was less than reputable, but I don't like rejection. Since then I read an issue of Asimov's Science Fiction and plan to submit a short story to them. According to statistics I've read, I'll only have 790 other stories to trump in order to get my story accepted.

Have any of you had your work accepted by a magazine or e-zine? If so, to what do you attribute your success? Do you think "doing your research" helps?

B.

Since my last novel bombed because of lack of organization (thanks for the advice to improv the structure, Mr. King), I've been looking at various ways of creating an outline. The snowflake method seems to have a lot of promise. I wouldn't say I'm going to follow all of the creator's advice, but he gave me a lot think about. Do you use a particular method of outlining? Do you think it helps you?

Grammar Stop

2009-04-06T11:43:00.005-05:00

Which of the following three modifiers makes the writer's idea unclear?

"I saw the trailer peeking through the window."
"I rose from the moonlit water and peered into the forest, ready for Sarah and Jessica to bring my clothing."
"As president of the kennel club, my poodle must be well groomed."

Are the following sentences equivalent? Which do you prefer?

"These rules negatively affect every woman -and every man, to a lesser degree- and we refuse to comply."
"These rules negatively affect every woman (and every man, to a lesser degree) and we refuse to comply."

What of the following?

"He taught me the lesson of frugality: a penny saved is a penny earned."
"He taught me the lesson of frugality; a penny saved is a penny earned."
"He taught me the lesson of frugality -a penny saved is a penny earned."

When Knowledge Abounds

2009-04-04T15:25:00.005-05:00

I've been reading novelettes and short stories published in Asimov's Science Fiction magazine. Most are worth reading, even if they aren't perfect, but I just read/skimmed through one that I hated.

Forgive me if I refuse to mention the date on this particular issue. I'd rather not mention specifics and somehow get myself into trouble before I submit my first story. But worry not, I will tell you why I think the story bothered me.

Here it is: The author knew the subject too well! S/he would go on and go on about stuff "you don't need to know." I wanted to shout, "Stop telling me then!". Unfortunately, my desire solved nothing; page after page, extraneous facts piled onto the point of the story and crushed the life out of it.

The best example of the author's verbosity lies in the following sentence: "...you don't really need to know the entire history...". I cut out most of the sentence because it continued with the author telling the reader the entire history of everything. My eyes wanted to emit barfage onto the pages. They would have, had they not been too busy crying.

Anyway, do you think some authors know too much for their own good?

P.S.

Scott, I know we talked about this topic recently, but this isn't about you. You have such a big ego!

Prologue

2009-04-03T15:05:00.005-05:00

I read Nathan's post about prologues, yet I bring you my prologue:

Prologue

Oracle lifted his eyes and hands toward the sky, like one calling for rain. He hummed an ancient tune. At his feet lay a baby swaddled in purple satin, and on the other side of the baby stood five youths trembling, afraid of what Oracle might prophesy.

The oldest male, Vance, stepped forward and glared at him. ‘Stop delaying, Oracle. Why have you brought us here? Just to see a puny human child?’

Oracle kept his eyes to the sky and spoke with a deep voice. ‘In fifteen years, within a span of three days, two of seven shall die, and one of seven shall vanish.’ He paused until the murmuring died down. ‘In forty years, one of seven will start a third life and reunite with the vanished one.’ Again, he waited. ‘In-’

Vance snarled and his red eyes flashed. ‘What of the human child?!’

Oracle brought one arm down and pointed at the baby. His azure cloak billowed in a gust of wind. ‘Darius is the seventh member of the tribe, half dragon like the rest of you, but destined to become king.’

Vance bent over and sneered at Darius. ‘King, is it? Not while I’m around.’

I need answers to the following questions:

Do I need to use 3rd-person narrative throughout my novel if I use 3rd-person narrative in my prologue?

Do you like the prologue?

If Darius is the protagonist, should I skip a few years between the events of the prologue and the events of chapter one? Does it depend on whether I go with 1st-person narrative or 3rd-person narrative?

Thanks for your help.

My Black-eyed Voice

2009-04-03T09:18:00.007-05:00

A few people commented on my last post, asking if my book sucked as much as I let on. My response is...maybe. The plot itself might not border on disaster, perhaps the majority of characters have depth, but I wrote most of the novel when I feared my own voice. And if there's anything I've learned about writing, it's this: cowards can't write. Technically they can, but truly they can't. If I become famous one day, I'd like to write a book with that title: Cowards Can't Write (by Famous Bowman).

How did I get here?

Sure, plenty of people tried to alert me to the importance of voice; fellow writers lauded it's uniqueness and agents applauded its power. But up until a few days ago, I wandered the streets of writing, both mute and disheveled. Then again, I'm always disheveled. Ha ha. The point is: the concept of "voice" made no sense to me.

In time, I realized people demanded to hear my "voice," whatever that was. So I let it out of its cage now and again, but whenever a nifty rule came along, I grabbed my voice and shoved it back into prison. I feared what would happen if people heard my voice and hated it. I used myriad rules to protect myself from embarrassment.

Recently Scott and I start e-mailing each other. We typed enough to fill up a daily word quota and then some. I'd like to thank him (change "thank" to "blame" if anything goes wrong) for helping me understand and embrace the concept of voice. I've talked with others about it, but Scott is the kind of guy who isn't afraid to come out and say, "Accept your voice. Break the rules that bind you. Stop screwing around!". I tip my hat to his bold demeanor.

Okay, enough about boring Scott. Geesh. What I want you to take away from my post is this: Learn the rules, consider them, but write from the heart. Don't fear your voice. Cowardice is a trait universally despised.

Progress, Decisions, Ewe Named "It"

2009-04-02T14:21:00.008-05:00

Recently, after many discussions with Uncle...that is, after many discussions with Profane Bailey, I decided to stop revising my novel. His flaming, icy, acidic critique of my first chapter helped me realize I have no business writing anything other than my name on a napkin.

I kid. Happy day after April 1st day! Okay, I did stop revising my novel, but I haven't given up writing. Since yesterday I've completed my last three contest entries, submitted a flash-fiction tale to an e-zine, read a section of The Foundation Trilogy, worked out a rough outline of a novel in my mind (it's about the father of Astanax), checked out some magazines in order to get familiar with their fiction preferences, bragged to all of you, etc. Phew!

I'm not sure when I'll start working on my new novel, but I think it better suits my current abilities: 1st-person narrative, one protagonist, a clear external conflict, a clear internal conflict. Also, it's nice to begin with Astanax's father because it's like I'm starting my Star Wars with Anakin instead of Luke. Make sense?

Until the next time! Maybe one day soon my platform will include more than my victory in an online contest. While it's nothing to sneeze at from my point of view, few agents would take the time to toot at it. Pardon my Français.

P.S. 1 The working title of the new novel is The Dragons' Oracle, and it will probably fall into the "The Chaos Trilogy," which means I need to rename my previous trilogy. Aargh!

P.S. 2 Once a ewe named "It." His hat, nice and small. Not very tall. He took it to the ball. All.

Call me Monster

2009-04-01T12:00:00.005-05:00

I have this word quota I'm supposed to meet each day, and I may not make it today. Well, I've already written ~1,300 words but none of them went into my novel. Let me hang my head in shame for a moment.

Okay, I'm back and lookin' at ya. Advise me, please. It is okay to occasionally break away from the novel and write something else, or should the novel always come first?

My reason for working on something other than my novel:

I am 3 contest entries short of being able to send in 20 contest entries for the writers conference coming up in June. Originally I wanted to compete in 25 contests, but too much other writing "stuff"(Writer's Market, novel revisions) is overwhelming my brain.

Come to my rescue!

2009-03-31T07:46:00.005-05:00

Please name 5-10 indispensable SFF novels and/or short stories. Heck, name 5-10 indispensable authors of SFF, if you wish. I must absorb more knowledge with my spongy mind.

Note: If all your reading suggestions for me were written within the last 10 years, take a deep breath and repeat after me, "New does not mean better. Sometimes new things suck." Ha ha.

The Winds of Change!

2009-03-30T21:02:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry the site is going through changes. Consider it a teenager and let's move on.

Poll

2009-03-30T20:54:00.005-05:00

My poll received 21 responses over ~100 days.

The Statement: "I will sacrifice anything for success."

The Answers:

"Yes": 0% (0)

"No": 76% (16)

"Undecided": 9% (2)

"Yes, but I need you to assure me you don't include people when saying 'anything'": 14% (3)

Apparently no one would kill someone to get published. Geesh! Isn't anyone ambitious around here? Fine, let them live, though a book written in blood would grab attention. No matter what you wrote for paragraph one, it would hook the readers.

Focus

2009-03-29T11:59:00.004-05:00

While reading the Novel and Short Story Writer's Market, I decided to narrow my vision; that is, I now think of myself as an SFF writer: not merely a "writer." How will this affect my sight? It won't. But it will affect my site. Sometime (to be specific) I am going to go through my links and start putting SFF agents, authors and sites on a pedestal.

Fear not, you others! My posts won't change in material, except I'll put SFF before every other word.

For example: "Dialogue attribution blah blah" will become "Dialogue SFF attribution blah SFF blah."

Why am I doing this? Obviously to torture you, but there is a less important reason. You see, I've noticed during my many years on Earth that it is easier to climb a short ladder than it is to climb a tall ladder. If I am a "writer," I compete with every type of writer in the world; if I transform myself into an SFF writer, I dramatically reduce my competition.

I'm sure I could say something else, but French Toast meets no man halfway (thanks, Sylvester Stallone).

Ron Ejaculated Loudly

2009-03-28T09:37:00.010-05:00

Don't get too excited. You've probably read the title of this post in Order of the Phoenix ("We're not going to use magic," Ron ejaculated loudly.). Perhaps now you understand why J.K. Rowling strikes me as unskilled at dialogue attribution; nevertheless, let's move on to more important matters: my experiences with dialogue attribution!

When I first began dabbling in writing, I thought one should use action verbs in dialogue attribution: she screamed, he squealed, they wailed. Later Stephen King (a personal friend, you know) convinced me to stick with the simple "he said" and "she said." Then, after I completed my first draft of A Step Through Time (the previous title for Time Prism), my wife convinced me to write "asked" instead of "said" when dealing with questions.

So, a sentence like "'What are you thinking?!' she screamed" changed to "'What are you thinking?!' she said," then to "'What are you thinking?!' she asked." But what form does my dialogue attribution currently take?

It's a mix. Mostly I use nothing. As in, "Binky turned his back to the bitter wind. 'Astanax, we need to find shelter before I freeze to death!'" Sometimes I'll write "said," other times "asked," and rarely, "screamed," "shouted" and so on when the situation calls for it.

How do you deal with dialogue? Do your characters constantly scream, whine, whisper and ejaculate? Do you pull Tom Swifties like "'I need a pencil sharpener,' said Tom bluntly," or "'Oops! There goes my hat!' said Tom off the top of his head"?

Show moi!

P.S.

1. Do any of you try to create more unique characters by having some of them only use contractions in dialogue, some never use contractions, some speak intellectually except for one common word they're fond of, etc.?

2. I spied silliness.

Writer's Market

2009-03-27T11:57:00.007-05:00

Several people have advised me to obtain Writer's Market. To those people, I say, "Success!"

Some of you may not know it, but I work in a university library. For several months I've been taking Writer's Digest magazines off the shelves and reading them, but I doubted we would ever get our hands on Writer's Market. That is, until yesterday.

I was talking with a female coworker before leaving work, and the 88th Annual Edition of Writer's Market leapt from a small shelf behind her and punched me right in the teeth. Yes, I've understated the initial attack.

Did I miss it all this time? I don't know because I thought Writer's Market would show up on the magazine aisles just like Writer's Digest. Instead, I have a thousand-page behemoth sitting on my thigh right now.

Anyway, glad to share the good news, but I'm eager to begin reading. It could take a while. Fortunately some people have special privileges. Ho ho!

P.S.

I'm 25% done with my revision of Time Prism. Here is a Wordle update.

Kiss me, stranger. No time for romancing.

2009-03-26T07:38:00.006-05:00

This post is about weak openings because my Spring Break road trip offered me many opportunities to turn some pages.

Example One:

I put a book down after reading page one. Here are some sentences for your viewing pleasure. Would you continue to read this book? Should I?

"Beneath a patina of highway grime that spoke of countless days and countless miles, the bus's slapdash jacket of white paint--a shade called Pearly Gates, just five-ninety-nine a gallon at the Ace Hardware in downtown Leavenworth, Kansas--glowed like bones in the phantasmal light of the setting horned moon."

Way to kill the mood.

"The bus's folding door squeaked open, and two painted-over stop signs flopped out from the vehicle's sides like stunted angel wings."

I think he's trying too hard.

"'Yes, this will do fine,' he whispered in his steel-rasp and Southern-honey-pecan voice."

Steel and honey...yum!

Example Two:

I finished Orion by Ben Bova, and I recommend the book to fans of SF; however, the beginning didn't hook me. Here's why:

"John O'Ryan is not a god...not exactly." Back cover.

This line planted a question in my mind: Why should I care about a godlike protagonist?

"Earlier this year I stunned a Tae Kwan Do master by learning in less than a week everything he had absorbed in a lifetime of unceasing work. He tried to be humble and polite about it, but it was clear that he was furious with me and deeply ashamed of himself for being so." First chapter.

I knew little of the protagonist when I read the above sentences, and I feared he would brag about his greatness on every page. Fortunately most of his perceived arrogance died in chapter one.

Wild aside:

A writer, a chef. A book, a meal. An opening, an appetizer. A reader, a customer. An agent, a contact. An editor, a head chef. A restaurant, a publisher.

You want to work as a chef for a prestigious restaurant, but you don't know how to get your food in the door. So you search around for a contact, someone who knows "people" in various restaurants. You send an appetizer to these contacts, and cry when they spit out your food. Eventually one likes it, and contacts some head chefs who decide to try your meal. Several pass, but one head chef likes coleslaw and beans, decides it works for the restaurant and its customers, and hires you.

You've heard this before, but most people leave out one factor. Hunger! If you're desperate, find a desperate head chef. Chances are you won't even need a contact. Stroll into the cooking area, throw a biscuit at him, and he's yours. Of course, your food may not get into the tummies of the richest folk...

Wait. Where am I going with this?

Uh, some openings work for some people; others work for other people. The "opening must rock" theory doesn't take into account how much tastes vary. Do your best, stay in school.

I'm back from Spring Break, half-crazed at work, so you get what you get. :D

Slay the woman and pig!

2009-03-22T14:53:00.005-05:00

Why do they kill off the hero's love interest, or make her disappear after book/film one? Can anyone give me an example of a book (or series) that failed because the hero had a loyal woman at his side for too long?

Also, what's up with pig-slaying? I have heard many times that a writer should torture the hero and make horrific villains, but pigs, really? I finished a book in which a child's family was slaughtered (grandparents run down, mother raped, pigs and dogs killed) near the beginning, and a hero's family was slaughtered (brother-in-law decapitated, wife filled with arrows, so on) near the end. How many more of that author's books do I want to read? Zero. Unfortunately this isn't the first author I can say that about.

Strange as it may seem, some people might not like reading about a villain cutting a hero's fingers off, eating the hero's pet pig, or raping the hero's woman. Am I (and my friends) the only one who thinks this way? Do you vomit on rainbows and sunshine but jump for joy at tragedy?

P.S. If anything is flawed in this post, I reserve the right to blame it on the child sleeping on me. ;)

Day and Night

2009-03-20T11:35:00.003-05:00

While reading my post title, you probably thought, "Yes! Some fancy-pants turnaround story is on the way." So sorry! Instead, I want your opinion on how evil it is of me to not let the readers get past the first day and night until chapter ten. A little evil? Super-mega evil?!

I know each Harry Potter tale spanned about one year, and Ender's Game (finished it a few days ago) covered several years then skipped a decade or two near the end. Do you like a lot of time to pass in a story, or are you a 24 fanatic?

P.S. 1 At this point, the events of Time Prism occur in a three-week time frame.

P.S. 2 I've revised ~18.5% of Time Prism.

P.S. 3 I'm taking a trip during Spring Break, so I might disappear soon.