Category: Writing

Home > Writing

A Challenge, or Simply Esoteric?

November 8, 2017 by in category Writing

Slight change of scenery for you lot this month. No cover art commentary. This time I’m writing about writing.

Have you ever seen the series Halt and Catch Fire? If not, I highly recommend it. It follows a group of programmers, engineers, and business-minded tech visionaries as they attempt to capitalise on the information revolution through the 80s and early 90s. Often they strike upon a great idea, only to have a better-funded competitor exploit it, or think of it independently, and steal their customers out from under them. It all sounds rather frustrating to watch, and it is, but what makes it compulsive viewing are the characters and our own knowledge of what is to come.

{SPOILER – but it’s related to my post, honest}

In the last series, the brilliant programmer, Cameron, designs a game so esoteric and so challenging that her focus groups and reviewers find themselves unable to complete it. They quickly become frustrated and bored, and Cameron is dropped by her publisher, Atari, because the game simply isn’t fun for most people.

{SPOILER}

Now here comes the awkward part where I try to crowbar my book into an imaginary bookshelf, next to the creation of a fictional genius, and still try to sound modest and not at all deluded. “They didn’t like it because they couldn’t understand it!” as the self-soothing, self-aggrandising cry of so many an author, self-published or otherwise, goes. Not here, I promise. The comparison I want to draw between my work and hers has more to do with the attitude of youth when it comes to complexity. It’s much more about what I got wrong.

My main series is fantasy, and as often comes with the genre, there are other-worldly words for certain objects and phenomena in the universe. The idea is that the sounds of these words give the world its own character, make it appear more detached in some ways, or closer to our own in others. Sometimes these words are excellent ways of hiding or setting up jokes, and sometimes they are obscure and ridiculous in the way so many things about us are today. In the initial edition of the first book, I offered my readers no direct translation for these words. I totes did a Cameron. I wanted readers to work the vocabulary out for themselves from the context. I justified this to myself as presenting a fun challenge, just as we are challenged when we are young and learning our own language.

When your environment is so heavily dominated by learning as mine was at 26 (I was writing up my PhD, or avoiding it), all things are cloaked in slight obscurity, and solving these puzzles is a challenge, so it becomes your idea of fun to set others challenges.

But readers did not find this fun. It was jarring to them, and interrupted the concentration they needed to apply on more important plot points. They had to work hard to get anywhere with it. I later inserted a glossary of terms to try to alleviate this problem, which it did, but not everyone wants to read a dictionary before they get started on a book in what should be their leisure time.

And then there were the rules that came with the world of The Fireblade Array. I dumped my readers headlong into it without overtly stating what any of those rules were – more immersive that way, I felt – as if the readers might imagine themselves to be people from that universe as they read. More fun! I’ll describe a bit of it now so that you can get a flavour for the impossibility of coming at it with no prior knowledge:

The world of The Fireblade Array is high fantasy at first glance. There are swords, castles, crossbows, horse riding, other mediaeval (or pseudo-mediaeval) fayre, and there’s sorcery. The height of technology here is perhaps some plumbing in the castles and manors, but don’t expect much more than that. The people are human in appearance, but they do not age beyond their prime (arguable definitions of that, I know!). They do not suffer from contagious or deleterious diseases, except a madness that comes when they are thousands of years old, and their bodies heal improbably quickly. Their population is managed by war, and must engage in relationships lasting nine years if they hope to make more of themselves.

The society the first book focusses on is infuriatingly sexist, and some of that has to do with fear of female wielders. I mentioned sorcery, but the power for this is limited to a select group of women. They are born with a power based around fire, and can only wield it once they reach twenty(ish) years of age. The male counterpart to these women cannot make this form of fire, but they have the capacity to control it, and even remove the ability entirely from female wielders. Of course power comes with a price, and sleeping with a wielder carries the risk of turning one into a kind of killer zombie. There is also a limited collection of other risks with sex and wielding, which I won’t go into here, but you get the general idea. Also, there are no orcs, elves, vampires or dwarfs to speak of.

So yeah, imagine coming at a book and being expected to know all that!

Perhaps it’s quite ironic I took this approach, given that my previous job was making impenetrable science research understandable and accessible for everyone. You would have thought I’d have been more aware of the importance of understanding, right? Nope. Very uncharitable of me.

I began writing the series nearly seven years ago, and the first installment was my first proper novel. I was young (see age above) when I started it (that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it). It was good. I knew it was good because I wrote it. I knew I was good at writing because people told me so and we use stuff like that to give ourselves the confidence to do anything at all. I knew it would do well because I liked it. And it kinda has done okay… I think.

Now, nearly seven years later, I know it’s got something, but it could have been better. I could have been less arrogant with the esoterica. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely want you to buy it, and I want you to read it and enjoy it, because it’s good enough to be published (and I am not being immodest at all when I claim it is better than some of the stuff being traditionally published). But it has its faults. The series I’ve written following on from it is my proudest achievement. This November, 2017, I have just submitted the sixty-ninth iteration of City of Blaze: Volume One of The Fireblade Array to Smashwords. That’s almost one new version (0.83, to be precise) every month for the last six-and-a-bit years. I will never be completely happy with it. I re-wrote huge sections of it as my style developed, justified the actions of characters, inserted new thoughts, added more description, AND a glossary of terms. But it will always be a mean challenge for readers in a way none of my future books ever will.

I have thought about inserting a paragraph or two at the beginning to explain everything in the most overt terms, thought about being nicer to all those readers, of undoing my Cameron, but the overall immersion approach it takes is one flaw I have stubbornly refused to alter. For me, it has become part of the personality of that book, and books do become people when you have worked on them for so long. And frankly, now it’s part of the story of my development as a writer, I’m afraid to make it into anything so significantly different.

 

 

5 0 Read more

New Release: Tova’s Dragon, Steamy #PNR by @LyndiLamont

October 23, 2017 by in category New Releases, Writing tagged as , , , , , , , ,

To celebrate the release of Tova’s Dragon, Linda is doing a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $25.00 Amazon gift card, ending October 30.

Tova's Dragon cover

[tweetshareinline tweet=”Tova’s Dragon” username=”A_SliceofOrange”]
Kingdoms and Legends, Part 2
Steamy Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
By Lyndi Lamont

Blurb:

Seek help of the Lord of Drakkenberg. Only he can aid you. You must fly with the dragon.

Tova Svensdottir, an earth mage, is on a mission to save her homeland, the Kingdom of Velosia from the evil wizard Bruno of Grimmdorn. Her grandmother tells her to seek help of the Lord of Drakkenberg, but the old lord is dead. In his castle, high on a mountaintop, she instead encounters his son, the Outlaw Kane.

Kane fled Velosia after a futile attempt to rescue his father and his mate from Bruno’s cruel prison, killing the head guard in the process. Now that Bruno has been banished, Kane has returned to clear his name, but his purpose changes when he meets Tova. Tova’s warmth stirs his passions and her courage touches his heart, but he dreads telling her of his true nature, certain she will recoil. But Tova is made of sterner stuff.

Together, Kane and Tova have the power to save Velosia. If they survive the coming battle. But can an earth mage find happiness with a dragonshifter?

Release date Oct. 24, but now available on pre-order. Go to Amazon for purchase or to read via Kindle Unlimited:

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07635W1SR
AU: https://www.amazon.au/dp/B07635W1SR/
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07635W1SR/
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07635W1SR/

Excerpt:

CHAPTER 1

 

Seek help of the Lord of Drakkenberg. Only he can aid you. You must fly with the dragon.

Her grandmother’s words rang in Tova’s head as she climbed the path into the mountains. Why had Mutti Zee sent her out of her way on a fool’s errand? Everyone knew the dragonfolk had fled Velosia years ago, driven away by Bruno of Grimmdorn’s crusade against them. Until he’d been driven from power. Now Bruno had returned at the head of a mercenary army, if Mutti Zee’s vision could be believed. And Tova had no doubts. She’d felt the vibrations in the earth.

And somehow she was supposed to save the kingdom?

She raised her gaze to the sky and asked, “Why me? I’m no hero.” The heavens gave no answer, though she saw clouds form to her left. She shook her head. Now she was talking to herself, like mad Magnus, the village idiot.

She stopped to catch her breath and rest her tired legs in a level area. The path ahead grew steeper and narrower the higher it wound into the mountains. She groaned. After walking all day, her legs ached. She was glad she’d worn men’s breeches and a tunic with her sturdy boots. A gown and petticoats would be but a hindrance.

After a deep breath, she started to climb again. Dusk came early in autumn, and she needed to find shelter before dark. Castle Drakkenberg, abandoned and forlorn, perched high above on a cliff, its turrets silhouetted against the leaden sky. Almost as if mocking her with its remoteness. Too much was at stake and her chances of reaching the capital in time to warn the king were slim at best. Even without this detour, she estimated the journey to Castle Novita would take three days or more.

For centuries, the dragon lords had resided in the castle, ruling the isolated mountain communities. People in this area were known as dragonfolk, though Tova knew not why. A great puzzle, but one she had no time to ponder. With luck, she had but to find the dragonlord, and he would take charge of the quest.

A shadow blocked the sun, and she looked up at an enormous bird silhouetted against the sky. Goddess, she’d never seen such a large raptor. It turned and the sun’s rays glinted on its shiny red-gold wings and barbed tail. She stopped and stared after it, shaken to the core of her being.

No, impossible. Dragons didn’t exist. They couldn’t.

About the Author:

Lyndi Lamont is the racy alter ego of romance author Linda McLaughlin. Writing sexy stories gives her a license to be naughty, at least between the pages of her books! She has written several full-length novels plus numerous short stories and novellas, ranging from historical to futuristic. She believes that love is unending and universal, and enjoys transporting her readers into a different world where her characters learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward.

Connect online:

Website: https://lindalyndi.com
Reading Room blog: http://lindalyndi.com/reading-room-blog/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LyndiLamont
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/LyndiLamont
Twitter: @LyndiLamont

To celebrate the release of Tova’s Dragon, Linda is doing a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $25.00 Amazon gift card, ending October 30. There are three ways to enter for the Rafflecopter:

1. Like her Lyndi Lamont Facebook page
2. Subscribe to her mailing list and upcoming newsletter
3. Subscribe to her blog at https://lindalyndi.com (on right sidebar or scroll to bottom of the page)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

0 0 Read more

Get Real! by Meriam Wilhelm @meriamwilhelm

October 20, 2017 by in category Writing tagged as , , , , ,

Give Up
Give In
Get Real

I hit an unexpected writer’s block this past year. I sort of lost my way and it had me really wondering what to do next with myself. I have always been a goal driven person who needed to be reaching for that next carrot in order to feel good about myself. Yes, I agree that may not be the healthiest way to live, but I guess it’s just how I’m wired. The other part of me is that I expect that dedication and hard work will more times than not – result in success. But it’s the definition of that word – success – that suddenly had me paralyzed, and more than a little uncertain of my writing future.

It all started three and a half years ago. After thirty-five years in education, I retired. I had loved being an elementary school principal and there were still a thousand stories, strategies and recommendations racing through my head. I wanted to share all that I had learned and decided to try writing parenting books. I poured out my heart and soul with strategies on bullying, homework issues, parent/teacher relationships and more.

Six books later I realized that I was getting bored talking about the same old stuff I had for the last thirty-five years. I needed to do something different. I took a chance, deciding to throw my hat into the world of fiction writing. And I had a blast creating my first fictional series The Witches Of New Moon Beach. I created a welcoming – albeit quirky, action packed world filled with witches, magic and love, all at the beach.

Although I was happy with how the series did, I guess I had hoped for more. After all, I felt like I had worked really hard, spending endless hours in front of my computer. Suddenly I was wondering what the “more” was that I was looking for? More sales..more exposure more…
more what?

A couple of my friends gently suggested that I might consider giving up. Why spend so much time if it wasn’t truly productive. “I mean are you even making any money?” one asked. Others said that I should give in to the fact that the e-book market may have shrunk. Maybe I’d missed my chance and I’d never make it big. Maybe I just wasn’t good enough. It left me considering, who was I to think that I might actually make it in this gigantic world of publishing?

It was my husband who caught me feeling down one day and said something rather life changing – Get Real! What the heck did that mean, I asked – not really wanting to know the answer.

Then he asked me four powerful questions.
1) Did I still have a passion for writing?
2) Was I having fun?
3) Had I done all that I could to improve my writing skills and publishing opportunities?
4) Was I really ready to throw in the towel and walk away from writing?

After dropping these atomic questions on me, he calmly reassured me that whatever my answers were – he’d still have my back.

I spent a lot of time thinking about his queries. And in the end, it was the answers to those questions that helped me to redefine my idea of success and happiness.

I do have a passion for writing. I love creating fictional worlds over which I have total artistic freedom and control. My mind is constantly spinning with new characters, themes and plot lines.
I love creating new characters. It’s fun. In fact, I wake up at night to jot down new ideas that just popped into my head while I was supposed to be sleeping. I carry around my Book O’ Names with me so that when I hear an unusual name I quickly jot it down for later use.
Ouch! No, I hadn’t done everything that I could to improve my writing skills. I listened to writer podcasts, read articles by other writers and secured new support software. I knew that I needed to do a better job editing my books. I’d been zinged for it in the past and recognized that it was one of the areas I could strengthen. I secured the help of a fab editor – Jenny Jensen. She has been a godsend and has made all of the difference in the world in helping me to tighten up my story lines and confirm correct grammar usage. Most importantly, I feel better about my work with her support.
Hell No! I am not ready to throw in the towel. I love writing and even though I still hit bumps in the road; writing makes me happy.

So what did I do with all these newly found answers? I put my head down, recognized that this was what I’m meant to be doing right now – and wrote. I reawakened by imagination and had fun creating a new story – one that I am ready to share with you.

Murder By Magic is my first cozy mystery and I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

And should you feel stuck along the way, you are more than welcome to borrow my husband’s four questions to get you headed in the right direction – right for you that is!

Oh, and thank you Paranormal Romance Writers Guild for giving me a 5 star review!

MURDER BY MAGIC
Buy now!
2 0 Read more

Monty Hall & Me by Rebecca Forster @Rebecca_Forster

October 15, 2017 by in category The Write Life by Rebecca Forster, Writing tagged as , , , , , , , ,

“This is a story about Monty Hall, the velvet-voiced, handsome host of Let’s Make a Deal. He passed away recently and it broke my heart because Monty Hall and I had a history.

I was a little depressed after I had my first baby and longing to get back to ‘the real world’ when I saw an ad: be a contestant on Let’s Make a Deal.  Contestants were supposed to dress up as something funny but there was nothing funny about a postpartum mommy body so I went for the sympathy angle. I cut up a crib mobile made of fabric hearts, sewed the hearts onto a white hat and made a sign that said: HAVE A HEART, LET’S MAKE A DEAL. The neighbor watched the baby and I drove to Hollywood where two hundred people were lined up against a chain-linked fence outside the studio. They were dressed like alligators, killer clowns and French maids. I joined the fray just as a young producer trolled the line, pointing at people.

“You. You. You. That’s it for today. Come back another time.”

OMG! He didn’t pick me. There I was literally wearing my heart – okay, not on my sleeve – but all over me. I threw myself at him. I grabbed his sleeve. I begged.

“I NEEEEDDDDDD TO GET IN THAT STUDIO! I JUST HAD A BABY.”

He let me in.

Once inside, the producers advised us to make eye contact with Monty Hall. Check. No matter where he went my eyes bored into him. He itched, he freaked, he couldn’t figure out where the laser points of focus were coming from and he kept looking for the source. Then he saw me the crazy, desperate lady in the white hat with dancing hearts on it. I think he chose me just to make me stop glaring at him.  I got all the way to the big deal and lost, but that was fine. My consolation prize was a two-week trip to the Bahamas and a thousand dollars.  I went home happy.  Monty Hall probably went home and had nightmares for weeks.

Fast-forward 32 years. Monty Hall is sitting behind my family and me in the theater. He is a little stooped, silver-haired, but still handsome. When my family goes to stretch their legs, I introduce myself and tell him the story that has become a legend in our family. He is gracious. He chats with me until the house lights dim. Before we take our seats, he asks:

“How old is the baby now?” As if on cue, my thirty-two-year-old son walked down the aisle. They shook hands. The house lights went down. We all watched the end of the play. I gave my son’s hand a squeeze. Life was good.

As if on cue, my thirty-year-old son walks down the aisle. They shake hands. The house lights go down. We watch the end of the play. I give my son’s hand a squeeze. Monty Hall walks out of the theater ahead of us and I never see him again.

The moral of the story is this: choose a door, any door but choose. What is behind that door will be exciting or surprising, charming or even challenging, but you will be better for turning the knob.

Monty Hall was behind two of my life’s doors. He made me feel lucky once and honored the second time. TY Monte Hall. I know that the door that opened for you not so long ago will be the biggest deal of all and you deserve that heavenly prize.

P.S. That is not me in the picture.

0 0 Read more

Paths by Sally Paradysz @A_SliceofOrange

October 13, 2017 by in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group, Writing tagged as , , ,

New Life | Sally Paradysz | A Slice of Orange

 

Paths

 

I love paths. We have one that goes to the field for our tractor, but the best ones are those I’ve made to my writing/meditation cabin, and the one I use to walk to the field. These two I’ve lined with rocks and as I stroll by I’m always amazed by the large roots that grow above ground. Different and yet so eye catching. It took a long while to clear the brush away, find and place the stones alongside, and then try to keep them clear enough to follow over the years.

 

Special attention paid to the little things on my land makes a huge difference to me. These are the points of life that mark my growth as I go forward. Time spent in nature with love and opportunity all encompassed into this one small three-acre-place that I call home.

God has given us a world full of hope for everything and everyone. We are all unfinished people, moving forward at the rate of speed we are meant to travel. And as we wander on our different paths, finding and following our own heart’s desires, let us take time to be thankful for what we have right now. It can all change in a moment, and then this opportunity will be behind us….

 

Sal


Sally Paradysz | A Slice of Orange

 

Sally Paradysz writes from a book-lined cabin in the woods beside the home she built from scratch. She is an ordained minister of the Assembly of the Word, founded in 1975. For two decades, she has provided spiritual counseling and ministerial assistance. Sally has completed undergraduate and graduate courses in business and journalism. She took courses at NOVA, and served as a hotline, hospital, and police interview volunteer in Bucks County, PA. She is definitely owned by her two Maine Coon cats, Kiva and Kodi.

You can like Sal on Facebook, or read her monthly column, From a Cabin in the Woods, here on A Slice of Orange, or on her personal blog, Sally Paradysz.

2 0 Read more

Copyright ©2017 A Slice of Orange. All Rights Reserved. ~PROUDLY POWERED BY WORDPRESS ~ CREATED BY ISHYOBOY.COM

>