As a science fiction writer, especially one interested in relatively hard far future sci-fi, I spend a lot of time world building and thinking about world building.
When it comes to creating your own worlds, solar systems, or even universal empires, imagination is the limit. But that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. Regardless of whether your story is high fantasy, hard sci-fi or even super-soft, let physics be damned, sci-fi, all world-building has to follow a one important rule.
Be consistent. Your rules, whichever ones you come up with, must be consistently applied throughout the world. If they are not, there must be a good reason. A very good reason that is, itself, consistent with the rules.
This is the crucial, guiding principle in world-building and is the difference between a believable world (even a high fantasy one) and a laughable world.
The extreme cases are possibly easier than those closer to home because it's more obvious that you're developing an entirely new world.For mundane sci-fi or urban fantasy, however, an author must be careful to clearly delineate the boundaries of where 'our world' ends and the story world begins. This includes understanding the consequences as they would play out in the world. This must be obvious to the author before they write, or they will never be able to convince their readers.
So, you have a great world-building idea, how do you make it believable?
Well, it's important to realize that the world doesn't make your story,
you still need great characters and compelling plots for that. But the
world will guide your story, lend its character and features to your
story. If it does not, there is no use setting your story in this world. The world must be a reflection of the story you want to tell, and vice versa. Having said that, on to more world-building.
The first thing you must realize is that your idea, in it's crude form, has a 99.99% chance of having been done before. What you're looking for is a way to make it uniquely yours. For that you need to explore hidden areas, find consequences that haven't been thought of, or at least tried in this context, before.
For example, a region of floating stones. It's been done many times (Dungeons and Dragons, and Avatar come quickly to mind), yet the idea still has an interesting allure. The first thing to ask yourself is why are they there? After all, they're something so foreign to our experience. You'll start with the basics:
Fantasy -- built by ancient wizards / gods
Sci-fi -- built by ancient race / electromagnetic anomaly combined with rare alloys
The important thing to do is challenge the tropes. e.g. Instead, perhaps they are exceedingly bouyant structures and there is high density at that area, or they could be camoflaged ships, or illusions. Maybe they are actually suspended in a network of fine cables or set on invisible columns. Whatever you decide, the important thing is not to settle for the easy answer.
After you decide on the general, move to the specific. What type of people / culture lives in, developed around these rocks. Do they live amidst the rocks, above, below them? In one massive city or smaller tribes. Perhaps each rock is a colony. Were these the original builders/occupiers or did they only find the rocks.
From here you move into ideas about the people's appearance and social development and even 'secondary effects'--those less foreseen consequences of human nature in such an environment: how do they communicate? what is they driving motivation (sex, food, water, territory, raising young)?
The important things is, at each stage, to keep asking yourself any and all questions you can think of. And when you can't think of any more, ask your friends. While most of the information will not make it into the story, the more you as the author knows, the more believable the story will be.
At this stage you may turn to character and, most likely, certain ideas will come to you straight away. Resist them. The first ideas will, most likely, be bog-standard tropes. Dig deeper, ask yourself more questions on the characters, the community and what would make an intersting story in this world. Once you have an idea, ask some more questions. You will eventually hit upon that 'aha' idea that will really light your fire. Build on that. But don't stop asking questions.
In reality, the world building and story building process generally work in tandem since experienced authors have some idea of the story they want to tell before hand and are buiding a world in which to highlight issues and ideas they have. However, it's important to realize that in all other facets, the process remains essentially as described. The key thing is to never be satisfied with your first answer, always ask yourself what else might be possible.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
From Ideas to Stories 2/2
I especially love reading or watching an original idea developed into
a great story, which is a big reason why I love science fiction.
Several such stories come to mind, a few of which came out -- or saw new light -- this year. A few, slightly older goodies (note: these are all movies).
First, a slightly older one: The Incredibles. According to the 'making of...' on the DVD, this story came to Pixar with a few similarities to the final incarnation, but much more generic. Essentially, a super hero story, where all the heroes were in the same family. Pixar, in their genius, developed the story much further, using some of the tried and true tropes (villain is created by hero, for example) but delved much more into the family side while adding their own great twist of heroes being outlawed (admittedly, this last one quickly became overdone in the superhero world, and almost all major superhero franchises incorporated such a story around this time). I particularly liked the way the kids dealt with, but hid, their powers at school, and the middle-aged, fat Mr. Incredible working for the man at an insurance agency. Overall, a strong idea made stronger by good story telling.
This year saw a UK production 'Attack the Block' released. I'll admit I debated seeing this because the characters in the trailers weren't very sympathetic and were, frankly, a bit annoying. But I did see it. And I really liked it. There were two things done particularly well in this story. The first is to take very unsympathetic characters (they mugged a woman in the first scene) and develop a story were they become sympathetic (the unsympathetic 'posers' were killed off). Even more interesting because it was an alien invasion sci-fi story, yet the character developement didn't suffer.
The second thing 'Attack the Block' did was to develop an original alien invasion story. Without giving away spoilers, it was a credit to the writers/producers to create this story line an to develop it in a manner consistant with setting--especially without resorting to gratuitous nudity. As you might gather, the story line is not 100% original, but it's rare enough to be uncommon, especially when previous attempts turned largely into farces with attractive, naked, killer women having sex with everyone.
Cowboys and Aliens, a recent movie based on a comic of a few years ago. I feel a bit bad commenting on this as I haven't seen it, so don't have first-hand opinions. The story seems inherently interesting, bringing in the ideas of aliens in the wild west.The imagination goes crazy. Unfortunately, according to the vast majority of critics, professional and casual, was that the movie (and book) stories were very poorly developed, not promising on almost any of the potential.
A movie just out which, again, I haven't yet seen. In Time poses the interesting and highly alegorical idea of time being a literal currency with salaries being paid in time, marked on your arm, and purchases being made in said time. Again, overwhelmingly, all critics have suggested that this was a great idea that simply wasn't developed to it's very high potential.
These examples lead directly from the last post and the realization that a great idea does not, itself, make a great story. Great writers will spend time analyzing their ideas from all angles, constantly asking themselves 'what if'. They will brainstorm how those ideas will affect society, then throw-out the first thoughts and dig deeper to more interesting ideas. They will also look at what have been called (by Charles Stross at the last Eastercon) 'secondary effects' of the idea. As one example, the rise of the smartphone with excellent large-screen image and quality camera gave rise to the highly unanticipated 'sexting'.
So the take home message is that, a great idea by itself can lead to a good, although more likely, mediocre, story. But with a bit more thought, that great idea can lead to an amazing story. Professional sci-fi authors will say, time and again, don't be satisfied with your first thoughts. Always dig deeper.
First, a slightly older one: The Incredibles. According to the 'making of...' on the DVD, this story came to Pixar with a few similarities to the final incarnation, but much more generic. Essentially, a super hero story, where all the heroes were in the same family. Pixar, in their genius, developed the story much further, using some of the tried and true tropes (villain is created by hero, for example) but delved much more into the family side while adding their own great twist of heroes being outlawed (admittedly, this last one quickly became overdone in the superhero world, and almost all major superhero franchises incorporated such a story around this time). I particularly liked the way the kids dealt with, but hid, their powers at school, and the middle-aged, fat Mr. Incredible working for the man at an insurance agency. Overall, a strong idea made stronger by good story telling.
This year saw a UK production 'Attack the Block' released. I'll admit I debated seeing this because the characters in the trailers weren't very sympathetic and were, frankly, a bit annoying. But I did see it. And I really liked it. There were two things done particularly well in this story. The first is to take very unsympathetic characters (they mugged a woman in the first scene) and develop a story were they become sympathetic (the unsympathetic 'posers' were killed off). Even more interesting because it was an alien invasion sci-fi story, yet the character developement didn't suffer.
The second thing 'Attack the Block' did was to develop an original alien invasion story. Without giving away spoilers, it was a credit to the writers/producers to create this story line an to develop it in a manner consistant with setting--especially without resorting to gratuitous nudity. As you might gather, the story line is not 100% original, but it's rare enough to be uncommon, especially when previous attempts turned largely into farces with attractive, naked, killer women having sex with everyone.
Cowboys and Aliens, a recent movie based on a comic of a few years ago. I feel a bit bad commenting on this as I haven't seen it, so don't have first-hand opinions. The story seems inherently interesting, bringing in the ideas of aliens in the wild west.The imagination goes crazy. Unfortunately, according to the vast majority of critics, professional and casual, was that the movie (and book) stories were very poorly developed, not promising on almost any of the potential.
A movie just out which, again, I haven't yet seen. In Time poses the interesting and highly alegorical idea of time being a literal currency with salaries being paid in time, marked on your arm, and purchases being made in said time. Again, overwhelmingly, all critics have suggested that this was a great idea that simply wasn't developed to it's very high potential.
These examples lead directly from the last post and the realization that a great idea does not, itself, make a great story. Great writers will spend time analyzing their ideas from all angles, constantly asking themselves 'what if'. They will brainstorm how those ideas will affect society, then throw-out the first thoughts and dig deeper to more interesting ideas. They will also look at what have been called (by Charles Stross at the last Eastercon) 'secondary effects' of the idea. As one example, the rise of the smartphone with excellent large-screen image and quality camera gave rise to the highly unanticipated 'sexting'.
So the take home message is that, a great idea by itself can lead to a good, although more likely, mediocre, story. But with a bit more thought, that great idea can lead to an amazing story. Professional sci-fi authors will say, time and again, don't be satisfied with your first thoughts. Always dig deeper.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
From Ideas to Stories 1/2
There are some great ideas out there. I'm sure we've all had dozens (or at least several) that we've though 'wow, that would make a great story'. When I first started writing, I would create a new file for each idea, keep it in mind and add new thoughts around that idea when something came to me. Needless to say, I was building up dozens of 'stories'... which, as any experienced writer soon learns, aren't really stories. They're just a collection of disparate ideas.
So, once I realized I could never possibly write all the 'stories' that I was developing, the next step came to me: I would start combining like-seeming ideas into a common story (yes, this thought was undoubtedly only original to me, I'm sure almost every serious author goes through this stage, most probably more quickly than me). At this stage things really start to get exciting as you juxtapose ideas you hadn't considered bring together before. The setting really begins to gain some depth, and interesting story twists start peeking out of the corners and introducing themselves.
It's at this stage that the amatuer writer strongly needs to revisit their characters. For some people (not me) character development comes naturally. An honest assessment of my own work suggests that I can make interesting characters, but for some reason, they are never the main character. He (and it's invariably a 'he') is flat and boring, surrounded by really interesting people.
So, once the world and general story ideas are developed, I go back and have a strong reworking of my main character and his relationship to other characters. Generally, I find all the characters have been too pleasant to each other and I need to build in some conflict and tension between at least some of them.
So, currently, that's how I progress through my story developement process. This particular process won't work for everybody, as some people are stronger at certain areas than others, but I have a feeling it is a good place to start for amateur sci-fi writers--a group who tend to be strong on world building and weak on characterization (perhaps not so different from most amateur writers?).
So, once I realized I could never possibly write all the 'stories' that I was developing, the next step came to me: I would start combining like-seeming ideas into a common story (yes, this thought was undoubtedly only original to me, I'm sure almost every serious author goes through this stage, most probably more quickly than me). At this stage things really start to get exciting as you juxtapose ideas you hadn't considered bring together before. The setting really begins to gain some depth, and interesting story twists start peeking out of the corners and introducing themselves.
It's at this stage that the amatuer writer strongly needs to revisit their characters. For some people (not me) character development comes naturally. An honest assessment of my own work suggests that I can make interesting characters, but for some reason, they are never the main character. He (and it's invariably a 'he') is flat and boring, surrounded by really interesting people.
So, once the world and general story ideas are developed, I go back and have a strong reworking of my main character and his relationship to other characters. Generally, I find all the characters have been too pleasant to each other and I need to build in some conflict and tension between at least some of them.
So, currently, that's how I progress through my story developement process. This particular process won't work for everybody, as some people are stronger at certain areas than others, but I have a feeling it is a good place to start for amateur sci-fi writers--a group who tend to be strong on world building and weak on characterization (perhaps not so different from most amateur writers?).
Friday, October 28, 2011
Digital Film School and other distraction.
It's been difficult getting back into the writing in the last few months, partly due to my latest ACL resconstruction (6 weeks ago) and partly because I'm taking a digital film course from the Open University (T156) that's taking more time that I had thought it would.
Why take it? Well, I think that digital film is an increasingly important marketing tool and means of expression. For example, book trailers are a relatively new thing that I'm sure will become increasing important, especially as e-books begin to incorporate images and video as extra content.
The course seems to be a good course covering aspects of filming and of creating less film-oriented content, say, for slideshows, demos, etc. Of course, the principles of film production are the same, the main difference between the two directions is the different technology required.
It is, of course, suggested that we do the weekly video-creation tasks, and I've been posting mine to my YouTube account. Check them out if you want and feel free to leave comments (I just ask you try to be constructive).
The latest video, as of this post, was a piece to camera climate diary. It's rather awful, made only a bit better through editing. It's made me realize how bad I am at speaking to the camera (primarily with regards to focusing my thoughts), something I'd like to change. So I'm going to try streaming a short vlog on Justin.tv as soon as I get the tech up and running. Feel free to check it out at:
www.justin.tv/eternaltherapy/videos
Anyway, despite this, I am trying to get back to writing. My two goals for year end are to write the new script and to rework the first 3-4 chapters of my conspiracy novel. Being as it's almost November, perhaps that's a little too ambitious? We'll have to see.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Post-apocalyptic Future UK Flood Map
In the process of preparing the backstory for one of my works (I won't say which), I've produced what could be a post-apocalyptic future UK map. Combining a city map with a relief map (with some tweaking) has resulted in the following:
From the upper right scale you can see this essentially highlights the separation between lowlands--grey--and highlands--green to red. One this to note is that the 'lowlands' on this map are still up to 50m above sea level. I intend to use this as a map of future flooded UK, where the lowlands are submerged. Obviously, in addition to polar ice cap melting, this would require some seismic event.
Regardless, the results are interesting, suggesting that England is most vulnerable of the three UK countries and would be most changed by such a series of events, while Scotland and Wales would be almost unaffected. In fact, England would be reduced to a peninsula off Scotland, an island in the southwest, and a small archipelego. The seat of power would possible shift to Birmingham, as London would be underwater and Southerners have very little respect for Northerners, in general.
This new geography is ripe for stories, suggesting many questions about a shift in the balance of power. For example: Could England remain in control or would Wales, and especially Scotland, reassert their power vying for independence or sovereignty over the new British Isles? How would the surviving cities, most now becoming coastal, adapt? What type of society would arise now that the seat of power (government and monarchy) has been destroyed.
So much food for thought :))
From the upper right scale you can see this essentially highlights the separation between lowlands--grey--and highlands--green to red. One this to note is that the 'lowlands' on this map are still up to 50m above sea level. I intend to use this as a map of future flooded UK, where the lowlands are submerged. Obviously, in addition to polar ice cap melting, this would require some seismic event.
Regardless, the results are interesting, suggesting that England is most vulnerable of the three UK countries and would be most changed by such a series of events, while Scotland and Wales would be almost unaffected. In fact, England would be reduced to a peninsula off Scotland, an island in the southwest, and a small archipelego. The seat of power would possible shift to Birmingham, as London would be underwater and Southerners have very little respect for Northerners, in general.
This new geography is ripe for stories, suggesting many questions about a shift in the balance of power. For example: Could England remain in control or would Wales, and especially Scotland, reassert their power vying for independence or sovereignty over the new British Isles? How would the surviving cities, most now becoming coastal, adapt? What type of society would arise now that the seat of power (government and monarchy) has been destroyed.
So much food for thought :))
Monday, October 3, 2011
Back in Business
My knee is getting bearable and almost walkable again, so time to get back to business. I'll be updating you on some of my novel and script-writing progress (and any short stories, if I get to them).
My latest news is that I've heard from BBC on my first script: a form letter rejection. Oh well. At least I've got a baseline now. I've set myself 3 more scripts to reach some acceptable level (approx. 1/6 months). The next script I'll aim to send by the end of the year.
Oh, I've found an excellent resource on CafePress for universe / empire planning: a map of stars within 30 light years, set in cartesian coordinates with links between close stars and stars with potential habitable zones indicated. I think it will be a great resource for planning my Gateway series.
That's all for now.
My latest news is that I've heard from BBC on my first script: a form letter rejection. Oh well. At least I've got a baseline now. I've set myself 3 more scripts to reach some acceptable level (approx. 1/6 months). The next script I'll aim to send by the end of the year.
Oh, I've found an excellent resource on CafePress for universe / empire planning: a map of stars within 30 light years, set in cartesian coordinates with links between close stars and stars with potential habitable zones indicated. I think it will be a great resource for planning my Gateway series.
That's all for now.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Taking stock as Q4 approaches
I guess I should stop saying 'it's been a while since the last update' since that seems to be the perpetual state this year. I was kicked out of my routine early this year by medical issues and haven't succeeded in returning to it yet. As it's so easy to become caught up in the negative, I've decided to focus on the positive, on what I have accomplished for the year so far, and what I plan to accomplish in the next few months.
So, although I've had to re-evaluate some of my goals for the year, I am still on track for others.
1) Script Writing
I finished, revised and sent off my first complete script to the BBC in June, received the acknowledgement card a week later and have been waiting since then (possibly 6 more weeks to wait). In the meantime, I've come up with the basic stories for the next three scripts in my 2-year plan and I'm brainstorming the one I plan to finish for year's end (submitting it after I hear back from the first one).
2) Reading
My goal was to read at least one book a month--often challenging while trying to keep up with my vast number of other interests. Still, so far I have managed to average at least one book read per month (not including graphic novels, scripts, anthology edits, and manuscripts). The latest book, and older one by Roger Zelazny called 'Eye of Cat' will be particularly useful with the background in the novel I'm currently working on.
3) Blogging
This has been a mixed success. I managed to initiate a regular blog for Utility Fog Press (Utility Fog Blog) with three other writer/editors and there were regular entries for a while, however, it has slowed now and the last entry was in July! There are only two of us now doing anything regular with it so it--so if anyone reading this is interested, let me know (and send your writing/publishing background)
As for this blog, it's obviously been less than regular. A priority, post-knee surgery, will be to arrange the management of my internet resources much better, including websites and blogs, hopefully even setting up some for bringing in affiliate money.
4) Novel Writing
This is the goal that has suffered the most. I have been unable to get myself into a regular writing routine and even abandoned the revision of a novel--although that was because I felt I had learned as much as I could from it, and it would take more time to get it where I wanted it than I was willing to spend. It sounds like I abandoned the novel when the going got tough, but I don't believe that's so. This was never 'that' novel, whereas I have at least 4 others that are and I just got antsy wanting to work on them everytime I started on the other.
But, on the positive note, I have started formally compiling world info for two of the novels and have decided which one I will focus my energy on now. The current goal is to rework the first four chapters, and build the history, for the end of the year and then go full on next year, to finish draft 1 by the end of Q1.
5) Publishing
No new anthologies for Utility Fog Press this year--well, one that I requested submissions for, but is not going anywhere. I have, however, learned a lot about compiling epub e-books and have, finally, put together the e-books for Farspace 2 and Assassins' Canon, which are now available on Apple ibookstore and Lulu.com.
Also, I have some plans for a new anthology (for next year) and a regular multimedia event.
So, all-in-all, not a stellar year, but not a complete waste so far. Some failings, but enough successes to be reasonably happy (I've also managed to improve my Starcraft 2 ladder ranking significantly over season 1--I'm out of bronze league--drop me a e-mail if you want to play). Now I just have to get back to the writing!
So, although I've had to re-evaluate some of my goals for the year, I am still on track for others.
1) Script Writing
I finished, revised and sent off my first complete script to the BBC in June, received the acknowledgement card a week later and have been waiting since then (possibly 6 more weeks to wait). In the meantime, I've come up with the basic stories for the next three scripts in my 2-year plan and I'm brainstorming the one I plan to finish for year's end (submitting it after I hear back from the first one).
2) Reading
My goal was to read at least one book a month--often challenging while trying to keep up with my vast number of other interests. Still, so far I have managed to average at least one book read per month (not including graphic novels, scripts, anthology edits, and manuscripts). The latest book, and older one by Roger Zelazny called 'Eye of Cat' will be particularly useful with the background in the novel I'm currently working on.
3) Blogging
This has been a mixed success. I managed to initiate a regular blog for Utility Fog Press (Utility Fog Blog) with three other writer/editors and there were regular entries for a while, however, it has slowed now and the last entry was in July! There are only two of us now doing anything regular with it so it--so if anyone reading this is interested, let me know (and send your writing/publishing background)
As for this blog, it's obviously been less than regular. A priority, post-knee surgery, will be to arrange the management of my internet resources much better, including websites and blogs, hopefully even setting up some for bringing in affiliate money.
4) Novel Writing
This is the goal that has suffered the most. I have been unable to get myself into a regular writing routine and even abandoned the revision of a novel--although that was because I felt I had learned as much as I could from it, and it would take more time to get it where I wanted it than I was willing to spend. It sounds like I abandoned the novel when the going got tough, but I don't believe that's so. This was never 'that' novel, whereas I have at least 4 others that are and I just got antsy wanting to work on them everytime I started on the other.
But, on the positive note, I have started formally compiling world info for two of the novels and have decided which one I will focus my energy on now. The current goal is to rework the first four chapters, and build the history, for the end of the year and then go full on next year, to finish draft 1 by the end of Q1.
5) Publishing
No new anthologies for Utility Fog Press this year--well, one that I requested submissions for, but is not going anywhere. I have, however, learned a lot about compiling epub e-books and have, finally, put together the e-books for Farspace 2 and Assassins' Canon, which are now available on Apple ibookstore and Lulu.com.
Also, I have some plans for a new anthology (for next year) and a regular multimedia event.
So, all-in-all, not a stellar year, but not a complete waste so far. Some failings, but enough successes to be reasonably happy (I've also managed to improve my Starcraft 2 ladder ranking significantly over season 1--I'm out of bronze league--drop me a e-mail if you want to play). Now I just have to get back to the writing!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Update
It's been a little while since the last post so I thought I'd update things.
Not too much has been happening, however. Medically things are going well with the visits to Leeds. And my foot is doing well with the inserts the podiatrist made. Unfortunately, the orthopaedic surgeon strongly advised having another surgery on my right knee to tighten the 15-year old graft. That will be in August, close to exactly 15 years after the last one. The funny thing was that he told me the surgery was much improved from when I last had it, then proceeded to describe exactly the same procedure. Even the rehab is the same. The only difference will be that the graft is taken from the opposite hamstring, for the obvious reason that taking another graft from the same hamstring would unduly tax that muscle (especially because it never fully recovered due to my negligence with physio).
So, not looking forward to a month of pain/crutches and a year of physio.
In other news... I managed to submit the script originally titled 'Absolute Power'. I changed the title after Charlotte brought it to my attention that AP was also the title of a recent UK political comedy series. Too bad, I really liked the title. Maybe I could sell it in the US?!
Anyway, the BBC has already acknowledged receipt, so now I have up to 4 months to wait for their comments, if any.
I've made the conscious decision to put Mindform Ascension on hold indefinitely. The amount of work the story would take to get it where I wanted it to be was more than my interest level. Originally I started the story only as a fun thing to see if I could finished a novel. Now I can see so many directions it can go in I'm worried it's turning into something completely different from what I wrote. One possibility I'll think about is to rework it into the fun story it seems and save the commentary and philosophical insights for another story. In the meantime I'm going to work on something else...
yep, planning to go back to Gateway finally. I want to start a formal treatise of the Gateway universe so that I have a framework to build a series on. Meanwhile I'll take the advise I received at the First Impressions workshop at Eastercon and try writing some short stories to play with voice and character development. They will be set in the same universe so that I can also develop the Gateway lore.
I'm also planning the next script. One of two ideas, not sure which I'll do yet.
Apart from that, Utility Fog Press has openes submissions for the next anthology: Tales for Travelers, a micro-fiction anthology designed as easy reads for commuters. I'm aiming to publish in e-book formats first, the prepare a POD pocket paperback.
And that really is all for now. Other than the business venture I'm planning... more on that later.
Not too much has been happening, however. Medically things are going well with the visits to Leeds. And my foot is doing well with the inserts the podiatrist made. Unfortunately, the orthopaedic surgeon strongly advised having another surgery on my right knee to tighten the 15-year old graft. That will be in August, close to exactly 15 years after the last one. The funny thing was that he told me the surgery was much improved from when I last had it, then proceeded to describe exactly the same procedure. Even the rehab is the same. The only difference will be that the graft is taken from the opposite hamstring, for the obvious reason that taking another graft from the same hamstring would unduly tax that muscle (especially because it never fully recovered due to my negligence with physio).
So, not looking forward to a month of pain/crutches and a year of physio.
In other news... I managed to submit the script originally titled 'Absolute Power'. I changed the title after Charlotte brought it to my attention that AP was also the title of a recent UK political comedy series. Too bad, I really liked the title. Maybe I could sell it in the US?!
Anyway, the BBC has already acknowledged receipt, so now I have up to 4 months to wait for their comments, if any.
I've made the conscious decision to put Mindform Ascension on hold indefinitely. The amount of work the story would take to get it where I wanted it to be was more than my interest level. Originally I started the story only as a fun thing to see if I could finished a novel. Now I can see so many directions it can go in I'm worried it's turning into something completely different from what I wrote. One possibility I'll think about is to rework it into the fun story it seems and save the commentary and philosophical insights for another story. In the meantime I'm going to work on something else...
yep, planning to go back to Gateway finally. I want to start a formal treatise of the Gateway universe so that I have a framework to build a series on. Meanwhile I'll take the advise I received at the First Impressions workshop at Eastercon and try writing some short stories to play with voice and character development. They will be set in the same universe so that I can also develop the Gateway lore.
I'm also planning the next script. One of two ideas, not sure which I'll do yet.
Apart from that, Utility Fog Press has openes submissions for the next anthology: Tales for Travelers, a micro-fiction anthology designed as easy reads for commuters. I'm aiming to publish in e-book formats first, the prepare a POD pocket paperback.
And that really is all for now. Other than the business venture I'm planning... more on that later.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The Future of the Book
I recently read 'Seth Godin and the Future of the Book' on the CBC web site. An intersting article on the now and future roles an author will have to play.
There were a few comments posted after the article and here are my responses (with the original posts for reference).
Phobos06 wrote:
@Phobos06
While I am concerned about many of the same things (I prefer print books, and I think about the future of libraries), technology will and must change everything. It's almost impossible to imagine a high-tech world with Victorian trappings. Impossible and ludicrous.
This means the instituions we love must change also, or cease to exist. Libraries in particular stand on the edge. For them to remain a part of our communities, they will have to find a new model of operation. Perhaps, as they are slowly going here in Yorkshire, UK, they will be more like public reading / meeting rooms with multimedia facilities for general use and, oh yeah, you can access books while you're there. Details of that latter part will require a lot of thought with the constant rise in e-books, but I'm confident an intelligent solution will be found (am I too optimistic?)
In short, we are at a period of great change and it means everyone: public services, companies, governments, the individual, will be forced to rethink models that have grown to be comfortable.
JC Army wrote:
@JC Army
One word: confidence. What you are looking for is validation from the big gatekeepers of the industry. But the future will be full of self-published books. Much of them bad, but enough very good. The onus is becoming more and more on the author to not only manage their career and publicise their book, but to make their book the best it can be on their own.
At the moment, the layers of gatekeepers are multiplying: publishers (editing and marketing departments), now very commonly: agents, and even agents to get you agents. This almost seems like a bubble in the publishing industry as e-books, internet and greater self employment regarding small publishers and editors, means the only thing currently supplied by the big publishing houses is the name (yes, and distribution for the dead-tree versions). This is why publishers are scrambling to develop a new model to ensure their continued existence.
I like to think of this brave new world as a return to the roots of capitalism, in a way. Currently, all industries are controlled by the multi-nationals (the publishing industry is controlled by the big six). But with internet, self-publishing, e-books, if you're book IS good and readers like it (and you do the work to get the word out), then it will sell regardless of what any manager says. And we're back, at least for the moment, to the power of the people. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Edwin
There were a few comments posted after the article and here are my responses (with the original posts for reference).
Phobos06 wrote:
I prefer paper books. If I could have an actual durable paperback book which could be filled with words and never run out of batteries I would be happy.
I'm also concerned that the switch to digital books will mean that libraries will cease to exist. Already some publishers have agreed to having libraries lending ebooks but the publishers created the stipulation that an ebook can only be taken out so many times. This is absolutely unacceptable.
I'll stick with paper for the time being. I'm no old fogey either. I'm 30 and I like reading my books on the printed page.
@Phobos06
While I am concerned about many of the same things (I prefer print books, and I think about the future of libraries), technology will and must change everything. It's almost impossible to imagine a high-tech world with Victorian trappings. Impossible and ludicrous.
This means the instituions we love must change also, or cease to exist. Libraries in particular stand on the edge. For them to remain a part of our communities, they will have to find a new model of operation. Perhaps, as they are slowly going here in Yorkshire, UK, they will be more like public reading / meeting rooms with multimedia facilities for general use and, oh yeah, you can access books while you're there. Details of that latter part will require a lot of thought with the constant rise in e-books, but I'm confident an intelligent solution will be found (am I too optimistic?)
In short, we are at a period of great change and it means everyone: public services, companies, governments, the individual, will be forced to rethink models that have grown to be comfortable.
JC Army wrote:
Okay, Mr. Godin, but here lies my personal dilemna. I have written a 100,000 word novel, have tried to find an agent (all I have found that match my type of writing/novel are all full and not accepting any more material). I tried to find a reputable publisher, but alas, they are "not accepting unsolicited manuscripts". I have had some literary friends read my novel and they did love it, offered constructive criticism, etc, but here I sit unpublished. So, I begin to wonder, is my novel actually garbage? But then I read some stuff that IS published by some big fancy publishers and I think THAT stuff is garbage (The Time Travelers' Wife comes to mind, but I digress). I guess I'm stuck in the mindset, that if my novel IS garbage, I don't want to publish it just for the sake of accomplishing a lifelong dream of mine. I want it to be GOOD and I fear I need to hear that from the big publishers in order to feel worthy of becoming a published novelist. I have given up so to speak and am not sure what route to take. I like my novel, I love it's message but I'm not liking how painstaking it is to BE PUBLISHED - not just to get it published. I have always thought that anyone can publish something - just go to any old book publisher and they'll print it - I don't want that. How can you possibly try to market your work when you're focussing on earning a living and raising a family, all the while your manuscript sits in the drawer awaiting the occasional rejection letter from publisher after publisher? Sigh. Maybe someday.
@JC Army
One word: confidence. What you are looking for is validation from the big gatekeepers of the industry. But the future will be full of self-published books. Much of them bad, but enough very good. The onus is becoming more and more on the author to not only manage their career and publicise their book, but to make their book the best it can be on their own.
At the moment, the layers of gatekeepers are multiplying: publishers (editing and marketing departments), now very commonly: agents, and even agents to get you agents. This almost seems like a bubble in the publishing industry as e-books, internet and greater self employment regarding small publishers and editors, means the only thing currently supplied by the big publishing houses is the name (yes, and distribution for the dead-tree versions). This is why publishers are scrambling to develop a new model to ensure their continued existence.
I like to think of this brave new world as a return to the roots of capitalism, in a way. Currently, all industries are controlled by the multi-nationals (the publishing industry is controlled by the big six). But with internet, self-publishing, e-books, if you're book IS good and readers like it (and you do the work to get the word out), then it will sell regardless of what any manager says. And we're back, at least for the moment, to the power of the people. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Edwin
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
The Stuff of Dreams
I had a weird experience last night as I was laying in bed. Just as I was about to fall asleep I was startled by what I can only call a 'mental water drop'. That is to say, I felt a single water drop splash on the centre of my forehead. I knew right away it was in my mind, but it was so similar to the real thing that I had to feel for water. Of course there was none.
Creepy.
I wonder if it means anything? Anyway, it's little things like this that are interesting to remember and include in stories for a little more fleshing out of the character's mindset. I know just the one...
Edwin
Creepy.
I wonder if it means anything? Anyway, it's little things like this that are interesting to remember and include in stories for a little more fleshing out of the character's mindset. I know just the one...
Edwin
Lauren Beukes Wins 2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award
This year's Arthur C. Clarke Award winner for best science fiction novel is South African ex-journalist Lauren Beukes for Zoo City. If you haven't read it, I can definitely recommend Zoo City along with her first book Moxyland--a modern Orwellian 1984. Both are set in South Africa but that, apart from the well-written prose and great imagination, is where the similarities end. Moxyland is set in a high-tech Johannesburg where Corporations and Government abuse technology to control the population. Zoo City, while still feeling very 'real' has a more magical nature with the 'animalled'. Both are great reads.
You can find out more about Lauren, Zoo City, and Moxyland at her website: laurenbeukes.book.co.za
Edwin
You can find out more about Lauren, Zoo City, and Moxyland at her website: laurenbeukes.book.co.za
Edwin
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Hugo Award: Best Novel Nominees
Hot of the presses, the nominees for Hugo Award Best Novel (that's sci-fi for those unaware) have just been announced. They are:
Blackout/All Clear - Connie Willis
Cryoburn - Lois McMaster Bujold
The Dervish House - Ian McDonald (winner of the BSFA best novel award)
Feed - Mira Grant
Thousand Kingdoms - N.K. Jemisin
These are "people's Choice" awards, nominees and winners are selected by fans (must be a member of Worldcon--this year in Reno, Nevada--to vote).
Best of luck to all nominees.
Edwin
Blackout/All Clear - Connie Willis
Cryoburn - Lois McMaster Bujold
The Dervish House - Ian McDonald (winner of the BSFA best novel award)
Feed - Mira Grant
Thousand Kingdoms - N.K. Jemisin
These are "people's Choice" awards, nominees and winners are selected by fans (must be a member of Worldcon--this year in Reno, Nevada--to vote).
Best of luck to all nominees.
Edwin
Friday, March 25, 2011
Creative Commons, Free e-Books, and the New Author
I've recently started a new web site LightSpeedDreams.net. Originally I bought the domain name because I liked the sound of it, and I took some time to decided what content I wanted to put on it. Finally, I've decided to populate the site with content of mine that I will release under Creative Commons license — making it freely available for use, modification, and commercial distribution, as long as I remain listed as one of the authors/creators. Among other things, this will include mp3s, selected artwork, and selected short stories and novels.
Why?
1. In some cases the content I release would be difficult or impossible to sell.
* Cases of work with other creators who have okayed the release but then become unreachable
* Content that was created jointly with the understanding that it would be freely available
* Fan Fiction that cannot be distributed for profit
2. The content acts as a free sample of my work for prospective publishers
3. The most important reason, however, is summed up by Cory Doctorow in the forward to Little Brother (on why he releases all his books as free, drm-free e-books):
For me — for pretty much every writer — the big problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity (thanks to Tim O'Reilly for this great aphorism). Of all the people who failed to buy this book today, the majority did so because they never heard of it, not because someone gave them a free copy.
So, no, people stealing your work to read is not a problem most new authors face. People never reading your work because they haven't heard of you is. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position where I can release all my work for free online, after all, I am trying to start a career as an author and I've not heard of any traditional publishers who will take on an author with no unpublished content. I feel I'm doing the next best thing by releasing selected works for free. On one had, I think of it as a small portfolio sample. On the other hand, a bit like releasing some grown-up children into the world to see what becomes of them.
So, I hope you check out LightSpeedDreams.net and sample, use, modify the content I've posted. And please, whatever you do with it, let me know! I love to hear how my work has been used, and I'll help you advertise with blurbs on my various sites.
And check out science fiction author and digital rights expert Cory Doctorow's site www.craphound.com. The forward to Little Brother (winner of several YA awards and shortlisted for several more) explains the Creative Commons ideas far better than I could, so why not download a free copy from him (and if you like it, buy the print version).
Edwin H Rydberg
Why?
1. In some cases the content I release would be difficult or impossible to sell.
* Cases of work with other creators who have okayed the release but then become unreachable
* Content that was created jointly with the understanding that it would be freely available
* Fan Fiction that cannot be distributed for profit
2. The content acts as a free sample of my work for prospective publishers
3. The most important reason, however, is summed up by Cory Doctorow in the forward to Little Brother (on why he releases all his books as free, drm-free e-books):
For me — for pretty much every writer — the big problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity (thanks to Tim O'Reilly for this great aphorism). Of all the people who failed to buy this book today, the majority did so because they never heard of it, not because someone gave them a free copy.
So, no, people stealing your work to read is not a problem most new authors face. People never reading your work because they haven't heard of you is. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position where I can release all my work for free online, after all, I am trying to start a career as an author and I've not heard of any traditional publishers who will take on an author with no unpublished content. I feel I'm doing the next best thing by releasing selected works for free. On one had, I think of it as a small portfolio sample. On the other hand, a bit like releasing some grown-up children into the world to see what becomes of them.
So, I hope you check out LightSpeedDreams.net and sample, use, modify the content I've posted. And please, whatever you do with it, let me know! I love to hear how my work has been used, and I'll help you advertise with blurbs on my various sites.
And check out science fiction author and digital rights expert Cory Doctorow's site www.craphound.com. The forward to Little Brother (winner of several YA awards and shortlisted for several more) explains the Creative Commons ideas far better than I could, so why not download a free copy from him (and if you like it, buy the print version).
Edwin H Rydberg
Friday, March 11, 2011
Lightspeed Dreams.net
I've finally posted the first content to my creative commons LightspeedDreams.net site. This site is linked from EdwinHRydberg.com and is where I make all my free content available. That includes writing (selected novels, poetry, short stories, etc), artwork, ideas that might be of use to someone but that I don't have the time or resources to persue. All of it is make available under the creative commons license. Essentially, you may have, keep, use it for free or commercially, as long as you remember to list me as the creator (I ask for no royalties, only the recognition that it was my content originally, and a humble request that you let me know how you've used it--for my own curiosity).
The first content on LightspeedDreams.net is a story I wrote set in a world created by Roy Sirkis called Awaken from that Gentle Good Night. It's a futuristic science fiction story with a fantasy feel. It can be read on the site, or downloaded in PDF or EPUB formats. I hope you enjoy (and watch for more stories coming soon).
Edwin
The first content on LightspeedDreams.net is a story I wrote set in a world created by Roy Sirkis called Awaken from that Gentle Good Night. It's a futuristic science fiction story with a fantasy feel. It can be read on the site, or downloaded in PDF or EPUB formats. I hope you enjoy (and watch for more stories coming soon).
Edwin
New Utility Fog Press Blog
I've started up a new blog dedicated to Utility Fog Press (utilityfogblog.blogspot.com). That means I'll try to keep cross-over content solely to writing-related stuff (posts on publishing, editing, etc).
In addition to my blathering, I've managed to convince several other amateur/semi-pro writers & editors to contribute to the blog. It should be interesting, as they come from quite diverse backgrounds and I'm quite excited to see how the blog goes. If you stop by, please be sure to check out their links also.
Edwin
In addition to my blathering, I've managed to convince several other amateur/semi-pro writers & editors to contribute to the blog. It should be interesting, as they come from quite diverse backgrounds and I'm quite excited to see how the blog goes. If you stop by, please be sure to check out their links also.
Edwin
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Getting the word out
A short note today.
As I'm notoriously bad at networking, I always keep my ear open for useful information from those that aren't. Here then, are a few links useful for making your 'brand' (better get used to the term and what it means if you want to be an author) known.
www.smithpublicity.com
A book promotion company who also have a lot of good marketing/promotion tips posted on their site.
www.sellingbooks.com
Another site with a lot of info regarding book/author promotion
Here is also an interesting article about something I've just heard of:
First an aspiring author went direct to the publisher. Now they need an agent. Soon they will likely need an agent's 'agent', or a book / manuscript promoter. I suspect this will be the big new entry into the world of writing in the next few years, as it becomes harder and harder interest agents in a manuscript due to sheer numbers (the bar keeps getting higher). These people are experts at writing query letters/packages. They know how to 'sell' your manuscript to agents (in the sense of getting an agent to want to read it--you still have to have a good manuscript to actually sell it).
The world of writing and publishing continues to change and it's important to stay on top of it and know who else you need to know. We now have to do our own marketing as well as writing, so why not take every advantage you can?
Edwin
As I'm notoriously bad at networking, I always keep my ear open for useful information from those that aren't. Here then, are a few links useful for making your 'brand' (better get used to the term and what it means if you want to be an author) known.
www.smithpublicity.com
A book promotion company who also have a lot of good marketing/promotion tips posted on their site.
www.sellingbooks.com
Another site with a lot of info regarding book/author promotion
Here is also an interesting article about something I've just heard of:
First an aspiring author went direct to the publisher. Now they need an agent. Soon they will likely need an agent's 'agent', or a book / manuscript promoter. I suspect this will be the big new entry into the world of writing in the next few years, as it becomes harder and harder interest agents in a manuscript due to sheer numbers (the bar keeps getting higher). These people are experts at writing query letters/packages. They know how to 'sell' your manuscript to agents (in the sense of getting an agent to want to read it--you still have to have a good manuscript to actually sell it).
The world of writing and publishing continues to change and it's important to stay on top of it and know who else you need to know. We now have to do our own marketing as well as writing, so why not take every advantage you can?
Edwin
Monday, January 31, 2011
Revision, Revision, Revision
Well, I'm still revising Emergence and, not unexpectedly, it's going slower than I'd hoped (about 1/2 the pace necessary to meet my goals) this year so I thought I'd tell some of the general issues I'm finding.
The main issues are:
1) re-evaluating character relationships. Emergence was my first novel, written in the 2006 NaNoWriMo and then put aside for some time. Now that I've gone back to it, I find that all the 'good guys' seem too 'nice' to each other. Despite coming from diverse backgrounds, with different personalities and different goals, they all got along very well. Extremely well. So I've gone back and created more tension between several characters and where there was the hint of tension I've tried to draw it out.
2) re-envisioning the setting and scenery. Again, because it was written very quickly, I used whatever images and ideas came to mind. Upon revision I'm finding that feels lazy and generic, so I'm putting more effort into creating interesting ideas, while staying with the original vision.
3) cleaning up thin or incomplete plot-lines. yup, another one from the fast writing category. So far I'm in the early stages, but I'm trying to strengthen several of the secondary plot-lines that start early. Shortly, I'll be entering into the realm of the frayed plot-lines--I know of at least two secondary plot-lines that were forgotten about during the finished stages the first time around. Obviously they will have to be tied up.
These, of course, mean that the revision is essentially like re-writing the story, as they affect everything that comes after. And that means it takes as long to do the revision (or longer) than it took to write the thing in the first place.
Anyway, it's all part of the process. And, I have to admit, creatively filling in the plot-holes gives the same 'little victory', high-five feeling as creating the plot lines in the first place.
So, onward I march, page by page toward the end. It's not in sight, but I feel it just over the horizon.
Edwin
The main issues are:
1) re-evaluating character relationships. Emergence was my first novel, written in the 2006 NaNoWriMo and then put aside for some time. Now that I've gone back to it, I find that all the 'good guys' seem too 'nice' to each other. Despite coming from diverse backgrounds, with different personalities and different goals, they all got along very well. Extremely well. So I've gone back and created more tension between several characters and where there was the hint of tension I've tried to draw it out.
2) re-envisioning the setting and scenery. Again, because it was written very quickly, I used whatever images and ideas came to mind. Upon revision I'm finding that feels lazy and generic, so I'm putting more effort into creating interesting ideas, while staying with the original vision.
3) cleaning up thin or incomplete plot-lines. yup, another one from the fast writing category. So far I'm in the early stages, but I'm trying to strengthen several of the secondary plot-lines that start early. Shortly, I'll be entering into the realm of the frayed plot-lines--I know of at least two secondary plot-lines that were forgotten about during the finished stages the first time around. Obviously they will have to be tied up.
These, of course, mean that the revision is essentially like re-writing the story, as they affect everything that comes after. And that means it takes as long to do the revision (or longer) than it took to write the thing in the first place.
Anyway, it's all part of the process. And, I have to admit, creatively filling in the plot-holes gives the same 'little victory', high-five feeling as creating the plot lines in the first place.
So, onward I march, page by page toward the end. It's not in sight, but I feel it just over the horizon.
Edwin
Monday, January 3, 2011
Welcome 2011
"Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming..." - All Star, Smash mouth
Happy New Year everyone,
It's January 3rd and 2011 is now properly upon us. All the stock-taking has been done, all the resolutions have been made and now it's time to get down to it. I've got to say, I've never been one for resolutions - they always seemed too binding to me. Now, however, as I move onto the downward slope of life while trying to build my writing career, I find that resolutions are too vague.
How many of you have made resolutions to exercise more or to write more or to eat healthy? Now ask yourself what exactly does that resolution mean? How will you go about accomplishing it?
Booklife
In the middle of last year, I read 'Booklife' by Jeff Vandermeer and it changed the way I think about resolutions and goals. Importantly, it made me see the futility of vague goals. eg. I want to be published in 5 years. Fine. How are you going to do that, just write? How much? Do you think the first book will be published? What about managing your career or creating a portfolio or awareness of your 'brand'? What about learning the industry? And what about all the other activities in your life that distract from writing, how will you manage them?
In 'Booklife' Jeff shows how to set your long term goals and then break them into medium and short-term goals that will actually allow you to accomplish what you want. This is an important step as it makes you think hard about how you're going to accomplish your task: Finish the book - by when? How many words a day/week? How long for revision? How and who will you send it too? What about the other distractions: exercise (important for a writer), family duties, website (crucial for writers these days:companies no longer do most of the marketing), e-mail, blog, social networking? How and when to fit these in? What about that trip to the spa or learning a new skill? I'm sure everyone notices the same thing I have: as you get older, you get busier. That's why it's even more important to set goals: long-term, and specific short-term goals.
My Goals
So, like many writers, my long-term goal is to be published in 5 years. If I'm not, I have a few options. (1) decide that I'm just not a writer and move on to something else, (2) believe the market isn't interested in what I want to say (no matter how well said) and self-publish, (3) keep writing and modify that goal.
My medium term goals, then, are to complete one book a year and two short stories. The short stories, I will send out to do the rounds (and build my cv) instead of just sitting on the computer. However, since my interest lay more in novels, I intend to write short stories that tie in to the novels. As for one novel a year, this is only a matter of discipline, since I already have a half-dozen novels in various stages of outline at the moment (and several started).
Short term goals are where the resistance comes: 'I can't commit to that...I don't know what's going to happen...' True, but they are the necessary guidelines you make to gauge your progress toward what's necessary to accomplish your long-term goals. It's important to realize you will fail some of them, especially until you come to know yourself and your practical abilities better.
My short term goals are to:
(1) revise my current novel at a rate of about 5 pages/day (to finish by June)--this is no easy task since I wrote the original during a NaNoWriMo and I'm now re-envisioning most of it.
(2) I'm also aiming to finish and submit a script to the BBC by the end of March, which means completing it by the end of January (at an average of 2 pages/day. In this case I will take two weeks for research and then write at about 4 pages/day, as script-writing tends to be much faster than novel writing.
(3) I've already picked the short stories I want to finish for this year and both are partially written. I intend to finish one each 6 months, although the first will start after the script is sent. I haven't yet planned firm short-term goals for writing the short stories yet.
I'm curious whether this sounds like a lot, or a too little, to most of you. For me it's sounding a little daunting, when factoring in my other goals (health, family and recreation), but do-able if I get myself back into a good routine).
Well, that's my new years res...goals. How about you? Have you set any goals for this year? Do you have a plan for accomplishing them? I'm sure you'll succeed if you set your mind to it.
All the best to everyone in the new year,
Edwin
Happy New Year everyone,
It's January 3rd and 2011 is now properly upon us. All the stock-taking has been done, all the resolutions have been made and now it's time to get down to it. I've got to say, I've never been one for resolutions - they always seemed too binding to me. Now, however, as I move onto the downward slope of life while trying to build my writing career, I find that resolutions are too vague.
How many of you have made resolutions to exercise more or to write more or to eat healthy? Now ask yourself what exactly does that resolution mean? How will you go about accomplishing it?
Booklife
In the middle of last year, I read 'Booklife' by Jeff Vandermeer and it changed the way I think about resolutions and goals. Importantly, it made me see the futility of vague goals. eg. I want to be published in 5 years. Fine. How are you going to do that, just write? How much? Do you think the first book will be published? What about managing your career or creating a portfolio or awareness of your 'brand'? What about learning the industry? And what about all the other activities in your life that distract from writing, how will you manage them?
In 'Booklife' Jeff shows how to set your long term goals and then break them into medium and short-term goals that will actually allow you to accomplish what you want. This is an important step as it makes you think hard about how you're going to accomplish your task: Finish the book - by when? How many words a day/week? How long for revision? How and who will you send it too? What about the other distractions: exercise (important for a writer), family duties, website (crucial for writers these days:companies no longer do most of the marketing), e-mail, blog, social networking? How and when to fit these in? What about that trip to the spa or learning a new skill? I'm sure everyone notices the same thing I have: as you get older, you get busier. That's why it's even more important to set goals: long-term, and specific short-term goals.
My Goals
So, like many writers, my long-term goal is to be published in 5 years. If I'm not, I have a few options. (1) decide that I'm just not a writer and move on to something else, (2) believe the market isn't interested in what I want to say (no matter how well said) and self-publish, (3) keep writing and modify that goal.
My medium term goals, then, are to complete one book a year and two short stories. The short stories, I will send out to do the rounds (and build my cv) instead of just sitting on the computer. However, since my interest lay more in novels, I intend to write short stories that tie in to the novels. As for one novel a year, this is only a matter of discipline, since I already have a half-dozen novels in various stages of outline at the moment (and several started).
Short term goals are where the resistance comes: 'I can't commit to that...I don't know what's going to happen...' True, but they are the necessary guidelines you make to gauge your progress toward what's necessary to accomplish your long-term goals. It's important to realize you will fail some of them, especially until you come to know yourself and your practical abilities better.
My short term goals are to:
(1) revise my current novel at a rate of about 5 pages/day (to finish by June)--this is no easy task since I wrote the original during a NaNoWriMo and I'm now re-envisioning most of it.
(2) I'm also aiming to finish and submit a script to the BBC by the end of March, which means completing it by the end of January (at an average of 2 pages/day. In this case I will take two weeks for research and then write at about 4 pages/day, as script-writing tends to be much faster than novel writing.
(3) I've already picked the short stories I want to finish for this year and both are partially written. I intend to finish one each 6 months, although the first will start after the script is sent. I haven't yet planned firm short-term goals for writing the short stories yet.
I'm curious whether this sounds like a lot, or a too little, to most of you. For me it's sounding a little daunting, when factoring in my other goals (health, family and recreation), but do-able if I get myself back into a good routine).
Well, that's my new years res...goals. How about you? Have you set any goals for this year? Do you have a plan for accomplishing them? I'm sure you'll succeed if you set your mind to it.
All the best to everyone in the new year,
Edwin
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