Stan C. Smith's Blog, page 36

Alfred Wallace - A man who should be known, but isn’t

Can you imagine what it must have been like to visit the tropical islands of the Dutch East Indies in the mid-1800s? Today we can fly to various tropical destinations, stay in plush resorts, and safely visit natural wonders with the help of English-speaking guides. Things were different 160 years ago, when the scientist Alfred Wallace journeyed to the Malay Archipelago and spent eight years collecting more than 100,000 insects, birds, and other animals, which he donated to British museums. Wallace wrote an amazing two-volume book describing his experiences. The book is titled "The Malay Archipelago," and you can get various ebook and print versions of it on Amazon and elsewhere (some of them are even free). I highly recommend this book. It is an eye-opening experience, and it may change the way you look at human nature. Although Wallace bore the Eurocentric prejudices typical of his time, he was an acute observer of native cultures and had the ability to recognize features of tribal life that were in some ways more admirable than his own “modern” society. He also nearly died numerous times from sickness, accidents, and violence.

Here’s the real kicker. During his travels, Wallace came up with the idea that living things evolve as they adapt to their environment. He did this independently from the famous Charles Darwin. Although Wallace had contemplated the idea for several years, the final clarifying details of it came to him when he was sick with fever on the island of Halmahera in 1858. He wrote a brief paper on it and sent it to Charles Darwin to review. Darwin had come up with the same theory, and this inspired him to act. The two men published a joint paper on it in 1858. They were friends, not rivals. A year later, Darwin wrote and published his book, "On the Origin of Species." This book made him famous, and Wallace faded to relative obscurity.

Samuel Inwood, the main character in my new novel, Savage, is patterned after Alfred Wallace. In fact, Samuel was so inspired by Wallace’s journey that he embarked on his own expedition to New Guinea in 1868. As you can guess, things don’t go so well for Samuel. Not only is he forced to endure unthinkable hardships, he is compelled to reconsider what it means to be civilized.

Is Samuel a civilized man, or is he a savage? After you read the book, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

The most satisfying moment

There are many satisfying moments during the process of writing a novel. Each time you finish a chapter, for example. And when you finish the first complete draft. Or when you finally finish that fifteenth editing run-through and realize the story is about ready. But nothing can compare to that moment when the proof copy of the printed version of the book arrives in the mail and you hold it in your hands for the first time. Maybe it’s the book’s heft, or the glossy cover, or the smell of the pages. Or maybe it’s the countless hours of work it took to get to this point.
 
The cover image looks a little dark to me, but that tends to happen when you look at a printed version versus the digital on-screen version. So I am happy with it and will go ahead and approve it. The Kindle version of SAVAGE is already available, but the print version should show up on Amazon within a few days.
 
Now its time to take a brief break by working for ten days at the Kansas State Fair (at the Original Beer Garden… stop by and say hello if you happen to be there), and then back to working on my next novel. It is tentatively titled PROFUSION and is the third novel in the Diffusion series.

Amazon Author page: http://goo.gl/rojJEA

An Unlikely Bird - The Cassowary

Another creature that plays an important role in my upcoming novel, SAVAGE (as well as the title role in my short story, BLUE ARROW) is the Cassowary. The Eastern Turkey is possibly the most impressive bird you’ll see in Missouri. When you see one, you think, “Cool, a turkey.” But when you lay eyes on a cassowary, you think, “Holy !$*#!, it’s a dinosaur!” The cassowary is the second heaviest bird (the Ostrich is first), and they live in New Guinea, its surrounding islands, and northern Australia. Trish and I were lucky enough to see a cassowary while on a rainforest hike in Queensland, Australia. We took video of it, but we could never show that video to our students because Trish, who was holding the camera, kept exclaiming, “Oh, Sh**! Oh, sh**! It’s a cassowary!” Yeah, it’s that exciting to see one.

These birds, which are about five feet tall and weigh up to 130 pounds, have a reputation for being aggressive (although, as usual, people’s opinions about this are exaggerated). When we would hike in areas where they lived, warning signs were posted at trailheads, and brochures about them were readily available. When Australians describe the dangers of cassowaries, they are fond of using the word “disembowel.” An unpleasant word, by any measure, but a cassowary has very sharp claws on its three dinosaur-like toes that are capable of doing some damage. Cassowaries, have a large, bony helmet, or casque, growing from the top of the head, but no one is quite sure of its function. Researchers have suggested it is used as a battering ram to protect the head as the bird runs through the thick tropical forest at up to 31 mph. Regardless, cassowaries are the most bone-headed birds I know of. Cassowaries can also jump 7 feet straight up, and they can swim wide rivers! Impressive, huh?

So the Cassowary is another animal deserving of the BAHF, and this time it stands for the “Bosker Animal Hall of Fame.”
Fun Fact: Bosker is another Australian and New Zealand slang adjective, which also means “Awesome.”

An Unlikely Creature - The Tree Kangaroo

Since a tree kangaroo has an important role in my upcoming novel, Savage, as well as in my novels, Diffusion and Infusion, I thought I would expound upon this creature’s awesomeness. Yes, tree kangaroos are real! They live on the island of New Guinea, but also in very northern Australia and some of the Indonesian islands. Why are tree kangaroos so cool? Well, because they’re kangaroos—that live in trees! When Australian Aborigines and Papuan (New Guinea) natives told early European explorers about tree kangaroos, the explorers refused to believe the stories. You have to admit it seems pretty unlikely, right? These creatures eat, sleep, and breed in the treetops, but that doesn’t mean they live a comfortable existence. First of all, I imagine breeding in the treetops requires some caution (yikes!). Second, they seem to be a tasty meal for their primary predator, the amethystine python (which have a habit of hugging much too tightly). Third, natives hunt them for food (In New Guinea, "the man who has successfully hunted a tree-kangaroo has greatness bestowed upon him. He has conquered the largest, most prestigious and human-like marsupial known to his people." [Tim Flannery, from the awesome book, Throwim Way Leg]). And fourth, they depend on pristine rainforest, and if you haven’t heard, rainforests are getting smaller every day (a real bummer).
 
Some tree kangaroos are extremely rare and live in places so remote that they are unusually tame, as they have never learned to fear humans. The Papuan people of New Guinea have numerous ancient myths about tree kangaroos, some of which play a role in my novels.
 
There are about 14 different species, but this is one of very few types of large mammals with species still being discovered. Most tree kangaroos are about the size of a housecat. They are a fascinating example of divergent evolution (when groups of similar creatures become isolated and gradually diverge in form and function). Long ago, groups of ground-dwelling kangaroos became isolated in areas of dense tropical forest, as opposed to the open grasslands more typical for kangaroos. Once isolated in rainforest areas, they developed the ability to climb trees.
 
So, in summary, Tree Kangaroos are worthy of the BAHF, the “Budgeree Animal Hall of Fame.”
Budgeree is an Australian colloquialism that dates back to the 18th century, and derives from an Aboriginal language – it is loosely translated as “Awesome.”

A Great Review of Diffusion

If you have not yet read Diffusion (or even if you have), below is a wonderful review that was recently posted to Goodreads. This reviewer did an excellent job of capturing the overall essence of the novel. By the way, if you have read Diffusion or Infusion, it would be great if you could post reviews on their Amazon product pages!

Here is the recent review:

"Some spoilers below...Read with caution!

This was a fascinating book by first-time-published author, Stan Smith. What I particularly enjoyed was how quickly the book introduces action and conflict; this makes for a story that is riveting and engaging.

The setting of the book is different from a lot of books I've read lately, and I loved learning about Papua and the impact of anthropology and diffusion. What costs come with our interactions with other cultures? When we visit another country and civilization, is it only for our own needs? What happens when we make assumptions of those with beliefs and practices different than ours?

Smith explores these questions using elements of science fiction that I found to be unique and interesting. Using science fiction to investigate and address real-life issues is just one of the many ways that this book transcends multiple genres. Quentin, his family, and a small group of students start out as relatively naive characters with the goal of exploring another culture. After a mysterious plane crash, the characters quickly learn that their assumptions, mindsets, and previous ways of living must be discarded in order to try to understand their new situation and to adapt to their surroundings. Their arrival in this unfamiliar territory is devastating not only for themselves, but also for the tribe they encounter.

In this novel, the "end of the world" is presented in many ways: the death of loved ones, the end of a culture, the end of previous ways of living, the end of one's previously formed identity, the literal ending of the world, and more. The novel is not an apocalyptic novel, but it certain has some of those influences. The end of the world is something that many of the characters express, especially those from the tribe. They are aware of this (and have been expecting it for quite some time), while Quentin and the others struggle with trying to understand and shed their preconceived notions of the world and beyond.

This inability to "let go" and to be more open-minded is also represented in the fate of Quentin's son, and it causes many fatal problems for all the characters. Those from the tribe warned Quentin and his wife about Addison, but they refused to believe them until it was far too late. Even Samuel, a character who has been with this tribe for a couple hundred years, still fails to see that he is the one who is a relic of a closed-minded and damaging culture; he may see himself as progressive, but that is hardly the case.

What I've mentioned above is just a little piece of Diffusion; this creative and fast-paced novel is sure to fascinate many readers. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in this series!"

--reviewed by Megan McCormack

#5: Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing

My fifth post about writing and publishing as an indie author.  The last post was ‘Create a polished manuscript’ (bottom line: finish it, edit it, have friends edit it, have a professional edit it).

Topic #5: Self-publishing vs. traditional publishing.
 
You’ve finished writing and editing your book. Now you’re ready to do something with it. The question is, publish it the traditional way or self-publish it?
 
You can read endless debates on this question online. I will take a streamlined approach and explain what is best for me.  First, quick summaries of the two choices (for fiction novels):
 
TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING: For novels, typically you find an agent to represent your work to sell it to a publisher. Send a cover letter, the first few pages, and perhaps a synopsis of your novel to several agents at a time. If an agent thinks it might be of commercial value, she will request the entire completed novel. It can take months or years to procure an agent willing to represent it. Your agent will then try to sell your novel to publishers. This can take months or years, or may never happen at all. Once your novel is sold to a publisher, there is an extensive period of negotiating, editing, and printing. Expect 18 months between signing the contract and seeing the book in print.
 
SELF-PUBLISHING: First, choose a publishing service (Amazon is the largest, but there are others such as Lulu, Bookbaby, Barnes and Noble). Create a free account.  Format your book for an ebook and for a print book (if you want a print version). Upload the two formatted files. Upload your cover design (cover designs are a topic for another post). Set the prices for the ebook and print book. Your book then becomes available for sale on the service’s web site. There is no cost involved, other than a percentage of sales.
 
Yes, both descriptions are oversimplified for the sake of brevity.
 
Two reasons self-publishing is best for me: First, it is much faster (traditional = 2 to 6 years, self-publishing = a few days to a few weeks). Second, self-publishing allows far more creative control (including editing and cover design).
 
I want people to read my stories now. I am 55 years old and simply not willing to wait years. I also love being in control of the design of the covers of my novels, not to mention the plot, tone, pacing, and voice. I can set the price. I can have promotions and giveaways. I can switch to a new cover design. I can make improvements to the text and upload them to replace previous versions.
 
When I finish the sequel to Diffusion and Infusion, it will take about a week to make it available to readers (by the way, the title of the third book will be PROFUSION!).
 
Think you cannot become successful by self-publishing? Hugh Howey, Joe Konrath, and a growing number of best-selling self-published authors might disagree.
 
Bottom line: For me, self-publishing is best, hands-down. It’s faster, and you have more control.

#4: Create a polished manuscript

My fourth post about writing and publishing as an indie author. The last post was ‘Plot and write a novel’ (bottom line: There are as many approaches to this as there are writers. Just do it.).

Topic #3: Create a polished manuscript.

So, you write and write (and write) until you have the first draft of a novel. Here’s a secret: all first drafts are terrible. There, I said it. But I’m not the only one. Here's a quote from Ernest Hemingway: “The first draft of anything is shit.” That leads us to a quote from E.B. White: “The best writing is rewriting.” My translation of what these writers were trying to say: Get your first draft done. Don’t worry too much about the quality. Rewrite it again and again until it is good. And then keep rewriting until it is even better.

What works best for you when you edit your writing?

Here is my three-step process to create a polished manuscript:

Step 1: Self-editing. Go through it numerous times, because you’ll find more improvements to make every time. Read it out loud (to your spouse, your friend, or your dog). You’ll be surprised at how helpful this is in assessing the pacing and flow.

Step 2: Ask your friends to edit it. Maybe they aren’t professional editors, but they’ll have some suggestions, and they may have a good grasp of grammar and punctuation. They can even give you tips on effectiveness of the plot. And they’re inexpensive. They might do it for a pizza.

Step 3: Have at least one professional-level editor go through it. As an indie author, there is a risk of avoiding this due to the cost. But if you want to try to sell your novel, this is one of the two things you absolutely must invest in (the second is a professional cover design). You can expect to pay from $4 to $12 per 1000 words of your novel. A typical price would be $5, so this would be $400 for a novel of 80,000 words. You can easily hire editors on web sites such as: https://www.fiverr.com/ To be sure an editor can do professional-level work, look at their reviews and ratings (I can recommend several). Tip: do not do this step until you have edited to the best of your ability. You want your professional editor to do what you cannot, rather than paying them to do what you can do yourself.

Bottom line: finish your first draft, edit it yourself (over and over), have friends edit it, and finally, have a professional editor work on it.

Happy writing!

Stories about love

I want to share a series of stories I have written (and am still writing) that explore the nature of love.  These stories will eventually end up in a compilation for sale on Amazon, but for now you can read them for free.  I’m sharing the love (ha-ha).  If you like them, you should check out my novels.
 
What is love, anyway? What makes one person more compatible with you than with other people? What is it that makes your heart quicken when you smell her hair, or look into his eyes, or share a private moment that no one else would understand? Perhaps it is merely biological, nothing more than a suitable biochemical match. Perhaps it simply requires time spent together, with a willingness to gradually conform to the perceived needs of your partner. Or maybe some people just want to fall in love, and who they choose doesn’t even matter all that much.
 
What do you think love is? Since love is a significant facet of my existence, I have ideas about this. And as a writer, my ideas tend to come out as stories. Warning: I write speculative stories. I can’t help it. It’s the way my mind works (perhaps it is a little broken). In my stories, love may not be what you think or what you want it to be…
 
THE MATCHMAKER’S DAUGHTER is the first of these stories.  It occurred to me that we are experiencing an unprecedented online availability of data on every person. In the next few years, it will explode to unimaginable amounts of information. What manner of uses will we come up with for all that data? Juliet has just graduated from high school, and she is in love with the idea of falling in love. When she sneaks into her mom’s office and accesses a prototype of a groundbreaking database, her life swiftly takes a turn she could never have imagined.
 
This story is a quick read (less than a hour), and I would love to hear your thoughts on it. You can access a free PDF copy of The Matchmaker’s Daughter at the top of my home page.  Or just tap or click here.

#3: Plot and write your novel

This is my third post about writing and publishing as an indie author. The last post was ‘Boost your writing skills’ (bottom line: Write every day, whether you feel like it or not, and have others critique your writing).
 
Topic #3: Plot and write a novel.
 
There is false mystery assigned to the process of writing novels. Hollywood portrays it as something magical that happens only to writers who have some unquantifiable talent they were born with and reluctantly must act upon. Bollocks. If you want to write a novel, sit down and write it, and learn as you go from anyone willing to help. As Thomas Edison said, “Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.”
 
There is no one formula for plotting a novel. Some writers create notecards for each scene and shuffle them to see what sequence works best. Some writers don’t plot their novels at all, preferring to let the story unfold as they write. Or you could use a software application designed to help writers develop and organize characters and scenes (https://goo.gl/2G28nz).
 
Then there’s my approach. Grab a hot mocha, put my feet up, and start scribbling ideas onto a yellow legal pad. Eventually an intriguing concept begins to form. Take that concept and jot down possible story arcs until I have one that could be a novel or short story that excites me. Write a rough outline of what happens during the story and how it could end. It might be a bulleted list less than one page long. Then I flip to the next page and start writing the first scene. The final story won’t resemble the outline much, because the best ideas come when you are deep into the writing, not while outlining.
 
Here’s an example. Recently I decided to write a short story. I made a list of concepts that interested me. One of them stood out: What if there was a computer that could find your perfect romantic match out of all the people in the world? (Confession: this idea came to me because several years ago I had read Death Match, by Lincoln Child).  I scribbled out several scenarios for a story based on this concept. I decided it would be interesting if a teenage girl is one of the first to try the software out, and she steals her mom’s car and drives hundreds of miles to see the person who is supposedly her perfect match. As I was writing the story, I decided to make it tragic (like Romeo and Juliet). I named the protagonist Juliet and came up with a new ending. I finished the story and then edited it a dozen times. If I want to actually publish it, I’ll ask at least one person with professional-level editing skills to go through it (my son, Micheal Smith, often helps me).
 
The final story is THE MATCHMAKER’S DAUGHTER. Would you like to read it?  Here is a free copy. Let me know what you think of it. And share this post so others can read it!
 
That’s it, there’s no mystery to the process. Bottom line: Just do it.

#2: Boost your writing skills

Ever had the urge to write a book?  This is my second post about the processes involved with writing and publishing as an indie author.  The first post was ‘Decide what kind of writer you are’ (bottom line: Write for yourself, not for other people, so that your passion shows through).
 
Topic #2: Boost your writing skills.
 
I’m not a great writer. But I’m getting better. My next novel will be better than the last one, and the one after that will be even better. How do I know this? Because the more time I spend doing something, the better I get at it, whether it’s writing, swimming, or hunting the elusive wild turkey (that’s a topic for another day). Writers often say the best advice is B.I.C.  This stands for Butt In Chair.  In other words, if you want to be a writer, sit down and write. Write every day, at a scheduled time if possible.  William Faulkner said: “I write only when I’m inspired. Fortunately I’m inspired at 9 o’clock every morning.” What he meant was that he forced himself to write every day, not just when he felt like it.
 
Those of you who are teachers might say this is misleading.  Without a foundation of knowledge, B.I.C. could result in the same bad habits becoming entrenched.  You’re right.  So I recommend supplementing B.I.C. time with learning activities.  Everyone learns differently, but here’s what I have done.  First, I have a shelf full of how-to writing books.  They were all helpful.  You can also take creative writing classes. I took several online classes with Gotham Writers Workshop (http://www.writingclasses.com).  But these classes led to what has worked best for me, which is interacting with other writers—having them read and critique my work. What made the classes successful was that the students exchanged critiques every week, one novel chapter at a time. Some of the students from my last class formed a writing group that worked together for years. You can easily form a writers group online or in person.  The concept is simple: every week the group reads and provides feedback on the work of two group members.  If you have six in your group, then each person must submit a new chapter (or short story) every three weeks to be critiqued.  This provides structure and motivation to keep writing.  I would trade all my writing books for one year of interaction with a small group of like-minded writers. And you learn just as much from providing feedback as you do from receiving feedback.
 
Bottom line: Write every day, whether you feel inspired or not. Have others critique your writing. And remember, write what you love to read.