Christine Purcell

The Use (And Misuse) of Negative Space in Writing Fiction

2012-01-04T18:42:00.000-08:00

I’ve been thinking about how negative space is used in writing fiction.

Here is the use of negative space I’m most familiar with as illustrated by Chekov in his story The Lady With The Dog:

The attitude of Anna Sergeyevna – “the lady with the dog” – to what had happened was somehow peculiar, very grave, as though it were her fault – so it seemed, and it was strange and inappropriate. Her face dropped and faded, and on both side of it her long hair hung down mournfully; she mused in a dejected attitude like “the woman who was a sinner” in an old-fashioned picture.

“It’s wrong,” she said. “You will be the first to despise me now.”

There was a watermelon on the table. Gurov cut himself a slice and began eating it without haste. There followed at least half an hour of silence.

Anna Sergeyevna was touching; there was about her the purity of a good, simple woman who had seen little of life. The solitary candle burning on the table threw a faint light on her face, yet it was clear that she was very unhappy.

“How could I despise you? asked Gurov. “You don’t know what you are saying.”

Chekov uses the watermelon - Gurov eating without haste followed by at least half an hour of silence - as a pause or a representation of time passing where the reader feels the slowness of pace, the awkwardness, how the absence of writing is more meaningful than any other mundane details would be.

Another way to use negative space in writing fiction is with breaks. This is something I haven’t thought about a lot, but I’m starting to consider how to make better use of my breaks.

As Nick Mamatas explains in his book Starve Better: Surviving the Endless Horror of the Writing Life, “scene breaks all but invite an editor to stop reading at the break, so be sure you use them only when necessary and proper.”

Nick goes on to explain “a scene break is thus primarily useful when the break is profound and signaling it is thus very important.”

In other words, don’t put in a scene break between a character waking up and then driving his car shortly afterward. Nick asserts that a scene break does not mean “and then” or “meanwhile.”

Here is an example from Starve Better of when to use carriage returns, scene breaks, and chapter breaks:

“You’ll never take me alive, imperialist pigs!” Joseph shouted, raising his AK.
(two carriage returns)

Later that night, in prison, Joseph tried to enjoy his Salisbury steak.

“You’ll never take me alive, imperialist pigs!” Joseph shouted, raising his AK.
(scene break) #
At Joseph’s funeral, his son, Joseph Jr. vowed revenge on America.

“You’ll never take me alive, imperialist pigs!” Joseph shouted, raising his AK.

(chapter break) II.

Harvey always enjoyed Martyr’s Day. The government not only outfitted him with slightly longer leg irons for the holiday, it also let him eat all the pigeons he could kill as part of their statuary protection program.

Seeing that all the busts of Joseph-Leader, Founder, and Father of all of us-made a more popular toilet than anything else, Harvey wondered if there wasn’t something in the way the bronze of Joseph’s bald head gleamed under the sun.

Negative space is like breathing. How long do you want that breath to be? A short gulp – maybe carriage returns. A deep inhale – maybe a chapter break to show a more significant change.

It was interesting for me to go back and reread some of my stories giving more attention to negative space. It’s fascinating how the use of non-writing can change a story.

Podcasts for Writers

2011-12-05T17:58:00.000-08:00

Odyssey has over 40 great podcasts by wonderful writers like Theodora Goss, James Morrow, Shawna McCarthy, Gardner Dozois, Jeff VanderMeer, Bruce Holland Rogers, and many more. Check it out here.

Double Trouble

2011-10-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I had the pleasure of attending two conferences: The Rochester Writers' Conference held at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan and Conclave held at the Sheraton in Romulus, Michigan.
First, I was told by some delightful folks at Conclave that this short video is a must watch, so enjoy!

Second, I was asked to put up some of the handouts from my panels. And here they are:

How To Write A Synopsis

by Christine Purcell

Helpful Hint: Editors read a lot of submissions. They like to find the information they need quickly. Headings make it easy for editors and their tired eyes and this makes editors grateful.

Sample set-up for a synopsis.

One-Sentence Summary:

Give your editor a powerful, one-sentence hook.

Main Characters:

Describe your characters' strengths, weaknesses, and what makes them unique. Describe their relationships with your other main characters when relevant. You want to describe your protagonist and your antagonist as well as a few other characters that have significant impact on the main characters/events in your story.

Character 1 is an obsessive technomancer, and although she intends her inventions to positively impact society, her ability instead makes her an outsider….

Character 2

Character 3

Character 4

Plot Summary:

This should generally be in chronological order with main events flowing logically into each other so the editor can clearly see your narrative arc. You can also describe your intentions/inspirations here if you wish.

Economy is important. Look at each word and see if it is visual – descriptive and energetic.

You don't want every word to be growled/chortled/chastised by any means. However, you do want Kryptonite rather than green rock; man of steel rather than tough guy; and Lex Luthor instead of everyone else.

Ending:

Yes, include your ending. Much of an editor's decision may be based on whether your ending is both surprising and satisfying.

Links:

How to Write a Cover Letter

How to Write a Biography

Dialogue

Writing a Scene

And a great example of how to start off with very strong opening paragraphs that include a sense of your character's attitude, something your character wants, and how your character is starting to change: The Collectors by Matt Bell

Ads of Yesteryear

2011-08-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently sent me these pictures. Maybe you write alternate history, historical fiction, steampunk, whatever. Some of these ads make the fantasy seem more real than our recent past reality. These are are real. I'm not joking.
I guess it's time for my three-year-old to start drinking cola!

A New Adventure in Slush

2011-07-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of weird stuff that comes into the Elder Signs Press e-mail slushpile. There's the "Hi, I'm submitting my Dungeons and Dragons campaign" and the word salad stories that read like the author got thesaurus happy.
But this is a new one:

As I mentioned above, I’m great at following directions and as such and per your submission guidelines, I have attached the first three chapters of “(name changed to protect the innocent),” and a synopsis, as well as a self-addressed stamped envelope for your anticipated reply.

Wow. Now that's talent!

New Fiction by Yours Truly

2011-07-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

White Cat Magazine was officially launched at the beginning of this month. This great new publication is "devoted to providing and developing excellent fiction." You can check out my flash fiction piece Before It's Too Late for free!

And speaking of great publishers, consider supporting Apex Publications as they look to get many of their fine books nationally distributed. For a small donation, you can get cool swag and some good fiction.

What a Character

2011-07-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about characters; why some characters feel flat while others feel like someone you know better than your own family.

A few things came together for me, piecing together the thoughts of Robert McKee in Story, James Wood in How Fiction Works, and the thoughts of my very smart friend Joe Ponepinto.

Here's what I've come up with:

Characters can have as many as four layers.

1) A conscious, announced motive - the face they show to the world.

2) A conscious, unannounced motive - the goal they keep hidden.

3) A subconscious motivation - usually this desire is self-contradictory to a conscious desire. Although the protagonist is largely unaware of this desire, the audience senses it, perceiving the inner contradiction.

4) A motive beyond explanation - This is a layer frequently seen in Dostoevskian characters that Wood asserts can only be understood "religiously." That is, "These characters act like this because they want to be known; even if they are unaware of it, they want to reveal their baseness; they want to confess. They want to reveal the dark shamefulness of their souls, and so, without knowing quite why, they act "scandalously" and appallingly in front of others, so that people "better" than they can judge them for the wretches they are." ~ How Fiction Works

I think this last layer, which seems to be missed when many authors are developing their characters, is important in that it provides a role for the reader. To me a reader's role, in addition to just being entertained, is to interpret the story in a way that has meaning for them, and to possibly make a judgment on the characters, or at least get to know them.

This is an idea I've been formulating for a while. I'm curious to hear how others think about the layers to a character.

Book Signing - Stewart Sternberg's "The Ravening"

2011-05-22T05:07:00.000-07:00

Come on out to the book signing today! Local author Stewart Sternberg will sign his Zombie Apocolypse Thriller, first in the Trilogy. Buy it there or at Barnes or Amazon. Appetizers provided by Rock.

Time: Sunday, May 22 · 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Location:

Galley Food and Spirits Algonac
2430 M-29/23 Mile Road
Algonac, Mich 48001/794-4844

Penguicon on YouTube

2011-05-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

There's a first time for everything, and it's my first time being on YouTube! The first time I know about, anyway. See if you can spot me. I'll give you a hint - I'm on a panel. I'll give you another hint - I'm the one that's not Brandon Sanderson.

Making a Scene

2011-05-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

I've been having a blast at Penguicon, as you can probably tell by my super happy self-portrait. The Stormtroopers playing Rock Band are pretty awesome, too.

As asked for by several congoers, here is the info from the handouts given out at my dialogue/scene writing panel.

For the dialogue handout, please see my previous post here.

And now:

Writing a Scene

A scene is a miniature story. A scene is unified around desire, action, conflict, and change.

The objective of the scene should be related to the overall goal that spans the story.

The action in a scene develops through a conflict that will somehow change the character’s life from positive to negative or negative to positive. This change in value also creates an emotional transition.

An effective scene ends with something the character didn’t anticipate, splitting open a gap between expectation and result. Scenes are turning points that surprise, increase curiosity, and provide insight and new direction.

The Gap

Characters will take the most minimal, conservative, yet sufficient step to achieve their goal. The moment the character takes this action, a reaction from the world blocks his desire. There is a gap between his subjective expectation and the objective result. Now, the character realizes he cannot get what he wants in a minimal way. He must gather himself and struggle through the next scene, the next gap, and take a second action. The next action is something the character didn’t want to do in the first case because it puts him at risk. These obstacles are the key to building rising tension throughout your story, the obstacles become greater in each scene and the actions taken needed to overcome become more desperate until the climax of the story. At the climax, the stakes should be so high the reader is riveted to discover what your character will gain or lose.

Sources: Story by Robert McKee

Social Networking for Promotion

2011-04-30T06:54:00.001-07:00

Last night, I was on the Social Networking panel at Penguicon. There were some interesting ideas brought up for how to effectively use social networking to create relationships with potential readers and to just interact with cool people who have similar interests.

While most panelists make use of the well-known Facebook and Twitter, as well as maintaining a personal blog, here are some other tools you may not be familiar with.

Goodreads is a social cataloging site that allows you to register books and share your reading interests with others. As a writer, it's fun to let others know what you're into and see what other writers/editors are reading.

Scoop.it lets you create a personal dig site and crawls the web for content related to your topic of interest. You can then scoop the best ones to put on your personal web page. Scoop.it is currently in private beta and you can get a free invite.

HootSuite, among other things, lets you update multiple networks at the same time, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WordPress, and Ping.fm

It was also suggested that becoming an active participant on forums related to your topic of interest, like writing, helps create relationships with others who may then start following your posts on other social networking sites.

To keep things fresh on your blog, consider inviting others to do guest posts and perhaps ask to write a post for someone else's blog.

If you read a blog you really enjoy, analyze what that blog author does that you like. You can do it to!

The consensus on the panel was that it's important not to try and use every social networking tool available, but rather to pick a few and try to do them well.

I hope you enjoyed my summary of the panel and maybe learned something new. Happy networking!

The Wilde-side of Jersey Shore

2011-04-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

From gothamist, Jersey Shore clips performed in the style of Oscar Wilde. This is too funny not to watch.

And just in case you were wondering what a squirrel monkey was:

Pimp My Ghost Ride

2011-04-20T09:21:00.001-07:00

Nice truck at my local Home Depot. Who knew ghostbusting was so lucrative?

Cool Music Stuff

2011-04-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

If you read my last post (and I hope you did), then you know I'll be at Penguicon in a few short weeks. While I'm there, I'm hoping to have time to see MC Frontalot. This self-proclaimed "nerdcore" hip-hop artist has been getting a lot of buzz lately, and I want to see what all the fuss is about.

Check out his latest music videos:

Also my awesome sort-of-boss shared this cool video from the alternative rock band Madder Mortem with me. They're a little cerebral (i.e., you have to put a little thought into the music), but it all makes sense in a weird, discordant sort of way.

And because my awesome sort-of-boss is, well, awesome, here's a festive song from his Goth Metal band The Creepers:

Find more artists like The Creepers at Myspace Music

Penguicon 2011 is Coming

2011-03-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

Penguicon 2011 is just around the corner. This year, it will be held in Troy, Michigan from April 29th to May 1st. The literary guest of honor will be Brandon Sanderson, the author chosen to finish Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.

MC Frontalot will be there as well. If you're a fan of the "nerdcore" artist, it will definitely be a good a time.

I'm on quite a few panels this year, so if you're attending, bring some popcorn and get a front row seat, or snore loudly in the back, or just come say "hi."

My panels:

And Let it be Said! - A look at dialog and scene/action description in writing, and how to effectively pull off quality dialog and scene descriptions your readers will remember.

The Art of the Critique - When you're writing stories, one of the quicker ways to get better is to have talented people critique you. But where do you find good people? What consists of a good critique? And how can you use that feedback to improve your story?

Come Out and Play with Big Brother - Dystopic SF tends by its nature to be bleak. Winston Smith didn't have much fun. Huxley emphasized the shallow, hollow nature of the pleasures offered by his Brave New World. More recent books about dystopia actually show the characters having the occasional bit of fun while the world burns or even triumphing against adversity. Julian Comstock gives us rollicking adventure alongside its political warnings. The characters in Lauren Beukes' Moxyland lead recognizable and occasionally fun lives as the walls come crashing down around them. The heroes of Cory Doctorow's Little Brother learn they can take on an oppressive government, while engaging in a few teen hijinks along the way. An examination of the trends in dystopic novels and what they might say about the cultures and writers that produced them.

Using Social Networking for Self-Promotion

Is It Steampunk Yet? Steampunk is hot and now, and will explode in the next couple years.

Big House, Little House or Self Pub? A look at which direction authors should take with their work.

Cthulhu's Psychiatrist?

2011-03-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

Got polyps? Get Elder Sign (HD).

DIY Steampunk and More

2011-02-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

Here are a few cool things you can make yourself if you're in to steampunk or old-timey stuff with a modern twist:

From Industrial Radical, instructions on how to make a steampunk terrarium.

From Hacked Gadgets, how to make a Morse code oscillator using an Altoids tin.

And finally how to make your laptop look like a portable typewriter; from Mary Robinette Kowal's blog.

Panic At The Disco Goes Steampunk

2011-02-09T05:48:00.000-08:00

Panic! At The Disco have gone steampunk for their new album Vices & Virtue. Here is their new music video.

When a fairly mainstream band goes steampunk, it makes me think we will see an increase in this trend. I wonder who will go steampunk next.

P.S. that microphone looks very Abney Park inspired.

Eye of the Storm

2011-02-06T06:17:00.000-08:00

This is Ben Lovett's new music video "Eye of the Storm." It's steampunk and beautiful. Enjoy!

And the making of:

Humorous Comics - Lovecraft and Steampunk

2011-01-30T12:12:00.000-08:00

I just ran across Wondermark today. Wondermark is a series of comic strips created by David Malki from 19th-Century woodcuts and engravings. The above cartoon is a sample of the strip.

Also, I found this delightful series of "Tintin meets Lovecraft" parody covers from artist Murray Groat. Enjoy:

ConFusion Fun

2011-01-23T17:09:00.000-08:00

ConFusion this weekend was a blast. Thanks to all my fellow panelists and new friends for such a great time.

There were so many highlights, but I'll only touch on a few.

First, I really enjoyed the launch party for Lois Gresh's new book Blood and Ice as well as taking part in the Elder Signs Press panel.

Stewart Sternberg, Lois Gresh, and myself at the release party.

The Zeppelins panel with Tobias Buckell, Cherie Priest, Paul Melko, and Steven Harper Piziks was ripe with information. I loved discussing early Victorian airships designed by such visionary inventors as Henri Giffard and Solomon Andrews.

Cherie Priest and Doselle Young

The Small Press panel with Jim Frenkel, Stephen Haffner, Jim Deak, Sarah Hansen, and Jim Hines illustrated the diversity in the publishing industry. I discovered a lot about what some of our fellow small presses are doing.

And finally, I had a special request to post the handout I distributed at the Dialogue panel (Jim Hines Paul Melko, Suzanne Church, Christian Klaver). So, here it is. As I stated in my panel, I owe thanks to James Woods, Robert McKee, and Renni Browne for their wonderful books on craft, which helped me write better dialogue. Enjoy!

10 Tips on Writing Dialogue
Christine Purcell is a freelance writer and the Acquisitions Editor for Elder Signs Press.

"Speak as common people do, but think as wise men do." ~ Aristotle

1) Make sure that dialogue is the best way to communicate the idea to the reader. Sometimes as much can be conveyed with no speech at all.
2) Try and avoid authorial assistance and unnecessary adverbs (e.g. "Perhaps the dead man walked here," he said flippantly.").
3) Remember: Dialogue is not conversation. Real conversation is full of awkward pauses, poor word choices, non sequiturs, and pointless repetition. It seldom makes a point or achieves closure. But, it is how people develop and change relationships.
4) What is said and done is not what is thought and felt. Dialogue should have subtext. E.g., Surface dialogue: "You're being cheated," he said. Subtext: "I'm trying to protect you."
Surface dialogue: "It doesn't matter," she said. Subtext: "I'm rejecting your advance."
Characters should never look longingly in each others eyes, say "I love you," and actually mean it.
5) Economy. Say the maximum in the fewest words.
6) Dialogue should have a direction and purpose.
7) Read your dialogue out loud. Dialogue doesn't require complete sentences. Avoid tongue twisters, accidental rhymes, and alliterations.
8) The moment you think you've written a line that's particularly brilliant, take a moment to consider whether it accomplishes what you wanted to accomplish. If not, cut it.
9) Avoid monologues. Dialogue should be action and reaction. In life, you don't know what you're going to say next until you see the reaction of others to your first words.
10) Use "suspense sentences" when you can. You want your meaning to sit at the end of a sentence so your reader isn't bored, having to continue on reading useless words.
E.g., write "If you didn't want me to do it, why'd you give me that..." Look? Gun? Kiss?
Not "Why'd you give me that ____, if you didn't want me to do it."

These simple rules are good to keep in mind when writing dialogue that advances the action of the story and builds the characters. If your dialogue fails, so will your story.

Steampunk Toys: Working Engines and Steam Robots!

2011-01-20T19:35:00.001-08:00

I ran across the Mini Steam website today, which boasts a plethora of working steam toys. Here are some of my favorites.

Steam carousel with airships. It has a built in steam engine with a boiler.

Steam powered robot.

Boehm Stirling-Technik engine. It runs on denatured alcohol!

I'll take one of each please!

Midwest Genre Writers and Readers

2011-01-16T10:55:00.000-08:00

Hello loyal readers. The writing group I belong to is considering new membership. If you're a genre writer living in Southeast Michigan, why not give us a try? It's free to join.

Here's how:

Midwest Genre Writers and Readers is a juried writing group meeting in Southeast Michigan. Although most of our members are published, it is not a requirement for membership. If you are writing for the first time, this is not the group for you. We meet in person every two weeks to critique each other's work and talk about current news in the publishing industry. If you're ready to give thoughtful critiques and to receive straightforward feedback, we can't wait to meet you.

To apply for membership, please submit an email and writing sample to cpurcell.writer@gmail.com

Introduce yourself in the body of your email. Please include relevant writing experience, as well as your publishing credits, if any. Attach a 1500 word (approximately) writing sample to the email. Writing samples should be genre fiction (fantasy, sci-fi, horror, etc.), and should follow the SFWA manuscript format . Please thoroughly edit your work before you send it.

Why Building A Snow Fort Is Like Writing

2011-01-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

It seems that I can always find an excuse not to write. Like today, when my son was napping, instead of writing I decided to build him a snow fort. I planned it out; sketched an outline in the snow. After packing a Rubbermaid container, flipping it over, and watching the powdery "brick" crumble, many people might give up. Me? I got a bucket of water. Two hours, 10 buckets of water, and three pairs of gloves later, I had enough of a fort to put on a partial roof. Not my best work, but I persisted and created something I was kind of proud of. When my son woke up, he was ecstatic. That made the sweat and lower back throb worth it.

It occurred to me that building a snow fort is kind of like writing. I plan it out in my head, then often run into a mental road block. I'm not following my outline. The structure is crumbling. Usually, the road block is enough to put me off writing until the following day. But next time, I'm going to try and remember the fort. Instead of abandoning my story, I'll improvise and glue the bricks together with whatever inner resources I have.

I think if I directed the energy I waste avoiding writing into actually sitting down and writing, I'd be much more productive. Maybe even kind of proud.

Top Ten Steampunk Books

2011-01-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

I was recently reading a thread on facebook asking what was the best steampunk book on the shelves. For me, it's always interesting to see what people are reading.

While I haven't come close to reading every steampunk book ever printed, I have read quite a lot. Here's my top ten list. Some of these are pretty close, and it was hard to decide where to rank them. I decided not to include Verne or Wells as steampunk, since they were writing about the time they were living in. Even if they did include some futuristic technology.

1. The Anubis Gates - Tim Powers
2. Perdido Street Station - China Mieville
3. The Windup Girl - Paolo Bacigalupi
4. The Scar - China Mieville
5. The Kingdom Beyond the Waves - Stephen Hunt
6. Boneshaker - Cherie Priest
7. The Affinity Bridge - George Mann
8. The Difference Engine - Bruce Sterling & William Gibson
9. The Osiris Ritual - George Mann
10. Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare (Yes, it's YA. What can I say. I'm a sucker for romance).

I'm reading Homunculus by James Blaylock at the moment. So far so good. Mainspring by Jay Lake is the next book on my list. It's waiting patiently on my nightstand.

Also on my "to read" list are K.W. Jeter's Morlock Night and Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan.

I'd love to hear what's on your list of best steampunk books!

The Ravening and ConFusion

2010-12-30T13:06:00.000-08:00

Stewart Sternberg's first novel The Ravening is now shipping from Amazon. If you haven't ordered your copy yet, you should!

Also, I'm going to be on some panels at ConFusion this year. ConFusion 11 will be held in Troy, Michigan from Friday, January 21st to Sunday, January, 23rd. The literary guests of honor will be award winning authors Cherie Priest and Paolo Bacigalupi.

In case you want to come say hello, I've listed my panels/parties below. I'll also be at the Elder Signs Press booth intermittently as well as making balloon animals for the kiddies on Friday night. Hope to see you there.

Saturday

2:00 PM

Salon H “Talk, talk, talk: The Importance of Dialogue to the Story” M Jim Hines, Paul Melko, Suzanne Church, Christian Klaver, Christine Purcell

3:00 PM

Concierge Lounge 12th Floor
Elder Signs Press Book Launch for the new book “Blood and Ice” by Lois Gresh which mixes science and vampires and Antarctica.
Lois has received Bram Stoker Award, Nebula Award, Theodore Sturgeon Award, and International Horror Guild Award nominations for her work. She is also a New York Times Best-Selling Author (6 times), Publishers Weekly Best-Selling Paperback Author, and Publishers Weekly Best-Selling Paperback Children’s Author of 24 books and several dozen short stories. Her books have been published in approximately 20 languages.

4:00 PM

Salon F Zeppelins are a trademark of both Steampunk and the Low/High Tech Future how did this happen and why do people like the big gasbags? M Tobias Buckell, Cherie Priest, Christine Purcell, Paul Melko

Sunday

11:00 AM

Salon H The Small Press Is the small press a breaking ground for new writers or a trap for those who can't cut it in the big world of publishing? Who and what is the small press, why is does it exist, where can it be found, and how to use it as both a reader and a writer. M Jim Frenkel, Stephen Haffner, Christine Purcell, Jim Hines, Peter Halacz, Jim Deak

Noon

Dennison I/II Elder Signs Press is an independent press specializing in science fiction, dark fiction, fantasy, and horror based right here in Michigan. Come meet the people behind it and learn more about it. M Deborah Jones, William Jones, Stewart Sternberg, Charles Zaglanis, Christine Purcell, Lois Gresh

1:00 PM

Dennison I/II Playing with Genre Conventions How can we take the mundane and shopworn conventions of our respective genres and reinvent them? M Cherie Priest, Jim Frenkel, Stewart Sternberg, Charles Zaglanis, Christine Purcell

How To Write A Cover Letter...

2010-12-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

…that I will read.

As the Acquisitions Editor for Elder Signs Press, I see a lot of cover letters. Yes, even if they are atrocious, I will still read them. It’s my job. But reading a well written cover letter puts me in a better mood before I read the synopsis and sample chapters. I can’t help it. Humans are emotional creatures. I try not to let mood influence my reading, but putting me in a good mood can’t hurt.

All editors have their own likes and dislikes. However, for those of you considering submitting to ESP, here are a few tips to make me a happy camper.

1) Please, please, please give me a word count. As our guidelines state, we accept manuscripts between 80,000 and 120,000 words. If I don’t know how long your manuscript is, I don’t know whether I should be considering it.

2) If your manuscript is shorter or longer than our desired word count, either fix it or don’t send it. I’ve had completed manuscripts submitted as short as 5,000 words and behemoths over 300,000 words. Um, thanks, but no thanks.

3) Send manuscripts that fit in with our previously published books. We publish dark, adult fiction. I’ve had children’s books submitted. I’ve had charming memoirs submitted. I’m sure they’re very good, but that’s not our niche.

4) Let me know what genre/sub-genre you’re submitting. For example, “dark urban fantasy,” “military thriller,” etc. If it’s a blend, that’s fine. List all applicable genres.

5) If you have previous publications, please list them. Statements like “I have a slew of writing credentials” are not helpful. Be specific. If you don’t have any writing credentials, that’s all right. But, please let me know. A cover letter is not the place to be mysterious.

6) Don’t apologize for the manuscript before I’ve even looked at it. If you start by saying, “this may not be right for you,” it’s probably not. Humor is fine, but keep in mind – brevity is the soul of wit.

Here is a sample cover letter that gives me the info I need.

Dear editor,

Thank you for considering (Story Name Here), a (genre here) manuscript completed at (word count here).

My work has appeared in (previous publications here) and other venues. OR I am an unpublished author.

Please find attached my synopsis and sample chapters. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Your Name

I hope this is helpful to you in your publishing endeavors. Happy submitting!

Deck The Halls With Technologically Advanced Goodies

2010-12-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

Looking to elevate your holiday decorating to the next level? Want all your friends to look at you with a mixture of awe and bewildered confusion?

How about a Tesla coil Christmas Tree? This 30 foot tree was made by Peter Terren using some simple camera techniques and sparks from a Tesla coil.

Or if direct current isn't quite your thing, perhaps consider a tree powered by a little less voltage. An aquarium in Japan has been using an electric eel to power a Christmas tree.

Kazuhiko Minawa of the Enoshima Aquarium, south of Tokyo, invented the set-up which involves an electrode in an aquarium housing an electric eel.

Happy Holidays, however you celebrate!

So You Want To Write A Novel

2010-11-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

To honor the end of NaNoWriMo, here's a fun video where a veteran writer talks to an aspiring, wannabe writer. Everyone thinks they can write a best-seller. Here's why it's not so easy:

Your Old Toys - Steampunked

2010-11-27T19:02:00.000-08:00

Crafters make their version of steampunk toys.

See more at Walyou.

Mr. Potato Head. I think he looks a bit more like Mr. Peanut, but he's still awesome.

Optimus Prime. Because robots that transform into trains are fun.

Cool Steampunk Exhibits

2010-11-23T18:50:00.000-08:00

Three cool steampunk exhibits you might want to check out if you're in the area.

Steampunk Form & Function Design Competition
Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation
Waltham, MA
Open until May 10, 2011

Nemo's Steampunk Art and Invention Gallery
Patriot Place’s North Lifestyle Center
Foxboro, MA
Saturday, February 5, 2011
5 pm to 12 midnight

ModVic's Back Home To The Future Exhibit
The Philly Expo Center
Oakes, PA
March 5 and 6, 2011

Steampunk Bookstore - Off The Beaten Path

2010-11-20T16:15:00.001-08:00

Owner, Sal, behind the counter

I spent my Friday hanging out at a new bookstore called "Off The Beaten Path." It's the first steampunk themed bookstore I've been to and I found the experience rather charming.

The store, which opened on October 1st, specializes in speculative fiction. A selection of steampunk accessories and merchandise are available as well. There is also a cafe with beverages and munchies.

The bookstore hosts various events like "Tea with Steampunk Fairies" and drumming workshops.

Me with some steampunk merchandise

If you're in the area and want to check it out, it's located at:

23023 Orchard Lake Rd. Farmington, MI 48336

The store hours are:
•Monday - Thursday: 10 AM to 10 PM
•Friday and Saturday: 10 AM to 11 PM
•Sunday: 1 PM to 7 PM

Stop in and say hi to the owner, Sal. She's always around the shop and ready with insightful conversation and tailored book recommendations.

I love the intimate experience that a specialty store like this provides. Come one out and support your local steampunk shop!

I'm also interested to hear if others have found stores like this popping up in their area. Share your experiences!

Steampunk Rap

2010-11-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

Here's a little ditty called "Fighting Trousers" by Professor Elemental.

Just watch the video.

Slushpile Adventures

2010-11-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last two weeks reading more than one hundred submissions - including fairly lenghty synopses paired with three sample chapters.

Of those one hundred submissions, I pulled out nine submissions that caught my interest for a second read.

Of those nine, I asked five authors to send a full manuscript.

Now, I expect to send two or three of those manuscripts up the chain.

The manuscripts will make their next stop with our fiction editor.

Then, it will be up to him to decide whether those manuscripts make it any further. That is, into the hands of our editor-in-chief.

I figure, that's less than two percent of our submissions that actually make it all the way up to the top of the Elder Signs Press ladder.

I have a new found appreciation for how tough it is for authors to get published. And it really makes me respect the perserverance of new authors to make that first sale.

World Fantasy Con, New Job, and ConFusion

2010-10-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

I accepted a job as Acquisitions Editor for Elder Signs Press this week. I've started wading through the slush already and have made my first rejections. I'm hoping to make some acceptances soon! If you've got a complete dark fiction novel, pitch it to me. I'm especially on the lookout for some good Victorian inspired Sci Fi and Fantasy at the moment.

I'll be at the World Fantasy Convention this upcoming weekend, October 28-31, in Columbus, Ohio. Come say hi to me at the Elder Signs Press booth!

I've also been invited as a panelist to ConFusion taking place in Troy, Michigan from January 21-23, 2011. The Guests of Honor will be Cherie Priest and Paolo Bacigalupi. Hope to see you there.

Steampunk Stuff

2010-10-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Riese, the steampunkish Sci-Fi/Fantasy web series which debuted November 2, 2009, is going to be streamed on the SyFy website beginning on October 26, 2010. If you like any of SyFy's action-based shows (like Sanctuary) or if you like women and men dressed in steampunk garb, you'll like this.

In 1974, Saab began developing a steam car known as the “Saab Nine Cylinder Axial Steam Engine.” The project was shelved, but wouldn't it be fun to see a revival?

Writing Groups

2010-10-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

I was a guest panelist at Conclave this weekend. I also had the distinct privilege of making Cthulhu balloon hats as a promotional giveaway for What To Do When You Meet Cthulhu by Rachel Gray, available for preorder now.

It was great spending time with my fellow Elder Signs Press bloggers and authors (William Jones, Lois Gresh, Stewart Sternberg, Charles P. Zaglanis, Daniel J. Hogan, Christian Klaver, Rick Moore, Tim Curran) and having the honor of sharing a Steampunk panel with S.M. Stirling.

While helping with the Writing Workshop and sitting on the Writing Groups panel, I was amazed to discover how many writers don’t have any kind of support system in place to help them grow and progress in their writing journey.

To me, writing groups are an essential part of the serious writer’s life. Both receiving and giving critiques on a consistent basis helps me recognize recurring flaws in my work.

For those looking for others with whom to share their craft, here are a few places to start.

Where To Find A Writing Group:
In person:
www.meetup.com
Your local bookstore, college, or library

Online:
critters.org

How To Start Your Own Writers' Group
6’ Ferret Writers' Group

I believe that it’s harder to be a solitary writer than a social one. Why not give writing groups a try? At the very least, you might meet someone who will make an interesting character in your next story.

Committed

2010-10-04T16:31:00.000-07:00

My story "Committed" is out in the Fem Fangs anthology, available through Pill Hill Press and most online retailers. If you like female vampires as leading characters, I think you'll enjoy reading this anthology!

Plagarism: A Writer's Worst Nightmare

2010-10-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, Ferrel "Rick" Moore, had his story "Electrocuting the Clowns" plagarized.

Please click on the link to read his story and offer him your support. This kind of thing makes me livid and ashamed that someone calling himself a writer would try and use someone else's work for his own unearned fame.

The above picture is of the plagarist who goes by the names David Byron and David Boyer as well as other aliases. He promotes his "magazine" online, asking writers for submissions. Please do not submit to this predator. He might steal your work too!

I'd love to hear if anyone else has had this problem.

Psst. Conclave 35 is Almost Here

2010-09-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hey.
Hey you.
Genre lover.

You should come to Conclave in Romulus, Michigan on October 8th through the 10th.

In addition to the Writing Track and Writing Workshop, there is gaming, art, parties, a dealer's room, more parties. Conclave's going to be a blast. This year's literary guest of honor is S.M. Stirling and the fan guest of honor is Doug Lughart.

See a preliminary list of panels for those interested in the Writing Track below. I'll be participating in the Steampunk Revolution and Writing Group panels. So, if for no other reason, come on out and give me a hard time :)

1) Sasquatch and Me: Big Shoes to Fill
2) Ghost Hunting
3) Last Man Standing Trivia
4) The Steampunk Revolution
5) Monsters of Today: Vampires, Werewolves, and Zombies
6) E-media
7) Writing 101: What You Didn’t Hear in Creative Writing Class
8) Mercenary Wordsmiths
9) Writing Your First Novel
10) Writing Groups, Workshops and You
11) Podcasting for Fun and Profit
12) EWWWWW!?: Gruesome, Nasty and Effective Character Deaths
13) Write What You Know
14) John is from Mars and Carson is from Venus: Getting from Burroughs to Stirling
15) EARTH 1250 BC
16) Writing Good Military Science Fiction

Automatons: Creepy and Fun

2010-09-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

Automatons often appear in Steampunk stories, typically as a type of punchcard, high-tension clockwork robot. They often straddle the line between machine and possessing artificial intelligence.

In many circumstances, fictional Steampunk technology is based on Victorian technology, then taken a few steps further.

I recently ran across a tweet involving someone's homemade automaton. It got me wondering what kind of automatons actually existed in the Victorian era.

So, if you love all things Steampunk and Victorian, here are a few videos of some authentic (and slightly creepy) Victorian era automatons.

Steampunk Movie Trailer, A Cartoon By A Five-Year-Old, and SlushPile Hell

2010-08-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd put up some fun, randomness I ran across this week.

First, the 35 second trailer for the upcoming short film Nickel Children. Steampunk horror anyone?

Next, Axe Cop, a web comic written by a five-year-old and illustrated by his 29 year-old brother (thanks Josh!). The link is to one of my favorite episodes with Avocado Soldier.

Finally, SlushPile Hell: A site where an agent posts snippets from acutal query letters (thanks Joe!). It's hilarious.

For example:

"I’ve written so many queries to date, I’m almost drained. Tell me that you’d like to consider representing such a work, and I’ll be happy to forward whatever you like.

I’d like you to forward some positivity and Justin Bieber-ish sunshiney goodness, Mr. Frowny Pants."

Happy Saturday everyone!

What a Way to Open!

2010-08-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

A few friends have been sending emails back and forth containing opening sentences to novels and challenging each other to identify four or more (without Googling). I thought to myself, that would make a fun blog post.

So here are ten opening lines from some of my favorite books. See what you think. Do you like them? Can you identify a few (I put the answers in the comments for those just dying to know)? Why not make up your own list and post it as a comment.

Ten opening sentences:

1. The palace still shook occasionally as the earth rumbled in memory, groaned as if it would deny what had happened.

2. I still get nightmares.

3. On those cloudy days, Robert Neville was never sure when sunset came, and sometimes they were in the streets before he could get back.

4. A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head.

5. I was driving to Las Vegas to tell my sister that I'd had Mother's respirator unplugged.

6. It was an odd-looking vine.

7. An everyday doomsayer in sandwich-board abruptly walked away from what over the last several days had been his pitch, by the gates of a museum.

8. The room was full of ghosts.

9. I was born a girl and remained so until I became a woman.

10. Some years ago there was in the city of York a society of magicians.

Blog Award from Laughingwolf...Thanks!

2010-08-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

Laughingwolf has been kind enough to award my site with this 'strange men in pinstripe suits award', because, well looking at my blog I guess it's self explanatory!

As it says on his blog:

"The ‘Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits’ award is given to only the strangest of folk, and as the recipient of such you are deemed very strange, indeed.

"Congratulations.
"I honor those who are strange, as they have always been my favorite people, so if I am passing this award on to you, you are one of my favorites.
"You are my favorites among the many strange people I follow."

The award began with Cate Gardner who is celebrating the pre-release of her book, Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits. Recipients of the award also qualify for entry in a contest where Cate is giving away cool prizes.

And so, it’s my turn to nominate other strange folk.

Some rules:

1. Add the logo of the award to your blog post.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you (http://laughing1wolf.blogspot.com/)

3. Nominate other blogs, telling why you think the recipient is strange enough to deserve the award.

4. Leave a message for those nominated on their blogs.

5. If you email catephoenix(at)gmail(dot)com and tell her you’ve received the award for your strangeness, she’ll enter you in the biggest kick-ass Strange Men competition, ever.

Details over at strangemeninpinstripesuits

My selections are:

www.angelmccoy.com/blog
www.jimchines.com
williamsramblings.blogspot.com
demonvampirehorror.blogspot.com
robertelrod.blogspot.com

Stop by and see why these blogs deserve a gold star for strangeness!

China Mieville Interview

2010-08-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent me this great interview with China Mieville, so I thought I would share. He's a fan of Doctor Who and H.P. Lovecraft, which makes him awesome in my books.

And for those of you who keep hearing the name Lovecraft and aren't sure what the fuss is about, you can read one of his seminal works, "Call of Cthulhu," for free here.

Finally, Elder Signs Press has declared August the month of Cthulhu. They are having a Haiku for Cthulhu contest for those interested in submitting. They are giving away some nice prizes.

Goes Together Like Steampunk and LEGO

2010-07-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

I ran across these cool pictures from V&A Steamworks. They put together a collection of steampunk-themed LEGO.

Click here to see more.

Steampunk Fun

2010-07-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

The Web Series Fun posts were so much, well...fun I wanted to do another post on things I find entertaining and amusing.

I love, love, love steampunk novels. I'm all over anything new coming out in steampunk. Fresh releases find a home on my shelves if the first few pages capture my interest while I'm having my coffee at the bookstore.

Besides the reading, I haven't got much into other realms of steampunk like the fashion, gaming, etc. -- although I do own a pair of gearrings (yes, those are earrings made from clockwork gears).

However, I ran across this cheesy but hilarious series of youtube videos from the League of STEAM. This is just one of their many video shorts.

Also, Abney Park is currently one of the hottest steampunk bands. In addition to being beautifully stylized, their music is good too. Check it out.

Web Series Fun - Part 2

2010-07-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand, here is part two in my Web Series Fun saga.

Since my last post, The Guild, a sitcom about online gamers starring Felicia Day of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, has been recommended by contacts with good taste. You can watch The Guild here.

Also, I was talking to friends about the Lil' Cthulhu cartoons and they thought I was joking. Here's the evidence otherwise. Enjoy!

Web Series Fun

2010-06-30T13:17:00.000-07:00

Since the epic journey of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, I haven't followed a single web series.

However, I just ran across this web series starring Darth Vader's little brother, Chad Vader. Watch and judge for yourself. It's pretty darn funny.

You can follow Chad's other adventures here.

And if you happened to be living the life of a hermit in a far and unpopulated desert during the Dr. Horrible phenomenom, here's a little taste.

Trust Issues

2010-06-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

My latest story "Trust Issues" is out in Issue 151 of Orbis.

Unfortunately, this one's not a free read, but I had to do a little shameless self promotion.

Mirror Dance

2010-06-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

Check out this neat piece of flash fiction by Jon Zech:

Legend

The New Look of Elder Signs Press

2010-05-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

Elder Signs Press (ESP) is an independent publisher of sci-fi, dark fiction, fantasy, and horror. They also publish the yearly anthology Dark Wisdom as well as the online magazine.

Their homepage has a new look and new content, including reviews, industry news, interviews, and other interesting articles. They have a group of rotating guest bloggers who will keep you informed of all things genre.

One of those guest bloggers happens to be -- me! If you're interested in checking out my blog entry about the new Doctor Who series or reading the other articles, pop on over.

There's a lot more excitement to come on this site, including ESP's current and upcoming releases as well as future podcasts of Dark Wisdom magazine.

Cartoons and Web Comics

2010-05-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine mentioned he was going to be starting a blog where, in addition to his writing, he was planning to post some of his cartoons.

I thought to myself, "Hey, I have cartoons." While I'm no Michelangelo, I hope you find these "napkin cartoons" entertaining. I actually drew the cell phone cartoon on the front of a Valentine's card for my husband. I'm not sure what that says about our relationship other than we are both a little strange. You can click on the cartoons to see a larger picture.

Now that I've had my fun, if you want to see a seriously good web comic, for FREE, check out gonezombie.com. The comic is written by my friend Stephen Thor, and he is seriously talented. In my mind, this comic is right up there with "The Walking Dead," only better because it's free!

Anne Carson Reading

2010-05-14T05:50:00.000-07:00

Last night, I went to see Anne Carson read from her new book of poetry "Nox."
The reading took place at Nicola's bookstore in Ann Arbor, which may be one of the nicest independent bookstores I've seen in quite a while. There was no coffee bar, no musicians, no section devoted to arts & crafts or greeting cards. In short, it's everything I want a bookstore to be -- rows and rows of books with the occasional plush arm chair thrown in.

Okay, let me get off my bookstore tangent and talk about the reading.

I got my hands on a copy of Carson's book as soon as I entered the store. The book sits inside a kind of memory box. The pages fold out in accordion style, giving the reader an intimate experience with the text. The book is a reproduction of Carson's journal which she wrote as an elegy for her brother after his death. In addition to pieces of Catullus’ poem "Catullus 101" and Carson’s own writing, Carson includes reproductions of postcards and letters from her brother and mother, photographs of her family, and her own sketches.

The University of Michigan MFA crew, professors and students, were out in full force to support this talented author. By the time the reading started, it was standing room only.

Carson explained how her brother disappeared in 1978. He was wanted for drug trafficking and, as Carson eloquently put it, decided he didn't want to go to jail. So he vanished. She didn't speak to her brother again until she received an unexpected phone call in 2000. Her brother told her he was living in Copenhagen and asked her to come for a visit.

Carson bought her plane ticket, only to get a call two days before her departure from her brother's wife. That's when she learned of her brother's death. Carson still made the trip to Copenhagen to meet her brother's widow and his dog Buster. She also received his old diaries.

Carson then spoke of the poem “Catullus 101,” written by the Roman poet for his brother, who died alone and far from home. Carson used the words from Catullus’ poem to reflect on the death of her own brother.

Carson first fell in love with the poem in high school Latin class, ten years before her brother's disappearance. Through her reading of “Nox,” Carson revealed her own personal and painful understanding of Catullus’ words.

She concluded her reading with an English interpretation of Catullus' poem, although she stated that no English translation can capture the passion of a Roman elegy. She said that there is no one who can approximate Catullan diction, which "at its most sorrowful has an air of deep festivity."

During the question period, an audience member asked how the book received its unusual format. Carson answered that the journal sat in a bottom drawer for ten years before she sent it to a German publisher. The publisher lost the journal only to find it again three years later and send it back to her. After the loss and recovery of the journal, Carson said it felt imperative to publish it right away. So the pages where photocopied and scotch-taped together. And that's how the book got its accordion style.

She also shared a vivid memory of her brother before the disappearance. She said the forthcoming example highlighted the hero worship of her older brother as well as the distance between them.

She and her parents were engaging in their nightly routine of reading-time, each reading their own book in a comfortable chair. Her brother pulled up in his red sports car, home from some "mysterious" outing. He stepped through the front door, took one look at the three of them reading, said "I can't believe you people," and left again. The anecdote was a lovely conclusion to the event.

For me, this book is a breath of fresh air in the poetry genre. "Nox" is an impressive literary and visual journey through Carson's search for meaning after the death of her brother.

The Ravening: A Zombie Novel

2010-05-08T04:24:00.000-07:00

Check out this post-apocalyptic zombie novel from author Stewart Sternberg. It is available for pre-order now on Amazon.

From the press release:

"the remaining humans in a small town in Illinois fight for resources and turn to cannibalism in order to survive.

Out of this turmoil comes a man who takes control by gathering and organizing both humans and zombies into a large and corrupt religious cult. When the cult begins kidnapping humans, one father must protect his family, both from the dead that walk the earth and the ruthless man that claims to be refuge from them."

This novel is sure to delight fans of dark fiction as well as hard core fans of the zombie genre.

Penguicon

2010-05-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

So, I went to Penguicon this weekend. I've been to writers' conferences before, but this was my first convention.

Penguicon was an interesting mix of writers/authors, Linux programmers, gamers, and other diverse interest groups. I attended some very informative and energetic panels given by some talented authors like Cherie Priest who is published by Tor, Stewart Sternberg who is published by Elder Signs Press, and Doselle Young, who writes for DC Comics.

Panel topics ranged from the just-for-fun "Vampires versus Zombies," to the educational "What the Heck is Steampunk?" and to the more serious "Digital Storytelling."

In addition to the panels, there were many opportunities to interact socially with authors, editors, and fans. The festivities included dining, room parties, the gaming library, a large dealers' room, and my biggest laugh of the convention -- the Rockband Rock Off -- complete with Storm Trooper back-up dancers doing air guitar and the robot.

Hope to see you there next year!

Drowning in a Sea of Writers' Conferences

2010-04-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

This year, I decided to try and attend at least one writers' conference geared toward the genre writer.

I took a look at ShawGuides. In the Science Fiction/Fantasy category alone, I got 178 hits.

This left me wondering how the heck I'm supposed to know which conference I should choose.

I have heard of some of the conferences, like Clarion (if only I had 6 weeks to spare). However, I was unfamiliar with most of the conferences listed. And it appears that well respected conventions, which also have writers' workshops and other elements geared toward learning the craft, like NorWesCon and WisCon, aren't mentioned on that list.

So, now I am wondering, how does a writer who is newer to the conference scene find out about these things? Or is it simply a matter of buyer beware?

Second Intention

2010-04-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

My latest story "Second Intention" is out in Issue 10 of House of Horror.

If you like horror, and have a few minutes to be entertained, please check it out. The best part--it's free for readers!

Second Intention

Sympathetic Beginnings

2010-03-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been thinking about how stories begin. I've been consciously trying to make my beginnings grabby enough and my protagonist sympathetic enough, that the story will hook the reader right away.

Sometimes it's just a matter of starting the story later on at a really exciting point. As a writer, I will often begin with details that are important for me to know to write a good story, but are not necessary for the reader and may actually detract from the reader's ability to enjoy the story.

Other times, I find the beginning may be overly sentimental. There's a subtle, but profound difference between using stock responses, like appealing to the reader's patriotism or pity for the downtrodden, and using an incident that taps into genuine emotion.

In other words, the reader has to be moved by characters and events, not by the inserted emotions of the narrator. Sticking with a more dispassionate narrative seems to help me eliminate some of the melodrama that can be caused by careless writing.

I'm curious to know what techniques other writers use to get that grabby beginning that melds with an immediately sympathetic character.

Alice in Underwhelming-land

2010-03-08T09:09:00.000-08:00

I was very excited to see the newest version of Alice in Wonderland. I love Tim Burton. I love Johnny Depp. It's in 3D. How could it miss?

Well, I don't know what happened to that movie script but it was well wide of the target. Of course, it was a visually stunning film, in true Burton style. The razzle-dazzle of Burton's art of film was no less extravagant than I expected (although the 3D didn't really add much to it). However, the story was weak.

There's no place for the cliched good versus evil, hero kills dragon (or jabberwocky in this case), epic battle, trite storyline, in Wonderland. To my utter horror, the Mad Hatter actually picked up a sword and fought with it adeptly. Unfortunately, that is something I can't un-see. Overall, the movie was a disappointment for me.

If find myself walking out of too many Hollywood multimillion-dollar spectaculars soothing myself with the words, "Well, the effects were well-done." But where is the honest, powerful storytelling that I, as a member of the audience, crave? I'm sick of watching movies that are superficially glossy with no real substance underneath. I'm saddened by the loss of craft and decline of stories presented via Hollywood films.

Is it too late to give up Hollywood for Lent? I'm going to go find some creative Indie movies instead.

Masters of Horror Anthology

2010-02-28T06:32:00.000-08:00

In keeping with my love of horror and all things genre, I am currently an active member of the Ning group Masters of Horror. Masters of Horror is an online community for those into horror and those who write it.

The talented writers in this group are putting out an anthology via Triskaideka Books, due out May, 2010. If you love horror, be sure to check out this gem:

From the back cover:
Welcome to a world hidden behind the blinds of reality, a landscape waiting to be molded into a thing of pain and torture.

This anthology is not for the faint-hearted. The ideas, themes, and disturbing images portrayed within these pages will send your brain into overdrive on the road to madness.

Say hello to a new breed of horror writers, with fresh ideas and interesting takes on the weird and horrific.

Enjoy the new Masters of Horror, all hailing from the fiery pits of a horror community based at http://horrorwriters.ning.com.

The Line-Up:
Joseph Mulak: “Wounds”
Angel Leigh McCoy: “The Barnes Family Reunion”
Carole Gill: “Truth Hurts”
Cassie Hart: “its all in the cards”
Marty Young: “Firelies of the Bushfire”
Jennifer Brozek: “Cost of Job Security”
Scott M. Goriscak: “Home Sweet Home”
Karen Johnson Mead: “One Day”
Lee Pletzers: “Teeth”
Bob Morgan Jr: “Ladies of the Scale”
KK: “Visitation”
Larry Kokko: “The Clifton house”
Jason Warden: “Once Seen”
William Cook: “Devil Inside”
Richard Barnes: “Something Unpleasant”
Mark Edward Hall: “The Fear”
Cover art by Robert Elrod.

Write What You Know

2010-02-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about Anne Lamont's advice to write from your own dark place (see previous post - Voice In My Head).

Typically, I like to write genre: horror, fantasy, slipstream, etc. I've been trying to reconcile writing from my own dark place with writing genre. After all, I have no idea what it's like to want to eat human flesh or to struggle with wielding a sword that feeds on my rage. How can I, as a genre writer, use my experiences in the real world in my stories?

That brought me back to Chuck Watchel's assertion that life experience is influenced by science, literature, psychology, etc. The field of psychology has definitely influenced my world view and experiences. I am working on completing my PhD in neuropsychology this year (the darn dissertation's almost done, I swear).

The textbooks from my graduate classes, such as David Shapiro's 'Neurotic Styles' and Stephen Johnson's 'Character Styles,' are a great source to draw on when I'm working on forming interesting and consistent characters. Also, during my residency at a major hospital I treated many clients who suffered from a range of disorders including bipolar disorder, major depression, eating disorders, delirium, and withdrawal from street drugs, just to name a few.

So then, how to combine my experiences with genre? Lately, I've been working on integrating what I've learned from psychology into satirical horror stories. They're really fun to write and hopefully they'll be entertaining to read. A wizard with a heroin addiction? A vampire with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? Why not. I'm not sure if it's exactly writing from my own dark place, but it is what I know.

Voice In My Head

2010-01-22T09:00:00.001-08:00

Ask two writers what voice is and you'll probably get two equally forceful and completely opposite answers.

Some writers use the word "style" as a synonym for voice while others see it as a separate entity and still others see voice as a term that encompasses style under its umbrella.

Wikipedia defines style as "the manner in which the author tells the story." It goes on to include POV, symbolism, tone, imagery, punctuation, word choice, grammar, allegory, and narrator as part of style.

Further, Wikipedia defines voice as a combination of the various structural aspects of an author's writing style.

This suggests to me that perhaps voice transcends style, the way the brain is part of the mind, but the mind is greater than the brain.

Steven Schwart in his essay "Finding a Voice in America," seems to ascribe to this view. He contends that voice has less to do with style than with content. That is, style is part of voice, but voice is more than style. In his essay, he puts forward that the author's single voice hides in many smaller ones; those of the characters. This happens in the way children's behavior is influenced by their parents. The children are not their parents, but you can instantly spot the common mannerisms.

Chuck Watchel in his essay "Behind the Mask," suggests that voice finds its home where the voice that narrates the fiction (the author) meets the voices outside of fiction (society). That is, that the author's voice is shaped by their life experience, including the way their thinking has been influenced by science, literature, psychology, etc. Thus, voice provides "the necessary degree of realness to relax our own defenses against the unreal."

Finally, Anne Lamont in her book Bird by Bird states very simply that "You cannot write out of someone else's big dark place; you can only write out of your own." "Your anger and damage and grief are the way to truth." Voice comes from "the cold dark place within." "The truth of your experience can only come through in your own voice."

While it's not entirely clear what voice is, it seems that it stems from the place where personal experiences collide with the experiences of society. When you write from your truth in the only voice you can, based on your background, culture, or personal philosophy, your readers see how these truths are reflected in their own lives and experiences. A true voice brings your reader to think "Aha! Life is just like that."

So, I'm going to listen to that voice in my head; scandalous, paranoid, perverted, horrifying, or otherwise. Chances are that my readers' voices are whispering similar things to them too.

Free Writing Contest

2010-01-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

The Binnacle, a literary journal produced by the University of Maine at Machias, is holding its annual free contest for very short flash fiction.

The prize will be a minimum of $50. The deadline is February 15th and they take email submissions only.

See their guidelines here:
http://www.umm.maine.edu/ultra-short-competition.html

A Picture is Worth at Least a Few Words

2010-01-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been thinking about story openings. One type of introduction that may be a bit controversial is opening a story with the description of a photograph.

I've seen this a few times from different writers and in several submissions to an online journal where I was an assistant editor.

My aversion to this kind of opening comes from the stagnate feeling I get when I read the description of inanimate people. The people in photographs are arrested, static, there is no action, nothing to draw the reader in.

In James Wood's book "How Fiction Works," he identifies this device as a cliche that marks the writer as a novice. He cooks up a parody that is just plausible enough to suck you in before punching you in the face. Agree or disagree, here is what he says about this kind of opening:

“There is nothing harder than the creation of fictional character. I can tell it from the number of apprentice novels I read that begin with the descriptions of photographs. You know the style: ‘My mother is squinting in the fierce sunlight and holding, for some reason, a dead pheasant. She is dressed in old-fashioned lace up boots, and white gloves. She looks absolutely miserable. My father, however, is in his element, irrepressible as ever, and has on his head that gray velvet tribly from Prague I remember so well from my childhood.’ The unpracticed novelist cleaves to the static, because it is much easier to describe than the mobile: it is getting these people out of the aspic of arrest and mobilized in a scene that is hard. When I encounter a prolonged ekphrasis like the parody above, I worry, suspecting that the novelist is clinging to a handrail and is afraid to push out.”

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. My friend Joe Ponepinto pointed out that when the photo is the object of the character’s desire and not just a device to launch the story you can get away with this. I'm sure there are many more examples of how photographs can be used to enhance the opening of a story as opposed to weakening it. And, I also think it is fine to use descriptions of photographs later on in a story.

A picture may be worth a thousand words; but most of the time I just don't want to hear a picture described at the beginning of a story. What do you think?

What Did You Say?

2010-01-02T07:08:00.000-08:00

I was recently discussing with a fellow writer whether it is appropriate to use modern words, such as "hi" or "whatever," in high fantasy (sword & sorcery) stories.

My thought was that most of these stories take place in the psuedo-fictious-Middle-Ages, possibly on some world other than Earth. That being said, the characters likely wouldn't speak English as we know it and, therefore, all the dialogue is in translation anyway.

Even Shakespearean English is too "modern" for this type of time period (as opposed to Middle English--circa 1100 to 1450, or Olde English--which is pre-1100). Chaucer is generally considered transitional between Middle English and Modern English and would be more appropriate to a Middle Age time period. Unfortunately, it would sound really odd to have dialogue like "'Purs is the erchedekenes helle,' seyde he." in a contemporary high fantasy story.

It seems to me that the tradition started when Tolkien took the bones of Norse mythology (which did take place on Earth) and set his story on the continent of Midgard (Middle-Earth) on a world called Arda. It's fuzzy whether his epic is meant to take place during the pre-history of Earth or whether it's set on a wholly different planet.

Since Tolkien, a plethora of high fantasy stories use backgrounds of worlds that may possibly be an alternate history of the Earth (as we know it) or may possibly be set in another universe altogether.

With this in mind, I say historical accuracy-smackuracy. Just write a good story!

Post-Modernism in the Writing World

2009-12-18T13:14:00.000-08:00

I was having a discussion with my husband, who just happens to be an Intellectual Property attorney, about a story I wrote that was influenced by an old Updyke story. Sure, hollywood remakes films, singers, remake songs, but how does a writer know whether they are infringing on a copyright?

My husband's answer was that you need to ensure you are not stealing the heart of another author's work. I asked him how you know if you are stealing the heart of the work, and he replied "When you've settled it in court."

Well, I guess that's a lawyer answer for you. But seriously, I did a little research and found a few interesting things.

First, "a later, allegedly derivative work,... must display some originality of its own. It cannot be a rote, uncreative variation on the earlier, underlying work. The latter work must contain sufficient new expression, over and above that embodied in the earlier work for the latter work to satisfy copyright law’s requirement of originality." 1

I guess that's a given, but it can't hurt reiterate that point.

Also, "If you write a story using settings or characters from somebody else's work, you need that author's permission." 2

This applies to fan fiction as well (although no one usually sues over fan fiction), but not to parody or criticism of another's work.

Finally, where infringement is in question "The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole" is one of the determining factors in court cases. "In terms of quantity, the more of the original that one uses, the more one approaches the infringement of its copyright protection...Likewise, in terms of quality, should the portion of the original that one uses be "the heart of the work," albeit small, the closer one comes to infringing on the copyright protection of that work." 3

My advice, if your going post-modern, use Shakespeare or Sherlock Holmes. The copyrights are up on those anyway. :)

Sources:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative_work
2. http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html
3. http://www.conncoll.edu/is/training/web/resources/copyright.html

Also, check out the United States Copyright Office:
http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq

Hear ye, Hear ye...

2009-12-11T04:32:00.000-08:00

My fellow writer and friend Joe Ponepinto has just landed an agent for his book, tentatively titled "Songs of War."

I had the privilege of reading a draft of this work of historical fiction. It is a truly excellent story about a vaudeville banjo player whose show takes him to pre-World War I France. His life and the life of his fellow performers become entangled with Jean Jaures, a committed antimilitarist who tries to use diplomatic means to prevent the war.

Joe is also the Book Review Editor for the Los Angeles Review and has contributed his shorter fiction to publications such as the Vestal Review, Peeks & Valleys: a Southern Journal, Soundings Review, Tobybashi, and The Summerset Review.

Chek him out at http://otnipenop.com

Digi-What?

2009-12-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

You may have heard that Anthony Zuiker, creator of the hit television show "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" has released a new "digi-novel" called Level 26.

What the heck is a digi-novel? Well, it's a hybrid; part traditional novel, part internet, and part movie. When the reader purchases the printed novel, every 20 pages or so, they encounter a "cyber-bridge." At each cyber-bridge, the reader is given a code to type into at the novel's website. The reader is then rewarded with a video clip that is linked to the story.

The digi-novel probably won't replace traditonal publishing, but our short-attention span generation is gravitating more and more toward digital media. There's the Kindle, Sony's Corp's Reader, and even Sports Illustrated is coming out with an iPhone type version of the magazine. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if this new way to engage potential readers is the start of an entertainment revolution.

Best Poetry Contest - Ever!

2009-11-15T14:57:00.001-08:00

Well, it's getting to be that time of year again. Thanksgiving time, perhaps? Nope! It's time for the Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest. If you're a poet and you've never heard of the Wergle Flomp, then this is your year to enter.

In the past, the Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest was all about submitting your poems to a "vanity contest" (such as poetry.com) as a joke before submitting them to the Wergle Flomp Poetry Contest. Sadly, this is no longer a requirement, but you can still do it for fun and let the judges know via the comment section on the online submission form.

The goal is obviously to write a humorous poem, but it also has to be a good poem. The contest is free to enter and there are cash prizes totaling $3,600, with a top prize of $1,500. The deadline is April 1, 2010, so there's plenty of time to think up that winning gem.

Interested?
Visit the website for examples from past winners and more details: http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/wergle/we_guidelines.php

Why You Should Stop and Pray for Roadkill

2009-08-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

The kittenish
skunk,

lays alone,
unloved.

A fluffy,
white tail,

caught up
in the wind,

wags
from side to side,

happy
to see you.

A lifetime
of hate,

waits
for redemption.

If you
would only,

kneel
instead of driving

by.

How To Be More Canadian Than When You Lived In Canada

2009-06-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Be polite. Be overly polite. Be so obnoxiously polite that people comment, “I’ve always heard Canadians were polite.” When people ask you to say about placate them and say aboot. Say jag-you-ire as well.

Bake butter tarts. Bake sugar pie. When people ask you if you speak French, say yes. Say something in French and be sure to roll your Rs. But don’t curse. That wouldn’t be polite.

Insist that washroom makes more sense than restroom or bathroom. Philosophize that you don’t rest or bathe in the washroom, but you always wash (hopefully). Refuse to refer to elastics as rubber bands.

Iron maple leafs (yes, spell it leafs) on your denim jacket. Iron maple leafs on your luggage. Iron maple leafs on everything.

Insist that Moxy Früvous is a serious band – and the Barenaked Ladies too. Order Canadian CDs on Amazon; even though you never owned any while you lived there. Give a running commentary on the lives and hometowns of the band members while playing them for your carpoolers.

Take out library books. Change the spelling of color and honor to include U’s in the proper places. Change your spell check to English (Canada).

Get a pet beaver. Name him Moose and take him for walks. Never laugh when passersby remark, “Nice beaver.”

Explain that Victoria Day is a long weekend in May that everyone calls May-two-four because you are obligated to drink a 24 case of beer. Show your friends how to drink a 24 case of beer. Try to remember while outrageously hammered, never, ever, regardless of circumstances, admit how much you enjoy living in the United States.

Suit of Armor

2009-05-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

Below is the result of a writing exercise from our last writers' group. The challenge was to write something "dark" in fifteen minutes.

Suit of Armor

"Where did they mark you? Shiro, the artist, asks me.

I roll up my pant leg and reveal the black ring on my thigh.

"Then that is where we start, Hiroshi-san."

He points to the mat and I lie down. Bamboo instrument in hand, he dips the row of bone needles into black ink.

"I'm going to begin tapping," Shiro says.

He strikes the instrument with a wooden hammer, and forty razor sharp points impale my flesh. Red droplets pool, making a trail that follows his progress. I focus on the clock, counting the blows as the seconds pass.

Shiro strikes me sometimes eighty, sometimes, ninety times a minute. The first few minutes are the most intense. Then, my body starts to accept the pain.

"How long will it take?" I ask. "To do the whole body suit?"

Shiro shrugs. "Some take nine months, some take years."

A peony starts to take shape. Shiro trades the needles for a chisel, coating the splitting edge with green.

The real pain begins as he moves the chisel in and out of my flesh. A burning like I have never felt. But, the marking is now virtually invisible among the flower's leaves.

"How long were you in?" Shiro says.

"Eight years."

Eight years as a marked man. Branded an outcast. But now I have ownership over my status. Everyone will see what I am.

A man tattooed by the underground.

A criminal.

Yakuza.

The Way Life Really Is

2009-04-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

“Sometimes at night, if I pretend I’m asleep, I see glowing things fly out of that stain in the ceiling. They hover over my head until I open my eyes. Then they disappear back into the drywall.”

“That’s interesting,” I reply banally.

I’ve heard him say this before. Different stories perhaps, but the same thing. My husband, still suffering from the magical thinking of adolescence, is naïve about how the human brain works. He wants to believe he is special and the world isn’t so boring. Finding a story I can’t explain has become his obsession; something extraordinary that my medical background has never encountered. They’re true stories; just with unconventional interpretations.

“It’s not the first time I’ve had night visitors. When I was a teenager, I used to feel an evil presence. It would sit on my chest until I couldn’t breathe. I’d cross myself and say the Our Father until it went away.”

His folded arms betray his disappointment that I’m not giving more of a reaction. Should I tell him what it is? The scientific name for it is hypnopompic phenomena; a common occurrence found in about a third of the population. Your body wakes up when your brain is still dreaming.

I have experienced this state of consciousness myself. Well, the other way around. My mind becomes alert while my body is still paralyzed. Once, I swore I felt a cat skulking around the edge of my bed; a frightening feeling, but an ordinary one. No magic there. Deciding to have some fun, I look ruminative and pause for a moment before answering.

“Wow. That’s really creepy. I’ve never heard of anything like that. What do you think it is? Demons?”

“No. Aliens. I’m sure of it.”

“Oh my God, you’re right! I mean, what else could it be? Are you afraid they’ll come and take you away?”

“Yah, I am,” he says earnestly. “I’m not sleeping well.”

“You’d better be careful.”

He nods gravely.

Turning my back to him, I smirk. What an idiot!

We don’t speak about the aliens after that. The rest of the day comes and goes – just ordinary and boring – the way life really is.

I go through my usual routine; kiss him goodnight, say “I love you,” turn off my lamp, roll over, and pretend to be asleep. Through the slits of my squinted eyes, I see something oblong. It hovers near my head. Forcing my eyes open into blinding light, the object swiftly retreats into the ceiling.

“Honey, did you see that?” I whisper.

I reach over to shake him, but grab only blankets.

Tick, Tick, Tick…Happy New Year!

2009-01-10T19:52:00.000-08:00

I opened the hospital website for the third time in ten minutes. The DRMC had outdone itself: a motorized swing with an iPod attachment, a DVD video camera, a flat screen television, an all-terrain stroller, and a skyscraper of diapers. I wet my lips and looked up at the clock – 9:54 – only six minutes until it was time to get started.

“Honey,” I said. “Get the exercise ball.”

Jake sat up in the recliner and closed the footrest. “You know this is madness, don’t you? The baby will come when he’s ready.”

I swiveled the office chair around so I could glare at him. “Don’t be patronizing. You know it’s my dream to have the first New Year’s baby. Besides, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t enjoy that TV.”

Jake sighed and shuffled to the closet. He retrieved the ball and put it next to me before shuffling back towards the recliner.

“Just where do you think your going.” I plopped myself onto the ball and began bouncing. “I need you to squeeze my pressure points.”

Jake turned, eyebrows raised. “You can’t be serious?”

I beckoned him with my finger and pointed to the floor. “Sit here. And do it like they showed us in birthing class. That’s right. Get the web of my hand and this spot, here, on my ankle.”

After a while, I was tired of bouncing. I looked up at the clock – 10:46 – just over thirteen hours until midnight. If this labor was going to start, it had to start fast. I yanked my hand from Jake’s massaging fingers.

“This isn’t working, I’m going for a jog.”

I grabbed my water bottle (supplemented with evening primrose oil and false unicorn root), ignored Jake’s shouts (“you’re going to scramble our son’s brain” and “what if you fall?”), slipped on my coat, and slammed the door. No time for stretching. Run. I had to run.

Breathing was hard enough without gulping air so cold it burned my throat. After one block, there was no change. I sped past another block, then another, and still nothing. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket to check the time – 10:59 – only twelve hours left. My heart was racing, my palms were sweating, and my head swam with images of someone else’s baby in the newspaper. This labor had to start now.

That’s when I broke into jumping jacks. The jumping jacks segued into karate kicks, and the karate kicks into traveling squats. A man walking his golden retriever sped past me with a surreptitious what’s-wrong-with-you-crazy-pregnant-lady? look. When he was out of sight I tried one last thing, one desperate thing, a remnant from my figure skating days: a split jump. My landing wasn’t right. My center of gravity had changed. My ankle rolled and I pitched forward.

I had fallen. Something wet ran down my leg. Relieved tears flooded my face. I pushed myself up from the pavement and wobbled over to sit on the curb. I pulled out my cell phone again.

“Honey, it’s hospital time. Bring the overnight bag and lots of towels.”

I had been in labor for almost eleven hours when the doctor said it was time to push. That gave me less than an hour to get this baby out. The pushing was harder than I expected. I made use of muscles I never had a use for before. I couldn’t take my eyes from the clock – 11:57 – I pushed and pushed with all the strength I had, ignoring the doctor’s command to rest between contractions, blocking out everything but the pushing. Abruptly, the pressure was gone. And then the nurse said the sweetest words I had ever heard.

“Time of birth, 12:01.”

Surely, I had done it. I had given birth to the first New Year’s baby.

I looked at my son, covered in red. His head was a perfect sphere topped with matted curls. Under the blood, his skin was sort of bluish. Was that normal?

The noise of the room thundered against my ears: the metallic clang of instruments, the thudding of frantic feet. I looked at Jake for reassurance. His eyes were accusing.

“I told you,” he mumbled. “I told you not to.” He turned away.

Time and movement lengthened; shocked, I watched them hoist my son onto a steel table and press a resuscitator mask to his tiny lips. My hands were shaking in disbelief. I held them against my empty womb. Lying there, clutching at my hollowness I made a silent resolution. A New Year’s resolution I knew I wouldn’t break.

And then the nurse said the sweetest words I had ever heard.

“He’s breathing.”