Mark Anson's Blog: Mark Anson author blog, page 2
September 2, 2013
Editing continues ...
...I am now in the closing few chapters of Acid Sky, and the editing's going well. Still going for early October for a Kindle release, but will start posting some sneak previews of the artwork and drawings here soon.
August 28, 2013
Why work so hard on ‘technical accuracy’ in stories?
Does anybody care? For instance, I spent several hours yesterday calculating the fuel consumption of one of the fictional aircraft in the next book, and I know that many readers (and writers) would find this behaviour bizarre. What on earth does the fuel consumption matter? Surely characterisation and plot development are much more important!
Well, they are really. The only explanation I can find is that I love detail in stories, especially if it’s written by an expert on a subject. The way in which the detail surfaces in the story, often in a casual or subtle manner, helps one suspend disbelief and makes for a more immersive story. And the best way to have all this detail is to work it all through; even if maybe you don’t use it in one place, you might need to refer to it somewhere else.
In a science fiction setting, the writer has a great deal of freedom, including the ability to ignore or sidestep physical limitations. But I don’t think this is an excuse to be sloppy or inconsistent. If you’re going to have time travel, for instance, at least think through the fictional technology and how it might work. I have always liked the detail that Michael Crichton included in his stories - the research that Crichton did on the background material allowed him to create a believable technology (for instance, time travel in Timeline) and apply it consistently in the story, complete with issues and limitations that enhanced the story.
Well, they are really. The only explanation I can find is that I love detail in stories, especially if it’s written by an expert on a subject. The way in which the detail surfaces in the story, often in a casual or subtle manner, helps one suspend disbelief and makes for a more immersive story. And the best way to have all this detail is to work it all through; even if maybe you don’t use it in one place, you might need to refer to it somewhere else.
In a science fiction setting, the writer has a great deal of freedom, including the ability to ignore or sidestep physical limitations. But I don’t think this is an excuse to be sloppy or inconsistent. If you’re going to have time travel, for instance, at least think through the fictional technology and how it might work. I have always liked the detail that Michael Crichton included in his stories - the research that Crichton did on the background material allowed him to create a believable technology (for instance, time travel in Timeline) and apply it consistently in the story, complete with issues and limitations that enhanced the story.
August 27, 2013
Three-quarters edited ...
After making a big effort across a public holiday weekend in the UK, I have now edited to the three-quarter mark on the next book. This is really encouraging! The last quarter is 'action', and I like writing action, especially when I've put the work in to build up to it, so it's a bit less of a slog to edit it.
So when will I have finished editing? Looks like September to me, then there's the fun of compiling for Kindle. At least I've done the drawings first this time, so I don't have to spend ages on those.
More on drawings in a later post.
So when will I have finished editing? Looks like September to me, then there's the fun of compiling for Kindle. At least I've done the drawings first this time, so I don't have to spend ages on those.
More on drawings in a later post.
August 23, 2013
So how's the next book coming on, Mark?
Well, it's written, and I am now deep in the rather lengthy editing process, which for me takes longer than the actual writing. I tend to worry endlessly about issues of grammar, sentence construction and consistency, that collectively make for slow progress. But it's getting there. All the drawings are complete, the background material is written, and I am more than half-way through the edit of the story.
The next book is a prequel to Below Mercury, which is perhaps an unusual sequence to follow, but I wanted to go back and explore the early history of one of the characters, before going on into a sequel. I've roughed out what happens in the sequel as well, to try to avoid any serious inconcistencies through the series.
Better get back to that editing ...
The next book is a prequel to Below Mercury, which is perhaps an unusual sequence to follow, but I wanted to go back and explore the early history of one of the characters, before going on into a sequel. I've roughed out what happens in the sequel as well, to try to avoid any serious inconcistencies through the series.
Better get back to that editing ...
August 21, 2013
Starting a blog on Goodreads
So I have taken the plunge and created an author profile on Goodreads, and I have started a blog here. I don't maintain a blog anywhere else, so this is going to be where I post updates, thoughts and general ramblings on the long and tortuous process of writing, and other related subjects.
