Rod Duncan's Blog, page 6
June 9, 2017
Alternate History and Fictional Politics
Change fascinates me - the way people change and how that sometimes changes society and sometimes doesn’t. It is a theme that runs through most of the stories I write. This morning, in the aftermath of a general election here in the UK, I thought I’d share some thoughts about this theme and the Gas-Lit Empire.
There seem to have been periods in history when stasis ruled. During the cold war, for example, the USA and the USSR spent forty-four years arm wrestling with each other through proxy conflicts and propaganda. Dramatic things did happen in that time. But the basic structure of power blocks remained.
Individuals gave their lives to spying, to fighting on battlefields, to the space program, to assassination attempts, to protests and to the propagation of social and economic theories, all in the effort to gain influence for one side or the other. But the political map of the world remained frozen.
The end of the Cold War gives us an example of something different - seemingly innocuous events precipitating a huge shift in the tectonic plates of history. The Berlin Wall had stood for decades as the most tangible symbol of the intransigence of Cold War politics. Then, quite suddenly it was gone, but not through any of the battle scenarios the generals had war-gamed. On the day, it happened because some border guards refused to use lethal force.
Of course, that isn’t the whole story. If a border guard had disobeyed orders a year earlier, he might have himself been shot. But something had happened to bring the political balance close to a threshold where change was possible. So close, that even a small push would be enough.
Some moments seem to be endowed with a particular capacity. At those times, the actions of a small group of individuals can literally change the world.
The alternative history of the Gas-Lit Empire examines two such moments. The first happens in...
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
There seem to have been periods in history when stasis ruled. During the cold war, for example, the USA and the USSR spent forty-four years arm wrestling with each other through proxy conflicts and propaganda. Dramatic things did happen in that time. But the basic structure of power blocks remained.
Individuals gave their lives to spying, to fighting on battlefields, to the space program, to assassination attempts, to protests and to the propagation of social and economic theories, all in the effort to gain influence for one side or the other. But the political map of the world remained frozen.
The end of the Cold War gives us an example of something different - seemingly innocuous events precipitating a huge shift in the tectonic plates of history. The Berlin Wall had stood for decades as the most tangible symbol of the intransigence of Cold War politics. Then, quite suddenly it was gone, but not through any of the battle scenarios the generals had war-gamed. On the day, it happened because some border guards refused to use lethal force.
Of course, that isn’t the whole story. If a border guard had disobeyed orders a year earlier, he might have himself been shot. But something had happened to bring the political balance close to a threshold where change was possible. So close, that even a small push would be enough.
Some moments seem to be endowed with a particular capacity. At those times, the actions of a small group of individuals can literally change the world.
The alternative history of the Gas-Lit Empire examines two such moments. The first happens in...
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
May 3, 2017
Eight things about book reviews
The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter has today received its 300th review on Goodreads. A good moment, then, to share eight things that reviews mean to me.
1) Publicity. I can hear every publisher cheering at mention of the P word. If people don’t know a book exists, they aren’t going to be able to buy it. Ideally the review should be newspapers and magazines with wide circulation. I was thrilled to be mentioned in Entertainment Weekly and the Washington Post. But reviews in genre specialist websites are arguably more important.
2) Ego. Being called an egotist is bad, right? But what if we have no regard for ourselves? Call it self-love or self regard or self respect, but we need some of it to have the belief to keep on writing. So I just keep repeating it in my head - 300 people on Goodreads have reviewed my book. Three hundred!
3) Bad Reviews. Not all those 300 had good things to say about The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter. Just under one percent of the ratings give it a single star. What does my ego have to say about that? Well, surprisingly I don’t mind. It’s only a few people. And to give the lowest rating must mean they really hated it. It feels good to cause a reaction. One of them complained that it was feminist and political. That’s all win as far as I’m concerned.
4) Good reviews. Forty-four percent of the reviewers gave it four stars . That means I’m giving a lot of people a good reading experience. It makes my writing work feel more like service, which is very positive for me.
5) Suggestions. Some reviewers include suggestions of what they’d like to see happen. Particularly, they would like to see a love relationship developing between person X and person Y. (I have to use X and Y here rather than give names, because different people want different relationships to develop.) I can’t follow those suggestions, because that aspect of the stories is already mapped out in my mind. But I enjoy learning about the way people are thinking.
6) Excellent reviews. Eighteen percent of the reviewers gave the Bullet Catcher’s Daughter the maximum five stars. Ultimately, these are the people in my mind when I am writing. Reading their comments gives me a sense of which aspects of the story they are responding to. I’m sometimes surprised by the things they say. For example, there was widespread...
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
1) Publicity. I can hear every publisher cheering at mention of the P word. If people don’t know a book exists, they aren’t going to be able to buy it. Ideally the review should be newspapers and magazines with wide circulation. I was thrilled to be mentioned in Entertainment Weekly and the Washington Post. But reviews in genre specialist websites are arguably more important.
2) Ego. Being called an egotist is bad, right? But what if we have no regard for ourselves? Call it self-love or self regard or self respect, but we need some of it to have the belief to keep on writing. So I just keep repeating it in my head - 300 people on Goodreads have reviewed my book. Three hundred!
3) Bad Reviews. Not all those 300 had good things to say about The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter. Just under one percent of the ratings give it a single star. What does my ego have to say about that? Well, surprisingly I don’t mind. It’s only a few people. And to give the lowest rating must mean they really hated it. It feels good to cause a reaction. One of them complained that it was feminist and political. That’s all win as far as I’m concerned.
4) Good reviews. Forty-four percent of the reviewers gave it four stars . That means I’m giving a lot of people a good reading experience. It makes my writing work feel more like service, which is very positive for me.
5) Suggestions. Some reviewers include suggestions of what they’d like to see happen. Particularly, they would like to see a love relationship developing between person X and person Y. (I have to use X and Y here rather than give names, because different people want different relationships to develop.) I can’t follow those suggestions, because that aspect of the stories is already mapped out in my mind. But I enjoy learning about the way people are thinking.
6) Excellent reviews. Eighteen percent of the reviewers gave the Bullet Catcher’s Daughter the maximum five stars. Ultimately, these are the people in my mind when I am writing. Reading their comments gives me a sense of which aspects of the story they are responding to. I’m sometimes surprised by the things they say. For example, there was widespread...
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
April 19, 2017
On dealing with writers' block. And crows.
After a weekend away on the coast of Wales and several days spent marking student assignments, I am back to writing the novel.
But I've run into a problem. It's now the Easter holidays. There are people around in the house who (inconsiderately) want to do things like watch TV, walk around or even speak to each other. How am I supposed to concentrate in these conditions?
When I do manage to get to my computer, there is an ongoing temptation to read the news. (One or two things are happening in the world of politics and I'm something of an addict.)
This morning, I decided enough was enough. I took myself out of the house and drove up into the beautiful countryside of Charnwood Forest. There I could sit, computer on lap, writing in the peace and quiet. There would be no Internet, Nor would anyone ask be asking for my attention.
That was the plan.
When I'm blocked in my writing, I find it helpful to set a specific amount of time and just write for that period, not worrying about the quality of the work. An hour is usually good. Then, when the alarm sounds, I stop, mid-sentence if necessary, and do something completely different. Something away from the computer. The important thing is that for the set time, I write without stopping.
Having parked up in one of my usual spots, I checked the clock and began to type.
But ten minutes later, I heard a cawing sound, loud and close. Glancing up, I saw a carrion crow sitting on a branch immediately outside the windscreen. It was looking at me.
There was no...
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
But I've run into a problem. It's now the Easter holidays. There are people around in the house who (inconsiderately) want to do things like watch TV, walk around or even speak to each other. How am I supposed to concentrate in these conditions?
When I do manage to get to my computer, there is an ongoing temptation to read the news. (One or two things are happening in the world of politics and I'm something of an addict.)
This morning, I decided enough was enough. I took myself out of the house and drove up into the beautiful countryside of Charnwood Forest. There I could sit, computer on lap, writing in the peace and quiet. There would be no Internet, Nor would anyone ask be asking for my attention.
That was the plan.
When I'm blocked in my writing, I find it helpful to set a specific amount of time and just write for that period, not worrying about the quality of the work. An hour is usually good. Then, when the alarm sounds, I stop, mid-sentence if necessary, and do something completely different. Something away from the computer. The important thing is that for the set time, I write without stopping.
Having parked up in one of my usual spots, I checked the clock and began to type.
But ten minutes later, I heard a cawing sound, loud and close. Glancing up, I saw a carrion crow sitting on a branch immediately outside the windscreen. It was looking at me.
There was no...
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
April 7, 2017
A Macabre Abundance of Missing Limbs
Some novelists don’t like to talk about the stories they are writing. Speaking it out loud dispels the magic, they say. Once it has been voiced, the urgency of writing loses its potency. Others - I’m one of this group - like to talk our stories through. Speaking them out loud forces my vague ideas into a more concrete form. In telling them, I discover aspects of stupidity in the plot. My hesitation is tell-tale, a sign that my subconscious doesn’t want the words to come out of my mouth.
“And then she... uh... well... that is to say...”
So, given my love of talking it through, why has this page been so quiet for the last few weeks?
Regular readers will know that the next novel, The Queen of all Crows, will be out in January. I’ve finished writing it and have sent it off to my lovely publishers, Angry Robot. There will be more editing to do on it later. But for now, it is out of my head and I’ve turned my attention to the book that will follow it.
I’ve started writing and thinking. I’ve even shared one possible opening with my writing circle here in Leicester. It received excellent feedback. But I don’t yet understand the story and it may be that the opening will end up completely different. If you asked me to give some clues, I really wouldn’t know how to make my words coherent. The best I can do is share a few images.
There is an inn on Newfoundland near Port Aux Basques, beyond the borders of the Gas-Lit Empire. It’s turf roof doesn’t keep out all the rain. Water is dripping into a wooden bucket. And now it beginning to snow outside. A warlord strides in, and with him half a dozen bodyguards. Bone dice rattle on the uneven surface of a table.
There are gamblers here. But more particularly...
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
“And then she... uh... well... that is to say...”
So, given my love of talking it through, why has this page been so quiet for the last few weeks?
Regular readers will know that the next novel, The Queen of all Crows, will be out in January. I’ve finished writing it and have sent it off to my lovely publishers, Angry Robot. There will be more editing to do on it later. But for now, it is out of my head and I’ve turned my attention to the book that will follow it.
I’ve started writing and thinking. I’ve even shared one possible opening with my writing circle here in Leicester. It received excellent feedback. But I don’t yet understand the story and it may be that the opening will end up completely different. If you asked me to give some clues, I really wouldn’t know how to make my words coherent. The best I can do is share a few images.
There is an inn on Newfoundland near Port Aux Basques, beyond the borders of the Gas-Lit Empire. It’s turf roof doesn’t keep out all the rain. Water is dripping into a wooden bucket. And now it beginning to snow outside. A warlord strides in, and with him half a dozen bodyguards. Bone dice rattle on the uneven surface of a table.
There are gamblers here. But more particularly...
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
February 1, 2017
Editing the Queen of all Crows
In writing this update, I'm reminded of a line from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. "I'll tell you everything I know. There's little to relate."
There are few landmarks to report when editing. With the writing of a novel, you can at least tell when you've arrived at the end of the narrative. But there is no end to the process of editing. You work through from start to finish, then go back to the start and do it again. And again. And again.
The next milestone for me will come when I feel ready to print out a complete, readable novel and show it to someone. I'm hoping that will come in the next few days.
Eventually I'll reach the point where the allotted time has run out and I'm contractually obliged to send it to the publisher. But even then, there would be more that could be done. Novels are never finished, just abandoned.
However, I CAN tell you that I'm pleased with it so far. Here are a few lines from the text - as it now stands...
The complete article can be read here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
There are few landmarks to report when editing. With the writing of a novel, you can at least tell when you've arrived at the end of the narrative. But there is no end to the process of editing. You work through from start to finish, then go back to the start and do it again. And again. And again.
The next milestone for me will come when I feel ready to print out a complete, readable novel and show it to someone. I'm hoping that will come in the next few days.
Eventually I'll reach the point where the allotted time has run out and I'm contractually obliged to send it to the publisher. But even then, there would be more that could be done. Novels are never finished, just abandoned.
However, I CAN tell you that I'm pleased with it so far. Here are a few lines from the text - as it now stands...
The complete article can be read here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
January 20, 2017
Editing and the number 100
"Editing continues."
There are many occasions when a report of my writing activities looks drab and unexciting like that. After all, what could be so dull as editing?
My friends, if only I could share with you the feeling. A story is emerging before my eyes, formed by the incremental sifting of language. I'm making discoveries about the characters - things that might have been buried in my unconscious mind, but which are brought to light by the process of continually rewriting sentences and paragraphs. The Queen of all Crows is at the cusp of becoming a novel.
So far, a handful of people have seen the opening act of the book. But no one has seen the whole thing. Once I've finished editing through the entire novel - in the next few days - I'll be able to show it to some of my trusted Beta readers. All my experience tells me that the book is working, that it is going to be well received. But my emotions are shouting: "Help! What if they hate it?" We will soon find out.
One Hundred Reviews
Mathematically, the difference between 99 and 100 is 1. But emotionally, 100 seems to carry an added significance. A few days ago, I noticed that...
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
There are many occasions when a report of my writing activities looks drab and unexciting like that. After all, what could be so dull as editing?
My friends, if only I could share with you the feeling. A story is emerging before my eyes, formed by the incremental sifting of language. I'm making discoveries about the characters - things that might have been buried in my unconscious mind, but which are brought to light by the process of continually rewriting sentences and paragraphs. The Queen of all Crows is at the cusp of becoming a novel.
So far, a handful of people have seen the opening act of the book. But no one has seen the whole thing. Once I've finished editing through the entire novel - in the next few days - I'll be able to show it to some of my trusted Beta readers. All my experience tells me that the book is working, that it is going to be well received. But my emotions are shouting: "Help! What if they hate it?" We will soon find out.
One Hundred Reviews
Mathematically, the difference between 99 and 100 is 1. But emotionally, 100 seems to carry an added significance. A few days ago, I noticed that...
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
January 10, 2017
More Good News
But first, there were many messages of support and encouragement in the days following the announcement of the new Gas-Lit Empire series. I'd like to thank everyone who contacted me or shared the post or just reacted to it. This FB page has never before had such a massive response. It is strange and lovely to think that the characters I've been creating over the last few years have become so important to people other than myself.
Now, for the news:
One of my dear friends with visual impairment swears by audio books. And happily the Gas-Lit Empire novels have been available in that format for some time through Audible, with the excellent Gemma Whelan providing narration.
But some people with sight problems prefer to access writing in other ways. Yesterday, I heard that The Bullet Catcher's Daughter has become available in large print format. And also in Braille.
The company producing them is called...
The full article is available here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
Now, for the news:
One of my dear friends with visual impairment swears by audio books. And happily the Gas-Lit Empire novels have been available in that format for some time through Audible, with the excellent Gemma Whelan providing narration.
But some people with sight problems prefer to access writing in other ways. Yesterday, I heard that The Bullet Catcher's Daughter has become available in large print format. And also in Braille.
The company producing them is called...
The full article is available here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
January 5, 2017
And the next novel will be...
Something happened last year, which I’ve had to keep quiet about. But today the embargo is lifted and I can make a happy announcement.
I started writing the Bullet Catcher’s Daughter back in 2012. When it was done, my agent sent it out to lots of publishers - who one by one turned it down. That process went on for almost a year and I began to think that it wasn’t going to get published. Then it went to Angry Robot, a company I knew little about. From their first response, I knew they understood what I was trying to do in the story. They welcomed its oddness and its peculiar mix of genres.
In retrospect, I’ve come to understand how Angry Robot was the perfect home for Gas-Lit Empire novels. The story fits with the kind of strangeness that has become their hallmark. I love the ethos of the company, their clear thinking and the support they give to their authors.
In that initial pitch, I told them that The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter was the first in a series of three trilogies. Nine books in total, which would see the Gas-Lit Empire crumble. I was hoping for a...
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
I started writing the Bullet Catcher’s Daughter back in 2012. When it was done, my agent sent it out to lots of publishers - who one by one turned it down. That process went on for almost a year and I began to think that it wasn’t going to get published. Then it went to Angry Robot, a company I knew little about. From their first response, I knew they understood what I was trying to do in the story. They welcomed its oddness and its peculiar mix of genres.
In retrospect, I’ve come to understand how Angry Robot was the perfect home for Gas-Lit Empire novels. The story fits with the kind of strangeness that has become their hallmark. I love the ethos of the company, their clear thinking and the support they give to their authors.
In that initial pitch, I told them that The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter was the first in a series of three trilogies. Nine books in total, which would see the Gas-Lit Empire crumble. I was hoping for a...
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
January 1, 2017
Editing Vs Writing
Happy New Year - for those of you who follow the Gregorian calendar.
My writing goal for last year was to finish the first draft of the next novel, which I achieved with a few days to spare. I have allocated January and February for editing.
The editing will begin with a broad-scale rewriting. Chapters will be deleted. Now ones will be written. Then I'll start on the finer work, reading out sentences to see how they sound, tweaking the wording. On the final couple of read-throughs I'll change the odd semicolon into a comma.
Looking further ahead, in March 2017 I'll move on to the fifth book set in the Gas-Lit Empire. But here, I anticipate a problem.
The truth is, I enjoy the process of editing. It satisfies my inner perfectionist. By the time March comes around, I'm going to be so far into that process that it will be very hard to start something new. By then I will be in love with book 4 and nothing I write in book 5 will seem good enough. The transition from one novel to the next has always been difficult for me.
But today - January 1st seeming like a portentous date - I opened up my computer and instead of getting on with the editing process, I created a new document, typed a title, and then: "Chapter 1".
I will need to get back to editing book 4 tomorrow, or perhaps the day after. But for now, it feels good to have launched into a brand new story. And when March does arrive, I will already have a few words on the page to kick start the next adventure.
Thank you for your friendship and support during the last year. I can't tell you how precious it has been to me, and how helpful. It gives me the confidence to carry on. Whatever you do in 2017, I hope it brings you joy and fulfillment.
PS As I mentioned in an earlier post, I hope to be making an IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT on the 5th January, which may include the names and dates.
https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
My writing goal for last year was to finish the first draft of the next novel, which I achieved with a few days to spare. I have allocated January and February for editing.
The editing will begin with a broad-scale rewriting. Chapters will be deleted. Now ones will be written. Then I'll start on the finer work, reading out sentences to see how they sound, tweaking the wording. On the final couple of read-throughs I'll change the odd semicolon into a comma.
Looking further ahead, in March 2017 I'll move on to the fifth book set in the Gas-Lit Empire. But here, I anticipate a problem.
The truth is, I enjoy the process of editing. It satisfies my inner perfectionist. By the time March comes around, I'm going to be so far into that process that it will be very hard to start something new. By then I will be in love with book 4 and nothing I write in book 5 will seem good enough. The transition from one novel to the next has always been difficult for me.
But today - January 1st seeming like a portentous date - I opened up my computer and instead of getting on with the editing process, I created a new document, typed a title, and then: "Chapter 1".
I will need to get back to editing book 4 tomorrow, or perhaps the day after. But for now, it feels good to have launched into a brand new story. And when March does arrive, I will already have a few words on the page to kick start the next adventure.
Thank you for your friendship and support during the last year. I can't tell you how precious it has been to me, and how helpful. It gives me the confidence to carry on. Whatever you do in 2017, I hope it brings you joy and fulfillment.
PS As I mentioned in an earlier post, I hope to be making an IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT on the 5th January, which may include the names and dates.
https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
December 16, 2016
On Reading and Writing Fictional Characters
Many reviews of the Gas-Lit Empire mention Elizabeth Barnabus. Opinions of her are overwhelmingly positive. But in those few negative assessments, it often turns out that the reviewer just couldn’t relate to her. Somehow her emotions didn’t feel genuine to them.
Regular readers of this page will know that I’m always grateful to reviewers. They’ve taken the time to read the book and express their opinions. Even negative comments are valuable. The mixed views on Elizabeth’s believability as a character remind me that each reader takes their own unique mix of meaning and experience from a text. There are as many versions of Elizabeth Barnabus as there are readers of the novels.
She is diffident when it comes to sharing her intimate feelings. Some things she wants to keep to herself. There are also times - particularly in her interactions with a certain Patent Office Agent - where we might understand more of her feelings than she does.
It is a style of narrative which invites the reader to do some detective work, to try to figure out her feelings from the things she chooses to tell us. I know it’s not a style that suits everyone. But that’s OK. My aim has always been
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
Regular readers of this page will know that I’m always grateful to reviewers. They’ve taken the time to read the book and express their opinions. Even negative comments are valuable. The mixed views on Elizabeth’s believability as a character remind me that each reader takes their own unique mix of meaning and experience from a text. There are as many versions of Elizabeth Barnabus as there are readers of the novels.
She is diffident when it comes to sharing her intimate feelings. Some things she wants to keep to herself. There are also times - particularly in her interactions with a certain Patent Office Agent - where we might understand more of her feelings than she does.
It is a style of narrative which invites the reader to do some detective work, to try to figure out her feelings from the things she chooses to tell us. I know it’s not a style that suits everyone. But that’s OK. My aim has always been
The full article can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/gaslitempire...
