“Let the world burn through you. Throw the prism light, white hot, on paper.” — Ray Bradbury
Living in Montana within sight of the Continental Divide, I never tire of views of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. This photo was taken by local friend Sherri Gerek.
The genial host of Wredheaded Writer blog, Dixon Rice, interviews author Mary Fan about Artificial Absolutes, her newly released SciFi novel.
Dixon Rice: Mary, I love that you originally developed the Jane Colt character as a protagonist in another genre. When that didn’t work out the way you wanted, what made you decide to send her into outer space?
Mary Fan: I’ve been a huge fan of science fiction for ages, especially space operas, and I always knew I wanted to try my hand at the genre. One thing I noticed about most space operas is that they tend to center on either a well-trained, experienced fighter or a Chosen One. Meanwhile, we never really get to hear about the not-so-special people who occupy the rest of the galaxy. They are treated as extras—props, almost. Still, every person has a story. I was thinking about all this, and meanwhile, I had this relatively ordinary character without a story. I thought, why not combine the ideas?
DR: The kidnapping of Jane’s friend seems to be the key that starts the story’s engine. Caring for a friend - that’s a surprisingly personal trigger for a SciFi tale. What made you pick that event, rather than a more typical “saving mankind” premise?
MF: When I set out to write Artificial Absolutes, I knew I wanted to write a different kind of space opera. Like you said, saving the universe is a pretty typical premise. I’ve always wondered about the lives of those who weren’t out to stop the apocalypse, those who inhabit the expansive and fascinating worlds of the future.
I also wanted the story to be more personal than a lot of what’s out there. In the grand scheme of things, the stakes in Artificial Absolutes are pretty low; it’s one girl’s life out of trillions that’s being affected. On the other hand, in her personal world, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Those are the people she cares about who are in danger. That the rest of the world will go on turning while hers falls to pieces is a source of great aggravation for Jane.
DR: After Adam is kidnapped, Jane’s older brother Devin is framed for murder. Hmmm, another relationship trigger. How important are relationships in your life?
MF: Relationships are, of course, important to me. Our experiences lose significance without people to share them with. Relationships drive the things we do and the way we think. Even the most independent people are influenced by the people around them, often subconsciously. The things people say have the ability to invade our thoughts without our notice. These kinds of influences are at the core of Artificial Absolutes. What the characters do influences those they interact with, often in ways they don’t realize.
DR: Transplanting Jane Colt from another genre into SciFi – one might say you wrote a SciFi story by accident. Do you intend to repeat that mistake?
MF: Oh, definitely. Science fiction is one of my favorite genres, both to read and to write. It transports a reader to a different world and allows a writer to explore the infinite what-ifs. I wouldn’t say I wrote a SciFi story by accident, but the story I ended up with is rather different from what’s expected from the genre.
DR: The concept of artificial intelligence has been around since the robot stories of the 1950s, maybe earlier. What’s new and fresh that you bring to AI?
MF: I can’t say too much without spoiling Artificial Absolutes, but I can tell you this: much of what I write concerning artificial intelligence has little do with technology. I use the idea of artificial intelligence to explore broader themes, such as consciousness and the nature of artificiality, as well as influence and perception of self. The more we learn about neuroscience, the more philosophers and scientist debate the nature of consciousness. If so much of who we are is printed in our genes, controlled by chemicals in our brains, and influenced by external forces, then how real are any of us? How many of our thoughts can we really call our own? Artificial intelligence is used as a metaphor as well as a plot point.
DR: What’s with all the musicians and songs? Do you whistle while you work?
MF: I love music. So much, in fact, that I studied it in college. Music wasn’t part of the original plan for Artificial Absolutes, although the struggle Jane faces about whether to pursue her passion or to take the smart career path was in the earliest versions. I found music to be a more natural subject for me to write about than her original dream job (painter). Once I made that change, music just wove itself into the fabric of the novel. It’s a part of Jane, and so it became a part of her story.
And while I don’t whistle while I work, I do find myself staring off into space and humming when I’m stuck on a particular passage.
Mary Fan’s SciFi novel Artificial Absolutes is now available as paperback and eBook at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
“Beware of advice — even this.” Carl Sandburg
Sunrise in Montana, captured by my friend (and fellow soccer nut) Sue Haugan.
Here is guest blogger Tim Reynolds, with an excerpt from an opinion piece taken from his blog “My Opinion, Love It or Leave It – The Tao of Tim” (originally posted on Jan 14, 2012 - used with permission).
Cross-Pollination in Writing…
I spent six years playing in the open mic night amateur scene in Calgary. As a comic I would watch the entire world just beyond my finger tips, looking for weird shit and finding a way to comment on it and make people laugh. I’d hear a conversation between two teens that his mother is spreading rumors that her father got the mother pregnant. The boy said “I know, sorry about that.” It would have been simply interesting eavesdropping except that the two teens were boyfriend and girlfriend. The kids were dating and their parents were screwing!
I saw a sign on a subway car advertising the benefits of seeing the local philharmonic live. The poster was a bunch of middle-aged philharmonic fans posing like rock concert fans with ‘Rock-on’ hand signs (looks like the sign for ‘bullshit’ with the thumb sticking out) and screaming faces. The word on the top was “LIVE.” It was a cool ad until I shifted my position and saw it reflected behind a woman sitting on the train. Because it was backward in the reflection, the word “LIVE” became the word “EVIL” and the rock-on hand sign became finger-shaped horns behind this woman’s head. Was the universe telling me she was evil? Maybe. Will I use it in a story? Read on.
My point is, the joke that came out of it didn’t get a lot of laughs but the incident became integral to the concept behind my short story “Shut Up and Drive,“ about a man driving a bus full of relief aid workers who turn out to be demons when he sees them in the rear-view mirror.
My novel, The Broken Shield, came in part from a moment I shared with a complete stranger while I was driving a bus (the day job). She was waiting to cross the street and she looked up at me the moment I looked down at her. Then we both smiled, not because we were flirting, but because we somehow knew each other and had known each other for centuries. It was a “Oh hi - There you are” moment. And then she was gone, never to be seen by me again. I can’t explain the reality behind it, but because I was so used to grabbing at moments for my comedy, I remembered the feeling and the moment and gave it to my characters to play with. I asked “What if?”
I was at a meeting of the Imaginative Fiction Writers’ Association (IFWA) last week and the guest speaker for the first hour was poet Bob Stallworthy. He was fun and entertaining and talented and then my epiphany moment occurred. Even though my book of poetry, The Cynglish Beat sold only two copies, the work that went into the writing of an entire tome of cynical, beat poetry has coloured my fiction writing as I break the prose rules and write for the emotions and not for the brain.
I have writing friends who have been working on the same short story for two years or more. Yes, I have stories that sit unfinished or unpolished, including a fantasy novel I started in 1981, but I have written novels and screenplays and short stories and self-help guides and poems by the pound since that first novel. At any given time I can find three things in the world around me and at least find a premise for a short story in there. Sometimes an entire novel springs forth, or a twist to a project already under way. I can’t wrap myself up in my own little world and expect to produce anything without lifting my head up from the keyboard and actually seeing what’s out there and then thinking about it like a comic, a poet or even as a photographer, which I am.
Great writing does not happen in isolation. Writers of every ilk must be sponges, absorbing whatever the universe throws in our path at that moment. Like all writers, I get asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” The simple answer? They find me. And I’m waiting with open arms.
Guest blogger William D. Hicks has ten tips to overcome writer’s block.
If you’ve written long enough to have experienced writer’s block, you know how frustrating it is to sit in front of that computer with a blank screen staring back. Hopefully, one of these ten tips will help you start writing again.
1. Write now. Though writing through the block doesn’t seem rational, sometimes it works. Keep writing. I know it’s coming out wrong. So wrong you want to shred the paper, even though it’s on a computer screen. But don’t. Wait, keep writing. It’s an old writing technique. If you can’t think up anything to write, try doing a mind-dump. Just write everything in your mind, a stream of conscious dump, and see what comes out. Try this for a half hour. Is the block gone? If not, keep doing it. Eventually, you will have written something. While this something might look like what the cat coughed up it might also give you some great ideas for a story.
2. Be creative. Instead of writing, try painting, or drawing or playing music. Don’t worry about writing for now. You can write tomorrow.
3. Do the Opposites. Try an old actor’s trick and focus on not doing something. This often becomes the thing you want/need to do. Try telling yourself, “I don’t want to write.” Say that ten times out loud. Then do something else for a half hour. See how much you want to write afterwards. Try writing.
4. Exercise. This will pump blood into your brain and distract you from worrying. Plus it’s good for you. Once done, try writing.
5. Do a writing exercise. There are specific exercises available to spur different types of writing, e.g. poetry and fiction. Either buy a book or look online for exercises. It’s amazing the stories that have started as writing exercises.
6. Listen to music. Really listen to the words. How are they stitched together? Why? What do they mean? Try writing a song.
7. Go to a movie. Often this triggers an “I could have written that line better” thought. Write some thoughts down about the movie. Maybe even start a story from those thoughts.
8. Read a book. This often triggers the same response the as #7. I sometimes read a sentence and think, “Why did the author write it that way? I would have done it this way.” Again, that line might spur you onto writing a great story.
9. Review old unfinished manuscripts. You have them. We all do. Try to rewrite one. Editing might also spur you onto writing. Even if doesn’t, you’ll feel like you’re writing which should stop you from beating yourself up.
10. Ask writer friends how they’ve beaten writer’s block. If they have no answers, tweet/blog for suggestions. Most everyone has a trick that has worked for them. Try something that sounds appealing to you. If that doesn’t work, try something different.
In the end remember the famous Monty Python line, “And now for something completely different.” Cut yourself from slack and do something that doesn’t resemble writing. Go grocery shopping. Deposit your coins at the bank. Get your hair done. Take a leisurely bath. Don’t get hung up on the fact that you’re not writing. Everyone needs a vacation from time to time, even from what they love most.
Check out e-books by William D. Hooks on Amazon: Twist and Killer Flies.
Guest blogger Constance See on how her rescue dog taught her to write.
At age fifty-something, I acquired my first pet ever when I asked my husband to look into adopting a dog. He loved Pepper instantly. I was more reticent, but Pepper looked into my eyes (or smelled the coffee I’d accidentally drizzled down my shirt) and decided we were long lost best friends. Learning to take care of a pet when you’re trying to write was a challenge at first, until I realized the Great Goddess in the Universe had sent her to me as a Muse. Pepper makes sure I get up nice and early (5:15 a.m.) every morning by pushing her wet little nose against my helpless feet dangling off the edge of the bed.
No time to waste, there’s writing and peeing to do!
I stumble out into the cold ebony air, eyes half shut, grumbling about my lack of sleep, but she drags me along sniffing for just the right spot to squat. It has to be where some other dog left their sign. I just got that lesson. Years ago I started a great romance novel, but at page 80, I stopped to read a new one and was devastated – her plot was very similar to mine. I locked up my ideas and pouted for over a decade!
Dumb-dah-dumb-dumb-dumb.
Pepper knows all. She knows every square inch of earth has a pee stain, just like plot twists have nearly all been written before. The hero or heroine always gets their man. What she taught me today was to sniff out the competition, but squat anyway making my own unique mark.
Finished with our morning ablutions, we race inside for sustenance. Pepper wolfs down her breakfast, reminding me not to dawdle at minor tasks. Then, she flops on her belly, head held up like the Egyptian Sphinx, watching over me, to keep those pesky distractions at bay. She has a very important job, keeping me focused on what really matters – a tail-wagging ending.
Guest blogger Thomas Avery on writing for your audience.
I believe, as an Indie writer, I connect best with people of similar interests, rather than a broad audience.
My writing entertains me and that is who I write for first. Not everyone wants to read a mystery about an actor/aviator from the 1930's who drinks too much. My passions have always been mystery novels, classic films and aviation. I have tried to inject these into my novel and I had fun, too. My philosophy: if it entertains me, it will entertain someone else too.
This author writes under the name T.E. Avery and his first e-book will be published soon on Kindle. Learn more here.
Try to describe things in fresh, new ways. I can't emphasize that enough. Avoid cliches. Write about what you're passionate about. When you're writing imagine the smell of an absent lover's shirt.
Listen to songs that evoke strong feelings. The Elvis tune, “I’ll Be Home on Christmas Day,” is one of my favorites to listen to while writing.
Dixon says: It's amazing how sensory inputs can lead to more sensory writing. An old lover of mine liked to sprinkle herself with baby powder instead of cologne, and the talcum scent never fails to put me in a bittersweet, reminiscent mood. For me, listening to favorite old artists like Moody Blues, James Taylor, Electric Light Orchestra or Carly Simon also seems to get the creative juices flowing.
Guest blogger Rosalie Skinner, author of the 8-book Chronicles of Caleath series, on resources and tasks of a fantasy author.
For a fantasy writer, every sunset inspires. Even a cup of tea, a taste, a smell, a chance encounter adds fuel to the colour of Caleath’s world. A science article read, a whale watching trip experienced, a near death moment survived, a broken relationship shared, grief, life, love – not a moment of life escapes as trivial. Every experience becomes a resource for my novels.
That’s the freedom Fantasy allows. The fantasy writer must incorporate endless research and her version of reality, while keeping things believable. Doing this with skill and finesse is the writer’s task. Getting readers to empathize with the world you create is the benchmark of successful fantasy writing.
Learn more about this author at her website or her blog.
Guest blogger Ellie Mack on an inspirational book.
I’m an avid reader, and am often inspired by books. I've read some really bad ones, too – which have motivated me to keep pursuing my dreams.
I once read a book that in the first chapter, the female protagonist goes to the door, knocks and waits. When she approaches the massive wooden door, she’s wearing jeans, a polo shirt and sandals, and has shoulder length honey blonde hair. As she looks over the rail at the valley below, apparently she undergoes a wardrobe change and total makeover. When some guy answers the door, he takes in her sight - khaki trousers, a button down oxford, and her flaming red hair is now cut in a swing bob. Seriously? And this got published? Well, that book continued to puzzle me with discrepancies and a failing plot. If that author could get published, why can't I?
I still have that book. I won't ever read it again, but it's a motivational tool for me.
Guest blogger Raquel Monday has a writing blueprint.
Never be afraid to delve into the unknown; it will remain unknown if you never venture into it. I write genre-bending books and enjoy going from one to another. I usually write two books at one time, one being intense and one being a children's fairytale or poetry.
When I get stumped as to what direction the storyline is going I use a sketchpad envisioning where I want the characters to go and how they will get to the end of the story, sometimes this helps me with the words if I have a visual to go by. Kind of like a blueprint.
Learn more about Raquel at her website.
Guest blogger Rosalie Skinner, author of the 8-book Chronicles of Caleath series, says to beware of becoming a Compulsive Obsessive Fantasy Author.
Imagine being able to travel to any time and place in your imagination. With no restrictions on world size, character numbers or physical laws. Take your pick of character traits, cultures, hierarchy, and villains, throw in a heroine or two, add a hero worth following to the ends of a dozen worlds. Bring with your imagination a set of circumstances that might give your troupe of heroes a little grief, a chance to shine, grow, fail, succeed, discover, teach, learn, and love.
Sound like fun?
Take care though. This daydreaming of other worlds, creating details, forming climates, cultural differences, standards and religions can be compelling. The danger lies in becoming obsessed. I speak as one who has been there. When you find each day spent in reality clashes with the moments you are able to retreat back into the world of your creation, it’s time to write. Write, and keep on writing.
Eight books later, the story is down, the conflict resolved, the characters are finally quiet. For now. There are rumblings, still. The danger doesn’t dissolve. It remains in the shadows, in the quiet moments when imagination can run amok.
Learn more about this author at her website or her blog.
Dixon says: Of all my addictions and obsessions, writing is my favorite.
Guest blogger Lynn Hubbard on being Indie.
A passionate writer, I only write when I’m inspired. I can go weeks without working on my book and then sit down and write thousands of words at a time. I do not use a timeline; I get into my characters’ minds and write whatever they would do given the situation.
So my writing style is very different from most romance books. People either hate it or love it. I’m very glad many more people love it! I don’t think I could write with a deadline; it would be too stressful for my characters. Therefore I’m an Indie. An independent author. For a long time I did not realize that I was an Indie. I just wanted to do it myself. I’m very artistic and love designing and creating whether it is a novel, a cover, a website, etc.
I didn’t want someone picking apart a manuscript that I poured my heart into, so I decided to self-publish with an online company. I was tickled to death at first, and then I started looking at the numbers. Everyone gets some. Later I read a book that inspired me to start my own publishing company. So I did and Lemon Press Publishing was born. Not only do I publish my own books but I also help other Indies get their books online or into print.
For more on Lynn’s books visit here and her publishing company is found over here.
Merry Christmas, one and all! The lyrics below are by my friend Kathy Dunnehoff, one of the driving forces behind the Authors of the Flathead, and the author of THE DO-OVER and more recently PLAN ON IT, which was released just a few days ago.
Sing this to “White Christmas.”
Write Christmas
I'm dreaming of a write Christmas,
the one I hope's right down the road.
Where the scenes I hammer and readers clamor
to rush my Kindle book download.
I'm dreaming of a write Christmas
with every novel that I plot.
May the book be funny and hot,
and may all the comma errs be caught.
I'm dreaming of a write Christmas.
I've worked the keyboard all year round,
where my neck would seize up, my fingers freeze up,
my head would spin around and pound.
I'm dreaming of a write Christmas
I made my list in case he might…
May St. Nick bring a manuscript tonight,
'cause I've heard those elves can really write.
Dixon’s first novel, THE ASSASSINS CLUB, has been uploaded to both Kindle and Nook, and will be available for purchase as soon as a human being sets down the eggnog long enough to push the appropriate button. Wish me luck!
Guest blogger Bill Talcott is influenced by music.
On occasion I'll have someone ask me how I come up with my ideas for the fiction I write. Quite often I can only tell them I am influenced by the music I am listening to at the time. My book The Mission started out as an idea that developed while listening to the soundtrack for the movie, Blade Runner. I had finished my first attempt at a story and decided to hold off doing the editing on it to write a short tale. I originally called the story 'The Undead'. It was intended to be 20-30 pages of fan fiction, taking place within the world of an online game. The Blade Runner music kept bringing up feelings that practically wrote the story for me. Some 30 pages into it and not even close to an ending, I made the decision to kill off a character and suddenly my short story became more than it was intended to be.
Tracks 8, Memories of Green, and 10, Damask Rose of the Blade Runner soundtrack by Vangelis guided me through much of the writing process. There were other pieces by the group Audio Slave from their first CD that were a big influence. And then there was blues artist, RL Burnside and his Go To Jail. There were many others that made me feel something for the story as well. After finishing and making necessary changes in the story I eventually had The Mission, a short novel that I decided to publish as an e-book.
Music continues to play a big part in what I am currently writing and the ideas that I have for future stories. Who knows, something you are listening to right now may have influenced something you've recently read.
To learn more about Bill, check out http://billtalcottsblog.wordpress.com/
Five more responses to “What Makes You Write?” Let’s do this again sometime.
Clair Saint - Word smithing, articulation that is really important to describe the feeling so the other can completely and totally visualize and/or feel what the writer is describing to touch and stimulate.
Marlene Samuels - I select books for a range of very specific reasons: they're in my field; they're by best-selling authors; they're classics that I didn’t quite understand when I was required to read them; or they're a huge intellectual challenge to me.
Matthew Schott - I have to tell their stories or they will be lost forever. Everyone is a main character; it’s just those who get thrown into unusual situations whose stories becomes books.
Jane Vogley - It's my passion. I enjoy creating stories that entertain people, move them, and make them think. And I write because I'm not so good at other artistic mediums, can't draw or paint to save my life...lol
Claudette Walker - A flame that burns hotter than Dante's Inferno. The unending passion to explore this world as it is during my time and leave an unforgettable trail, she lived...
Guest blogger Laura Schultz is passionate...about writing and reviewing.
I have always been passionate about writing poetry as I was able to address the human condition as well as muddle through my own as a child. Besides poetry, I enjoy writing in a myriad of genres such as self-help and true crime. My passion has always been to facilitate growth and change, and to inspire others to transcend their struggles. I endeavor to use my background as a psychotherapist in my writing for those reasons.
After reading and reviewing books for the past few years for the NY Journal of Books, I developed a great respect for authors. I was able to learn the delicate balance between elevating a good story and pointing out some of its weak points. Reviewing is the best of both worlds and has greatly improved my writing because of learning from others.
I got to know Laura through the FB group Writers Etc. She is a co-administrator there but a more accurate job title might be Guiding Spirit. She is tremendously helpful and supportive, and can offer interesting psychological insights into what makes your characters tick.
Make time to write every day, even when you don't feel inspired to do so. Writing is hard work, and for most writers inspiration comes when we are working the hardest. You may feel like you're slogging through ten words a day, but the reality is that you ARE writing. You are putting words on the page and that is what gets books written, not inspiration.
