Let me tell you a story.

AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS by H.P. Lovecraft

2008-10-19T23:25:37Z

AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS
by H.P. Lovecraft
Amazon link

This was my first time reading Lovecraft, and it was a good introduction especially since Lovecraft excels in things I need improvement on such as descriptions, setting, and creating the feeling of horror and dread.

ATMOM uses setting like another character. It's set in the cold and harsh Antarctic and right away, I am swept up into the story as though I'm right there with the narrator.

When the expedition discovers strange fossils (20), Lovecraft uses a page-and-a-half to describe these winged-creatures. He takes his time to engage the reader's imagination and allows the horror to grow. What are these creatures? How did they come here? How did they die? These questions race through the reader's mind and that shows how successful the passage is. It's made the reader invested in the story by providing questions the reader wants answered.

When the narrator finds the camp of a colleague's, he finds their camp has been attacked. All that is left are the mangled bodies of the men and dogs (38). Lovecraft is careful on the details he shares. It's not too gory, but it's disturbing enough to make the reader cringe.

The narrator also describes the strange terrain they encounter, and aside from creating a haunting atmosphere, Lovecraft, once again, takes his time to show the reader what the narrator sees. You are the narrator (it works with the first-person POV as well). It also brings up more questions for the reader. These labyrinths and buildings should belong in such a place, just like those winged-creatures, so, what are they doing there? It really evokes a feeling of dread. Something is not right.

Lovecraft's style is so powerful that he even makes odor frightening (83). That really impressed me. He caused me to feel dread by using smell.

The horror continues with the narrator and his college, Danforth, as they discover the bodies of the missing dog and Gedney, who had not been at the attacked camp. At this point, it's like I'm watching a horror movie and screaming at the protagonists to run away, but instead, they keep on going deeper into the caves.

There, they hear the horrifying sounds of a creature--”Tekeli-li!”--and they take off running. Danforth is so rattled by this, he starts chanting nonsense like train stations and formulas. I noted this scene because it was very human and at the same time, terrifying. I felt his fear and understood his reaction.

Overall, the entire time I was reading the book, I was filled with dread. As soon as I “set foot” on to the cold landscape, I knew things wouldn't end well. Then, the feeling escalated into horror with the discovery of the fossils, the bodies at the camp, the caves, and the shrieks of an unknown creature.

Lovecraft built suspense from the beginning and carried it throughout the book. That is something I want to do in SOUL DAMAGE. I also want to be able to keep the dread and horror up by building more and more, adding another layer to the one under it. I think I can accomplish that by creating new conflicts for my characters. When they solve one problem, a new one arises, one with more disturbing answers. I also want to be able to slow down and take my time when I get to descriptions and setting. By doing that, I am able to grab a hold of my reader's attention and imagination. Once I do that, I know that reader will come along for the ride, no matter how dreadful and horrifying it is.

DANSE MACABRE by Stephen King

2008-10-19T23:23:56Z

DANSE MACABRE
by Stephen King
Amazon link

After finishing my latest draft of SOUL DAMAGE, some of my readers told me it gave them a more paranormal romance fantasy vibe. That wasn't the direction I wanted to go with the book, so, enter Mike's suggestion to read DANSE MACABRE by who else? Stephen King.

Although the book primarily focuses on films, King does a good job on describing horror and giving examples on the genre itself. In this review, I will point out some passages that I felt related to SOUL DAMAGE.

King says “all tales of horror can be divided into two groups: those in which the horror results from an act of free and conscious will--a conscious decision to do evil--and those in which the horror is predestinate, coming from outside like a stroke of lightning (62).” I have to say SD is a combination of those two groups. Because of an outside force (The Deceiver and the chaser), Serenity and Nick must make a decision whether to do evil. They have to make that choice, even though their intentions are good, the results may not be. For me, the horror is when we realize the characters are doing these “evil acts” on their own freewill rather than the acts they commit.

King uses the example of JEKYLL AND HYDE, where the doctor created his alter-ego and ended up becoming a prisoner to it (73). The same can be said about Serenity. In her quest to not become her father, she actually ends up becoming exactly like him. The results are grim like Jekyll's, and like Jekyll, she becomes a prisoner to this other side of her. King says at the most basic level, it's the old conflict between the id and superego, the free will to do evil or to deny it...(75). This provides the best situation on any character. For Serenity, the question is will she become like her father and end up using black magic? For Nick, the question is will he have to do his job and hunt evil, even if that evil is Serenity? As the writer, I can't wait to see what my characters show me. It's going to be quite interesting.

One line that jumped out for me was “You can scare people with the unknown for a long, long time...but sooner or later, as in poker, you have to turn your down cards up (111).” I completely agree with this. It occurred to me that it's not the fear of the unknown that scares Nick and Serenity; it's the fear of the known. They know what the results of magic are. They saw what happened to Serenity's father. They know who the bad guy is. They know what the consequences are. It's all a matter of time and how long before they end up there. One thing I think I've improved on is tension and pacing. Before, I used to hold out on the reveal until the end when the best thing to do was reveal everything up right and then go from there. In SD, I've tried to put everything out on the table for the readers and the characters, then see them go from there. As a result, the story is more interesting and the characters can grow and develop.

Another interesting line was King's final truth about horror movies: “They do not love death, as some have suggested; they love life (198).” That definitely made me pause. After thinking it over, I have to say I agree. Horror is about survival. The characters want to live; they want to be there at the end. They want to beat the bad guys, the monsters, and villains. They love life, so, they are fighting for their lives. If they wanted death, there would be no story.

King uses ROSEMARY'S BABY as an example that all horror stories are really about disorder and the fear of change (305). This is the case for both Nick and Serenity. Serenity's life is changing because her dad is dead, her mom is in a hospital, and her brother has grown distant. She no longer hunts and is left alone in an empty house. For Nick, he no longer uses magic and Serenity is not hunting with him. After Nick uses magic to bring Serenity back to life, it's another change they have to deal with. Despite the magical connection they have, they are growing apart, not closer. Another huge change for Serenity is when Nick burns down her father's bar. The last link to her dad is taken away. These changes build up and sooner or later, it's enough to make anyone break.

King brings up horror's connection with fantasy by saying “...what is fantasy fiction but tales of magic? And what are tales of magic but tales of fantasy?...Power is magic...(347)” In SD, power is a big theme. The Deceiver wants power and he does that by using fear. Serenity wants power because she feels like she has lost control on her life. Nick wants power because he feels helpless in his duties as a demon hunter. For all three, the difference is how they use their power once they receive it.

Then, King says probably the best thing about fiction writing, “Fiction is the truth inside the lie (403).” Underneath the demons, the magic, and the other fantastical elements in SD, it really is a story about family, sacrifice, and love. That is the truth inside my lie.

BEGINNINGS, MIDDLES AND ENDS by Nancy Kress

2008-09-15T00:35:57Z

BEGINNINGS, MIDDLES AND ENDS by Nancy Kress
Amazon link

I put this book on my list because simply, I was rewriting an entire novel--again. It's been four years since I finished the first draft of SOUL DAMAGE (which wasn't even named SOUL DAMAGE at the time), and it's gone through many, many other versions and drafts since then. Reading BME brought me back to the starting line.

Right now, I want this version to be the final draft. I want it told this way (at least for now!) I'm talking about the storyline, the characters, the setting--things I've changed over and over through the four years. Kress says, “The final draft must contain the same promise to the reader throughout, with the promise made in the beginning, developed in the middle, and fulfilled at the end.” (9) I think the promise I made in SOUL DAMAGE is that the Deceiver will be stopped at all costs. Nick and Serenity end up paying a lot to fulfill that promise.

The Beginning: Kress says character, conflict, specificity and creditability should be seen in the first three paragraphs. I think having Nick hunting a demon pretty much establishes all of the above. The rest of the first scene also offers some possibilities Kress suggested, and from that list (25), I chose “A character learns a disturbing piece of information.” (Cal tells him hunters are disappearing) and “A character meets someone who will significantly alter his life; even in the first scene the new acquaintance has begun to change the character's immediate goals or ideas.” (Nick meets Cal and is now focused on finding out why the hunters are disappearing)

Kress also says “...your beginning scenes portray conflict, they also portray character.” In my first fifty pages, I introduce all the major characters in the story, whether in person or by name. I also introduce the possibility of conflict among several of these characters in particular when it comes to Quincy and the hunters. I also thrust some danger to my characters to see how they react and get out of it. It establishes their actions and their motivations especially in that scene when Nick uses his magic to heal his father after a demon's attack. It portrays conflict and character at the same time.

The Middle: This is where I usually get stuck. Kress addresses various issues as to why writers get stuck at this point. For me, it's “literary fogginess: “what's supposed to happen next?” (95) Kress says my reluctance to think about the manuscript could be because I'm not thinking about it enough. I don't necessarily agree with that, but she says I shouldn't be forcing myself to write the next scene, but instead invest some time into my characters and plot. When I hit on something, I should just write it. I think I'm just paranoid of revising. I usually want it to get it done right the first time and I should know that's not possible sometimes.

Kress says the middle should increase conflict, reveal character, and put in place all the various forces that will collide at the story's climax. At this point, Serenity is ready to make her deal with the Deceiver to free her mother's soul. She also learns a little bit of truth about her father's death. Without giving too much away, all of these points will meet again at the climax.

My characters are also undergoing some major changes. They are as Kress calls them still “under development.” The changes have to be foreshadowed and the reader must see evidence in those changes. For example, Nick's love for his family and Serenity is played up because in the end, it's his love that will force him to make a sacrifice. In Serenity's case, she's so haunted by her past that she's willing to do anything to make things right again.

Another thing to introduce in the middle is a new motivation. In the beginning, the goal was to find out why the hunters were disappearing. By the middle, the goal is to save Serenity's mother and stop the Deceiver. The Deceiver is the connection to the beginning, middle and end.

The Ending: I haven't written my ending yet, but I have an idea on how I want to end it. Kress says the right ending grows naturally out of from who your characters are (110). What Nick and Serenity decide will determine the outcome of the story.

Kress also says rewriting the ending is just as important as rewriting the beginning. It's the last thing the reader will remember when he closes the book. Revision/rewriting is not my favorite thing, but I know it's a necessary thing. I learned that during my project approval. The end result was worth it because my beginning was stronger and I hope to do the same thing with the ending.

Overall, I find this book very helpful. It showed that I was doing a few things right, but it also showed a few things I could do better. Having a structure will definitely come into use when I go back and rewrite SOUL DAMAGE again--which I know I will have to do.

CITY INFERNAL by Edward Lee

2008-09-15T00:34:50Z

CITY INFERNAL by Edward Lee
Amazon link

My mentor, Mike, suggested CITY INFERNAL after I said I wanted to work on horror descriptions. If I had to put the book under the MICE method, I'd have to stick it under Milieu (where and when/setting and time period). This story focuses on Mephistopolis, which is basically Hell as a city.

CITY INFERNAL certainly gave me plenty of help in horror writing. It also gave me some things to think about in terms of ideas and themes. The story centers on Cassie, a goth teenager, who goes to Hell to find her twin sister, Lissa. Lissa committed suicide after finding Cassie kissing a guy she liked. Guilt-ridden, Cassie is determined to find Lissa to apologize and possibly even save her. I wish Lee had allowed us to get to know the sisters more before putting Cassie on this journey. The suicide was a jolt that happened right away in chapter one, and I'm all for starting things off as quickly as possible, but I never got to know Lissa or understand her actions for killing the guy and herself. All we know of Lissa is from Cassie.

Since Cassie and Lissa are twins, it raises an interesting dilemma. Lissa's soul is in Hell, but Cassie is still alive on Earth. It makes Cassie an Etheress. She can see living souls and that is how she meets Via, Xeke, and Hush. The three living souls help Cassie into Hell and find Lissa. The idea of having a shared soul is something I am also exploring SOUL DAMAGE. My character Holly's twin brother, David, was killed by the soul chaser. Since Holly is still alive, she can feel David's soul and is able to track the chaser through that connection. Later on, Nick and Serenity are linked by one soul, which causes great conflict when Serenity's magic becomes too dangerous for both of them.

The soul comes into play when Lucifer finds out about Cassie and wants to use her to return to Earth. I also play with this same idea with the Deceiver trying to use Serenity as a vessel to become more powerful.

Cassie also comes into her powers, and as Xeke put it, “In Hell, agony is product, pain is a fuel source.” (177) and Via says later on, “An outburst of emotions will amplify your aura. You can project violence with your thoughts...” (225) With my own magic system, the power comes from within as well. The stronger the emotion (like anger, sadness, desperation), the stronger the magic. At the same time, as the magic grows, they are still blinded by that emotion and are not thinking clearly. As the writer, I realize for my characters it's a constant battle to maintain some order and balance, that their power is also their weakness.

Mike also suggested I try to find some own inspiration for my demonology. Lee uses Christianity as his basis incorporating familiar names like Lilith and Lucifer. An interesting twist that Lee did was bring in Ezoriel, also a fallen angel and once an ally of Lucifer, but he now wants to stop Lucifer. He's a sort of “terrorist” in Hell. In Cassie's words, Ezoriel looks like “Brad Pitt,” which was a pleasant surprise, but then again, he was an angel once. Sidenote: I think Lee did a good job with Cassie's voice as a teenage girl.

It reminded me of my own war between the Cyans and Nighthawks, even with the “good Cyans” and the “bad Cyans”/chasers. For Nick and Serenity and the rest of the hunters, they're the ones caught up in someone else's war.

I'm trying to incorporate some of my own culture into SOUL DAMAGE especially with the soul and the spirit. Right now, Serenity is on a spiritual journey to find her mother's lost soul. In the Hmong culture, to free the lost soul from the evil being, Serenity must make a deal, and the deal she makes will start a chain reaction.

While reading CITY INFERNAL, I tried to understand Cassie's motivation. I realize the book is more about the setting rather than the characters, but I read for the characters. I tried to relate Nick and Serenity to what Cassie was doing for Lissa. In CABAL, the question was, “What are you willing to do for love?” And like CABAL, I didn't get a good grasp on the characters to find a right answer. Lissa took her own life--that's basically all we know about her. Cassie feels guilty about it--that's all we know that about. Again, I wish Lee had taken more time to develop the sisters, then I would understand why Cassie would literally go through Hell to find Lissa.

Overall, CITY INFERNAL gave me more insight on character motivation. I hope Nick's and Serenity's actions are in character for them. I've tried hard to establish their relationship with each other and with their family so that readers can understand why they do the things they do. As far as horror descriptions, it's helped out on that too, but I don't think I'll get as gory as Lee. In SOUL DAMAGE, the real horror will stem from the characters especially with Nick and Serenity and the choices they make.

CABAL by Clive Barker

2008-08-21T01:55:57Z

CABAL by Clive Barker
Amazon link

I was interested in reading CABAL because it mixed horror with romance--two things don't seem to go together, but at the same time, they provoke such strong emotions. In SOUL DAMAGE, I also want to mix horror with romance. While reading CABAL, I wanted to see how Barker wrote the two genres as one.

CABAL asks the question, “What are you willing to do for love?” Boone is a man seeking treatment for his psychological behavior. He has been accused of murdering at least 11 people, but he doesn't remember any of his actions. His doctor, Decker, has been trying to help him along the way, when he is the actual killer. There's also Lori, Boone's girlfriend, who he left behind. It is Lori who tracks Boone down and finds out about the Nightbreed.

When Boone is killed and resurrected by Midian magic, he becomes a member of the Nightbreed--creatures who live underground and feed on flesh. He becomes a monster like Decker, but he makes sure to tell the doctor “Not your kind of monster. Not the soulless kind” (89) Boone still thinks of himself as a man struggling with the monster inside. When he finds Lori again, it's her humanity that anchors him. In SOUL DAMAGE, Nick and Serenity are both struggling with the consequences of magic. Like Boone and Lori, they are each other's anchors, but they also pull each other down.

The Nightbreed mythology was also interesting to read and study. I am still trying to feel out my own mythology. In this rewrite, I am focusing more on the Cyans, the group of magic-users that teach hunters how to use their magic. There's an underlying power struggle with the Cyans and the chasers and the Deceiver, and the hunters are caught right in between them. Nick and Serenity are like Boone where they have to hang on to that piece of humanity they have left in order to prevent themselves from turning into monsters.

My mentor, Mike, told me to pay attention to Barker's descriptions and after reading CABAL, it's going to be hard to imitate. There was one line, “The sun rose like a stripper, keeping its glory well covered by cloud till it seemed there'd be no show at all, then casting off its rags one by one” (109) that made me stop because I was so impressed with it. Actually, I'm kind of in love with it. I definitely have to go through my own pages and see where I can add touches like that.

The only thing I would criticize about CABAL is the characterization. Even though it's a short novel, I never got a firm grasp on Boone or Lori. I knew they had a previous relationship, but I didn't see enough of it to buy that Lori would go through so much to find him and stay with him especially after finding out about the Nightbreed. In the end, Lori kills herself in order for Boone to turn her into Nightbreed. I didn't feel any impact from it and it almost felt like a cliché, where the lover is resurrected so they can be together forever. So, I was a little disappointed with the “love story.” Although I do have to say, I did pay attention to see the sex scene. I've been going back and forth with that in SOUL DAMAGE--should I, shouldn't I? I guess if Barker can do it, I can too. The one thing I liked about that moment was when Lori asked Boone to forgive himself (160). That was some good insight there. Characterization is something I worked on last term, and I think I have a better handle on it this time around. My characters are more active, likeable, and real. I want readers to believe in their stories.

The one thing I enjoyed was having Decker as a POV character. Getting into the villain's head helped me see him as a more-rounded character. That is also something I am working on this term. My former mentor, Anne, suggested I get inside my villain's head and kind of plan ahead so that I know what my heroes are fighting against. Although I am not writing from the villain's POV, I should still know what he is up to.

Back to the question on top, Nick and Serenity also have to ask themselves, “What are you willing to do for love?” It's something I have brought up time after time, draft after draft. It's not just about Nick and Serenity, but also about family and other loved ones. I gave Nick and Serenity family because I wanted there to be something to fight for, something to protect. When those loved ones are in danger, I want to see them react. As far as Nick and Serenity go, I definitely want to amp up their love story, and with what I have in mind, it's not going to be a conservative tale either.

Reading a horror book put me back in my game, I guess you can say. It's been awhile since I read a horror book, which is why I put several other horror novels on my reading list. It's going to help me in descriptions and creating memorable vivid imagery. It also gave me some ideas on dealing with monsters and human nature. I always liked playing with the duality of both sides.

This was my first time reading Barker, and overall, I think he did the horror right (I picked up the book, read the first few pages, then got so freaked out it took me about two more weeks to pick up the book again), but the romance part was a little weak. If their characterizations were stronger, I think their love story would have worked better.

THE CURSE OF CHALION by Lois McMaster Bujold

2008-05-02T00:19:07Z

THE CURSE OF CHALION
by Lois McMaster Bujold
Amazon link

Anne recommended me this book after I described to her how I wanted Nick to be a hero, but at the same time, he was dealing with the darkness inside him--literally and metaphorically.

I wasn't sure of the book because it seemed like high fantasy to me and I don't usually read high fantasy. It took me a bit to get into it, but then I started noticing similarities between the main character, Cazaril, and with Nick.

Cazaril is a secretary-tutor to a royal girl. The family is cursed, and it is up to Cazaril to protect the girl. When she is set to be married to an older unlikable man, Dondo, Cazaril attempts to perform death magic in order to kill the man. Instead, the death demon, which Cazaril conjured, gets stuck inside him along with Dondo's spirit because the Royesse Iselle also said a prayer at the same moment. It seems like the only way to free both spirits is if Cazaril died.

This scenario also applies to Nick. I didn't realize how similar Nick and Cazaril was. Nick is also dealing with dark magic that is stuck inside him and it wants out like the demon and Dondo's spirit. They both torment Cazaril. I took note of how it affected Cazaril. He shook, vomited, his belly cramped--things that I could also apply to Nick's health as he dealt with the magic inside him. As I go back and revise, I will be more aware of Nick's body and make it as awful as I can so that the reader will understand the pain he is going through.

I also learned more on what makes a hero from Cazaril. Even though he is dealing with the spirits inside him, he is also worried about the curse of Chalion and how it affects Iselle. He's more concerned about her than himself at times. As a way to free Iselle from the curse, Cazaril's idea is for her to wed a member of another royal family, a boy named Bergon. As Cazaril meets with Bergon and tries to arrange the marriage he thinks, “Please let me live to see this curse lifted from Iselle.” Even though his life is in danger, he is still more worried about Iselle and tries to find help for her. Nick is also far more concerned about those around him than himself. Both men seem to put others before themselves, which may result in consequences for them. Then again, it also shows them as heroes. They want to play the role of protector even though their loved ones protest against it.

There is also another scene with Cazaril and Betriz (a love interest and someone who also takes care of Iselle): “While you have spent yourself trying to save Iselle, have you discovered how to save yourself?” He was silent a moment, then said simply, “No.”

Again, it shows how Cazaril is thinking more about others than himself. I liked the way it was phrased too with him simply saying no as though there was no other answer to give. Later, Betriz asks why he is not concerned since he may not have enough time.

“It's not the shortage of time.” He shifted miserably. “It's the abundance of company. Think of us alone--you, me, Dondo, the death demon...am I not a horror to you?”

Cazaril is doing the same thing that Nick is doing to Serenity. He is pushing Bertriz away in order to protect her. He is wondering why she would want to be with him. Cazaril's relationship with Bertriz is a nice touch of romance in an otherwise dark book about magic and mayhem. I like that she is there to sort of balance him out and act as an anchor.

In the book, we find out Iselle's marriage to Bergon does not end the curse. In fact, the curse has now fallen onto Bergon. It turns out that Cazaril may be the key to ending the curse. Based on a saying, a man who dies three times for the house may end it. During a battle scene in the ending, Cazaril is stabbed with a sword. The description here is great: “the crackling blue-white sparks,” “white and black and red whirled together,” and “Cazaril's mind exploded.” This will be a good model for me when I look at my last pages too because Nick goes through a similar experience. Cazaril feels the death demon and Dondo escape, but he also accepts that he is dying. He is finally free and he may have also saved Iselle.

Cazaril doesn't die, but he is no longer haunted by the demon or Dondo's spirit, and the curse has been lifted. The last passage I noted was when Bertiz comes to see him after the fight and they kiss.

He eased his head back. “All right.” He did not add, That's enough, because it wasn't.

Something about that moment just warmed me up and put a smile on my face. Throughout this book, Cazaril was a likable character. Something I was struggling with was trying to make Nick likable too. To me, Cazaril might not have made the right choices; he might have messed up, but at least you still liked the guy. It's those little private moments that make the difference. It's why I give Nick time with his family and with Serenity. I want to see him act loving and caring despite his role as a demon hunter and his situation with the dark magic.

Overall, I found myself enjoying the book once I saw the similarities between Cazaril and Nick. I learned about creating a hero, how to make him likable, and how to deal with the consequences of dark magic.

THE FANTASTIC by Tzvetan Todorov

2008-04-10T01:11:19Z

THE FANTASTIC
By Tzvetan Todorov
Amazon link

When I first opened this book, I was a little intimidated by the text. The copyright date is 1973 and it was originally published in French. I wondered how much of it I could apply to SOUL DAMAGE. Once I started reading though, I found many interesting themes that did apply to my writing. In this journal entry, I'll touch upon the passages that I think will come in useful for me and my characters.

In chapter two, Todorov defines “the fantastic.” He said the very heart of the world is “our world” whether it involves the supernatural or not. He said, “The person who experiences the event must opt for of two possible solutions: either is the victim of an illusion...or the event has indeed taken place.” In SD, the supernatural world is very much true. There is magic, vampires, werewolves, demons, etc. The fantastic also should always a level of uncertainty and there are plenty of those moments in SD. Even though the supernatural activities in Nick's world are very much real to him, there is definitely uncertainty on the pages.

Todorov also said, “The hero continually and distinctly feels the contradiction between the two worlds, that of the real and that of the fantastic...” Like I mentioned, Nick knows the fantastic exists in his world, but when we meet him in SD, he is without his magic, and when that magic comes back into play, he is once again stuck in between two worlds. I want to readers to understand that struggle and that duality in Nick. In the fantastic, an event has to occur which reason can no longer explain. For Nick, that would be the return of his magic. These “unexpected coincidences” as Todorov calls them also connect to the mysterious string of hunters' deaths.

Todorov said the fantastic has to fulfill three conditions, which all tie into hesitation. The reader has to experience the character's hesitation. Todorov calls it “naive reading,” where the reader identifies with the character--mainly his hesitation. I agree with this observation because even though I am the writer, at times, I don't know where the story is taking me, just like Nick and just like the reader, so there is hesitation on my part as well.

Along with hesitation, Todorov said “all supernatural stories are stories of fear.” It's supposed to make readers wonder and it ties in with hesitation. It's the common link between the reader and the characters. Todorov said “the fantastic therefore leads a life full of dangers.” In SD, I try to make these elements stand out. I want there to be fear, hesitation, and dangers. Todorov and I both agree that all of that is necessary to show the descriptions of certain reactions especially in fear.

Another emotion that Todorov talks about is doubt. He said the fantastic requires doubt. The readers do not doubt the narrator's testimonies as Todorov says, but instead they “seek with him a rational explanation.” “A character can lie, the narrator must not,” Todorov said. That goes hand in hand with point of view. Since we are in Nick's POV, we are experiencing everything just as he is so I know Nick cannot lie or else he will be lying to the readers as well. I don't want him to be an unreliable narrator. I want the reader alongside with him and able to trust him, resulting in being able to trust me as the writer.

Todorov also explains the functions of the fantastic. First, the fantastic is able to produce several effects to the reader (fear, horror, curiosity). Second, the narration should maintain suspense (I guess this is where the “tension on every page” would apply). Third, the fantastic permits the description of a fantastic universe. These functions create the themes seen in the genre. Todorov touches on how these supernatural creatures like vampires, werewolves, ghosts, etc. represent certain themes. For example, a vampire may be a symbol of personality. These images are used to create the themes and they are “limitless and do not obey rigorous laws.” Todorov said, “To classify vampires together, for instance, implies that the vampires always signifies the same thing.” This is especially true in the genre lately because the bookshelves are lined up with books about vampires, werewolves, etc., but they do not all tell the same story or share the same themes. I hope with SD I can still set myself apart from the other books in the genre.

Chapter seven focuses on the themes of self. Todorov talks about metamorphosis. It can be literal, where a human can shift into another creature, but it can also mean a single person struggling with another part of himself. For Nick, it's the part of himself that wants to be magic-free struggling with the part of him that still needs the magic. I also have Quincy, a Nighthawk, who deals with the man outside and the hawk inside. Todorov also brings up an interesting note that the one constant in fantastic literature is that there are beings in existence more powerful than men. It's a very strong statement and one I never really thought about, but I had been writing about for a long time now. Nick is constantly struggling for control, but given that statement, sometimes he must give up that power, that control, and let those who are really in charge take over. Then, we can see what Nick is made of as he tries to fight back.

In chapter eight, Todorov writes about the themes of the other. Todorov discusses how human beings rather than supernatural forces are the “bad guys.” He said violence and cruelty are linked to desires. These desires represent the relations between human beings. This theme is brought up in SD as the villain, Aaron, is consumed with his desire to steal Nick's magic. Aaron is a human man, but it's his desire to misuse his powers that cause him to become evil. Even Nick struggles with the darkness inside himself. When pushed to the edge, he may end up like Aaron and that is what he fears the most.

In the book's last chapter, Todorov sums it up for me with “the reader and the hero, as we have seen, must decide if a certain event or phenomenon belongs to reality or to imagination, that is determine whether it is real or not. It is therefore the category of real which has furnished the basis for our definition of the fantastic.” He goes on to say, “no sooner have we become aware of this fact, than we must come to a halt--amazed.” It's that “amazed” feeling that makes the story you're reading “fantastic.” Todorov said literature is to “go beyond,” and with fantastic fiction that is exactly what you get.

Overall, I found myself learning more than I thought about the genre. This book will come in handy when I have to write my genre paper.

DUSK by Tim Lebbon

2008-03-16T18:45:52Z

DUSK
By Tim Lebbon
Amazon link

DUSK was recommended to me from another SHU student after I told her I was writing about magic in my thesis. I checked out the book on Amazon and read the synopsis. Normally, I don't read high fantasy, but DUSK focused on dark magic and the world seemed interesting. Since I was having a hard time with writing magic and setting up the rules of magic, I decided to put DUSK on my reading list.

My main character, Nick, received magic from a group of sorcerers called Cyans. I thought reading DUSK would provide me with insight on how I should write the Cyans. In DUSK, the land of Noreela has been without magic since a war wiped it out, but there are those who want to resurrect and those who want it to stay gone. Magic returns in the form of a farm boy named Rafe. Even though that came off as a cliché to me, I thought it was interesting to see how different people reacted to him. A fellowship made up of a female warrior, a witch, a thief, a miner, and a librarian vow to protect him. The Mages are hunting Rafe in order to bring back magic. The Red Monks are hunting Rafe to kill him so that magic doesn't return.

For me, the villains were the most interesting characters. I tried to compare the Cyans (the “good guys”) with the soul chasers (the “bad guys,” who are Cyans who turned to dark magic). DUSK gave me great ideas on creating a history for the Cyans and where their magic came. This will also help Nick on his journey on the benefits and consequences of magic. It wasn't until I read DUSK that I realized I didn't know much about the Cyans. I had to make them come alive as well even though they were not in the book as much as the other characters. Essentially, the Cyans are the ones who made Nick who he is magic-wise and without Nick, there would be no book.

The villains in their owns ways had their own reasonings for their motives. The Monks were after Rafe because they wanted to stop the Mages from obtaining the magic. The Mages abused magic: “They turned magic from good to bad; from aiding everyday life, to raising the dead; from keeping the balance, to tipping the natural world on its side.” The Mages created machines that were controlled my magic. These machines were used for battles and in the war. I thought the machines were a creative invention. Another indication of Lebbon's creativity are the Mages. They ride on giant hawks in the battle scene at the end, I loved the imagery of these hawks swooping down and flying in the air.

Throughout the story, Rafe seems to be denial that he is magic reborn again despite this prophecy, but when A'Meer is hurt during a fight with a Monk, Rafe uses magic to heal her. What they don't know is that Alishia, the librarian, has been possessed by a “shadow being” from the Mages. When it sees Rafe use magic, it sets off an alarm, which leads to the big battle at the ending.

The ending involved the fellowship, the Red Monks, and the Mages. Now that the magic is back, the machines also come back to life. Everything seems hopeless and it is because the Mages manage to capture Rafe. Lebbon actually has the Mages kill Rafe and obtain magic once again. Yes, the good guys lose at the end, but there is a sequel. Knowing that, the book read like HYPERION, where we have this built up and then when we reach the end, there is more to the story.

Something that clicked for me with the book was that magic was its own character. I never approached magic that way before in my writing. Magic is a character! That gives it so much more insight and makes it much more stronger for me. I need to approach the subject of magic as though it was a character--give it life, let it breathe, form, and develop.

After reading DUSK, I was able to outline a bit about the Cyans and the chasers. The history of their magic will come into play later on in SOUL DAMAGE.

I was also able to formulate some more thoughts on dark magic and the consequences of magic. That's something I've wanted to play up as a major theme in SD. Magic can consume people, turn them into ugly creatures, and that's something I want Nick to struggle with. In the first book, SOUL HARVEST, we met the chasers (the result of Cyans turning to dark magic) and the Deceiver (the leader that swayed those Cyans away). These elements will also appear later in SD.

Overall, I think I did learn a bit about magic especially the dark side of it. The most important thing I learned was magic is a character. I should treat it as one. I hope it makes a difference in the end and especially with the rewrite.

STORM FRONT by Jim Butcher

2008-02-25T00:29:29Z

STORM FRONT
by Jim Butcher
Amazon link

This has to be said first. I can honestly say if I had read this book last year, it would have saved me a lot of trouble on trying to learn how to write magic. Every writer has their own magic system, but after finishing STORM FRONT, I knew Butcher's system was very similar to mine (or least what I had in my head). I have him to thank for that. It's nice to know I have someone to look at as a resource and guide.

I knew about Butcher's books--that they were from a male POV, a male who also dabbled in magic like Nick in my book. I think it was the first-person POV as well as the “wizard” thing that didn't make me pick up Butcher before, but going into this term, I knew magic was something I wanted to learn from other writers so I put Butcher on my reading list.

STORM FRONT welcomes the reader into the world of Harry Dresden, Chicago wizard and private investigator. I thought the first-person POV might turn me off, but Harry's voice was so nice and relaxed that it pulled me right in. At times it did get too chatty and conversational, but the tone didn't bother me. By the end of the book, I sort of had a crush on Harry.

Anyway, I read the book to learn about magic and I did learn. I made notes on so many passages and scenes that could help me in my writing. In some ways, Harry and Nick (my protag) are similar, not only in how they channel magic, but just in their mannerisms and the way they speak and handle things. Harry is a guy-guy. He notices pretty girls, knows how to handle himself, pretty smart and resourceful, and he doesn't back down from a challenge or fight.

Through some secondary characters, we also understand Harry's other side, where he cares about the people in his life. Something I am working on is adding more heroic qualities to Nick, and I learned some of those things from Harry. In one scene, Susan (a potential love interest) comes over to Harry's place and at the same time, a demon comes after him. His goal is to protect Susan. Oh, I also have to mention, he just stepped out of the shower and is naked during this time. Haha. While the demon is after them, Harry and Susan go to the basement and he makes Susan drink a potion that will teleport her out of the place, but Susan ends up drinking the wrong potion--a love potion. Susan starts making advances at Harry, but Harry politely turns her down, knowing it's the potion working and at the same time, he understands there is still a demon after them. Exhausted and naked, he still manages to use magic to get rid of the demon and save himself and Susan.

The magic scenes were also great. I know my crit group wants me to improve on my magic writing and get a better grasp on how my magic system works and after reading Butcher, I think I do now. We both handle magic in almost the same way and I hope in my upcoming submissions, it shows that I have improved or that I know how my magic system works and that is translated onto the page.

One magic scene that totally made me sit up and take notes was between Harry and another demon . Again, someone else Harry cares about is in danger--Murphy, a cop that uses Harry for his assistance when they deal with the supernatural. Not only does Harry have to make sure he and Murphy get out alive, but Harry has to get rid of another demon. The demon is in the shape of a huge scorpion and as Harry and Murphy get into the elevator shaft of his apartment building, the insect comes after them, landing on top of the elevator. Without his staff, Harry can't focus his power, but Harry channels his magic using the elevator instead. He places his palms on the elevator floor and sends the elevator flying up, squashing the scorpion. It wasn't just the magic that made me note that scene; it was Harry thinking on his toes during a time of crisis. It showed me he was intelligent and resourceful and knew what to do under pressure.

Harry uses chants, spells, and potions for his magic, but it was the way he used magic from inside him that made me think of how similar my system is to Butcher's. In one part, Harry explains that “the energy from magic comes from a lot of places...a special place (usually some spectacular natural site...), from a focus of some kind (like Stonehedge...), or from inside of people. The best magic comes from inside. Sometimes it's just pure mental effort. Sometimes it's emotions and feelings.” I automatically went, “YES!” In my head, that's also how my magic works, but I know I had a hard time communicating it to my crit group. I have to remind myself that even though I see it and understand it, it doesn't always appear the same way for a reader.

At the climax scene, Harry's anger and fury channels his magic and it almost seems like it will go out of control. This is something Nick is going to have to go through too at the end. Will they let magic take over? During that scene, Harry struggles to “see clear of the anger, the hate, the deep lust that burned within (him) for vengeance and retribution. That wasn't what magic was for. That wasn't what magic did...A man's magic demonstrates what sort of person he is...There is no truer gauge of a man's character than the way in which he employs his strength, his power.” Harry realizes his magic is not meant to destroy, but to protect, mend, and help. I have to give Harry credit for being able to see that during a time when he is tested. I hope Nick is able to see that too when he under that same circumstance.

Another interesting aspect of the book is a drug called ThreeEye that supposedly makes its users be able to see the spirit world. Only wizards are allowed to have the Third Eye, but if humans take them, they go through hallucinations and can be dangerous. Something I am still working with is my own drug, Daymare. I'm still unsure how much of a part I want Daymre to play in the book and with the plot. At first, I wanted to make it a big part, but as the story progressed, it was not really about the drug anymore. Butcher didn't talk about ThreeEye a lot, but it does come up and now and then and it turns up again at the ending battle scene. I have to agree with that structure because that is something I am thinking about doing in my own book.

Overall, this book was great and enjoyable. It was a fun, easy read, and it taught me a lot about writing magic especially since its magic system is pretty similar to mine. Let's hope it comes through in my future submissions.

CHARACTERS, EMOTIONS AND VIEWPOINT by Nancy Kress

2008-02-25T00:27:12Z

CHARACTERS, EMOTIONS AND VIEWPOINT
by Nancy Kress
Amazon link

When Anne told me I had to work on Nick's characterization, I knew was in trouble. Usually, I think I do a good job on characters, but since last term, I was working on description and setting, maybe my characterization took a backseat. This term, I had to get back into the game.

I decided to check out CHARACTERS, EMOTIONS AND VIEWPOINT because I had always wanted to read a how-to book by Kress. I also purchased BEGINNINGS, MIDDLES AND ENDS by her as well. Something to read before the rewrite, possibly.

In the first few pages, Kress asks us to consider these things in a character: what sparks your imagination, which character appeals most to you, whether you want to focus on a changer or stayer, and who could progress through an emotional arc you want to portray. I've always been drawn to creating characters with a lot of angst and layers. These characters have many sides and some of them are dark, but I always try to make them understandable so readers will sympathize with them. Since Nick will be going down a dark path, I have tried to set him as a good person before hand. The main word is “tried.” I want him to be likable, but the Nick in my head is a hothead, an asshole, and maybe even a jerk from time to time. How in the hell does any of that sound likable? Right now, I am trying to take Anne's advice and add some heroic qualities to him--a little here and there to remind the readers he's the good guy and you want to root for him.

So what do I have to work on? Nick's motivation for one thing. Kress says give your character two desires, that creates conflict. I couldn't agree more. It makes the characters more complex as well. In SOUL DAMAGE, Nick's two main desires is to have Serenity return to hunting and to find out who is responsible for the missing hunters. Those two desires bring out what Kress says are values, choices, and attitudes. When the magic returns, Nick has to make a choice on protecting Serenity but also on how that magic can possibly solve the case of the missing hunters. His desires to have Serenity return to hunting might be too dangerous, but he also risks himself by using magic to protect her. That sacrifice shows something about Nick's character.

Kress has a great chapter that deals entirely with frustration, which she calls the most useful emotion in fiction. She says without frustration, there can be no plot. Nick is frustrated when Serenity doesn't want to hunt. Nick is frustrated when he can solve the missing hunters case. Nick is frustrated when he doesn't know why his magic has returned. Nick is frustrated when he might have to turn to Daymare and Quincy for help. Although it's great to have frustration, I know I get frustrated as the writer when I can't get my characters in check with their emotions, thoughts, and reactions. Anne mentioned how I seem to throw a lot of ups and downs to my characters in a matter of a few paragraphs. It's too much too soon and I never realized I was doing that. I know now to slow it down and handle one bit of frustration one at a time rather than have Nick deal with the magic, Serenity, Daymare all in the same section. It works better with planning and it doesn't confuse my readers.

In Kress's POV character, she wants us to consider for POV characters: who will be hurt by the action, who can be present at the climax, who gets most of the good scenes, who will provide an interesting outlook on the story, and whose head are you most interested in inhabiting during this story. Since SOUL DAMAGE is a sequel, it is told from Nick's POV. Book one, SOUL HARVEST, was told from Serenity's POV. I wavered back and forth if I wanted to make both books from Nick and Serenity's POV, but that would really change things and add more work. In the end, I think I can still tell both stories from one POV in both books--just by answering those questions Kress raised. SOUL DAMAGE is Nick's book. It's his story arc, his journey, and his time to shine and grow.

In addition to choosing your POV character, we also have to choose in what POV--first, second, or third person. I chose third person, not only because it's what I'm most comfortable with, but also because of some of the advantages Kress pointed out. I can describe things from the outside and I'm not limited to the narrator's viewpoint. Although I'm only writing from Nick's POV, I can still get outside of his head. One of the most important ones is that I can withhold information. By focusing on Nick, I have better opportunities to write surprises and reveals that wouldn't have been guessed.

All together, the book focused on four things: characters, emotion, POV, and writing. The biggest thing I learned was how to handle Nick's motivations. It goes back to those two desires. Nick should also remember he is being pulled into different directions. He wants one thing, but he can't have it without giving up the other. Nick (and I) have to understand that and make sure he makes the right choice. If he does make the wrong choice, we have to follow through and have him suffer the consequences, but also realize the mistake. By working on what Nick really wants, I will have a better grasp on Nick's character and what I want him to appear on the page. Then maybe that will make him more likable and more of a hero.

SHU second residency recap

2008-01-20T21:49:12Z

No longer a newbie, but I still felt like the new kid at residency. This time around it was a much more relaxed, probably because I knew what I was doing and how each day was going to go. Long days, long nights--sleep? What sleep?

Jan. 4: I flew out this time because it was winter and I didn't want to drive in the snow or anything. And of course we ended up having such great weather. The flight was fine even though my layover in Milwaukee ended up being two hours instead of one because the plane coming in from Pittsburgh was running late. Me and the Pittsburgh airport have issues. They lost my luggage back when I was coming back from Odyssey two summers ago and my flight ended up being delayed for hours--not fun. Anyway, so, I ended up spending some time in Milwaukee reading and people-watching. I had a nice window seat and watched the planes come in and dock and the airport ground workers do their thing. I started getting this story idea about a person who worked on the ground landing the planes, but he had never flew before. Just an idea.

I finally made my way to Pittsburgh and the first person from the group I saw was Traci. She was graduating this term. We made our way to baggage claim and met the rest of the group at this cafe in the airport. We were still waiting for a few more of the girls. While we were waiting, we listened to some story pitches. Donald Maass of The Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York City was our guest speaker this term and he was going to listen to some pitches. When the rest of the girls arrived, we went to get our rental cars. It was fun catching up with Calie especially. We made it to Greensburg, home to Seton Hill University, in about an hour. We checked into the Hampton Inn and relaxed for a little bit before we went out to eat. Supposedly a bunch of students were going to Red Robin, but our group opted for Chili's instead. It might be this tradition thing.

Orientation was at 7 so we headed to campus and met the rest of the students in the library. It was great seeing everyone again. We also ran into Jeanne (Odyssey director) who was there as a reviewer. It was like having a mini-Odyssey reunion. We also hung out with Susan (Odyssey adminstrator) during the week too.

After orientation, the Odyssey gang went to Panera Bread with Jeanne. We were out for a couple hours just talking about everything. I loved it.

Got back to the hotel close to 10 p.m. I think. Showered, got ready for classes tomorrow, went to bed.

Jan. 5: Our required reading this term was BET ME by Jennifer Cruise. We were broken up into discussion groups and spend the morning talking about the romance genre and the book. I liked the book--easy, light read, kind of like watching romantic comedies. Of course, there were the critics who hated it, but then again, that's the whole point of required readings every term. We get to read other genres and discuss them.

After lunch, I was in my first workshop “Function, Framework, and Formula: The Infrastructure of Story” with Anne Harris. Anne is also my mentor. The workshop was great and I learned a lot. She borrowed some of the lecture from TECHNIQUES OF THE SELLING WRITER by Dwight Swain (a book I had to read last term). Anne did a marvelous job teaching and she had a great writing exercise to share with us. I'm pretty lucky to have her as my mentor!

After dinner, there were thesis readings. Each graduating student has to read a part of their novel (their thesis) for about 20 minutes and answer questions from their mentors and audience. I went to two that night including Traci's.

I also got to see first-hand Gary Braunbeck introduce one of the graduating students he mentored (and it was an awesome intro) and people are already telling me to request Gary for my second-year mentor (we get to pick them that time). I'm going to have to think about that some more.

Afterwards, we went out to celebrate Traci's thesis reading and went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse where I stuffed my face with a lot food.

Jan. 6: First day of critiques. I had to do three that morning. Business as usual. Our facilitator was Leslie Guccione and I really liked the stuff she had to say and I think she might be another person I want as mentor.

After lunch, my workshop was “Avoid Cliches and Embrace Tropes: How to Enliven Plots in SF/F/H” with Toby Buckell. It was a fun and interesting time, and it definitely helped in how to break away from cliches.

After dinner, it was time for mentor meetings, where we meet with them for our one-on-ones and draw up a contract for the new term. I was the first to meet with Anne. She gave me great feedback on my first term. I also loved seeing her reaction when she talked about my synopsis (that's in my project approval). I think she's looking forward to the twists and turns I have planned! She sounds pretty positive with my work and she thinks I can finish my first draft by May. So, hey, guess what my term goal is? Yup. Finish the draft. So, I have to put in 200 more pages (that's about 50,000 more words) in order to pass my term. I also have to submit 50 pages a month as opposed to 30, which was my goal last term. That's 20 more pages, but I gotta if I want to reach 200 by May. I keep telling myself I've done NaNo twice and won both times so yeah, 50,000 words--whatever. Then, I remember, this isn't like NanNo! This is school! I also have to work on characterization this term. Last one was description and setting.

This term I also have five new books on my reading list: CHARACTERS, EMOTION, AND VIEWPOINT by Nancy Kress; STORMFRONT by Jim Butcher; DUSK by Tim Lebbon; CURSE OF CHALION by Lois McMaster Bujold; and one more critical text that I still need to pick out.

That night was also the wine social. It was a really fun time, mostly because I knew more people. Calie and another good buddy, Erica, are in charge of it next term because Traci is graduating. This year our theme was masquerade. Next term we are probably moving away from the hotel and going to an instructor's place. I can't wait for that. It will be outside in June and she says she has a nice party house. Now all I have to wonder is what Calie and Erica pick for the theme :)

Jan. 7: More crits in the morning.

Lunch was with our crit partners and that was with Calie and Shara so it was like no biggie. Haha. It seems like we will be doing a lot of writing and reading this term. Shara needs to graduate and both Calie and I would like to finish our draft this term.

The workshop after lunch was “Using Personal Experience” with Dr. Al Wendland. He usually uses Powerpoint and gives us great handouts.

After dinner were more thesis presentations. Michele's was this night. We went out again to celebrate this time to Red Lobster. I ended up taking most of my pasta back to the hotel because I ordered too much. You know how it is when you order something huge because you're hungry, then you get the actual food and you're like, “Too much.” It made a nice lunch the next day.

Jan. 8: More crits in the morning.

After lunch was the first session with Donald Maass. We all gathered in an auditorium. Maass made us do a ton of writing exercises, but they were all excellent. I learned a lot about my main character, Nick--stuff that I wanted to put down on paper, but had no idea how. We went for three hours, then took a dinner break.

At this time, people who were signed up to pitch in front of Maass had to do that too. In my group we had Shara, Sherry, Michele, Traci, and Aubrey.

Calie, Erica, me, and a couple more girls went to Wal-Mart and then dinner at Panera Bread. We got back to campus and found out Maass had asked for the first 50 pages of all the people who pitched. All they had to do was mention they pitched to him at SHU and they were past the door. Must be nice to not have to deal with the slush pile and stuff.

So, it was time for part two of Maass. We did more exercises, this time dealing with tension. He took a few writing samples from the audience and we worked with those. Again, it was one of those--oh, so this is how I put that on paper!

After the lecture, we had a book signing and reception. More wine and more socializing. Calie, Erica, and I spent some time out on the balcony. It's become our thing to do that at every reception :)

Jan. 9: The last day of residency.

I started out with a point of view module with Tim Esaias. Another excellent workshop.

After lunch, it was finally my turn to get my short story critiqued. I submitted a sort of horror/erotica piece with a male vampire and female bounty hunter. I was nervous because omg! Sex! And no one else had read it was pretty much in it's first draft state. Fortunately, a lot of the feedback I got was good. I mean, you know it's gotta be good when the biggest compliant was “More sex!” Hah. And one of the students said she read some of the sex scenes to her husband to get his opinion if it was sexy/hot or not and the husband said it was! Haha. That's pretty awesome. I also think I told the story from the wrong person's POV. I don't know when I'll get to the rewrite, but I will let it sit for a bit.

Later that afternoon it was time for graduation. Yea! Michele and Traci!

And I have to post this picture. One of the student's brought their son. I loved his mohawk! Jensen Ackles/Ten Inch Hero--eat your heart out!

Once that was over, Calie, Erica, and I went back to the hotel and we ordered sushi. It's another residency tradition.

We finally got to veg out with TV and good food, then we went and hung out with more people in the hotel lobby.

Jan. 10: Time to go home. Calie got a ride to the airport with Erica. I rode with the group and I was the first to fly out so we spent some time talking and waiting for me to take off.

The flight home was easy and had no problems.

So, yeah, another residency done with. I finally feel like I am caught up with sleep now. When I got back to work, I was so off. Must have been the holidays, then residency back to back that wiped me out.

Next residency we are doing fantasy and our required reading is THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA by Scott Lynch. No news yet on the guest speaker.

I will probably drive there in June, but with gas prices, will it make a difference? Haha.

Wish me luck this term as I finish my first draft!

ON WRITING HORROR

2007-10-20T00:32:13Z

ON WRITING HORROR
Edited by Mort Castle
Amazon link

This was a reread for me since I already owned the book. It was a nice refresher now that I could apply what I’ve learned from my first term at SHU and connect it with the essays in this collection.

ON WRITING HORROR has an array of articles written by a great assembly of horror writers including SHU’s own Michael Arzen on “Horror in Higher Education” and Odyssey workshop director Jeanne Cavelos’s “Innovation in Horror” (I’m a graduate of Odyssey). I’m going to discuss the essays that I think can help me with SOUL DAMAGE.

Wayne Allen Sallee’s “Mirror, Mirror” talks about taking your reality, your real world, and putting into your fiction. Sallee lives in Chicago and finds his ideas on the news. He takes his life experiences and applies it to his writing. He makes note on odd characters, certain events he hears about--and puts himself in those shoes, in that picture.

Salle suggests carrying notepad/pen, lugging that laptop to the tavern or coffee shop, and choosing a “game piece.” There are things to observe like appearances, speech patterns, and different mannerisms. With SOUL DAMAGE, I am doing exactly that by seeking character types. SD is set in a small rural town. Having grown up in an urban city, I have no idea what was it like to grow up in a place like this. I’ve asked questions to a co-worker who grew up here and she’s been more than happy to tell me stories and share little tidbits on what it’s like to be a “townie.” If I can just add one detail to one of my characters to make them more authentic, I will do it. I’ve also spent some time at the local bars and observed the bartenders, the locals, the regulars, etc. I listen to what kind of music people select from the jukebox. I watch tables and take note on how groups interact. I’ve even seen a bar fight or two. I like going back to my computer and transporting that night out into my book. The details are fresh in my head and they are real because I’ve seen them.

Sallee says that most writers write about what moves them most and that is true in the horror genre since horror is all around us. A big theme I have in SD and in most of my writing is family. It hit me that perhaps losing family is one my biggest fears since the theme of family kept popping up in my fiction.

I really related to how he ended the essay with: “As long as you can look into and then through the mirror…if you can look and see the humanity, the common struggles and the little victories, then you will always be to place your own signature, your style, on your work.” Ultimately, that’s my goal for SD. I want to show off how I feel about my themes and my take and spin on urban fantasy. Everyone has done demons, werewolves, vampires, but everyone has their own signature and spin as Sallee said.

In Tina Jens’s essay “Such Horrific People,” she talks about the characters in horror fiction. She says, “Horror is about how people react when they encounter the plot.” I have to nod my head there. I love throwing my characters into messes and watching as they come out of it.

Jens’s has several suggestions on how to find characters.

Borrowing from life is something I’m doing right now. I’ve got some great character sketches from my townie co-worker that I’m borrowing. I bought up the question at the SHU message boards on how writers borrow from real-life people. They were very cautious on that because if someone recognizes themselves in a book, it could lead to a law suit. Well, that kind of takes out some of the fun.

Starting a picture file is more fun anyway. I’ve had models for my characters for years now since SD has gone through so many drafts and versions. I have a computer folder just filled with pictures of my characters. In just you’re curious, here are my models for Serenity Masters (actress Kelly Monaco), Nick Robson (actor Josh Holloway), Jill Avery (actress Rashida Jones), and Quincy Bishop (actor Christian Bale).

Giving characters flaws is another fun part. I know sometimes I struggle with if I give my characters TOO much flaws. For example, when I write Nick, he comes out sounding/acting like a jerk, but that’s his flaw. Then, I wonder about how readers will see him and they may end up being turned off by the main character because of that flaw. I can’t seem to find a middle line.

Listening to the characters is another key. I have to agree on that one too. I’ve been writing these characters for three years now (in various versions and story formats) and they haven’t given up on me yet. I love that in each version and draft I still learn something new about them. As Jens’s says, “Know and trust your characters. They will stick with you every step of the way.”

Mort Castle’s essay “Reality and the Waking Nightmare: Setting and Character in Horror Fiction” talks about how you don’t always have to rely on imagination to get your horror muse going. It kind of ties in with the previous article by Sallee.

Castle talks about how he relies on memory and knowledge on things he sees everyday. Reality-based settings work for the writer because readers automatically recognize them; it’s familiar and established. The job as the horror writer is to take that familiar, established setting and make it extraordinary. That’s when horror happens.

He applies to same logic is characters. Take that seemingly normal ordinary person and give him layers, dark secrets, etc. That’s what I’m trying to do with SD in terms of setting and characters. I’m taking these normal things on the outside and introducing the readers to another world inside.

In Bruce Holland Rogers’s essay “The Dark Enchantment of Style,” he reveals the secret to style is to take it slow. Slow down when you read. Slow down when you write. I admit that’s something I’m trying to learn and apply for myself. It’s just in my nature to two several things at once or to hurry through one project and then move on to another right away. Fortunately, with SHU and the crits I get back every month, it kind of forces me to go back and look at what I just wrote. I learn better that way. Granted, it also makes me feel like I am behind on writing and on my word count, but slowing down does have its benefits.

I also have to note Weston Ochse’s essay titled “Freaks and Fiddles, Banjos and Beasts: Writing Redneck Horror.” Now I’m not saying Nick and the gang in SD are rednecks, but they’re almost there. It was just interesting to see that redneck horror had its own style and spot in literature. It really does go along with the setting: rural, back woods, etc. In Ochse’s conclusion, he says, “In backwoods horror were a vehicle, it would be a jacked-up 4x4 pickup: scarred bumpers; dented quarter panels; three different colors of paint, one of which is bondo; tinted windows; NASCAR bumper sticker; Playboy mud flaps.” And you know what? I think Nick actually does own that truck.

DEAD WITCH WALKING by Kim Harrison

2007-10-14T16:36:19Z

DEAD WITCH WALKING
By Kim Harrison
Amazon link

This is a book I put on my own reading list. I’ve owned this book for awhile now. I tried to read it, but apart from the first-person point of view, it didn’t grab my interest in the first few pages so I never finished it. I figured putting it on my required reading list would make me read the entire thing.

DEAD WITCH WALKING introduces us to Rachel Morgan’s world--Cincinnati to be more exact. She’s a witch, who’s also an Inderland Security runner. I.S. runners pick up the supernatural bad guys while the humans work for the Federal Inderland Bureau. The story picks up when Rachel quits the I.S. and joins forces with Ivy, a vampire, to form their own group. You can’t just quit being an I.S. runner so assassins are sent after Rachel. In addition to trying to stay alive, Rachel also investigates Trent Kalamack, a shady city councilman, who may be dealing with bio drugs. Online reviews compare the book to Anita Blake and Stephanie Plum. I agree; it’s a bit of urban fantasy mixed in with the mystery genre.

What I was really impressed with was the world-building. This was definitely an urban fantasy book, not a paranormal romance (although there were hints of romance in the book). When I’m writing SOUL DAMAGE, I’m always trying to not cross that line between fantasy and paranormal romance, so, it was refreshing to read this book and see I could learn from that.

Back to the world-building--the one thing that I learned was that I could work on my details and building my world by making it natural and simple. If fighting demons, casting spells, etc. is normal for my characters, then it should normal to me too. I feel like I’m trying too hard at explaining things that I lose that rhythm. Yes, I still have to explain it to the reader, but I should KNOW my world inside and out. I could tell Harrison put in a lot of thought into her characters and how they interacted with their world. Setting was definitely its own character throughout the novel.

Another thing I learned was the magic. In SOUL DAMAGE, I’m really getting into the magic part. I liked how Rachel was presented as a witch and there was another character named Nick, who was human but dabbled in demonology. What is with guys named Nick who like black magic? Anyway, it was interesting to read about the magic in this world. There were a lot of cool things like the demon that was sent to kill Rachel while she and Nick were in the library. I really liked how that scene was set up. Then, we learn later that Nick had made a deal with the demon to save Rachel. I liked their conversation about the demon mark and how the demon was going to come back for its favor.

The use of spells, amulets, potions, spells, etc. was another interesting thing. I don’t think my world of magic will rely so heavily on those things, but it did make me more aware of how magic is handled in other fantasy books.

I also liked the little quirks Harrison put into her characters. Rachel’s not perfect. She messes up. She has a beta fish named Mr. Fish (sidenote: I also own a beta fish so that made me smile); her pink slippers get mentioned a lot; she has a troubled past; she might have a thing for vampires. She’s not the usual female protagonist I see in many other fantasy books where they’re flawless. She almost seems human, although she’s not.

The only thing that bothered me was that I’m noticing this trend where it feels like the main character is perhaps too much like the author. Rachel’s a red head (so is Harrison). Rachel’s into magic (so is Harrison). A lot of Anita Blake fans complain that the petite dark-haired vampire hunter is just a stand-in for Laurell K. Hamilton, who is also a petite dark-haired woman. I had the same thought while reading Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty books. Kitty is a tall blonde (so is Vaughn). Then, I look at Serenity, my main female protagonist, and wonder how much of Nu is in Serenity through her appearance and personality. Is that bad a thing or a good thing? I don’t know. Is this where “Write what you know” comes in?

There’s also Jenks, Rachel’s pixy sidekick. Jenks had his own distinct personality that made him enjoyable. Ivy also had an interesting back story and introduced us into Harrison’s take on vampires, where they are living and dead vampires.

Sadly, the character I really liked was Nick (surprise, surprise) and he doesn’t get introduced in the book until much later. Rachel turns into a rat. Trent puts her into a rat fight, where she has to fight to the death. She and the other rat escape and turn back to humans. The other rat is Nick. I liked Nick because we don’t know where he stands yet. A lot of questions surface at the end of the book, which sets up for sequels (I’ll address that in a moment). I liked the twist that Nick is just a human with access to demonology books. He knows Latin, can call up demons, etc. It makes a nice conflict for Rachel, who’s not into the black magic.

There were a few moments where I rolled my eyes like Rachel turning into a rat (and being in her POV as she chirped her words), the rat fight, and some of the language that Rachel uses (“Swell,” “big fat liar”). I guess I like my books a little bit darker and rough around the edges. There are now five Rachel Morgan books out there, so, maybe they’ve changed their tone or situations.

Some opportunities for that are brought up at the end of the book including Nick’s motives, Trent’s vendetta against Rachel, the demon mark, how Rachel’s father died--lots of questions. I’m guessing Harrison wrote DEAD WITCH WALKING knowing there was going to be more books because it doesn’t quite stand-alone.

I do own the second book THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UNDEAD, but I don’t think I will pick it up for awhile. I appreciate the details and the world Harrison created, but like the first time I tried reading it, it doesn’t hold my interest and certainly not for 400-plus pages. At some parts it did seem to drag and some information was repeated more than once.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in world-building because Cincinnati’s underworld “the Hallows” is definitely creative.

I also want to bring up Harrison’s personal website at www.kimharrison.net. I like the work she puts into it especially with the music section. I think that’s a creative interactive tool to offer. It’s helpful to both new and current readers.

BONE DANCE by Emma Bull

2007-09-29T18:53:45Z

BONE DANCE
By Emma Bull
Amazon Link

It only took me a week to read through BONE DANCE, and I have to say I enjoyed it more than WAR FOR THE OAKS. Both books had a great, interesting plot, but as far as style, I was more drawn to what Bull was doing in BONE DANCE. It’s fast-paced, filled with more action, and I felt like I could apply more things to SOUL DAMAGE.

This was another book Anne recommended to me after I told her my characters use energy to channel their magic and I learned a lot from Bull in that aspect.

In BONE DANCE, the main character is Sparrow, an androgynous trader who sells videos to people in a post-apocalyptic city. Normally, I get turned off my first-person narrative, but I was immediately sucked in with the opening scene and I didn’t mind reading the book in first-person. Also, since Sparrow is neither a he nor a she, I think Bull made the right decision to use first-person.

The reader gets right into the action and from there, Bull does an amazing job with setting and descriptions. What we see through Sparrow’s eyes is so vivid and detailed. I am actually jealous of Bull for being able to write so descriptively and make it seem so easy. The first line to grab my attention with her details was on page 11: “My mouth felt like a tomb from some culture where they bury your servants with you.” I mean, come on, that was just amazing. I loved how in the first few pages we get descriptions of what this future looks like as Sparrow walks through town. We see the Seven Corners market. We meet people called Jammers who are “pale, thin as wire, and as they danced their arms and legs crisscrossed like a chainlink fence of skin and bone.” There are just so much creative and original elements to list. The writing is also very smooth and easy to read.

Aside from the style and language, the other intriguing thing in the book was the Horsemen. They were used by the government as spies--weapons--because they can inhabit and control other human beings (They “ride” them). Ultimately, they become responsible for the nuclear war that caused the apocalypse. Sparrow meets two surviving Horsemen, Mick and Frances, and learn they are looking for Tom Worecski, another Horseman who actually tricked the others into starting the war. Sparrow also learns that the his/her frequent blackouts is connected to the Horsemen and he/she is the key to stopping Tom.

Magic plays a major part in this book. One of Sparrow’s closest friends, Sherrea, is a talented Tarot card reader and Bull incorporates the Tarot in the beginning of each chapter with titles like “Card 0: The Significator Page of Swords” and so on. It was also interesting to read about how the Horsemen rode their humans, taking control of their minds and bodies. Since Mick and Frances have been inside Sparrow’s mind, she is connected to them, and in one particular scene, she hears what goes on in another room with Mick and Frances from the creaking floor to the door opening and closing, and then eventually, the sounds of them making love. This line: “Frances herself had said there was a connection between a Horseman and the horse, a link that remained after the contact was broken.” It totally fits in with SOUL DAMAGE. My characters Nick and Serenity were linked in the first book through Nick’s magic and I am trying to incorporate that same connection now, and Bull put it into words that the connection will always be there.

Another section that I noted was something Sherrea said to Sparrow: “…as long as you keep the energy, all kinds of energy, moving through the system, everything is free. But as soon as you block some of it off, take it out of circulation, wham. The payback is enormous. You kept your self, your energy…so what you need is a gang of people whose job is to keep the energy circulating, to show other people how it’s done…”

It was interesting to read another writer’s take on energy as a magical element. It’s definitely something I want to fuse into my own story.

Going back to SOUL DAMAGE, I definitely learned from Bull how to incorporate descriptions through setting and especially through point of view. I just need to learn how to open myself up more as writer and that will show through my characters. The magic also gave me more ideas on where I could go with my own story. What BONE DANCE and SOUL DAMAGE both share is that there are two sides of magic: a good and a bad, and it was great to see that with Mick and Frances versus Tom. In SOUL DAMAGE, there are the Cyans, the group that Nick learned his magic from. Some of them turned to black magic and became soul chasers (following a demonic being called The Deceiver), and as Nick struggles to control his urges to use magic, he has to stop himself from becoming a chaser. The character of Tom was an example of what Nick can become if he gives into the darker side of magic.

I saw online that BONE DANCE was nominated for Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards and it’s no wonder why. Everything about it was spot-on: the characters, the setting, the writing, the plot…it was a real treat. The book is out of print now, but I think it should come back as a reissue of some sorts. It's a great read for the sci-fi/fantasy fans.

TECHNIQUES OF THE SELLING WRITER by Dwight V. Swain

2007-09-09T18:48:23Z

TECHNIQUES OF THE SELLING WRITER
BY DWIGHT V. SWAIN
Amazon link

I took a break from the fun reading and picked up TECHNIQUES for my second required text. It took me awhile to get through this one because there was so much information and I wanted to soak it up as I read through it. The only other “how to” book that did that to me was ON WRITING by Stephen King.

TECHNIQUES made me focus on my writing and it made me see what I was doing right and what I could improve on. Even though some of the language and examples Swain uses is dated, it’s no wonder Anne makes all her mentees read this book. It really is useful.

There are ten chapters in this book. I will talk about the sections that were most useful to me and what I am trying to do with SOUL DAMAGE.

I found Chapter Four: Conflict and How to Build It one of the most useful parts especially on how to set up conflict. Swain says a story is a chain of scenes and sequels. A scene is a unit of conflict lived through by character and reader--the big moments. Here Swain says you must go for goal, conflict, and disaster. Make it hard for the characters. Afterwards, set up the sequel. A sequel is a unit of transition that links two scenes. It “translates disaster into goal.” Sequel has a 1-2-3 format: reaction, dilemma, and decision.

In SOUL DAMAGE, this is exactly how I want to story to flow. I want my lead character, Nick, to have a goal, and as he’s trying to reach it, struggle. I don’t want the story to turn into a “and then this happened, and then this, and then this…” It’s about cause and effect. I want Nick to make his choices based on those big moments. I want him to go through conflict and disaster, and then set us up for a sequel with his decisions on how he will handle that conflict. Conflict is what makes the story interesting. If the choices Nick don’t keep the reader engaged, then I have failed as a writer.

Chapter Six: Beginnings, Middles, and Ends was another useful chapter. For me, it’s usually the middle that slows me down. I’ve started the action and momentum in the beginning, but once I get into the middle, it’s hard for me to keep the action rising. I tend to slow it down and have a lot of talking as opposed to keeping things moving along. The one thing I look forward to in the middle of the big moment--the turning point--where the reader knows it’s moved from the middle to the climax scene. Something that Swain says about middles is to always have tension. Keep building those scenes all the way to the climax. Climax is a “will he or won’t he?” moment. Swain makes note of what not to do in climaxes and he also writes about what makes a good ending. I know one of weaknesses is tying up loose ends. Swain says tie them up, but I don’t always do that. I admit I do get lazy towards the end and I know there are things I don’t wrap up. That’s something I want to work on because I will get an idea, introduce it somewhere in the story, and then at the end, it doesn’t follow through. That only results in loose ends and confused readers. Even though the story may be a strong, a weak ending can really destroy the entire book.

One thing I learned in the first book SOUL HARVEST is that I didn’t follow through on some things--events, moments, snippets of dialogue that were supposed to mean something in end--they weren’t wrapped up. I’ve learned that lesson and in SOUL DAMAGE, I don’t want to repeat that mistake. I want things to flow, but at the same time, I want it to all make sense. Whatever I set up in the middle will pay off in the end. I hope my pacing will also improve because in SOUL HARVEST, I felt I introduced things too late in the book to make the resolution satisfying. In SOUL DAMAGE, it’s all about giving out as much information as soon as possible and going from there.

Another great chapter was Chapter Seven: The People in Your Story. I love my characters, probably more than the plot. I’ve been working with these characters for almost three years in different drafts, different forms, different stories-- and just as I feel like I know everything about them, they surprise me.

Swain says, “To create story people, you grab the first stick figures that come handy; then flesh them out until they spring to life.” Like I said, I’ve had these characters in my head for years now, but they’re constantly changing and from observing people in real life, my view on these characters change. I saw a pair of jeans on a guy and thought, “Oh, that’s something Nick would wear” and I wrote it down describing them as blue, faded, worn at the edges, with a large belt buckle. It’s not just the physical stuff either. One time at the bar, I saw a guy steal a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from someone else’s table and this character came to life in my head (not Nick, but this other guy named Clint from SOUL HARVEST, who was a former love interest of Serenity). It made me think of human nature and just how people behave. It really is fascinating once you stop watching and start observing.

Characters come to life by body (clothes, outer appearance, etc.) like those jeans I pictured Nick wearing and they come to life with certain traits that I see by observing people like that guy stealing at the bar. All of that combined gives those stick figures flesh.

Overall, I really leaned a lot from this book. I recommend it anyone who wants to write commercial fiction. I think anyone in the SHU program should read it. Swain really breaks it down to what works and what doesn’t. It’s a book I will definitely keep in my library and look at for reference and guidance.

WAR FOR THE OAKS by Emma Bull

2007-07-28T18:21:17Z

WAR FOR THE OAKS
By Emma Bull
Amazon link

When I described to Anne Harris (my mentor) what I wanted to work on with my thesis project, I immediately said, “Setting.” I also told her my book involved magic.

After hearing that, the first book she suggested for my reading list was WAR FOR THE OAKS by Emma Bull.

I had never heard of Emma Bull, but from what Anne said, it sounded like the right kind of contemporary fantasy for me.

As a whole, WAR FOR THE OAKS did work for me. The story centers around a musician named Eddi McCandry, who lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Right away, the reader is thrown into Eddi’s conflict--a break up with her band and her boyfriend. It gets worst when she meets the phouka: a faerie being who has been set to protect Eddi and tell her she has been chosen to as a pawn between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts.

I admit, I am not a fan of fantasies that deal with the fae, but I was reading the book for help on setting. Bull does an excellent job with description and setting up the scene.

In the prologue, she writes: “The street lamp globes hang like myriad moons, and the light glows in the empty bus shelters like nebulae. Down through the silent business district the mall twists, the silver zipper in a patchwork coat of many dark colors. The sound of traffic from Hennepin Avenue, one block over, might be the grating of the World-Worm’s scales over stone.”

It looks so simple. Add a metaphor or simile, a few pinches of colors, some of your senses, but I know for me it’s not that simple. In Bull’s descriptions and settings, I saw my weaknesses, but I also saw how just one word or line can make a setting come alive.

In my book SOUL DAMAGE, I have set it in small rural city much like the same one I live in right now. I’m fortunate that I can look outside my window and be in my setting. My research is at the tip of my fingers. The trouble for me is to look at these things as a writer. People and dialogue I can deal with, but trying to describe a tree or a street is a hard thing for me. I need to teach myself to observe these things, find the right words, and put it down on paper.

Bull continues to have her characters interact with the setting. They go to different clubs, bars, and other settings in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. I like how Bull took her experience as a musician and applied it to her book and characters. It added that extra dose of reality to it. This book was written in 1987, and I felt like it was 1987. There were no cell phones, no Internet or computers

In addition to setting, I also paid attention to magic and how it was used in a contemporary world.

One of my favorite parts was when Eddi and the phouka go buy a motorcycle and the phouka pays for it with eight one hundred dollar bills. When Eddi asks him where he got the money, the phouka says the money will turn into eight wilted maple leaves after midnight.

“It’s the nature of fairy gold,” he says.

I liked Eddi’s reaction to that scene as well because she became concerned with their actions. She wanted to leave the man they had bought the bike alone, saying he might have a wife or kids and they need the money. Later on, the phouka tells Eddi he took care of the money and it will stay money.

Magic has consequences and other people are affected by it. That’s one of my main themes in SOUL DAMAGE. I liked seeing it used in Bull’s writing as well. What pleased me was Eddi’s reaction and how human it was, and that’s something I know I have to remember to do--to have my characters react in a realistic manner like Eddi.

Even though I went into the book looking for help on how to use magic in a contemporary setting, I also became interested in the romance with Eddi, Willy Silver, and the phouka. Willy comes into the picture as the guitarist for Eddi’s new band. They become involved, but later on, it’s revealed that Willy is a member of the Seelie Court’s calvary. By the end of the book, Eddi and the phouka are an item.

As a reader, I was disappointed with the romance because I had expectations for Eddi and Willy. The romance between Eddi and the phouka wasn’t built up enough for me and left me feeling indifferent. In a way, I can see what Bull was trying to do because Willy gets kidnapped by the Unseelie Court at the end of the book and eventually is killed. It makes it harder for Eddi and by having that former relationship with him, it was a great set up for Eddi. Bull definitely made it awful for Eddi and we get to see what Eddi is made of. Throughout the book, she fought and struggled against being used as a pawn between the two courts, but after what happened to Willy, she decided to go into the war.

On a sidenote: At the end of the book, Eddi’s ex-boyfriend, Stuart, who is a jerk throughout the entire book, is revealed to be a player in the Unseelie Court. I did not buy that because once again, it did not feel built up for me. I didn’t get any hints that he was playing for the bad guys, so, it seemed like it came out of nowhere. I guess Bull was trying to make it harder for Eddi because it is Stuart who kills Willy.

In SOUL DAMAGE, I have my own love triangle/square in the works. Reading the one in Bull’s book made me realize that readers will have expectations. They may read one pairing and love them or read another one and hate them. As the writer, I have to feel what is right for both the characters and the story, and even though I didn’t get the pairing I wanted in WAR FOR THE OAKS, Bull may have felt it was right for Eddi and the story.

Another thing I took note of in the book was the entire story was told from Eddi’s point of view. In previous novel drafts, I have worked with multiple points of views. In SOUL DAMAGE and the first book SOUL HARVEST, I told it from one point of view. I had to find the right focal character; basically who was going to have the most at stake and go from there. I found out a book written from one point of view in third person can work. Other urban fantasy books I have read in third person have included other POVs, and books told from one point of view are usually in first person.

WAR FOR THE OAKS really did teach me about a magical setting in a contemporary setting. Although I feel SOUL DAMAGE will be a darker book, much of the same themes and elements will be similar. Like I said earlier, my setting is in my own backyard. What I need to change is how I view things and observe it as a writer. Only then will my setting and sense of description improve.

Anne also put another Emma Bull book, BONE DANCE, on my list. I’m looking forward to seeing she does with that one!

SHU first residency recap

2007-07-07T19:54:28Z

It’s about two weeks late, but here is my wrap-up on my first residency at Seton Hill University.

First a little background, I found out about the Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program from devilwrites who was already in it. After I finished the Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop last summer, she urged me to apply to SHU. Getting my masters is something I’ve always wanted to do, and Odyssey really gave me enough confidence in my writing to apply again (I had applied to two graduate schools in 2005 and didn’t get in). Knowing there were actual programs geared towards genre work gave me that push as well.

So, I applied to SHU and Stonecoast (another writing popular fiction program based out of the University of Southern Maine). I heard back from Stonecoast first in early March. I had been accepted. I got a hold of SHU to let them know about my status and they were willing to push up my application and give me a quicker response--and their answer was yes. Now, I had to make a decision. Both programs seemed great and I knew whichever school I picked, I wasn’t going to lose. I picked SHU because their program has been around for awhile, I knew some of the current students, and their entire program is centered on genre work, meaning all the students and the faculty was genre-focused as opposed to Stonecoast, where there was a mixture of literary, poetry, and popular fiction writers.

Both SHU and Stonecoast are low-residency programs. They work really well with people with full-time jobs and families. At first, I was reluctant in applying to a low-residency program because I love being in the classroom. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it because it gave me enough freedom in my future. It doesn’t tie me down to a city or location; I get to move and look for a new job if the opportunity came up. SHU has two one-week residences in June and January. This year it was from June 19-24.

June 19: I took off from my parents in Michigan at about 9 a.m. and started my six-hour drive to Greensburg, Pennsylvania, where SHU is located. I had to be there by seven for the welcome reception. I don’t mind driving long distance if I have good music with me, which I did, but somewhere in Ohio, the CD player in my car started to die. I was left with the radio, where I swear I heard the same Maroon Five and Justin Timberlake song every twenty minutes. Ohio also started to get some heavy rain and there was a rough patch where I couldn’t even see the taillights of the car in front of me. People slowed down to about 30 mph, but the patch let up and it was fine the rest of the way. There was a lot of construction too and that sucked. The tollway sucked too--I probably spent around $11 all together on both the Ohio and Pennsylvania turnpike.

When I got into Pennsylvania, I called my roommate, Calie, who was still at the airport. Calie was my roomie from Odyssey and she was also starting her first residency at SHU. It was almost three when I called her and because of the weather, some flights were delayed and she was still waiting for some other students to get in so they could rent a car. I still had about 30-40 minutes before I reached the hotel. Driving in PA was not fun. The roads are just weird. There are two lanes (I’m used to about four), it’s hilly, and when a car merges into the highway, it has to yield and people don’t move to let it in sometimes. In MI, you just merge automatically. There was also a lot of construction too like every single road was being worked on. It was also annoying how the streelights were located on the bottom of a hill and if you don’t see it, you have to brake very hard and fast at the last minute. Okay, enough about the roads in PA, you can tell how much I don’t like them.

Anyway, I finally made it to the Hampton Inn hotel. Calie showed up about 20 minutes after me. We made dinner plans with devilwrites (Shara), Michele, Aubrey, Sherry and Traci (more SHU students). We ate at Chili’s. Afterwards, we drove to SHU’s campus for the welcome reception at the library. The campus is beautiful. It’s on top of a hill and it’s so green. I keep telling everyone it looks like Harry Potter’s school, like a castle or something.

We checked in at the reception, met some folks, and Calie and I became accustomed to the fact that we were known as the “newbies.” There were people writing all sorts of different genres from different writing backgrounds (even some published writers), all ages, from all over the country even Canada. After the reception, we could go on a ghost tour or a regular tour of the campus. Calie and I opted for the ghost tour. It was still raining that night so we got wet. The tour was pretty fun and it let us see more of campus and the inside was just as beautiful as the outside especially the church. SHU is a Catholic liberal arts college, so was Saint Anslem where Odyssey was held at--me and Calie had a laugh about us and Catholic schools.

I almost forgot the most important thing Calie and I learned today: you cannot buy beer or any other kind of alcohol in a gas station or supermarket. You have to go to a special liquor store or to the bar (kind of like take a six-pack to go). One of the newbies, Craig, who lives in PA, told us that and we didn’t believe him, so, later we went to a gas station and there was no beer in the coolers. Unbelievable. Another reason why PA is just plain WEIRD. Then again, when I told another PA student I was from Michigan, she said, “Oh, you can buy beer at Rite-Aid there.” So, maybe I’m weird to her.

June 20: First day of school. We were separated into groups for our first session. In it, we discussed our required reading for the residency: HYPERION by Dan Simmons. Personally, it was too sci-fi for me, but good storytelling and world-building. Next was a special orientation session, where I got to meet the rest of the newbies. There are about 18 of us, a pretty big class. The entire program has about 80 students.

After lunch, I attended my first workshop (you get to pick them before residency and mail your choices in). It was “Making the Leap” with Tim Waggoner. I took it because I like Tim’s books and even though the session wasn’t actually what I thought, it was still interesting to me.

After dinner, there were four thesis presentations. Graduating students are required to do these readings (about 20 minutes) from their completed novels. Current students are required to attend two, but you can go to more. You can learn a lot from them because the mentors and the audience get to ask the graduating student questions. It’s nice to hear about their own writing process. After all, they’re the ones graduating, you want to know their secrets. Calie and I attended the first two and went back to the hotel to eat some Chinese food.

June 21: Today we started our first writing workshops. Before residency, we had to send it 10 pages or 3,000 words of a short story or a novel excerpt. After going back and forth between the first chapter of my novel and a short story, I sent it a short story (one I literally finished the week before I had to send it in so it was my newest thing).

All I have to say is “Thank God for Odyssey” because I knew how to critique and present myself in a group. I even got a compliment from a graduating student afterwards, who said I sounded very professional. It was interesting to hear how other people did their crits and what kind of things they saw and suggested. Overall, the writing workshops were my favorite part of residency. It really is where I learned the most. Oh, and the groups were very diverse with romance, sci-fi, fantasy, and supernatural writers. Nice to read all those works too.

After lunch, I attended “Showing, Telling, Style” with Dr. Albert Wendland. Nice Powerpoint presentation and we also did a writing exercise. Love his handouts on style too.

I should mention the writing workshops go from 9 a.m. to noon and the classes in the afternoon go from 1 to 4 p.m.

After dinner, we got to meet with our mentors. My mentor is sci-fi/fantasy writer Anne Harris. Anne is from the Detroit area so it was nice to bond with someone from home. During our mentoring session, we had to come up with a contract. We had to pick five required books in our genre as well as critical text to read over the term and how many pages to submit at each deadline.

For example, my contract is to complete 80 pages this semester; read ON WRITING HORROR by Mort Castle, TECHNIQUES OF THE SELLING WRITER by Dwight Swain, DEAD WITCH WALKING by Kim Harrison, WAR FOR THE OAKS by Emma Bull, and BONE DANCE by Emma Bull, and write at least two pages in a reading journal.

Each month, I have to submit at least 30 pages to Anne and my crit group (two other students). My first deadline is coming up on July 25.

That night was also the wine social at the Hampton Inn, where the students and faculty could just unwind and socialize. It was nice chatting with people especially the older students. The theme this year was pirates--haha.

June 22: More writing workshops in the morning.

Then, it was lunch with our crit group. Calie and I were lucky enough to request each other as partners. We are also working with another student named Marsha. Marsha is working on an urban fantasy as well. We seem to know what we want and are willing to help each other as much as we can.

After lunch, I went to “Characterization and Dialogue” with Lawrence Connolly. Another Powerpoint presentation and more writing exercises.

That night, Calie and I attended two more thesis presentations.

Afterwards, there was a book signing at Barnes and Noble, where you could meet all the mentors and teaching faculty, buy their books, get them signed, or just hang out.

Shara and I went out to eat at the Olive Garden, where we got to finally sit down and talk. After three years, we meet outside of Livejournal and it felt like we hadn’t even spoken for ten minutes yet because we had been running around in our workshops and classes.

June 23: Today was the day I got my short story critiqued. It’s always scary when new people read your stories, but three of the people who read my story had come up to me earlier in the week to tell me how much they liked my story, so, I wasn’t too worried. Like I said, confidence! FYI: My story was about a mother and son trying to escape from Death’s soldiers. I had a great session. Lots of positive feedback from both the students and the faculty member who was facilitating the workshop.

Later, guest speaker Catherine Asaro spoke to us in a classroom setting. We were split off into our genres, so, I was with the other sci-fi/fantasy/horror writers. Catherine spoke about “blending the genres” since she writes sci-fi and fantasy and romance. I found it useful since I consider myself a blender of genres. It’s about taking the things you love from all the genres and mixing it together. I tend to use mystery, romance, fantasy, and horror when I write.

After dinner, we got to listen to Catherine’s speech, which was on science fiction writing. Very entertaining presentation with Star Trek and Galaxy Quest footage used as examples, but it didn’t do much for me.

There was a book signing and reception after the speech. More wine! Calie and I hung out with another newbie named Erica, and we spent most of the night on one of the balconies just talking about life.

Since it was our last night, we went to the dorms, where some of the students were staying. More alcohol was consumed. We stayed for a few hours, then went back to the hotel to crash.

June 24: The last day! As much as I loved meeting everyone, it was getting tiring. I swear, we were always in classes or something. You don’t get much free time during the week.

In the morning, I attended “Conflict and Plot” with Tim Esaias. Loved his presentation. He gives out candy if you raise your hand, but other than that, he really hit the nail on the topic. I was really pleased because a lot of the things he talked about I was already doing in my own writing.

After lunch, the newbies attended “Hooking the Reader” with Dr. Albert Wendland. Another interesting session with great handouts--yes, I love handouts. We also found out our required book to read for January is a romance: BET ME by Jennifer Cruise AND our next guest speaker will be Donald Maass--yes, THE Donald Maass of The Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York City. I’m sure some of the graduating students will have an opportunity to pitch their books to him. Jennifer Jackson, a pretty well-known agent, was here this term and I think she listened to some pitches too. I only saw her briefly.

Then, it was time for graduation. Seven students were graduating. It was a small ceremony, but I could feel myself getting emotional just picturing myself in their shoes in two more years. We stayed at the reception for a little bit, then the OdFellows (Odyssey graduates) went out to dinner--it was me, Calie, Shara, Michele, and Sherry. We went out to the Texas Roadhouse, where I had ribs (it felt good to eat meat, yeah, meat moment). Calie was nice enough to pay for our dinner.

For dessert, we went out to get custard ice cream. I’d never had it before, but it tasted like Dairy Queen to me. Then, we went to our hotel and hung out in the lobby for awhile.

We said our good-byes and residency was over.

June 25: Calie got a ride from someone to the airport. I got to sleep-in and was on the road by nine. I was going straight to my apartment as opposed to my parents so it was a longer ride home--about seven hours instead of six. I was still stuck with no CD player (this time I heard the same Fergie song over and over on the radio.) I got off the Ohio Turnpike earlier than what Mapquest instructed because I knew I was going to end up paying a lot of money (probably spent another 11 bucks all together). I took the back roads in Michigan and got on the highway from there. Got home about 5 p.m.

So, that was it. Long week. Busy week.

I loved the community and how supportive and encouraging everyone was to each other. There will definitely be long-lasting relationships built here. I loved the networking and how the program really wants you to succeed and they provide that for you--I mean, look at the kind of guest speakers they bring in, the classes they teach--so many great opportunities right there at the tips of our fingers.

Some of the students and faculty kept asking the newbies if we were going to be back in January. I wasn’t sure if they were serious or just teasing us (or if people really do drop out after their first residency after they see what it’s all about), but for me, I will definitely be back--and not as a newbie!