Guest Post: How to Build a World in More Than Seven Days by RS McCoy

When writing science fiction or fantasy, creating a new and original world can be the key to setting your story apart. While characters should be well developed, plot should have a clear arc, and other elements such as tension, imagery, and pace should all be carefully considered; fantasy authors often have the added task of building a believable and manageable world from scratch. Today’s article will reflect on some of the key elements of world building.

Research, Research, Research

 

"If we value the pursuit of knowledge, we must be free to follow wherever that search may lead us. The free mind is not a barking dog, to be tethered on a ten-foot chain."

~Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.

I’m not talking about research for writing knowledge.  I’m talking research on story facts.  Doing proper research concerning a story idea does two things:  makes your story more believable (especially for those know-it-alls that have intimate knowledge about the setting/character/profession/etc. in your story) and gives you ammunition for future ideas.

To do proper research, the most important thing to look for is credibility.  The old saying goes “There’s two sides to every story.”  Well, when it comes to information in the real world, there are INFINITE sides to the story.  A basic example is hearing something from a friend that happened TO HIM versus that same friend telling you something that he heard from a friend about her cousin’s great granddaughter’s boyfriend.  One has the credibility of being straight from the source while the second…well…we’ll say kindly that nasty rumors have been perpetuated in the same fashion for eons.  (You can’t tell me all those story scenes drawn on vases and cave walls are strictly truths that happened to the artist–especially the “alien” ones.)

The Skillful Quill: Prepositions—Dangling On the Precipice of Error

Good Afternoon, Beardies!

In case you missed Mary's post on August 22nd, she wrote a compelling argument as to why prepositions at the end of sentences—though incorrect in Latin—are never technically incorrect in English, a language deriving from German. Though I respect her standpoint on the subject and understand the point she was trying to make, I whole-heartedly disagree. Amicably, of course. In this post, I will offer another view and counter some of the points presented in hers.

The Skillful Quill: Dragging Your Reader Through the Mud or Leading Them To Treasure?

This sentence, despite its ridiculous length and all the useless things it has to say, with its added phrases and clauses that have no content and give you nothing but extra words, that feels like it should be a run on because it’s so freaking long and is as boring as a sentence is allowed to be—even though it’s a little ironically funny in that it keeps babbling while saying nothing—and maybe makes you feel like pulling out your hair, is not a run on sentence and is one hundred percent grammatically correct.

This sentence is incorrect it is a run on.

This sentence is also incorrect, it is also a run on.

Really? ‘Tis true. The first sentence is a run on because it is two complete sentences put together with no conjunction, no semi-colon, no period—nothing to indicate the end of a sentence.

The second sentence is a special (and annoyingly common) run on called a comma splice: two sentences “spliced” together with a comma.

Because here’s the thing: “run-on” doesn’t mean long; it means you’ve got two sentences you smashed together, even if they are two tiny sentences.

The Golden Ticket—Research & the Fiction Writer

Hiya, Beardies!

Have you ever read a story that has a "fact" in it you know to be totally wrong, that was so implausible given a location or known fictional universe that you couldn't finish the story, or perhaps simply mismatches in happenings when compared to a well-known system of science or magic? These are cases where an author has taken to heart the old adage of "It's fiction. Just make it up!" in the wrong way and neglected to do research.

I have done a tremendous amount of research for papers not only because I know the teachers are looking for specific information, but because I want my paper to be BELIEVABLE despite the BS I've added in to reach my page requirement. The quality of the fact-based information holds up the believability of the BS. Just like a non-fiction research paper, a fictional work—no matter how small—requires the facts from research to make the story more than simply plausible…it makes it completely believable!

Prose & Ivy

edera helix. For those of you who don't know, that's the Scientific name of the plant species more commonly known as—wait for it—Common Ivy. Though it's native to most of Europe and western Asia, its foliage is ever-present in the English landscape, which gives it another of its common names: English Ivy.

No, this isn't a Hogwarts Herbology Lesson—I'm far from qualified for teaching one of those. And yes, I am aware this is a Speculative Fiction blog and not one designated for a botanical discussion. This past Monday, however, I spent about an hour and a half—maybe two hours—dealing with this beautiful-but-invasive species...and it gave me a bit of inspiration.

Along Came Mary

I remember the first time I met Mary Wendt. Sara and I had managed, although she was a year ahead of me at Alma, to land ourselves in the same Sociology 101 class. I say managed like it wasn't purposeful, but it was; our making friends with Mary, however, was purely by accident. She sat next to us the first day of class, and after that first day, we returned to the same seats, delighted to find Mary had returned to the same seat as well. Although Mary was a non-traditional student whose life experience was far greater than our own, we thought of her as no different than us, and we soon fell in love with her pleasant smile and witty charm, quick to call her friend.

Throughout my time at Alma College, Mary and I had a number of English and Composition classes together—my favorite, perhaps, being our shared poetry class with Ms. Catherine Swender, which gave us the opportunity to work with distinguished poets such as Lucille Clifton and Sonia Sanchez. Our love of literature and our shared views on life soon sealed our fates as life-long friends.

Reading is a Writer's Strongest Tool

You hear it all the time...

In order to become a great writer, you must first read. 

Well, Beardies, it's true. A carpenter cannot build a house if they do not possess a hammer; a seamstress isn't much of a seamstress without a needle and thread; and a writer is not a writer without knowledge of the written word.

To write well, you must first know how one does so. The strongest tool a writer can put in their library (or bag of tricks if you're Hermione Granger) is a heaping stack of well-written masterpieces by the world's best authors. And the more you read, the more gems you can gather for your own writing.

Although I prefer a hardbound book over a tablet, a tablet is the only equivalent of having a magical bag to hold all your books. Now, your chance to win one is here!

Joe Warnimont is hosting a giveaway on his blog... you can win a Kindle Fire HD of your very own by simply visiting his page and entering the giveaway (FREE of charge!).

Where Have You Been?

Hello, Beardies!

No, the title of this post isn't referring to Rihanna's latest song--although I must say I'm a fan...

And for those of you who have continued reading after discovering that little nugget of information...  ;)

I want to apologize for my recent absence from posting as of late.  Work has kept me pretty busy, and when I am not slinging cocktails for my devoted groupies, I have been typing away at my latest endeavor:  Project Manuscript Split, Part One.

In adding additional scenes to the first half of the manuscript, a few of the original manuscript's loose ends have surfaced, ones which I am excited to close up and tighten so they do not come loose once again.  As I get closer and closer to where I want the new manuscript to go, I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

Only a few more scenes left with the current characters' plot lines, and then back to the rest of the scenes with the "other" cast of characters.

Until I am finished, I will be taking a sabbatical from doing posts of my own, but I will not be abandoning my duties as Executive Editor of the blog.

Stay tuned for a new series of posts from our Assistant Editor, Elizabeth, and until next time, wish me luck :)


Your Editor,

Writing What You Love

Hello Beardies, 

When I did an Author Spotlight on Cidney Swanson--complete with an interview--back in June, I thought I'd take a chance and ask her if she would be willing to do a guest post on the blog from time to time.  I was thrilled and honored when she agreed!

Much to my surprise, I opened my inbox the other evening to find an email from Cidney, who was curious as to what type of guest post I would like her to write for The Bearded Scribe.  After a couple of emails back and forth, I received an email from her saying that she had already completed and scheduled a post.  And I must say, it's a doozie of a guest post!  I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did!

World Building, Word Count, and Other Daily Beasts

Hello Beardies :)

A couple nights ago, Elizabeth and I were having one of our infamous, late-night textathons (I am sure she regrets me discovering that she possessed an iPhone, which meant she and I could text for free via iMessage on my iPod).  During our ribbons of various topics of discussion, Elizabeth posed the following question, accompanied by the resulting comments:

Elizabeth: Why do Fantasy writers work in trilogies and series?  Standalone fantasy is a rare duck.  And sometimes I'll even wait until I know a series is complete before reading it.

Having spent about a decade (at least) crafting and perfecting the world in which my own story takes place, I immediately replied:

Joshua: I think it's because fantasy worlds take so much effort for the writer to "build" that they (I can attest) don't often want to abandon that world after just one book. 

Elizabeth: That's my feeling too.  I actually have nothing against trilogies as planned trilogies; it's when I can tell that the only reason for another story is that a series has become a cash cow that I have issues.

This conversation came after a previous discussion of the manuscript for The Son of Drynntorm, for which I have had issues finding an agent mainly due to, I think, its hefty word count.  Elizabeth--many thanks and many debts owed to her--agreed to give the manuscript a read-through a little over a month or so ago, and in doing so, has provided me with some suggestions and insight.  She also called me out (kindly and respectfully, of course) on one particular thing: missing pieces of the puzzle.

The only response I offered was that I edited for word count, taking out scenes that would not be missed as part of the whole story.  They didn't, however, go unnoticed by Elizabeth.  In reading, she could tell where I had edited and thinned for word count.  She admitted to wanting to see the manuscript before the cutting, but I sadly did not save the copy (aside from it being locked inside my head).  She was a bit shocked and saddened that she would not get to read the unedited version--apparently so much that is spawned a little soapbox action, for which I highly commend her.

Today, very much related to the aforementioned discussion, I received an email from Elizabeth--a forwarded response from her discussion about an article that circulated around her group of colleagues from various libraries in the vicinity of her own. But before I share her response to this article, let me first share with you the actual article so you can arrive at your own opinion of the matter.

You don't have to read the article.  (For someone who complains about the length of a novel, he surely spit out an awful amount of words to say the point which he made in the tagline of the piece... all without answering the very questions he posed).  But do click on the link and read the multitude of hilarious comments that are thrown the author's way.  My little treat.

So, I do have to share Elizabeth's response to this article within our own discussion (her emailed response still to follow) because I nearly peed myself.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

Elizabeth: And who is this writer? His idea of pleasure reading is a 1000-page book on the oil industry? Someone at least give the poor bugger The Cat in the Hat.

Without further ado, here is the response from her discussion with her colleagues earlier today:

Elizabeth:  So today's debate was about the length of books and how maybe books are getting longer because writers are getting lazier--there was an article about it and it started getting tossed around in a discussion group. I responded thus: 

I'm actually not opposed to long books if they are well-edited and tell a good story or cover a topic that interests me. Some stories simply take longer to tell, and good stories are worth the time. This is especially true of fantasy and other speculative fiction due to world-building. It takes more words to build a world into which the reader can be pulled--words to fire the imagination. Hence, I feel that speculative fiction especially has a pass to be longer than most books, within reason. The bottom line is, a true bibliophile is going to read no matter what, and if a person is looking for short novels, there are plenty of those to be found too.

My apologies for the soapbox moment, but word and page count is really affecting my life right now, so this article and discussion has struck a nerve.

A month or so ago a friend from undergrad asked me to look at his manuscript. Not a favor I'd do for just anyone, but I've always known this man to be a gifted author, so I said yes. I'm currently working through it, and it is awesome. It's 515 pages including appendices, and we have had endless discussions of word count because he's 10000 words over the limit for most publishers. I'm reading this book and would do ANYTHING not to have to find 10000 words to cut when there aren't a dozen wasted words in the book. It's a good story, it's well-written and well-executed, and it deserves to be told and published and in the hands of much better than I. He has already edited for word count, cut entire scenes and chapters, and I can FEEL where that got done. And when I feel it, it makes me sad. I want MORE, not LESS--and definitely not less if it's only less because there will be some readers who will think it's too long and thus not give it the time of day. It insults me as a writer, editor, reviewer, and reader...and as a FRIEND of a person who so richly deserves to be published...that this book is getting ignored because of word count whilst I review books for a professional journal that aren't even half as good.

As I fear this post's own word count might be climbing, I will end it shortly.  But not without first saying this:

Are we really becoming that lazy as a society where word count is a true problem?  Granted, I will agree that some writers are getting a little slack on their lack of cutting unneeded words that do nothing to enhance the story.  I was told by my writing coach that every word must be put there for a reason... if you can't defend its purpose, then get rid of it.  I wholeheartedly agree, which is why I cut out, what I felt, were unneeded words from my own manuscript.  But seriously, folks?  In my eyes, the thicker and heavier the book, the better.  As I received each release of the new Harry Potter books, I stared in awe at each book's thickness and welcomed their heft within my grasp.  A thicker book to me only means a longer read--a longer excursion into a world created for pure entertainment where I can escape from this (apparently) lazy one.

Happy Scribing (despite what the Daily Beast says),

The Importance of Plotting

"He who fails to plan is planning to fail."

~Winston Churchill

Good Ev'ning Beardies,

I apologize in advance for my lack of posts the last couple of days, but as Steinbeck once said, "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

Writing stories is much like following a recipe while baking.  There are specific ingredients that need to be acquired and certain steps that need to be followed in order to get the cake to rise properly.  Sometimes experienced chefs can stray from the outlined recipe and create a masterpiece, but they must practice first with following enough of them to the tee in order to warrant the dissension.

Plotting isn't rocket science, but the task is not an easy one either.  When you plot your story, you are in essence deciding on how you will showcase the events to the reader as they unfold.  Think of a play or a movie, and then think of the scenes within either.  What happens in each scene?  Who are the characters in the scene, how do they interact with one another (perhaps they don't), and how do they propel the scene to the next?

A successful plot-line includes specific ingredients that are carefully mixed together: clever and believable characters, masterfully woven dialogue, perfectly placed action, and--in my humble opinion-vivid and streamline description of the characters and their surroundings without overwhelming the character.  And amongst the other ingredients of plotting is one we've all heard about throughout our schooling--writer or not.

The infamous hook.

As much as I love description in fiction, too much of it without reason is a burden the reader will choose not to bear.  Too much description--especially the purely prosaic type--at the forefront of your story will bore your reader, and they will quickly lose interest.  As an author, it is your duty to lure your readers--to tempt them to turn yet another page, and another--into the depths of your book until it is too late for them to turn back ;)  Personally, I like to lead my stories off with a bang, which warrants the reader turning the page to find out what happens next.  Action, however, doesn't have to be a stereotypical high-speed chase or a hostage situation (I'm not saying it can't be, though); action simply means an impetus that alludes to an obstacle or conflict whose theme will perpetuate throughout the plot-line.  How did your character(s) arrive at said obstacle/conflict?  And what drives the reader to turn more pages: How will the character(s) overcome said obstacle/conflict?  Which brings me to the our next ingredient...

Conflict & Side plots.


Once you've hooked your reader--with a strong line and a barbed hook, hopefully--you must increase the tension in your plot by adding yet more conflict.  Additional conflict for your character(s) to overcome may simply be an inner struggle, it may be conflict between characters, or it may be another obstacle to overcome.

With each introduction of conflict, there must come at least a partial resolution; and inversely, with each partial resolution, there must come another, more challenging conflict, building the tension to a major climactic scene.

Of course, however, there should be other happenings in the plot-line aside from the minor and major obstacles.  The other happenings provide a good source of side plots within the plot--family occurrences and interactions, social happenings and responsibilities, romantic intrigues, et cetera--yet none of them should overpower the main conflict within the story.

{Side note: Even though it should still never overpower, introducing another major conflict into the plot-line, which will eventually become main conflicts for subsequent books within a series, allows for some lenience as to how close a sub-plot can come to outshining (or overshadowing) the main conflict of the current story.}

Climax.


It is often a struggle with most beginner writers to develop an acceptable climax.  A writer may know from the point at which the idea for the story formulates in their head what the outcome of the story may be, but many forget to plot out the details of the actual outcome and the obstacles that lead up to that point.

The pay-off must not be contrived, and the build-up must be believable, set up by the many other events and choices that occurred in the prior pages.  But it's more than just a great showdown scene between the protagonist and antagonist, and it is necessary to take the proper steps so that your audience isn't blindsided by the climax, wondering where it came from or if it were even warranted.

Resolution.

As a writer you must also think of all possible outcomes for the resolution, and you must set up the obstacles ever so cleverly so that the resolution you choose is the only plausible one.  Otherwise, your readers will feel cheated and misled.

Simply throwing "The End" or "They lived happily ever after" just doesn't cut it.

Characters.


While Superman may seem entirely invincible on the surface, he still has his weaknesses.  It is important to show the strengths and weaknesses of all your characters, creating a multifaceted, true-to-life representation of human in everyday life.

Introducing strong (as in well-written) leading characters during your 'hook' will draw your readers to your characters much more quickly (if not immediately), but in the end, it is the characters themselves and how they respond/solve/fail at overcoming their obstacle(s) that will captivate your audience long after that last page has been turned and read.



I hope this helps your writing process; I know it has helped mine.

Happy Scribing,

P.S.  I always plot on 4"x6" index cards that are ruled on only one side.  I use the ruled side for writing out the scenes, and the blank side for jotting notes, such as characters, POV, scene conflict, and scene resolution (if applicable).

The Odyssey Writing Workshop

Greetings Everyone!

Today my Post will be discussing a great resource, one which I wish I had known about when I was only one state away from it!

All information below is summarized from the information provided on the workshop's website. 
All rights reserved by the original author.
Click the link above for more detailed information on the Odyssey Writing Workshop

The Odyssey Writing Workshop, directed by Jeanne Cavelos and widely considered one of the best in the world since its inception in 1996, is an intensive, six-week workshop to help writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror develop and improve their talent and work.  It is held each summer in Manchester, New Hampshire on the campus of Saint Anselm College, intended for published writers who want to improve their work and for writers whose work is nearing publishing quality.

Aside from the summer workshop, several online courses are offered each winter and are focused on specific elements of fiction writing.  The courses are both rigorous and demanding and range in levels from beginners to advanced.

In addition, Odyssey offers a professional-level critiquing service that is thorough, specific, and in depth.  Critiquers are graduates of the Odyssey Writing Workshop who have gone on to successful careers as professional writers.

Lastly, Odyssey offers many free resources as well, including but not limited to the following:

• Podcasts--audio excerpts of lectures by writers, editors, and agents posted every month or two.
• LiveJournal--monthly posts include writing advice and interviews with writers about the craft and career of writing.
• Writing & Publishing Tips--topics such as Punctuation, Outlining Plots and Characters, Standard Manuscript Format, and FAQs on Literary Agents posted directly on Odyssey's website.
• E-Newsletter--Quarterly newsletter which provides the latest updates and information on Odyssey programs, events, and graduates... as well as writing and publishing advice and alerts about new markets, agents, and resources.

You can follow The Odyssey Workshop on Facebook and Twitter.

Check out the link above for more information!

Happy Scribing, 

Awesome Website: LegendFire

LegendFire is a great communtity!  I've only been a member of this site for a short time, but I am loving the reception and the interaction from not only the other members, but also its very active administrators!  Please check the site out and sign up.  It's 100% free.  

And 100% Bearded Scribe Approved!

I hope to see you all around the site!

Happy Scribing,

World Building Series: Characters -- Part I

Good Afternoon Everyone!

Although I could go on (and on) about Language Construction within my World Building Series, I've decided to break away from it momentarily to discuss the most important area of writing: Characters.

Some may argue that it is the plot of the story that is the most important, and while it is definitely high on the list, I feel that the characters drive the plot and engross readers more so than the plot itself.  As a writer, I can attest that my characters usually write the story for me.  Their personalities and idiosyncrasies catapult the plot from Chapter One until the book's conclusion in a way that scene-writing/plotting almost seems like a waste of time (this is absolutely not the case, of course, but more on that in a future post).  It is for this reason that having relatable characters is crucial to your story's likability and success.

When a story idea forms in my mind, I take the time to jot down the basics of it and store it safely in a place where it can... ferment, for the lack of a better word.  It is while it is fermenting that I do the other important processes in pre-writing--and at the top of the list is character sketching/mapping.

Character sketching for me is not actually what the name suggests.  Try as I may, I am no artist (in the sketching/painting sense) and cannot draw for the life of me.  Instead, I answer a series of questions about a character's general physical appearance (gender, height/weight/build, age, hair & eye color, any outstanding and notable features).  I usually will use the general descriptions I have created and search through Google Images for photos of actors/actresses that fit the profile.  For me, having a physical image in front of me makes it easier to refer to while writing.  (Check out my Post on Pinterest for an example on how to organize your images).

After I've done the afore-mentioned, I will also answer questions about my characters intellectual and emotional qualities (intelligence level, skills, occupation, family life, religious beliefs, relationship status, et cetera).  Lastly, I answer any questions that pertain specifically to the character's direct (or for minor characters, indirect) influence on the plot.

Once I have a handful of characters mapped out, I usually let those ferment as well as I move on to the other aspects of pre-writing.  By the time I come back to them, something has inevitably always changed--so I go ahead and complete the edits then and there while the thoughts are fresh (note: I almost always save the original sketches, however, just in case I need to go back to them for whatever reason).

Personally, I make my own template and print them out on index cards, but there are many great resources on the internet for Character Sheets--pre-made templates for the types of questions I mentioned above.

Here is one example:

Source Credit: redsoxrock01 @ deviantArt

Well that's all for now, kiddos :)  Stay tuned for the next post in this series!

Calling All Fantasy Fans and Writers!

Hello Readers :)

This post goes out to all of you... as a small plea for assistance if you will.

I am wanting to spread the word about my blog, and have been trying my best at reaching out across the world wide web--through various forums (fantasy and writing related) and other sources.  I am not having as great of luck as I was hoping.

I am posting to ask for your help.  Please share my blog with any of your colleagues, co-workers, family members, Facebook & Twitter (or other social network sites) friends.

The quickest and most simple way of sharing would be through Facebook, which can be done by simply posting on your own wall for all your friends to see.

You can use the quick blurb below, if you would like, to copy and paste into the "Text" field:

Calling All Fans and Writers of Speculative Fiction: {Fantasy, Science-Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and Horror}
Check out this new blog, The Bearded Scribe, which features book information (releases, signings, author spotlight, reviews), movie information (releases, awards, actor spotlights, reviews), as well as FREE writing tips and techniques for all!
You can also Follow The Bearded Scribe's on Facebook or Twitter!

Thank you for your support and for your help!

World Building Series: Overbuilding

Welcome Back Everyone! :)

Here is the second installment of my World Building Series of blog posts, as promised, which has to do with the dreaded dilemma of Overbuilding.

Overbuilding can cause serious procrastination for a writer, and Jeremiah can attest that I am perhaps the worst culprit of this--or at least I used to be.  Attempting to perfect my languages was the biggest distraction for me, and in doing so, I never actually got much writing done.  

I had created three separate languages for my first series (a separate languages for two of my races, and an Ancient dialect used for majick), and I was never completely happy with the first two of them.  I kept going back to 'tweak' the languages, at first trying to make what I already had work, and then trying to reconstruct them altogether.  But it was when I finally decided to simplify that I chose to scrap the weaker parts of both, combining the stronger parts of each and forming a universal language for the world instead of separate ones for the two races.  Honestly, a lot of this was decided when I realized that I needed more than two races in my series, which meant possibly creating a separate language for each; and just like that I realized how daunting the task at hand would be and opted to create a unifying language for all the races.  It seems like an easy way out--but I had to ask myself the important question: how much of each language would honestly go into the various books in the series?  Which meant also asking: shouldn't I be spending more time on the actual plot?

I can tell you from experience: just as there are flaws in the world we live in, the world you create for your story will never be perfect or to your liking until you actually write the plot.  Writing the plot irons out the flaws and answers the questions that are left unanswered while you are in the initial building stages.  

Or maybe there are not flaws, per se, but minor issues that arise while writing.  For instance... whereas I was happy with my Ancient dialect used for the majickal system in the series, while writing one of the chapters where the majick system is the most prevalent, I realized that I actually need to 'tweak' and define the language a little further to fit the rules and limitations of the majick.  This type of building where you build it once it's needed--as opposed to overbuilding and never using some of the material in the actual writing--is highly encouraged.  I feel the choice made my majick system more believable and understandable (not only to my readers, but to me as well).

Thank you for your support of my Blog, and stayed tuned for the next installment in the World Building Series.  I haven't quite decided between a couple topics, so this next one I will have to leave as a surprise.

Have A Great Night!

Clarion West Writing Workshop

Hello Again Everyone :)

While researching yesterday's post about George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones, I stumbled across a workshop I had not heard of before, and although the application deadline has passed as of midnight of March 1st, I thought I would share it with you all anyway.

The Clarion West Writing Workshop is an intensive, six-week workshop held annually in Seattle, Washington. The workshop is intended for writers who are pursuing professional writing careers in the genres of Fantasy & Science Fiction.

This year's workshop will be held June 17th through July 27th, and will feature instructors such as:

Hiromi Goto

Gavin Grant

Kelly Link

George R. R. Martin

Chuck Palahniuk

Mary Rosenblum

& 

Connnie Willis

Some more information about the background of Clarion West, cited directly from the workshop's website:

Short fiction is the workshop's focus, with emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, and horror. You should come prepared to write several new stories during the course of the workshop, to experiment and take artistic risks, and to give and receive constructive criticism.

Each week the workshop is taught by a different instructor, each a highly regarded author or editor offering their unique perspective on the field. Class size is limited to 18 students. Instructors work closely with students, critiquing stories, leading class discussions on technique and other professional concerns, and holding individual or small group conferences. Drawing on Seattle's vibrant SF community, the workshop also presents informal sessions with acclaimed area authors.

You will come away from the workshop with essential tools for improving your writing: good writing habits, the ability to analyze and critique others' stories and to evaluate critiques of your own work, and a set of friendships and professional contacts that can last a lifetime.

The names of the instructors for the 2013 Workshop will be posted on July 26th, 2012, and the workshop will begin accepting applications for the 2013 season starting in December 2012.

Meanwhile, for those who missed this year's deadline, Clarion West offers a One-Day Workshop series continues on April 15th with Nicola Griffith, and May 6th with Cat Rambo.  All classes still take place in Seattle's University District and are limited to twelve (12) students, which are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.  Enrollment cost of $125 is non-refundable, and for those who are full-time students, there is a $15 rebate at workshop session.

For more information on any of Clarion West's workshops, please visit their website HERE.  Also, feel free to contact me with any questions regarding the workshops.

Until next time,

The Importance of Music

Hello Everyone,

As I sit here in Pembroke, North Carolina--Home of Jeremiah's tribe, the Lumbee--preparing for an exciting night of music at The River People Music & Culture Festival, I am inspired to write a post about the importance of music not only in my life, but in my writing, as well.

Lumbee River

A lot of times, as I sit down to write, I turn on some relaxing Piano Music, some Soft Jazz, or maybe some inspiring sounds of the American Indian flute to clear my mind and focus my thoughts. I tend not to--or at least try not to--listen to any type of music with lyrics.  Being in Choirs and Vocal Ensembles all throughout my life, I often sing along with whatever is playing, which is very distracting when I'm trying to write.

Music is such an important part of my writing.  The type of music I am listening to can definitely be seen through my writing.  At least it's obvious to me when I am doing edits.  I frequently change the type of music I am listening to depending on what type of scene I am writing.  For instance, if I am writing a battle scene and listening to a ballad or a piano sonata, my battle scene will most definitely turn out dull.  So instead, I will change it to a march or perhaps a turbulent concerto.

Though I do highly suggest listening to music while you write--sometimes pure silence can be just as distracting as too much noise--it does come with precautions.  On occasion, as I already touched on above, I've noticed (while editing or just reviewing a section of text) that I chose the wrong type of music to listen to while writing.  While going through the edits for my latest manuscript I found some:  a majick duel which should have been vibrant and action-filled was instead lethargic and not as colorful as I had intended; or even reading through an argument scene that climaxed way too quickly, I then instantly remembered that the piece I was listening to while writing it did the same exact thing.

I have found a handful of artists particularly ideal to listen to while I write.  The following (in no defined order) have similar song styles that coincide with my mental focus--and so I recommend them to you to check out for yourself:

Karen Marie Garrett

Ann Sweeten

Yanni

Brian Crain

Yo-Yo Ma

James Horner

John Huling
R. Carlos Nakai

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Gustav Mahler

Rimsky-Korsakov

Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning

There are many more that I listen to, of course, but those listed above are listened to most frequently.  In addition to these albums, I also listen to a lot of Internet Radio--specifically GotRadio - Piano Perfect.  To listen to it for yourself, click the link.

Keep Writing,

Description: Animals in Fiction & Animals in Life

Hello Everyone,

I apologize for the lack of posts over the last few days.  I started a new job, and they have had me scheduled every day since Wednesday--even a double on Monday.  I will try to keep my posts as regular as I can with my new job and schedule.

A few days ago, while scouring links on the internet and researching for my upcoming post, I decided to take a break and do a bit of research for my current manuscript, and while perusing through the resources in my library, I stumbled upon a book that I had not picked up in quite sometime.

The book, Elements of Fiction Writing: Description by Monica Wood, is an instruction guide on how to write better description; most of its information is straight-forward, and of course the old adage of "show don't tell" appears many times, but otherwise, it is definitely worth taking a look at--and possibly even picking up at your local bookstore.

On a side note, however, I stumbled across something within her book while thumbing through its pages, and I wasn't sure to what extent, if any, I agreed with her advice.  Chapter Eight in Monica's book deals with 'Special Description Problems' and the first of the four sections in the chapter talks about how to describe animals.

Below is the very excerpt from that section, with which I have many issues:

If you decide to include animals in your stories you are probably an animal lover.  If you are an animal lover you probably share quarters with the world's smartest dog, the world's prettiest cat, or the world's most talented parakeet.  Perhaps you talk to your animals as if they understand you.  And who knows, maybe they do.  Please remember, though, that what works in life doesn't always work in fiction.  Your eight-year-old Siamese might fetch your slippers, but a reader might not believe this of a fictional cat.  So, as you are booting up your computer or sharpening your pencil or looking for your lucky pen, remind yourself that animals are not furry people, no matter how much you adore them.

Plainly stated, she goes on to tell her readers to never describe their animal characters with humanesque qualities or characteristics.  To me, that is just complete hogwash!  Fantasy writer aside, I still believe animals possess a soul and conscience.  Every single pet I have owned has exhibited a personality of their very own--and very unique to them, particularly, not of their breed in general (as Monica tends to suggest).  Now I am not saying they were furry humans (though I've always treated my pets as members of my family), but I am saying that all of my pets have had very distinct personalities all their own.

Sébastien
{26 August 2003 - 26 October 2009}

Our Siamese cat, Sébastien, had quite the personality.  A personality that was very intelligent--self-aware and aware of everything else around him--and very much unlike any other cat I have owned (though they have also had very unique personalities).  To merely call him a cat--or label him as a typical Siamese--and not describe his personality would only do his memory and his life injustice. He was very vocal, often 'talking' to me and Jeremiah.  He knew to always ask before jumping up into our laps if either of us were sitting in the chair or on the sofa; he would let me know if his litterbox needed changing (with a disapproving glance and a nagging howl!); and he had a child-like curiosity, always watching, studying, and learning our every task.  He would even sit and watch TV!  Sébastien also could tell if either Jeremiah or I were upset or sad (it was rare, so it definitely wasn't learned behavior).  He would get up close to us, look straight into our eyes, and then lay (more of a plop, actually) his forehead against our necks just under our chins, as if he was attempting to comfort us with a hug.

When Sébastien was diagnosed with kidney failure and we saw his health fade from us, it was very difficult to watch.  I had to administer fluid injections daily via a catheter into the back of his neck (where there was little sensitivity); it killed me to do it, but the alternative was an even worse fate.  He knew it, too.  He knew that if he didn't get the injection, that he would feel like crap.  In no time at all, he learned to willingly jump onto the window sill to receive the injections (Jeremiah knew how much he enjoyed sitting in the window and looking into the backyard and suggested that it would be a serene spot for him) and patiently wait.  His liquid iron vitamins, on the other hand, I could never get him to take.  I guess, with those, he never saw their purpose or their benefits.

In the days before Sébastien's condition worsened to the point of no return and we were forced to euthanize him, he said goodbye to me--letting me know that he was in pain and ready to pass on.  I remember lying on the outdoor sofa on the deck (one of his favorite spots), and he jumped up near my face to be closer to me.  He looked into my eyes, like he would do if ever I were sad, and gave a soft mew.  I saw the tears in his eyes right before he plopped his forehead under my chin.  He stayed like that for quite sometime... until my own tears had subsided, and when he finally lifted his head, I knew it was his way of saying goodbye.

You can argue with me all you want that it was just normal animal behavior, and you can attempt to tell me that an animal can never have human qualities, but I think by casting a huge net of generalization over animals within fiction and saying that one should never describe them as furry humans is as broad as saying that one should never attribute animal qualities to humans.

Fantasy genre aside, do you think writers should describe animals (pets) with humanesque qualities?  Or do you, like Monica Wood, think that all animals are without human-like qualities and should never be equated to such?  I would love to read any and all of your comments on this topic.

Until next time,

P.S.  For those who are fans of the Paranormal:  On several occasions since Sébastien's death, both Jeremiah and I have felt him jump onto the bed and kneed the blanket with his paws before lying down--just as he always did in life, and we have both heard his meow many times--I have even, before finally gathering the nerve and emotional strength to throw out his litterbox (used, in the same state in which he had left it), heard his howl nagging me to clean it.