After the short sabbatical to do a nano in November and the subsequent edit, I’ve returned to book two of Shudalandia. All I can say is … wow! I’d forgotten how exciting the plot had become.
The timeline is twenty years on. The old guard are fading, but the new kids on the block are moving at light speed. I can’t wait to see how this works out!
Authors are often advised to decide on the central theme for their story. As a rookie author it seemed odd, possibly even grandiose. All I wanted to do was to pen a good yarn (that would sell for a fortune obviously …) Unlike real life where I will rarely listen to advice, I decided to try it.
Amara’s Daughter HAD to have a black hero. The stereotypes of the genre perturbed me. White male, with heavy-chested females to provide a bit of interest (or maybe it was just my imagination made them that shape!)
I wanted to take the idea farther. I wanted strong female role models, but not at the cost of joining the “all men are useless” brigade. I hate the trend to “reverse sexism” voiced by so many women. To see a six year-old roll her eyes and say, “Men!” is genuinely sad.
Finally, sexuality. If my intended readership is 16+ I wanted to offer more than the Disney sanitised approach used in most of the modern stuff for this age range. It might come as a shock, but kids have sex, think about it and talk about it. In my mind, chaste kisses and cutaway scenes are a cop out, an attempt to please the agents and publisher gate-keepers of this industry. I’d certainly rather have sex presented to the age range in a loving relationship, than via internet porn.
I’m one of those writers who uses a plan. It might not be rigid, but I try to stick to the general direction.
Having formulated the themes I was working with, I found that these pulled my thinking back as it strayed from the guidelines I had set for myself. Did I over-cook the sex? Was I erring onto the side of my opinions, rather than a good story? Did a new character conform to the brief?
I’ve tried to write by the seat of my pants and failed, I found adding the guidelines worked for me.
A recent guest posting for Beth Barany challenged me to produce something of the “how” and having done so, it forced me to go back and review my current writing.
http://author.bethbarany.com/2013/09/06/the-kick-ass-heroine-by-e-h-howard/#more-1202
I think creating a full background history and delving into why a character is who they are helps to create a more interesting person. So, for my current heroine I’ve now got a full history, a map of the flaws and I know exactly where they’re going to intrude on the storyline.
The temple of Hercules in the ancient Agora set amidst the craziness of Athens. This has to be one of the most tranquil spots on the planet. To wander these precincts in the heat of the day is magical. To imagine the hubbub of the people swarming, probably so similar to the Greeks of modern times, is a special feeling for me.
It’s so sad that Greece is now where it is. I know the saying is that people get the government they deserves, but how cursed are they?
I will walk these paths again, the sooner, the better.
I’ve just engaged with a woman trying to put together a fictional package for adults with learning difficulties. I confess to knowing nothing about the topic, but little knowledge has rarely held me back from leaping in with both feet.
Apparently, the focus is on simplicity of language, plus adding images to explain and highlight points. I’ve already started to think through a couple of short stories I’ve got on my hard disk that could use a facelift. I’m also wondering if it might be a sensible approach to reengineer an already successful story.
Seems like a worthwhile effort
Hoping the sun will return. Most sat up all night unwilling to believe that it would appear two days running.
This proves I’m not the only sucker for a sunset.
As an old woman lies dying in Jerusalem her thoughts dwell on her unsatisfactory life and bullying father, while her son and daughter review their own miserable existences.
There is much to admire in the dense prose, but you have to work hard to find some joy …
(Obviously, I completely miss the point of writing. I strive to engage and entertain.)
Might be a tad tongue in cheek, but having created a new urban species, I’m going to have to write something with them in. Unless somebody else is going to step up to the crease?
http://chrystallathoma.wordpress.com/2013/07/20/guest-author-e-h-howard-dwarves-in-urban-fantasy/
I’m drawn to the idea of urban because I think the reader has less to do to get themselves into the world the story is set in. They already understand mobile phones and the internet. All we need is a plausible way to explain the fantasy elements.
And to think I almost didn’t splash out on getting a pro-cover done for the book. I’ve had to get the paperback produced just so that I can see it in its true glory.
I’d buy the book just for the cover … oh I just did!
My second outing as a guest blogger caused a stir. It was picked up by a Japanese porn site and is being linked to from all manner of sleazy places. My dad
Of course this wasn’t what I was planning at all. All I wanted was to explain how I think I can use sex scenes to increase the tension of a piece