Foundations of light and shadow
This morning, Thing Two could not wait to show me his book order catalog from kindergarten. Remember the book order, the magical list of books you could check off? Then your parents would erase most of your choices, and the agony of only picking one or two? The books would someday show up at your desk like magic?
I almost passed out from a terminal case of teh cuteness! He was smiling and showing me the books he wanted to order. Gosh, I love you, you little book lusting squirt.
My boys are little readers and it fills me with pride. Truly, I am blessed. It provides my inspiration, and sometimes when I am alone by myself with my thoughts… I smile.
There are good people in this world.
I see them all around me.
I envision some going on to defeat evil, and triumph over wickedness.
That no matter what the odds, their intellect and attitude carries them across the chiasm.
This is the foundation of the worlds I create in words.
Setting
Other then the relentless line editing of Bunny Trouble (almost done!) my thoughts turn to the setting of The Baby Dancers.
This is where my years and years of Dungeon and Dragons geek outs paid off. I have a treasure trove, nay a mountain of world-building material. Indeed, from a gaming perspective I am a world-building expert. Who knew all those years of nerding out would show benefits (other then the loads of fun at the time of the game)?
My goal for The Baby Dancers is to keep my momentum going at a serious pace. Actually, even if it were not YA Fantasy, that is a worthy goal. This is where setting, world-building in particular, collides with momentum. Can I take my setting expertise from other mediums and apply it to a fantasy novel?
Yes. I believe I can. I have a marvelous setting all ready to go. It only needs strong characters and the proper stakes. One could say I adore my setting.
How exciting this all is!
Sunday Reflections
“Truth is sought for its own sake. And those who are engaged upon the quest for anything for its own sake are not interested in other things. Finding the truth is difficult, and the road to it is rough.”
Bunny Trouble bouncing bunny uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh
My ability to write or edit for pleasure is inversely proportional to the amount of writing or editing I do at work.
Considering I have spent the last week writing at work, the Bunny Trouble edits are moving at a glacier pace. Last night I line-edited six pages before my brain shut off.
My writing binge at work is over, so I should wrap up Draft 2 like real soon now.
Frozen Kisses
The Wife Unit whipped up some homemade chocolate this evening. A bitter frozen kiss, doing naughty things to my mouth uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh.
For you men, bi-fems and lesbians that love a good cook: back off. I saw her first!
Mmmmmm nom nom nom nom oooooohhhh!
Writer vs. Writer
Writer A: In love with his writing and the time spent writing.
Writer B: In love with the idea of being a writer.
Which writer gets to sell?
My problem with YA Science Fiction
- I buy books.
- I prefer my books in hardcover.
- I like to buy books at indie bookstores.
- I tend to talk to the people in the bookstore about what I like.
- I am a successful working man.
- I love reading YA SFF books.
- Yet, the SF seems to be… missing.
- See where I am going with this?
- My pocket book is yours.
- You have only to publish your entertaining yet thought-provoking Young Adult Sci-Fi for me to read it.
- More importantly, I read in a pack. I have friends. Most of them make more money than I do. They will buy your book too, if I like it!
- I have two children.
Write it for God sakes. Write it right now! Right now! Right Fucking Now!
Man do I feel better. This has been a public service announcement from Anthony Pacheco, Hack Writer. No need to thank me, that’s just the kind of guy I am.
Dreams of My Youth Shattered
I had no inkling that Alexei Panshin’s ode to a proper education, Rite of Passage, was a response to Heinline’s politics.
My YA Science Fiction fan core is hiding under the covers, snuffling.
It’s still a hell of a book, which is a very interesting observation to me. Even though History has been kind to Heinline and less kind to Panshin, motivation and passion provides the fuel for an excellent story. As a teen, it made me think.
Politics motivates one of the main characters in Bunny Trouble. This motivation does not serve him well.
As a meta observation, how many other bombs are lurking for me now that I am diving into the world around SFF, rather than the SFF stories themselves?
Lead, Flames and Fang
My brain will not stop writing the third Bunny Trouble book. Despite the fact that, yanno, the second one’s outline is poo and the small observation that I have yet to start on the second book, nor do I have a desire to start on the second book any time soon.
It’s a great chapter though. Let me sum it up:
A group of stupid people believe in their own lies.
Half of them die in a hail of bullets.
Others burn in a fire.
Eleven of them are eaten.
Tune in five… well maybe seven (ten?) years for the actual novel!
Many words
I am on page 203 out of 341 for my second, Wife Unit approved proofreading pass.
It’s slow going and I am a day behind because of my volunteer work, but it is a lot of words. A lot. Soon my Beta Reading Squad Doki Doki Team Alpha Fox SIX will have their copies in their hot little hands. Soon mah pretties, soon (Anthony pets a white fuzzy cat while cackling).
As they say in the writing business, there are hobbyists and there are those who Dare to Suck!
woosh!
Instead of chugging away at proofreading Bunny Trouble, I was called in to help the Cub Scouts with their Fall rocket launch. Lots of volunteers called in sick, so even though it was raining raining raining, I went and helped.
My job: Point to the little squirts where their rocket landed (if they didn’t know), keep other squirts out of the landing zone and telling even more squirts to get off my landing field once they had their rockets. Yes, it was a heavy thinking job. let me tell you. I called it Squirt Control.
I was wearing rain gear but got soaked to the bone anyway. The boys and girls had a blast, and the huge smiles made my day. Thing One and Thing Two enjoyed their two launches.
Swooooooooosh!
Tired now.
Some proofreading.
Then bed.
Pleasant dreams.
Wanted: feisty woman, Plz send tell kk thx
Edit: I have my feisty woman now. For the rest, no Bunny Trouble for you! You come back later!
Beta Reading Squad Doki Doki Team Alpha Fox SIX
I told myself I was not going to start the second round of edits on Bunny Trouble until this evening. Even for just proofreading and minor edits, I wanted to let it fester for a week before I looked at it. Once I finish the proofreading pass, the manuscript goes off to Kinko’s and then to my Beta Reading Squad Doki Doki Team Alpha Fox SIX!
Speaking of Beta Readers let me introduce you to them:
Beta Reading Squad Doki Doki Team Alpha Fox SIX
The Wife Unit: Heather likes fantasy or sci-fi only if they have strong characterization and have a female lead or strong female supporting characters. We definitely do not share the same taste in books, but we both like entertaining stories with interesting protagonists. The WU is a sucker for a good mystery.
Mike: Mike is a long time friend, well traveled and local. Mike is a fan of thought-provoking books with historical research, along with dropping objects from orbit on bad people. Mike and I read the same fantasy books. There are many entertaining elements for Mike in the later Bunny Trouble books, so if he likes this one the next ones will hold his interest for sure.
David #1: David and I read roughly the same SFF novels, and he is also local. I have been friends with Dave almost as long as Mike. We have had moderate disagreements in the past over sci-fi. Recently, at the tail end of Brin’s Uplift books I wanted to gouge out my eyes. David #1 thought they were just peachy. A martial-arts practitioner, Berkley graduate and physicist, David #1 is also is retired, so he has lots of time on his hands to talk about my novel at great length. He he he. David #1 cooks the. Best. Steak. Evah.
Dad: Father-in-law is a voracious reader. I do not dive into the techno-thriller genre quite like he does, but we trade our sci-fi books back and forth like a 10-rupee whore. The next book in the series is also has many elements that would appeal to Ed, there is more action such as tanks shooting at other tanks and things blowing up, in time-honored military techno-thriller style.
Brian: Brain is a long-time police officer in Washington. Many of the good guys, ok well just about all of the good guys in Bunny Trouble are cops. Brain probably reads well ahead of me in the SFF genres, and I am happy to feed his never-ending thirst for good material. At least I hope it is good. Brian is also a martial-arts expert. One of the characters in Bunny Trouble is also into advanced unarmed combat, but she cheats, she cheats a lot ha ha ha.
David #2: To confuse my brain more, David #2 is also a Berkley graduate. He then moved on to UC Davis. Other than the WU, David #2 is the only Beta who also reads my blog (part of the 7.3!). He is also on my blogroll. We share many political interests but I secretly wonder how much longer he can live in California. David, I slapped a high-capacity magazine into my Glock this morning and I thought of you. He he he. David #2 has a monstrous library, has read Ross’ Unintended Consequences, and thus, out of all my Beta Readers, closely matches the target audience that should find the Bunny Trouble books irresistibly appealing. I hope.
That’s the crew and I already owe them a debt I can never repay. My only hope is the novel will be entertaining to read.
I am looking for one more Beta Reader but that is a different blog post.
Edit: I have found my Beta Reader.
A Young Man’s Muse
Ken posted a wonderful, whimsical look into his motivations in becoming a novelist.
I wish my motivations were as pure as inspiration from Ray Bradbury. My literary foundation is a hormonal memory, programmed by my very first girlfriend.
Victoria was just cute: young and cute, perky and cute and then one day she went from cute to pretty. A big sci-fi and fantasy fan, I cannot begin to tell you how many books she introduced me to, and she even introduced me to Powell’s Books. There is a special place in my heart for someone who drove me to Powell’s for the first time; they actually had The Platypus of Doom on a shelf. We are talking major relationship mojoo. Wherever she is now, I am sure Life has blessed her with a kind husband and low-maintenance children.
Victoria was not just pretty, she was soft, girl soft, and she always smelled good. Just thinking about that fresh High School Girl Next Door scent makes me a day younger. She was easy to please, easy to smile and a mischievous pixie.
One afternoon while her parents and sister were out, we were kissing in her living room. Victoria was a fabulous kisser, and often when kissing her my mind emptied of thought. Little did I know Victoria, as smart pretty girls are wont to do, used this to her advantage.
(kiss kiss) “Anthony?” (kiss)
(kiss) “Hmmm?” (kiss)
(kiss) “You should write me a book.” (kiss)
(kiss) “Huh?” (yes, I was the master of conversation in 1985, let me tell you)
(kiss) “Write.” (kiss) “Me.” (kiss) “A.” (kiss) “Book.” (kiss)
(kiss) “Ok.” (kiss)
Then she stood up, pulled her gray sweater-dress over her head and threw it on the floor. There she was, standing in the middle of her living room, wearing nothing but little white socks on her dainty cute feet.
Someday Victoria is going to be walking around a bookstore, holding hands with her husband, because that is what you do when you walk with Victoria—hold her hand. She is going to see my book there, in hardcover, and suddenly exclaim (Victoria does not yell, she exclaims), “That’s my book!”
Her husband will roll his eyes and say nothing. Long ago, he gave up trying to decipher the mystery that is Victoria.
And that, my 7.3 readers, is why I started thinking about writing a novel, so long ago.
You ain’t killed nobody until you’ve killed them like this
The best murder mystery I have ever feasted upon appears in Vernor Vinge’s Across Realtime in the last story of the book: Marooned in Realtime. Now reprinted, be warned it is easier to follow if you have the Across Omnibus which contains The Peace War and The Ungoverned.
Let me just quote the Amazon reader review and be done with it:
Finally, and in my opinion the crown jewel of the book, comes Marooned in Realtime, a masterfully plotted mystery story spanning 50 million years into the future. Marooned in Realtime is centered around Wil Brierson and a small band of friends trying to restart the human race in a post-post-apocalyptic world of decaying high-technology. Marooned is so excellent that it alone is worth the price of admission.
BAM!
!!!
With some trepidation mixed with a smattering of self-doubt (I know, hard to believe with my ego on display), I set out to write chapter one of The Baby Dancers in accordance to my new “No Parental Cop-out Rule.” This would be my third novel, the second I would desire to publish and share.
Would I be able to write a new compelling start and have it stay true to my vision? We’re talking a mini-reset here, where the practicality of my writing goal meets my creative desires. With Bunny Trouble, I had a very clear start of the book, here; I was heading out into the great unknown.
Yes! Yes! I wrote a marvelous new beginning to The Baby Dancers. I fired off 2088 words, the literary equivalent of garlic infused “BAM!“–with flames from the sudden addition of brandy cooking the garlic to perfection.
BAM!
Yum. This morning I spied Jack Williamson’s Darker Than You Think on the shelf. It is a short little novel of the occult, sexy and creepy. It has some minor flaws, but the great thing is the main character grows. Oh he grows all right.
Did I mention it is also short? Since I am on a roll, I have vowed that The Baby Dancers will be no shorter than 65,000 words and no longer than 80,000. I want a tight story, an entertaining speculative novel of fantasy goodness.
I love writing.
BAM!
My problem with YA Fantasy
My problem with Young Adult fantasy books, I came to realize, was parents. Let’s go over the parental plot device:
Dead parents
Unknown parents
Missing parents
Evil parents
Conveniently, getting parents out of the way lets a YA fantasy author spin a tale with added freedom from those pesky parental units. Yes, I know it’s more complicated than that, but still.
While I am sure that each generation needs its stories that deal with parental loss, as I got older, I ODed on the entire concept and my reading self ran screaming from the genre entirely for many many years.
My memory may be hazy, but there are, for example, excellent YA Fantasy books that have those pesky parents present, with Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series coming to mind (unless, of course my 28 year old memory of the series is off). Blowing dust bunnies off the neurons, I also believe Madeleine L’Engle‘s A Wrinkle in Time books also have parents that stick around and even provide, yanno, help.
So it was with… well I admit horror, that I realized The Baby Dancers protagonist were bereft of parental units, unlike my Gaterunner concept which had a humorously flawed, but helpful, family setting.
Bad Anthony! Bad Anthony! Now what am I to do? My outline running around my head is flawed!
Gonna fix that. The parents won’t be a permanent fixture at the elbow, but they aren’t going to pushed aside for my convenience either.
my next novel is…
Good morning!
Sunday July 6, 2003, I wrote Chapter 1 of a YA Fantasy novel and gave it the working title The Baby Dancers. A warm and thought-provoking story, I was enamored of the theme and setting.
2003 was a dark time for my writing ability. I wrote outline after outline trying to kick start The Baby Dancers, never realizing the outlining process I employed was the wrong process. I set it aside, along with all the other failed novels. Baby Dancers needed solid characters–not plotting–and now I know how to do that.
Today I thought through the book end-to-end and have a clear path. I am poised to begin anew, and very eager to get cracking.
I am setting aside my Gaterunner project. It is a interwoven story, and in my heart, I do not want to write a novel similar to the plotting I did on Bunny Trouble.
Working Title: The Baby Dancers
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Current Word Count: 720
Est. Word Count: 80K
Started: 2003 (!)
Est. Draft 1: January 2009
Such fun! Such a dramatic departure from my last novel!
Thinking aloud
If you have not guessed by now, dearest 7.3 readers, this blog is thinking aloud about my writing.
As a writer, I am isolated. This is the means electronic I use to talk to other writers and likeminded people. Selfish, I know, but very useful. The great thing about a blog is that it is both insular and welcoming at the same time. You can drop in, read, read and chat or simply skim. If it interests you, you can come back. If it does not there is just so much more out there!
So Dearest 7.3, I was asked why I was blogging and not writing. The answer, of course, is I am doing both. This is a creative outlet, a record of my thought process and internal protocols, and as above, a reach-out to my writing friends: people who think somewhat like me, either writers or readers. I average 3000 words per day. At some point, I have to stop and think, reflect, and observe others in their sandboxes!
Over the last 76 posts, I have avoided political rants and social observations. I shall endeavor to continue this fine tradition, even in the middle of an election year. Consider it your refuge, unless, of course, you click on my Blogroll. There, I let everyone else rally for me, and they do a far far better job then I.
On to whimsical observations! And writing! Scotch! Scotch and writing!
pwned by The Wife Unit
The Wife Unit finished Bunny Trouble and gave me several suggestions and some constructive feedback, pure yummines. She didn’t beat me over the head with the manuscript at the ending, so I feel somewhat vindicated.
She wants to read the next novel in the series, and put me on notice that Ciara must not die. He he he oh no my pet. Ciara will not die. He he he, nope, not at all he he he (giggle).
Then we had this conversation:
Anthony: Too bad you have to wait a year for the next book in the series.
WU: You’ll also be waiting, then.
Anthony: !!!
I’ll get right on that… as soon as I finish The Baby Dancers.
Next Bunny Trouble steps: Proofreading corrections from the WU and then it’s on to Kinko’s for the five Beta copies.
