Cindy Tomamichel's Blog: World Building, page 5

December 18, 2019

Free Reads

A special bonus blog to let everyone know about some free reads coming up – snap them up in time for Christmas, and go mad gifting all your friends!





5 Minute Vacations is free the 18th – 20th of December.









Tired? Stressed? 





Need a break?





 You are not alone.





Instead of reaching for another coffee, take a short journey with me. We will visit places where you can replace some of your current stress with a moment to cherish. 





No exercises to do. No program to follow. No guilt for not being a better person. 





Just relax into these tranquil scenes, and give your mind a five-minute vacation. In these pages, you can escape from the everyday, and find your happy place.





myBook.to/5MinVacation





I am also in an Advent Calendar, which provides a free book every day until Christmas. Check out some new authors! Click here





Prizes
As well, there are some fabulous giveaways running at them moment. Click on the links below – you can follow the author on various social media in return for a chance at some great prizes. A lovely way to support authors.





Space and Time giveaway









Romance Book Fair





Looking for some romance reads? This has a huge range of different romance styles, so something for everyone. Click here.









Look out for my last blog of the year, due out the 23rd of December. Some flash fiction to get you in a holiday mood!





Enjoy this
blog? Have a think about signing up via my
website or catch them as they fly around the ether on twitter or facebook . They will
stay where they are pinned on
pinterest .





For those
that have not read Druid’s Portal yet, here is a link to the first chapter of
  DruidsPortal and to the second in the series Druid’s Portal: The Second Journey , and you
can read a preview
here .





Scifi more your thing? Try my short stories in the anthologies Quantum Soul and
Tales from Alternate Earths 2.  Or what about horror? Try Haunted, a free
new horror anthology.





If you are
keen to chat with other scifi peeps, then check out the Knights of the Scifi
Roundtable
facebook
group
and subscribe to their newsletter https://mailchi.mp/29fb30bca8e4/update-subscription





Short stories
and poetry? Try the Rhetoric Askew anthologies
: Mixed genre, Adventure or Romance 





Tired from
all that thinking? Try a 5 Minute Vacation!
5 Minute Vacation 





I also have a newsletter for Multi Genre Readers, with a
bunch of other talented authors contributing articles.
Sign up here .





And my own author newsletter, for book news, odd facts,
recipes and random freebies.
Sign
up here.


The post Free Reads appeared first on Cindy Tomamichel.

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Published on December 18, 2019 03:30

November 22, 2019

World building: Scale

The scale of a world is an interesting facet to explore. Is the world of the book the normal everyday or does it delve into a microcosm, or travel across the universe? Variations on scale can create and define a world of wonder, limited only by the imagination.









The Universe





The scale of  human
comfort is probably something that can be measured – a days travel for
instance. But what if your people travel the universe- how can such vast
distances be comprehended or made familiar? Star Trek does it by defining distinct
areas – the Gamma Quadrant, the Neutral Zone, or Galorndon Core. Within these,
battles, various space phenomena or restricted areas can be mapped into familiarity.





To travel the distances one needs to invent warp drives,
spore drives or rely on multi-generational ships, or a long sleep hibernation. ‘The
Watch Below’ by James White has a multi-generational crew with the added
complication of a sleeping crew. The same species, one the original, the other
mutated by generations of living on board a ship increasingly less able to
support life.





Going Small





There are a number of stories about the small aspects of our world, and different ways to explore the theme. The world may be ours, but pinpointing a section of it – for instance delving into the world of ants, as in ‘Rustle in the Grass’ by Robin Hawdon. A realistic world, yet unfamiliar because it looks at things from a vastly different scale. A fantasy element enters in with any number of animal community books such as ‘Brambly Hedge’ by Jill Barklem, or ‘The Rats of NIHM’ by Robert O’Brien. Animals doing people things on their own scale, often using large things in a different way.





A variation on this is the visitor to a smaller world. A
number of scifi books explore this, including Asimov’s ‘Fantastic Voyage’ – a journey
inside the body by people in a spacecraft. The movie ‘The Ant Bully’ is another
version. A trip into the shlock pulps of the 60’s reveals ‘The Incredible
Shrinking Man’ by Richard Matheson. The title probably doesn’t do it any
favours, as it is a fascinating exploration of a man shrinking out of our
world, and venturing into the unknown.  Worth a read, unlike some similar titles such
as ‘The Incredible Melting Man’, which is just ghastly. More recent books
include ‘Micro’ by Michael Crichton.





Small in a big World





Another variation is perhaps more well known – that of being
normal size in a giant world. Many authors  have explored this one – CS Lewis in ‘The
Silver Chair’, ‘Gullivers Travel’s by Jonathon Swift, Enid Blyton in several
adventures involving the Faraway Tree and Piers Anthony in his space travelling
dentist in ‘Prostho Plus’. It is also a rich theme for movies and TV – think Land
of the Giants, Jurassic Park, Mysterious Island and the interesting Downsizing.





The advantage of this idea is it is a mine of ideas to
repurpose big things into new, and show both the writer’s imagination and hence
the ingenuity and courage of the characters. Use a safety pin and cotton as an
abseiling tool? No problem!





Big visits Average





A large creature or person in our average size world. More
often the province of monster movies, it can be used to add an element of fear.
A known thing is suddenly larger – the innocent becomes capable of menace. King
Kong, The Attack of the 40ft Woman, and any number of Godzilla movies have
entrenched this concept into horror. Heinlein explores massive bug aliens in ‘Starship
Troopers.’





It’s a way of exploring the idea of being out of place,
perhaps the creature is as scared as the people? Frankenstein almost makes it
into this category, a large monster innocent until tormented, and never really
understanding the world they find themselves in. the story ‘The Fly’ by George Langelaan, a man is accidentally
transfigured into part fly, a horror in our world, and one of extreme danger in
the fly’s world.





So all of these examples are ways of seeing the world in a different light – forcing the reader into a world that is both familiar and unsettling. Adventure can adapt to any setting, and so must the characters.





Enjoy this
blog? Have a think about signing up via my
website or catch
them as they fly around the ether on
twitter or facebook . They will
stay where they are pinned on
pinterest .





For those that have not read Druid’s Portal yet, here is a link to the first chapter of  DruidsPortal and to the second in the series Druid’s Portal: The Second Journey, and you can read a preview here.





Scifi more your thing? Try my short stories in the anthologies Quantum Soul and
Tales from Alternate Earths 2.  Or what about horror? Try Haunted, a free
new horror anthology.





If you are
keen to chat with other scifi peeps, then check out the Knights of the Scifi
Roundtable
facebook group and subscribe to their newsletter https://mailchi.mp/29fb30bca8e4/update-subscription





Short stories
and poetry? Try the Rhetoric Askew anthologies
: Mixed genre, Adventure or Romance 





Tired from
all that thinking? Try a 5 Minute Vacation!
5 Minute Vacation 





I also have a newsletter for Multi Genre Readers, with a
bunch of other talented authors contributing articles.
Sign up here .





And my own author newsletter, for book news, odd facts,
recipes and random freebies.
Sign
up here.


The post World building: Scale appeared first on Cindy Tomamichel.

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Published on November 22, 2019 12:30

October 22, 2019

NaNoWriMo for published authors

I’ve written a few blogs on NaNo, but mostly from the perspective of a new writer. For them, Nano is a time of discovery, trepidation, and proving to themselves and the world that they are – or are not – a writer. For writers write, that’s what it’s all about. But what about if you are already published? How is Nano different?









I think the main difference is that if you are published,
writing is something you just do. If you are not writing, then you are thinking
about it, planning, researching or involved in some of the endless tasks of
marketing. The gloss is tarnished – you know now that writing is the easy part –
publishing and then the tawdry and tedious marketing side is the reality.





An established author knows how they write. Plotting and
pantsing is a bit second nature. How much research is enough. How to name your
characters. Even the practical aspects of setting up a document, and having an organized
filing system is done. All these things are part of the business of being a
professional author.





The magic





We all get into writing because of it – the fire of
creativity, the flare of an idea into a story, the birth of a character from an
overheard remark. The absorption that takes over the mind during boring tasks –
laundry becomes a chance to try dialogue, or speculate on the effect of two
moons.





But somewhere, sometimes, in amongst the boring marketing,
editing, formatting, and social media that can get lost. Writing that once
fired our imagination becomes yet another job to squeeze into a already busy
day. A month of writing is not new anymore, and the 1,667 daily word count may
be a lot less than you currently write.





Nano is a chance to rekindle the magic. Indulge yourself in a
new idea, new characters and even a new world. Join in the fun of having ninja
pirates arrive in the middle of a romance, or employ the travelling shovel of
death on an annoying character. The Nano forums are a chance to pay back, to
help out with a bit of advice or encouragement.





Burnout





By the end of the year, many authors will have been writing
all year, and are working on perhaps releasing something to interest holiday
shoppers. A month of writing is the last thing you feel like doing.





And honestly, that’s ok. From my own experience, writing up and
through October on non Nano projects makes it very hard to summon enthusiasm
for something new, especially if you are telling yourself this would be a great
time to get a sequel done. You don’t want to enter November tired, then force
yourself to finish, and end up with something that gives you no joy at all. Don’t
pressure yourself to do Nano just because you have always done so. Things
change when you are published, and you no doubt have deadlines you did not have
in the past. Be gentle on yourself if it really feels too much.





But maybe there are a few things you can do to help bring
the joy back into writing – for that is what Nano is. The spirit and joy of
creating something in a month – the immersion in a new world. And remember –
you are not allowed to edit in November, how good is that? (I don’t like
editing much!)





Last minute Preparation





Even now, in the last week of October, start giving yourself
time to refresh. Stop any writing and get ready for something new. An idea that’s
been on the backburner, and yes if you like, a sequel with familiar characters,
or something that came to you in a dream.





Get the housework done, cleaning and perhaps cooking ahead.
Shop ahead, with some pantry staples of pasta, rice, your usual snacks and your
caffeine of choice. Christmas shopping is also a good job to knock over now.
Online charity gifts are a great timesaver!





Sort out social media. Get a scheduler (hootsuite, buffer,
tweetdeck etc) and slot in as many as you can. Pre write blogs and newsletters
and schedule them. If there are projects that have to be done in November,
write out a detailed to do list. You may like to pin a post or tweet mentioning
you are going to be a bit quieter.





Do some self care. Try and spend some time on yourself-
walking, relaxing, cooking or something that helps untangle the brain.





But still, why?





Quite a few authors suffer from procrastination, even if
this is camouflaged by activities such as editing, marketing etc. It is really
easy to get wrapped up in social media and talk more about writing than you are
doing.





Nano gives you a chance to have a good draft of a novel
done. Blast it out, and you can spend the year doing those other jobs, and
still have a novel written. If you do write rapidly and release often, you may
scoff at the idea of writing so little during a month. And good for you, that’s
no easy pathway either. But for those that get distracted by other things, the
chance to focus is a blessing.





If you are a bit down on your writing, it is also a chance
to enjoy writing for it’s own sake. Sometimes we get so focused on the next
sale, or being involved in social media that the reason we started writing is
forgotten.





Use Nano as a chance to rekindle the joy, to focus on a new
world only you can create. Good luck, whatever your decision.





If you would like to read my other nano blogs, the links are
here:





Adventures in NaNoLand





Prepping for the Nanopocalyse





NaNo – the power and the glory





Enjoy this
blog? Have a think about signing up via my
website or catch
them as they fly around the ether on
twitter or facebook . They will
stay where they are pinned on
pinterest .





For those that have not read Druid’s Portal yet, here is a link to the first chapter of   DruidsPortal and to the second in the series Druid’s Portal: The Second Journey , and you can read a preview here .





Scifi more your thing? Try my short stories in the anthologies Quantum Soul and
Tales from Alternate Earths 2.  Or what about horror? Try Haunted, a free
new horror anthology.





If you are
keen to chat with other scifi peeps, then check out the Knights of the Scifi
Roundtable
facebook group and subscribe to their newsletter https://mailchi.mp/29fb30bca8e4/update-subscription





Short stories
and poetry? Try the Rhetoric Askew anthologies
: Mixed genre, Adventure or Romance 





Tired from
all that thinking? Try a 5 Minute Vacation!
5 Minute Vacation 





I also have a newsletter for Multi Genre Readers, with a
bunch of other talented authors contributing articles.
Sign up here . And my own author newsletter, for book news, odd
facts, recipes and random freebies.
Sign up here.


The post NaNoWriMo for published authors appeared first on Cindy Tomamichel.

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Published on October 22, 2019 13:30

October 1, 2019

Horror Anthology: Haunted

I am pleased to be in a new anthology – this time a horror collection.





My story ‘Waiting for Wednesdays’ is a short one, and a twist on the ghost whisperer story. A not too scary story I wrote a fair while ago now, but it remains one of my favourites.









I share space with a number of indie authors, so I encourage everyone to check them out and see what else they have written.





Here is the description:







Join us on a pumpkin spiced, ghost-riddled, spooky journey amongst the imaginations of fifteen horrifyingly excellent indie-authors. Let them take you on a candle-lit journey through the minds of the depraved, departed and desperate as they treat you to their haunting tales. Lock the doors, close the curtains and don’t turn off the light!





This book will be a permanently free edition, so grab a copy! As always, reviews are much appreciated, and help spread the word out about our writing. Download by clicking the image or here.





Enjoy this
blog? Have a think about signing up via my
website or catch them as they fly around the ether on twitter or facebook . They will
stay where they are pinned on
pinterest .





For those that have not read Druid’s Portal yet, here is a link to the first chapter of   DruidsPortal and to the second in the series Druid’s Portal: The Second Journey , and you can read a preview here .





Scifi more your thing? Try my short stories in the anthologies Quantum Soul and
Tales from Alternate Earths 2.  Or what about horror? Try Haunted,
a free new horror anthology.





If you are
keen to chat with other scifi peeps, then check out the Knights of the Scifi
Roundtable
facebook
group
and subscribe to their newsletter https://mailchi.mp/29fb30bca8e4/update-subscription





Short stories
and poetry? Try the Rhetoric Askew anthologies
: Mixed genre, Adventure or Romance 





Tired from
all that thinking? Try a 5 Minute Vacation!
5 Minute Vacation 





I also have a newsletter for Multi Genre Readers, with a
bunch of other talented authors contributing articles.
Sign up here .





And my own author newsletter, for book news, odd facts,
recipes and random freebies.
Sign
up here.


The post Horror Anthology: Haunted appeared first on Cindy Tomamichel.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on October 01, 2019 14:30

September 22, 2019

World building: Deserts

Humans continually modify much of the environment in order
to make it more comfortable to live. Yet many places still exist on Earth and
our Solar system that are dangerous and uninhabitable by humans, at least for
the long term. That does not stop many creatures making these places home. How
do authors work extremes of environment into their worlds?









The earth is full of marvellous examples of physiological and psychological
or behavioural adaptations to the extremes found in desert environments. These
can be used in a novel to add flavour and verisimilitude to the story. Are the
characters passing through and not adapted or used to this environment? Or are
they well adapted, even moving past being entirely human?





Body adaptations become important when animals, plants or people moving
into a niche environment, or are being forced to do so. The environment may
have changed gradually, or they are moving to find new food sources. People migrate,
ending up in fringe areas, where the land is so poor or lacking in resources that
it is not worth fighting over. Over time, the adaptions spread through the
population, as more successful families with mutations produce the most
offspring. For animals, we can see the development of different sub species,
eventually evolving into an entirely different species. Darwin noticed the
development of the different species of finch on the Galapagos Islands, and
eventually formed the theory of evolution from his observations. Mutations plus
population isolation leading to different species.





This then can be developed in fiction. A colony planet loses contact with incoming ships. Isolation, and the survival of those most fitted to the environment. A theory beautifully and thoroughly adapted in Andre Norton’s “Breed to Come”. Would they still be recognisably human or think of themselves as such?





Physical adaptations include ways to move – wide pads on feet, or conservation of water by concentrating urine. This was used by Randall Garrett in the Gandalara series where the concentrated urine crystals he produced was the first certain proof that he was in a new world. Andre Norton and Herbert in Dune have created worlds were the economy and social structure was heavily influenced by the environment. In Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”, human embryos were manipulated in artificial wombs to be able to work better in different places, with inbuilt malaria resistance for tropic areas as an example. Robert Heinlein creates a believable world in his books set on Mars with exotic plants adapted to a cold desert.





The bushmen of the Kalahari have quite distinct physical attributes
from surviving their environment for many thousands of years. Their height, fat
storage, and intestinal biota are all different to the human average. Due to
the feast or famine of hunting, often vast quantities of food are consumed,
influencing social behaviours.





Reactions to landing in the desert vary depending on preparation, body morphology and behaviour. In Kenneth Kamler’s book “Surviving the Extremes” he notes that in any change of situation into life threatening, the mind is the most important tool. Quick, clear and correct decisions can make the difference in survival situations. A highly recommended book for those interested in human survival in extremes of environment. Star Trek episodes are often based on the crew’s reactions and decisions in alien environments.





Behavioural adaptations include becoming semi nocturnal, devising ways
to collect water, dig burrows to stay cool or hunting methods. Humans in Africa
were noted to be almost semi nocturnal by early explorers, and desert clothing
is designed for covering up, and adding layers of protection against the sun
and sand. 





Plant life too reacts to the low rainfall and nutrient levels. Leaves
become spines in cactus, or silvery and tough to reflect heat. Flowering and
seeds happen quickly after rains, with the sands blossoming after rainfall,
dying just as quickly. 





While the image of desert often conjours sand, there are vast tracts of pebbles, rocks eroded into fantastic shapes, salt lakes with dead trees and salt rich succulent plants, and even salt lakes with bacteria that turn the water pink. Variations in groundwater and geology may produce small pockets of water and lush plant life amidst desolation. Dust, windstorms, and sudden rain deluges can all happen and be incorporated.





Some of these things can be incorporated into the novel, either as part of the world, or a source for the plot. In Peter O’Donnell’s Modesty Blaise, they built a sand skimming wind driven vehicle, travelled at night, living off the land because they had the knowledge to do so. When an injury becomes life threatening, again obscure knowledge is a life saver. In the old TV series “Man from Atlantis”, the man that could not stay out of water longer than an hour was saved by the doctor remembering the coolness of the underside of stones. Buried in damp sand and covered in stones, he managed to survive long enough for rescue.





The environment affects plants and animals, and by extension the people that live there. Society, diet and activity is dictated by the extreme conditions. Even just a visit will influence the behaviour and survival of your characters in significant ways.





Enjoy this
blog? Have a think about signing up via my
website or catch
them as they fly around the ether on
twitter or facebook . They will
stay where they are pinned on
pinterest .





For those that have not read Druid’s Portal yet, here is a link to the first chapter of  DruidsPortal and to the second in the series Druid’s Portal: The Second Journey, and you can read a preview here.





Scifi more your thing? Try my short stories in the anthologies Quantum Soul and
Tales from Alternate Earths 2.





If you are
keen to chat with other scifi peeps, then check out the Knights of the Scifi
Roundtable
facebook group and subscribe to their newsletter https://mailchi.mp/29fb30bca8e4/update-subscription





Short stories
and poetry? Try the Rhetoric Askew anthologies
: Mixed genre, Adventure or Romance 





Tired from
all that thinking? Try a 5 Minute Vacation!
5 Minute Vacation 





I also have a newsletter for Multi Genre Readers, with a
bunch of other talented authors contributing articles.
Sign up here .





And my own author newsletter, for book news, odd facts,
recipes and random freebies.
Sign
up here.


The post World building: Deserts appeared first on Cindy Tomamichel.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
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Published on September 22, 2019 14:30

August 22, 2019

World Building: Cultural survival

What does it take to ensure a society survives and grows? What makes
one region successful, while another struggles? Why do societies fall? Big
questions – can they be included in a novel?





Jared Diamond in his massive and erudite book “Collapse”  notes several conditions that must be met for a culture to develop.









Food





The region must firstly contain arable food crops. Grains such as wheat
and corn, legumes like beans, lentils and peas. Without these types of food
plants, an area is doomed to remain subsistence level. With them, and
agriculture and the beginnings of cities is possible.





Domestic beasts





There are only a limited number of animals that can be domesticated,
and they share the characteristics of being able to cope with humans, being
easily bred, produce either meat, wool, milk etc. Without beasts such as cows,
pigs, horses, chickens and sheep, a society struggles. I would add in animals
that have been human companions – dogs for hunting and cats for vermin control.





Climate





Having the plants and animals handy is the first need. The soil and
climate must also cooperate, and be predictable enough for humans to develop
agriculture. If they need to build massive stone circles as well, then that is
a good sign there is enough leisure time to do so, and the society is thriving
to be able to have the leisure time to think deep thoughts. The first step
towards space travel.





So, a society can grow with the right plants, animal and climate. But that may not be enough. Wars happen, but also people unwittingly destroy or are destroyed by gradual change. Climate can also change gradually over generations. In the 6th century (around 536AD) two volcanic eruptions caused a global cooling. Some of the likely results of this were widespread famine and plague. In Dartmoor, UK during a period of good climate in the Bronze age, tens of thousands of acres were divided up into farmland, only to be abandoned as the climate changed and as the soil degraded.





The first city Catal Huyuk (7,500BC) in Turkey was successful, but was eventually
abandoned. Recent studies have pointed to a combination of over exploitation of
the environment, over population and signs of violence against individuals
perhaps due to overcrowding. Likewise, Easter island once had trees, but
society fell with the environment as the last tree was chopped down. 





RE Howard uses abandoned cities quite often – dead as a result of war, inbreeding, etc. Often the cities are peopled by the ghosts of the dead, or debased remnants of the original godlike inhabitants, or even taken over by a new race of sentient apes or lizards. Edgar Rice Burroughs also enjoyed the lost cities theme, with Tarzan exploring the Earth’s core and Opar. Mad queens and strange societies people his worlds. For a time, lost worlds, journeys to the centre of the Earth and weird creatures and debased humans flourished.





Post apocalyptic novels or sci-fi often describe a world debased by pollution, wars and the like. In extreme environments, society itself becomes extreme. In various episodes of Star Trek, there are tales of societies fixing the problems of our present.





It is easy to become disillusioned by the prospect of change, falling into the pattern that the future is always going to be grim. But in general, the past was a whole lot worse – harder to live, to survive without disease and pain, and have the time to think deep thoughts. Isn’t that what a book is about – giving the reader hope, and an escape into a world that is better. Maybe they will shut the book and go out and make a small change in their world.





Enjoy this
blog? Have a think about signing up via my
website or catch them as they fly around the ether on twitter or facebook . They will
stay where they are pinned on
pinterest .





For those that have not read Druid’s Portal yet, here is a link to the first chapter of  DruidsPortal and to the second in the series Druid’s Portal: The Second Journey, and you can read a preview here.





Scifi more your thing? Try my short stories in the anthologies Quantum Soul and
Tales from Alternate Earths 2.





If you are
keen to chat with other scifi peeps, then check out the Knights of the Scifi
Roundtable
facebook
group
and subscribe to their newsletter https://mailchi.mp/29fb30bca8e4/update-subscription





Short stories
and poetry? Try the Rhetoric Askew anthologies
: Mixed genre, Adventure or Romance 





Tired from
all that thinking? Try a 5 Minute Vacation!
5 Minute Vacation 





I also have a newsletter for Multi Genre Readers, with a
bunch of other talented authors contributing articles.
Sign up here .





And my own author newsletter, for book news, odd facts,
recipes and random freebies.
Sign
up here.


The post World Building: Cultural survival appeared first on Cindy Tomamichel.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
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Published on August 22, 2019 14:30

July 22, 2019

World building: Underground

Underground environments are both common work places for
some, a place to explore, or a fragile ecosystem that can kill a human. A perfect
place to set a story!





In this category I include mining, natural cave systems and geysers. All are quite unnatural places to live and explore. Yet humans and creatures can often adapt.









Mines





Old mining areas can be a maze of fall areas, open mined out
zones, gas pockets, stale air zones, in terms of structure. After a mine
closes, if the groundwater is not still being pumped out, then the mine may
well slowly fill, or at least develop areas of water, which will be
contaminated with residues of whatever metal was extracted. This will in a
surprisingly short period of time become quite acidic, and a source of
contamination that is almost impossible to manage. An example of mines and the
dangers of collapse and water is in the Poldark series by Winston Graham.





Caves





Natural cave systems can be quite extensive, housing
colonies of all sorts of strange and wonderful creatures. Bats are one such,
but there are entire ecosystems involving insects, snakes and bacteria that
thrive in the ammonia rich atmosphere from the accumulated bat poop. There are
also blind fish that generations ago had eyes, yet without the need for them in
the dark, slowly lost them. What would happen to humans in this situation? One
author (name forgotten alas) speculated two races of people, one with echo
location, the other heat sensing abilities.





Caves have also served us well as shelters, as the prehistoric
cave art testifies. But hiding from people, escaping pursuit, smuggling and
hiding treasure have all been tucked away in caves. Enid Blyton had a
fascination with cave systems, often the Famous Five explored secret tunnels,
hidden passages and the like. Jean Auel’s Neanderthals could not rest until
they had found another cave to call home.





Catacombs





Catacombs are a mix of mining and caves. Often starting out
as a mine for limestone for instance, they were extended and used for storing
the dead. Catacombs exist in many places in the world such as Rome and Paris.
They are even home to some specific phosphorescent bacteria. I had my Roman
soldier Trajan  in Druid’s Portal slightly
claustrophobic as a result of exploring catacombs in Rome as a boy. But as
places for storing the dead, and a haven for rats, poor air, and stagnant
water, they have formed the basis for many movies and books such as Indiana
Jones. A combination of horror and history.





Geysers and hot springs





Geysers are interesting – the chemistry is often highly
alkaline, boiling hot and mineral rich. Despite this, many different bacteria
thrive, some being used now in manufacturing plastics and antibiotics. Hot
springs are a somewhat more gentle version, with hot mineral rich pools being a
welcome feature in cold landscapes. There are also geysers of cold materials on
other planets, and I refer those interested to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geyser
as a starting point.





But how can these be worked into a story?





For historical fiction, it can be a contemporary use – the difference
in working conditions in mines and social structure can be explored. Mark Twain
made excellent use of caves when Tom Sawyer, Becky and Injun Joe were trapped
there. Horror, love, heroism and danger all showed as the characters did what
they could to survive. Or go back into old workings like Indiana Jones or Andy
McDermott’s series of archaeological thrillers. Or take a trip to the Earths
core in Journey to the Centre of the Earth, or Pellucidar by Edgar Rice
Burroughs.





Fantasy can really go to town with underground environments.
Readers are unlikely to forget the foreshadowing horror of the fellowship of
the ring going into the mines of Moria, and the wakening of the creatures from
the innocent dropping of a pebble down an old well. Dwarves are traditional
mining races, but many other also – goblins, dragons and races of debased
humans or troglodytes are common in older action books such as RE Howard.





Science fiction can also explore caverns on ancient planets filled with giant crystals, faceless serpents, frozen lakes of exotic chemicals, mining operations, and ancient civilisations. For instance, Blish in ‘Welcome to Mars’ and Heinlein both had martians as underground dwellers. Jeanette O’Hagan has a YA fantasy series based underground.





So venturing underground can be an exciting – or fatal trip. Full of wonder, danger and the unknown. Isn’t that what every reader wants?





Enjoy this
blog? Have a think about signing up via my
website or catch
them as they fly around the ether on
twitter or facebook . They will
stay where they are pinned on
pinterest .





For those
that have not read Druid’s Portal yet, here is a link to the first chapter of
  DruidsPortal and to the second in the series Druid’s Portal: The Second Journey , and you can read a preview here .





Scifi more your thing? Try my short stories in the anthologies Quantum Soul and
Tales from Alternate Earths 2.





If you are
keen to chat with other scifi peeps, then check out the Knights of the Scifi
Roundtable
facebook group and subscribe to their newsletter https://mailchi.mp/29fb30bca8e4/update-subscription





Short stories
and poetry? Try the Rhetoric Askew anthologies
: Mixed genre, Adventure or Romance 





Tired from
all that thinking? Try a 5 Minute Vacation!
5 Minute Vacation 





I also have a newsletter for Multi Genre Readers, with a
bunch of other talented authors contributing articles.
Sign up here .





And my own author newsletter, for book news, odd facts,
recipes and random freebies.
Sign
up here.


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Published on July 22, 2019 14:30

June 22, 2019

World building: Research

Building a new world, or recreating a past one can be quite a lengthy process of research. Imagine, if you will, the ancient wizard pouring over dusty scrolls, the kindly librarian searching out a rare book, or a vat of coffee large enough for a bath. All these things and more will you need to build a world for readers.


I discussed in an earlier blog (link) about the process of world building, and it is worth a brief recap. A writer can build a world in extreme detail, and then invent people and a plot to go with it. The D&D approach, and which can be a very long process. Others think up a plot and characters, and craft a world to fit them, which is faster but may cause plot hole problems. Which writer are you?


I write historical fantasy/time travel, science fiction and fantasy, so I do spend a bit of time researching. Here are some of my go to places.


Books


Most libraries will order in books for you, and ebooks are reasonably priced. If you are writing historical, try a few authors of the time – I have ploughed through Marcus Aurelius, Tacitus and some Julius Caesar, as well as Apicius. For scifi, a good general textbook will help with basic concepts, and they are often free ebooks, or in second hand bookstores. Readers Digest do a lot of books on odd subjects – herbs, ancient mysteries, odd facts, how people lived in various times etc.


Internet


A good place to start is Wikipedia to get the basics, then trawl through the links at the bottom of the article. Googlemaps and street view can give you astonishing detail if you’ve been an idiot and set you book across the world from where you live. Google scholar is a place for scientific papers and books. Academia (https://www.academia.edu/)  is a site where you can get scientific papers on specific topics.


Social Media


Facebook has groups and pages to like and join to find out things, and follow blogs on odd topics. Instagram is a source of images, and following a hashtag means you get all the posts on that topic without following a hundred random people.


Online learning


I did a few free online courses with Future learn (https://www.futurelearn.com/) and they are great.


Academics


If you have a specific question, try emailing a museum, or even places like NASA, or botanical garden research centres. Most of the time they are keen to help, I got some great information about an incense burner in a museum which I used in my novel. Many of them are on Twitter or have a blog to follow. Museums are also on social media.


Historical sites – since I write about an era 2,000 years in the past, it is useful to keep up with archaeological discoveries. The Vindolanda fort near Hadrian’s Wall has been a treasure trove of preserved objects such as leather sandals (Janet, my archaeologist is obsessed with sandals because of these finds) but goat hide tents stitched together make an appearance in my books, as does a Roman metal firestarter and lots of food details from bone analysis from dump sites at forts. Both the archaeological reports and current newsletters are worth reading, you never know when an idea will be of interest.


Make sure you cross check your sources, and consider putting them as a reference list at the end of your book. The science should be as believable as possible, and don’t have people eating foods that were not there at the time.


Internal consistency in world building is vital – otherwise we would have Dr Who wielding a light sabre. As cool as that might be, it is just a touch too far to stretch  the bounds of possibility. The Doctor on the Enterprise however…


 


Enjoy this blog? Have a think about signing up via my website or catch them as they fly around the ether on twitter or facebook . They will stay where they are pinned on pinterest .


For those that have not read Druid’s Portal yet, here is a link to the first chapter of  DruidsPortaland to the second in the series Druid’s Portal: The Second Journey, and you can read a preview here.


Scifi more your thing? Try my short stories in the anthologies Quantum Soul and Tales from Alternate Earths 2.


If you are keen to chat with other scifi peeps, then check out the Knights of the Scifi Roundtable facebook group and subscribe to their newsletter https://mailchi.mp/29fb30bca8e4/update-subscription


Short stories and poetry? Try the Rhetoric Askew anthologies: Mixed genre, Adventure or Romance 


Tired from all that thinking? Try a 5 Minute Vacation! 5 Minute Vacation 


I also have a newsletter for Multi Genre Readers, with a bunch of other talented authors contributing articles. Sign up here.


And my own author newsletter, for book news, odd facts, recipes and random freebies. Sign up here.


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Published on June 22, 2019 14:30

April 22, 2019

Fun stuff!

For this blog, I’ll divert from world building and let you know a bit on progress of All The Things.


Bookbub Giveaway

I have joined in a Bookbub giveaway. For those that have no idea about Bookbub, it is a site that advertises free and reduced books, and authors pay (quite a significant) sum to get their books showcased. So their newsletter is always full of bargain reads that support authors!


Anyway, the giveaway is the chance to win a $350(US) Amazon gift card. All you have to do is follow the authors on Bookbub. From this, you will get an email when they have a discount or free offer, or a new release. It’s a great low fuss way to keep up with authors – and a chance to win $$. Good luck!


Click here to enter


Multi Genre Readers Newsletter

I am a part of a new newsletter for readers that enjoy all sorts of genres. Each month, a variety of genre authors contribute an article that relates to their research. So far we have had articles on 3D house printing, food and drink in the 1700’s, and an interpretation of the meaning of swords in fantasy.


Contributors include such fabulous authors as Assaph Mehr (ancient Rome fantasy), EM Swift-Hook (scifi and alternate history), Leo McBride (scifi, horror), Kat Caulberg (time travel romance), Heidi Hewett (scifi romance), Barbara Russell (steampunk), Brent A Harris (alternate history) and Mandy Melanson (publisher) and Moss Whelan (fantasy and podcaster).


Sign up gets you all this fascinating brain food, and a free story. Click here for more awesome!


Druid’s Portal: The Second Journey

A new journey for the family of Trajan and Janet! Due out May 22nd. I shall be offering a freebie when it is up for pre order – an insight into the world of Druid’s Portal, with all sorts of interesting bits of history. In the meantime, click here to view the video trailer.



http://cindytomamichel.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Druidsportal2-Tomamichel-Ig.mp4

.


What happens when the past is ruled by a man who knows the future?


A time that should not exist.


A love that can never be.


Ethan finds his heritage of time travel a burden he can scarcely endure. Rowena is in an parallel timeline, forced to perform acts that haunt her.


30 days to stop an ancient Goddess taking Rowena’s body. 30 days to save his timeline. Together they will fight their way through an altered history to the dark past of Stonehenge.


But time is running out – for everyone.


 


Back to world building next month!


Cindy Tomamichel


Enjoy this blog? Feel free to forward it to ALL your friends! Have a think about signing up via my website or catch them as they fly around the ether on twitter or facebook . They will stay where they are pinned on pinterest .


For those that have not read Druid’s Portal yet, here is a link to the first chapter   DruidsPortal


Scifi more your thing? Try my short stories in the anthologies Quantum Soul and Tales from Alternate Earths 2.


If you are keen to chat with other scifi peeps, then check out the Knights of the Scifi Roundtable facebook group and subscribe to their newsletter https://mailchi.mp/29fb30bca8e4/update-subscription


Short stories and poetry? Try the Rhetoric Askew anthologies: Mixed genre, Adventure or Romance 


Tired from all that thinking? Try a 5 Minute Vacation! 5 Minute Vacation 


 


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Published on April 22, 2019 14:30

March 22, 2019

Worldbuilding: Clothing maketh the character

If you write a story about people or most aliens, then they will need to be wearing something to cover all the naughty bits. But what does their choice of body coverings and accessories say about them? Or you as a writer?


Clothing and accessories can be used in many ways to add subtle details to a novel. How expensive it is can be an indicator of class or power, or if a thief, how successful work has been for them. In one Conan story, RE Howard’s character is mightily annoyed when a new cloak is ruined, just when he was enjoying a meal with some ill-gotten gains. Howard uses clothing quite often as a class, country or status indicator. Trulls, or working girls, are usually clad in fine silks, or cheap cotton, with the tinkle of silver bells, or copper coins denoting their relative purchase price. A woman wearing leather and covered up was a signal that here was no common trull, and indeed, Karela is an accomplished thief, and not one to take nonsense from a barbarian youth.


It is inaccurate to view the past as one lacking in the appreciation of beauty. People laboured many hours to make decorative beads, dye leather, and make necklaces to showcase skills and status, or perhaps a soft texture is as appealing then as it is now. But while today it is easy to discard a damaged garment, in the past, repairs would have been made, perhaps many times. Damask tablecloths can be a fine patchwork of darns, their stitches so fine and careful that the repairs can scarcely be seen. What does that say about the person, or the time? Laura Ingalls tells of long days spent stitching sheets together- when worn in the centre, they would be ripped in half, and the edges sewn together by hand. Depression women made handkerchiefs out of the unworn bottoms of the husbands work shirts, or crafted dresses from flour bags. Unraveled cheap woolens to re knit anew. There are stories to be crafted from these carefully cherished materials.


So fantasy and historical fiction can use a wealth of detail from history to identify guilds, status, occupation and sophistication with a degree of subtlety. However, please for the love of Crom, don’t put women in chain mail bikinis. Would you wear one to battle? Or a chain mail mankini? I seriously doubt it.


Sci-fi often succumbs to a sartorial future of overalls. “Friday” by Heinlein had an all-purpose overall as an outfit worn by all levels of society. It’s an easy way to avoid thinking up future fashions, since these change so rapidly your description may just sound ludicrous in ten years time. Silver bikinis in Star Trek comes to mind!


The other extreme of sci-fi fashion is exotic body modifications or a weird variant of some drug soaked sixties fashion. The Hunger Games movies typifies this style. But sci-fi can still have levels of society, of power and occupation. Andre Norton makes a point for her young space trader to yearn for the scuffed boots and long loping walk of the experienced spacers. Clothing modifications including tech is one field sci-fi could readily explore. Computer links are dealt with in E.M. Swift-Hook’s fascinating space opera series Fortunes Fools.  Internet connections are part of everyone’s outfit, and sharing links or checking data becomes an integral part of the everyday life.


Religion is an area where clothing can get pretty strange, varying from the elaborate catholic tiers of outfits and accessories, to the deliberately plain attire of Amish or Quaker. The robes of a nun or monk offer a ready form of identification, and possibly protection from molestation or robbery if traveling or in times of war. Or they may become a target, creating the possibility of a moral dilemma for the wearer. The Nun’s Story by Kathryn Hulme details some interesting insights into nun’s clothing, as well as being a cracking read.


Check out the people around you in a crowd. Can you pick which ones care about clothes, and who does not? Does it correlate to what you can guess about their financial status? Or is a disguise for body parts they dislike? Agatha Christie uses a cheap ugly necklace to hide the scar that would mark the identity of a murderer. It was ‘something she always wore’ because she was never who they thought she was. It took a stranger to pick the incongruity of the necklace and personal style.


So clothing may be a feature, a clue, or ignored by the novelist. However it is one of the fastest ways to pinpoint a character in the mind of a reader – focusing on an important point without belabouring the reader about the head with too much telling. Can you hear the rustle of taffeta as she descends the stairs? The reader surely can.


 


Enjoy this blog? Have a think about signing up via my website or catch them as they fly around the ether on twitter or facebook . They will stay where they are pinned on pinterest .


For those that have not read Druid’s Portal yet, here is a link to the first chapter  DruidsPortal With the second due out in May, there is no better time to read the first!


Scifi more your thing? Try my short stories in the anthologies Quantum Soul and Tales from Alternate Earths 2.


If you are keen to chat with other scifi peeps, then check out the Knights of the Scifi Roundtable facebook group and subscribe to their newsletter https://mailchi.mp/29fb30bca8e4/update-subscription


Short stories and poetry? Try the Rhetoric Askew anthologies: Mixed genre, Adventure or Romance 


Tired from all that thinking? Try a 5 Minute Vacation! 5 Minute Vacation 


The post Worldbuilding: Clothing maketh the character appeared first on Cindy Tomamichel.

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Published on March 22, 2019 13:30

World Building

Cindy Tomamichel
Cindy Tomamichel writes action adventure novels in the romance, fantasy, sword and sorcery and sci-fi genres.
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