K.S. Nikakis's Blog, page 4
May 4, 2017
Book 3 in Angel Caste now out
It is a great feeling to finish each new book in a series and get it out there. It means I know a lot more about my characters, how their respective journeys interweave, and why I threw in the odd things my inconvenient unconscious insisted I add.
Of course, the whole lot gets more complex too. After Book 3, Angel Bone, I have over 150,000 words behind me and Book 1, Angel Blood, is now some time ago in my memory. As well, during the beta reader and cover design time, I have started on Book 4, Angel Bound. All this means a lot more re-reading of the earlier books, referring to my existing notes, and making a whole lot more.
As a pantser, I don't know the fine detail of each book, but by this stage, three books down and two to go, I do know all the remaining scenes that will need to be incorporated, even if I don't know the exact order. And as a pantser, there will be plot surprizes to keep me challenged and excited.
One of these happened right at the end of Angel Bone with Ash, but no spoilers here. Suffice to say, the very last thing he does/discovers was completely unexpected. If you haven't realised, the blue face on the cover of Angel Bone is of course, Ashdane.
Getting covers that reflect the emotions of each book has been really exciting too. I am lucky to be able to work with my son on these. As a series, it's not only important that the titles are coherent: Angle Blood, Angel Breath, Angel Bone, Angel Bound (in process) and Angel Blessed (probably), but the covers as well.
For this series, I wanted powerful uncluttered covers, that pack an emotional punch. Book 1 is Viv, Book 2 Thrisdane, and Book 3, as noted, is Ashdane. Book 4 will be Ataghan - as his story becomes more prominent. Book 5 is a bit of an unknown, so stay tuned.
Of course, the whole lot gets more complex too. After Book 3, Angel Bone, I have over 150,000 words behind me and Book 1, Angel Blood, is now some time ago in my memory. As well, during the beta reader and cover design time, I have started on Book 4, Angel Bound. All this means a lot more re-reading of the earlier books, referring to my existing notes, and making a whole lot more.
As a pantser, I don't know the fine detail of each book, but by this stage, three books down and two to go, I do know all the remaining scenes that will need to be incorporated, even if I don't know the exact order. And as a pantser, there will be plot surprizes to keep me challenged and excited.
One of these happened right at the end of Angel Bone with Ash, but no spoilers here. Suffice to say, the very last thing he does/discovers was completely unexpected. If you haven't realised, the blue face on the cover of Angel Bone is of course, Ashdane.
Getting covers that reflect the emotions of each book has been really exciting too. I am lucky to be able to work with my son on these. As a series, it's not only important that the titles are coherent: Angle Blood, Angel Breath, Angel Bone, Angel Bound (in process) and Angel Blessed (probably), but the covers as well.
For this series, I wanted powerful uncluttered covers, that pack an emotional punch. Book 1 is Viv, Book 2 Thrisdane, and Book 3, as noted, is Ashdane. Book 4 will be Ataghan - as his story becomes more prominent. Book 5 is a bit of an unknown, so stay tuned.
April 5, 2017
One reading of Beauty and the Beast
The latest version of Beauty and the Beast has generated a lot of displeasure on facebook, especially Belle's role, and I'm contending that it's because she is being viewed through a masculinist/patriarchal lense, in fact, as most versions of the story are.
It took me half way through my PhD, which involved applying Campbell's hero myth to a female hero, and a lot of reading of Jung, to realise that I was doing the same thing, even though I am a feminist.
I haven't seen the latest version, but I saw the animated one, which I believe is very similar. To read the story through a non-masculinist/patriarchal lense, you need to put aside how women are treated in our present social/economic systems, and focus on other things.
It is pretty obvious that, a lot of the traditionally female gendered qualities result in women being second class citizens, in many, if not most societies. I am certainly not disputing that, and I think it really impacts our judgement on notions of love and reward, sacrifice and benefit.
I want to look at these four things in terms of being a whole human being, emotionally and spiritually, in offering this different reading.
The young prince is cursed by a crone for his lack of hospitality. In other words, he does not welcome into his psyche, the wise woman, the wisdom of the anima (the female aspect of psyche we all have), which will allow him to be open to love (take a wife) and be complete (animus [male aspect] +anima), He is trapped in his previous, immature life-stage.
His outward appearance (the beast) now mirrors the unmoderated animus at its worse. He is not all bad though. He has a libraray (higher understanding, logos, creativity),
Meanwhile, Belle is likewise trapped in her immature life-stage. She must move from daughter-love, to wife-love ie become an adult, welcome the addition to her anima, of the male animus.
Push comes to shove (as it often does when the psyche is frustrated) when the beast and her father fight for her. She must choose between them when her father is captured by the beast. In effect, she trades the father for the mate (or potential mate). The film suggests she takes the father's place as the beast's prisoner, actually, she chooses to pass into the beast's domain and out of her father's.
The sexuality of the mate is frightening, better the gentle care of the father, but it is time to mature, and so she goes bravely forward. It is a sacrifice which will reward her handsomely, with a mate that is worthy of her. By working to integrate his animus with her anima, she grants him the opportunity to integrate her anima with his animus.
They will become adults worthy of each other. The dance motif, just before the beast dies to his old self (is killed by Gaston) is a lovely way of showing how they have come into step.
Belle has already redeemed the beast before he 'dies'. In verbalising her love at the crucial moment, she is actually gifting herself. 'I love you,' is saying, 'I love that part of myself that I must have and that manifests as you, the animus.'
By his efforts to change, to smoothing his mane, to lead Belle in the dance (of life), the beast has already expressed his love for her (his anima) and welcomed her into his psyche. They redeem each other.
Just for the record, Gaston is another beast, the unmoderated, unintegrated animus (no books, brutal, violent, insensitive).
It took me half way through my PhD, which involved applying Campbell's hero myth to a female hero, and a lot of reading of Jung, to realise that I was doing the same thing, even though I am a feminist.
I haven't seen the latest version, but I saw the animated one, which I believe is very similar. To read the story through a non-masculinist/patriarchal lense, you need to put aside how women are treated in our present social/economic systems, and focus on other things.
It is pretty obvious that, a lot of the traditionally female gendered qualities result in women being second class citizens, in many, if not most societies. I am certainly not disputing that, and I think it really impacts our judgement on notions of love and reward, sacrifice and benefit.
I want to look at these four things in terms of being a whole human being, emotionally and spiritually, in offering this different reading.
The young prince is cursed by a crone for his lack of hospitality. In other words, he does not welcome into his psyche, the wise woman, the wisdom of the anima (the female aspect of psyche we all have), which will allow him to be open to love (take a wife) and be complete (animus [male aspect] +anima), He is trapped in his previous, immature life-stage.
His outward appearance (the beast) now mirrors the unmoderated animus at its worse. He is not all bad though. He has a libraray (higher understanding, logos, creativity),
Meanwhile, Belle is likewise trapped in her immature life-stage. She must move from daughter-love, to wife-love ie become an adult, welcome the addition to her anima, of the male animus.
Push comes to shove (as it often does when the psyche is frustrated) when the beast and her father fight for her. She must choose between them when her father is captured by the beast. In effect, she trades the father for the mate (or potential mate). The film suggests she takes the father's place as the beast's prisoner, actually, she chooses to pass into the beast's domain and out of her father's.
The sexuality of the mate is frightening, better the gentle care of the father, but it is time to mature, and so she goes bravely forward. It is a sacrifice which will reward her handsomely, with a mate that is worthy of her. By working to integrate his animus with her anima, she grants him the opportunity to integrate her anima with his animus.
They will become adults worthy of each other. The dance motif, just before the beast dies to his old self (is killed by Gaston) is a lovely way of showing how they have come into step.
Belle has already redeemed the beast before he 'dies'. In verbalising her love at the crucial moment, she is actually gifting herself. 'I love you,' is saying, 'I love that part of myself that I must have and that manifests as you, the animus.'
By his efforts to change, to smoothing his mane, to lead Belle in the dance (of life), the beast has already expressed his love for her (his anima) and welcomed her into his psyche. They redeem each other.
Just for the record, Gaston is another beast, the unmoderated, unintegrated animus (no books, brutal, violent, insensitive).
April 2, 2017
Living your story
I've been working very hard on the Angel Caste series, and the third book is now with the last beta reader.
Angel Blood, Angel Breath and now Angel Bone, have been around in earlier drafts for a while, so I've mostly been editing and writing notes on how the series could resolve.
Because I've had an intense run to get Angel Bone ready to go, I thought I might take a break between it and Book 4 (Angel Bound), but the 'thing' won't let me be. In fact, I feel anxious at where I've left my characters.
Who's in charge of whom, I sometimes wonder. I've not heard authors really talk about this much, perhaps because they want to appear well-balanced and rational!
But I am prepared to admit just how deeply involved I become in my stories. When I was writing the Kira Chronicles, I used to get pains in my hands when Kira was in distressing situations, and there were scenes that made me cry (and not because I was struggling with my prose).
The Third Moon and The Emerald Serpent both move me emotionally, the latter because terrible things happen which are really no one's fault, and the former because I find the ending incredibly uplifting.
Presently, I spend the time between bed and sleep visualising yet to be written scenes in the Angel Caste series, and during the day, I sometimes mimic the expressions characters would use, and rehearse their emotional responses. Luckily the neighbours are not given to peering over the fences.
I'm not suggesting being deeply involved and emotionally moved by your own writing necessarily makes it 'good' writing, however, if you aren't emotionally moved by the story you are trying to tell, then I think it is probably a bad sign.
Judging quality is a fairly slippery and, on some levels, a subjective thing, but as writers, we push on because the story has meaning for us, and on one level, that might be enough.
Angel Blood, Angel Breath and now Angel Bone, have been around in earlier drafts for a while, so I've mostly been editing and writing notes on how the series could resolve.
Because I've had an intense run to get Angel Bone ready to go, I thought I might take a break between it and Book 4 (Angel Bound), but the 'thing' won't let me be. In fact, I feel anxious at where I've left my characters.
Who's in charge of whom, I sometimes wonder. I've not heard authors really talk about this much, perhaps because they want to appear well-balanced and rational!
But I am prepared to admit just how deeply involved I become in my stories. When I was writing the Kira Chronicles, I used to get pains in my hands when Kira was in distressing situations, and there were scenes that made me cry (and not because I was struggling with my prose).
The Third Moon and The Emerald Serpent both move me emotionally, the latter because terrible things happen which are really no one's fault, and the former because I find the ending incredibly uplifting.
Presently, I spend the time between bed and sleep visualising yet to be written scenes in the Angel Caste series, and during the day, I sometimes mimic the expressions characters would use, and rehearse their emotional responses. Luckily the neighbours are not given to peering over the fences.
I'm not suggesting being deeply involved and emotionally moved by your own writing necessarily makes it 'good' writing, however, if you aren't emotionally moved by the story you are trying to tell, then I think it is probably a bad sign.
Judging quality is a fairly slippery and, on some levels, a subjective thing, but as writers, we push on because the story has meaning for us, and on one level, that might be enough.
December 6, 2016
Tips on Writing When Life Gets in the Way
Lots of things get in the way of writing but any sort of upheaval is a major killer of writing time. Upheavals can be anything, but the ones I am presently dealing with are:
1. Illness
2. Robbery
3. Shifting
4. Carer responsibilities
Illness
A lot of people have complained that 2016 has been a horrible year. It certainly has in my case. Cancer has struck loved friends and relatives and I've been to more funerals this year than I care to count. Believing I could do my paid job with virtually no resources also finally took its toll.
So, how to keep writing? Grab any time you have. There is never a 'best time'. Keep that notebook handy for new ideas or extending existing ideas. I've done a fair bit of writing in doctor's waiting rooms.
If you end up confined to bed, that is an excellent time to let your imagination roam. You can mentally try out different plot lines or engage in some role-playing, as the hero of course.
Robbery
We got cleaned out by thieves this year. My notebook went but crucially, my hard disk. This was the hard disk I never, EVER, left at home. But as I was ill, it was left when we went overseas, and it had priceless things on it that are completely useless to whoever now owns it. I had, of course, backed up to the cloud, but not latest versions. I paid for my laziness. The other problem about losing your tools of trade is that you have to wait for insurance claims to replace them.
It is a good idea not to get rid of your old computer. They are worth virtually nothing anyway. That's what I've been working on since. Not ideal, clunky and freezes, but I'm writing!
Shifting
A house two years on the market, a sale that fell through, and now leasing and finally shifting. When you have to pack up your resources, this is majorly disruptive. Decide what is crucial and leave it there until the very last moment. Hence I am surrounded by boxes, with my other WIPs in them, but my Angel Caste folders are still next to me.
Being able to sit down to write in between packing and the endless cleaning is a sanity saver.
Carer Responsibilities
I have a sibling who lives a long way away, thus care for my elderly parents is all mine. Dad died in 2014 after a long period of dementia (he was in care) and my mother does pretty well with home support. Things still need to be done, and while these things are done our of love not duty, the effect on writing time is the same.
The best way of meeting these and other responsibilities is by clumping. The more whole blocks of writing time time you can gouge out, the better, therefore think how to clump other things: the pick up of the items Aussie Post no longer delivers on the same trip as the shopping on the same trip as visiting elderly parents on the same trip as refueling the car etc
Clumping is an art form. Think not just days but times. If you go before the post is delivered you are sure to get a pick-up card on your return. When is the PO emptiest? When will the queue be shortest, the parking closest?
Small changes can reduce a 4 hour trip to a 2 hour one.
And again, have your notebook with you. Sitting watching others, while frustrating, can be very useful as an author.
1. Illness
2. Robbery
3. Shifting
4. Carer responsibilities
Illness
A lot of people have complained that 2016 has been a horrible year. It certainly has in my case. Cancer has struck loved friends and relatives and I've been to more funerals this year than I care to count. Believing I could do my paid job with virtually no resources also finally took its toll.
So, how to keep writing? Grab any time you have. There is never a 'best time'. Keep that notebook handy for new ideas or extending existing ideas. I've done a fair bit of writing in doctor's waiting rooms.
If you end up confined to bed, that is an excellent time to let your imagination roam. You can mentally try out different plot lines or engage in some role-playing, as the hero of course.
Robbery
We got cleaned out by thieves this year. My notebook went but crucially, my hard disk. This was the hard disk I never, EVER, left at home. But as I was ill, it was left when we went overseas, and it had priceless things on it that are completely useless to whoever now owns it. I had, of course, backed up to the cloud, but not latest versions. I paid for my laziness. The other problem about losing your tools of trade is that you have to wait for insurance claims to replace them.
It is a good idea not to get rid of your old computer. They are worth virtually nothing anyway. That's what I've been working on since. Not ideal, clunky and freezes, but I'm writing!
Shifting
A house two years on the market, a sale that fell through, and now leasing and finally shifting. When you have to pack up your resources, this is majorly disruptive. Decide what is crucial and leave it there until the very last moment. Hence I am surrounded by boxes, with my other WIPs in them, but my Angel Caste folders are still next to me.
Being able to sit down to write in between packing and the endless cleaning is a sanity saver.
Carer Responsibilities
I have a sibling who lives a long way away, thus care for my elderly parents is all mine. Dad died in 2014 after a long period of dementia (he was in care) and my mother does pretty well with home support. Things still need to be done, and while these things are done our of love not duty, the effect on writing time is the same.
The best way of meeting these and other responsibilities is by clumping. The more whole blocks of writing time time you can gouge out, the better, therefore think how to clump other things: the pick up of the items Aussie Post no longer delivers on the same trip as the shopping on the same trip as visiting elderly parents on the same trip as refueling the car etc
Clumping is an art form. Think not just days but times. If you go before the post is delivered you are sure to get a pick-up card on your return. When is the PO emptiest? When will the queue be shortest, the parking closest?
Small changes can reduce a 4 hour trip to a 2 hour one.
And again, have your notebook with you. Sitting watching others, while frustrating, can be very useful as an author.
November 28, 2016
Prophecies
I had been thinking about prophecies in fantasy when Fidel Castro died and his prediction/prophecy that he would die when the USA was destroyed started being discussed on Facebook. Eg Donald Trump is elected, USA is destroyed, thus Fidel thought it time to die.
Prophecies can serve a number of functions in fantasy. They foreshadow, give structure, give depth, and intrigue.
One of the earliest things I wrote in The Kira Chronicles was the prophecy, in fact, the trilogy was influenced by the witches' prophecy in MacBeth. For instance, are prophecies self-fulfilling? In MacBeth, the witches perceive MacBeth's murderous tendencies and the prophecy draws them forth. This occurs, in part, in The Kira Chronicles too.
The prophecy in The Kira Chronicles works similarly, on one level. It was also intended to foreshadow what was to come, but hopefully not too obviously. I hoped to intrigue the reader so the reader could say: 'ah, now I know what the bit means'.
It also guided me, as the prophecy came to me like poetry, and I didn't understand it fully. This was a bit nerve-wracking once Book 1 was published as I had to have faith that the narrative really would reflect the prophecy in a satisfying way.
Prophecies can work to give a narrative depth also. In The Lord of the Rings, the narrative is peppered with little 'sayings' which are prophecies in some respects but also give a sense of the rich history of Middle Earth.
'The hands of the king are the hands of the healer' is one such, as is 'the crownless again shall be king'.
As a writer, prophecies are fun to include because they suggest new ways the narrative can proceed. In The Kira Chronicles, 'when gold meets gold, two halves are one' could be the bringing together of an amulet or coin or ring. When I wrote it, Tierken did not exist.
'When Healer sees a setting sun' was a lot easier, as it meant Kira had left her forest-locked world and looked out on the horizon for the first time.
I also used prophecies in Heart Hunter, because the shamanic leader visions the future. Thus dreams and waking visions can all add richness to the notion of prophecy and to narratives. The trick is to make them accessible to the reader but not glaringly obvious.
Prophecies can serve a number of functions in fantasy. They foreshadow, give structure, give depth, and intrigue.
One of the earliest things I wrote in The Kira Chronicles was the prophecy, in fact, the trilogy was influenced by the witches' prophecy in MacBeth. For instance, are prophecies self-fulfilling? In MacBeth, the witches perceive MacBeth's murderous tendencies and the prophecy draws them forth. This occurs, in part, in The Kira Chronicles too.
The prophecy in The Kira Chronicles works similarly, on one level. It was also intended to foreshadow what was to come, but hopefully not too obviously. I hoped to intrigue the reader so the reader could say: 'ah, now I know what the bit means'.
It also guided me, as the prophecy came to me like poetry, and I didn't understand it fully. This was a bit nerve-wracking once Book 1 was published as I had to have faith that the narrative really would reflect the prophecy in a satisfying way.
Prophecies can work to give a narrative depth also. In The Lord of the Rings, the narrative is peppered with little 'sayings' which are prophecies in some respects but also give a sense of the rich history of Middle Earth.
'The hands of the king are the hands of the healer' is one such, as is 'the crownless again shall be king'.
As a writer, prophecies are fun to include because they suggest new ways the narrative can proceed. In The Kira Chronicles, 'when gold meets gold, two halves are one' could be the bringing together of an amulet or coin or ring. When I wrote it, Tierken did not exist.
'When Healer sees a setting sun' was a lot easier, as it meant Kira had left her forest-locked world and looked out on the horizon for the first time.
I also used prophecies in Heart Hunter, because the shamanic leader visions the future. Thus dreams and waking visions can all add richness to the notion of prophecy and to narratives. The trick is to make them accessible to the reader but not glaringly obvious.
November 12, 2016
Writing Awards
The whole area of writing awards - what they are, how they operate and whether they are worth entering, was the topic of a panel on Trade Day at the recent #SPN Independent Publishers Conference. It is pertinent too as I have just sent off Angel Caste #1 Angel Blood to the judges of this year's Aurealis Awards.
I've also entered Heart Hunter, and if we make the deadline, Satalyte Publishing will also enter The Third Moon.
Aurealis is very keen all Spec Fic works published in 2016 are entered, so I have not got a competition fetish.
So, will having 3 books in the YA Fantasy novel section improve my chances of being shortlisted or even winning? I guess, arithmetically yes. But otherwise?
So why enter? One of the topics discussed by the SPN panel (Kirsty Wilson, Veronica Sullivan and Thuy On) was whether winning or placing improved book sales.
The answer was that it does in certain comps, namely the Myles Franklin, the Stellas and the CBC. You would imagine having your name in the paper as being shortlisted would certainly help visibility (the name of the game) and if unagented and unpublished) help get an agent and publisher.
There is a cost involved though and not just entry fees which can be hefty and well in excess of $100 for some. There is also a charge for the badge you put on your book if you are shortlisted/win and costs for some comps if you are shortlisted. This is because, as a shortlisted book which is then promoted, you pay the comp organisers the promotion costs.
The Aurealis Awards (annual - for spec fiction writers) was mentioned as being particularly cheap ($10 per book with some sections free).
The Aurealis Awards runs with a very big volunteer workforce and I was on a judging panel in 2015, so I can attest to how big a job it actually is to give entries the thoroughness they deserve.
Another point that was raised was that judges tend to be the same individuals who choose the same coterie of writers. While this is debatable, and some judging panels are refreshed more than others, it was noted that if your book is in a major literary comp along with Alex Miller or Tim Winton, you are very unlikely to win.
Lots more was discussed including the publishers budget to support their writers in these comps, and the quality of production (not writing) for Indies. I will discuss these in another blog.
I've also entered Heart Hunter, and if we make the deadline, Satalyte Publishing will also enter The Third Moon.
Aurealis is very keen all Spec Fic works published in 2016 are entered, so I have not got a competition fetish.
So, will having 3 books in the YA Fantasy novel section improve my chances of being shortlisted or even winning? I guess, arithmetically yes. But otherwise?
So why enter? One of the topics discussed by the SPN panel (Kirsty Wilson, Veronica Sullivan and Thuy On) was whether winning or placing improved book sales.
The answer was that it does in certain comps, namely the Myles Franklin, the Stellas and the CBC. You would imagine having your name in the paper as being shortlisted would certainly help visibility (the name of the game) and if unagented and unpublished) help get an agent and publisher.
There is a cost involved though and not just entry fees which can be hefty and well in excess of $100 for some. There is also a charge for the badge you put on your book if you are shortlisted/win and costs for some comps if you are shortlisted. This is because, as a shortlisted book which is then promoted, you pay the comp organisers the promotion costs.
The Aurealis Awards (annual - for spec fiction writers) was mentioned as being particularly cheap ($10 per book with some sections free).
The Aurealis Awards runs with a very big volunteer workforce and I was on a judging panel in 2015, so I can attest to how big a job it actually is to give entries the thoroughness they deserve.
Another point that was raised was that judges tend to be the same individuals who choose the same coterie of writers. While this is debatable, and some judging panels are refreshed more than others, it was noted that if your book is in a major literary comp along with Alex Miller or Tim Winton, you are very unlikely to win.
Lots more was discussed including the publishers budget to support their writers in these comps, and the quality of production (not writing) for Indies. I will discuss these in another blog.
November 8, 2016
Reinforcing story ideas
There's a lot of discussion around generating story ideas but reinforcing and enlarging them is equally important.
When I was starting the Angel Caste series, I became a lot more interested in cemeteries. Well, I've always been interested in cemeteries, but I was looking for angel statuary. These and steles can both be found in many cemeteries and provide a real sense of the gravity of death, and of the alien other.
Angels after all, aren't human, and I wanted my series to reflect that. I didn't want beautiful humans with wings and super human powers. Angels, like the Fae, can have a completely different moral code, or no moral code at all.
I also spend a fair bit of time in Greek Orthodox Churches, thanks to marrying into the Greek Community, unfortunately recently, at funerals. Not being a Greek speaker gives me ample to time to look at the iconography. Angels are common, often with four or six wings, the bottom pair in both cases crossed over the angel's genitals.
Again, staring at angels in church is not about deciding to write about them, but to reinforce and enlarge on what an angel can be. Of course the relationship between angels and humans is also important.
When I was starting the Angel Caste series, I became a lot more interested in cemeteries. Well, I've always been interested in cemeteries, but I was looking for angel statuary. These and steles can both be found in many cemeteries and provide a real sense of the gravity of death, and of the alien other.
Angels after all, aren't human, and I wanted my series to reflect that. I didn't want beautiful humans with wings and super human powers. Angels, like the Fae, can have a completely different moral code, or no moral code at all.
I also spend a fair bit of time in Greek Orthodox Churches, thanks to marrying into the Greek Community, unfortunately recently, at funerals. Not being a Greek speaker gives me ample to time to look at the iconography. Angels are common, often with four or six wings, the bottom pair in both cases crossed over the angel's genitals.
Again, staring at angels in church is not about deciding to write about them, but to reinforce and enlarge on what an angel can be. Of course the relationship between angels and humans is also important.
November 7, 2016
Preloved book titles
I can remember the horror many years ago when I discovered the title Allen and Unwin and I had agreed on for Book 1 of The Kira Chronicles was already in use. Not a problem, I was told, unless the books were very close in content/genre or released at the same time.
I had chosen The Whisper of Leaves because it was actually part of the burial rites of the Tremen, the main peoples in Book 1, and because I wanted coherence with Books 2 and 3 - The Song of the Silvercades and The Cry of the Marwing.
With The Emerald Serpent, I wanted something obviously reflective of the content, but also with Celtic overtones. Again, only after the event did I discover there is a well known collection called Tales of the Emerald Serpent. Close, but thankfully not identical.
Similarly there are lots of variations on Heart Hunter. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised with any of this as fantasy tends to share tropes.
Angel Blood has turned out to be quite popular and i should have Googled before I settled on the title. So why didn't I?
Books have long gestations and this tends to be an inward looking time, rather than one contemplating the works of others. Plus, of course, when writing a series, you tend to be thinking of a number of titles that fit together as your series covers do.
At least no one seems to have used Angel Caste as a series title. The notion of caste is important to me and to the series because the books explore variations within the human and divine, among other things.
I'm not sure when shared book titles become problematic but I'm sure they do. If you were to pop out a book called Harry Potter, or Twilight, it might be an issue.
I'm guessing where a publisher (such as Amazon) or a platform considers the author is intending to confuse or defraud, they might step in.
I'm not sure Googling to ensure uniqueness is the answer either, esp in genre fiction, because genre-identifying tropes tend to throw up similar titles.
I have at least 3 more books to go in Angel Caste and I know Book 2, Angel Breath, has also been used more than once. We shall see for the rest.
I had chosen The Whisper of Leaves because it was actually part of the burial rites of the Tremen, the main peoples in Book 1, and because I wanted coherence with Books 2 and 3 - The Song of the Silvercades and The Cry of the Marwing.
With The Emerald Serpent, I wanted something obviously reflective of the content, but also with Celtic overtones. Again, only after the event did I discover there is a well known collection called Tales of the Emerald Serpent. Close, but thankfully not identical.
Similarly there are lots of variations on Heart Hunter. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised with any of this as fantasy tends to share tropes.
Angel Blood has turned out to be quite popular and i should have Googled before I settled on the title. So why didn't I?
Books have long gestations and this tends to be an inward looking time, rather than one contemplating the works of others. Plus, of course, when writing a series, you tend to be thinking of a number of titles that fit together as your series covers do.
At least no one seems to have used Angel Caste as a series title. The notion of caste is important to me and to the series because the books explore variations within the human and divine, among other things.
I'm not sure when shared book titles become problematic but I'm sure they do. If you were to pop out a book called Harry Potter, or Twilight, it might be an issue.
I'm guessing where a publisher (such as Amazon) or a platform considers the author is intending to confuse or defraud, they might step in.
I'm not sure Googling to ensure uniqueness is the answer either, esp in genre fiction, because genre-identifying tropes tend to throw up similar titles.
I have at least 3 more books to go in Angel Caste and I know Book 2, Angel Breath, has also been used more than once. We shall see for the rest.
November 3, 2016
Love your characters
Ever started reading a new book and found yourself hankering for a character in the previous one? Or writing and a new story, and lying in bed at night thinking about a character in a story whose journey has finished in a book already launched?
Etaine from The Emerald Serpent is having that effect on me, and that book was launched on Amazonkdp in Oct 2015.
As an author, I think you always have to be in love with your key characters when you're telling their stories. If you didn't care about them, you wouldn't bother to write the book.
Completing a novel and editing it to a professional standard and learning how to publish and promote it (if you're an Indie) are major time consuming and exhausting activities.
You need to laugh and cry with your key characters otherwise they would remain in your head, but their journeys have to resonate on a personal level too. Etaine continues to occupy my thoughts because sheThe Emerald Serpent embodies so much that sets female heroes apart.
Her healing, guiding by the Fuaran, allows her to heal others. But to heal in the first place, she must step from the path of hatred and bloodshed. This turning aside is what I find powerful.
Etaine has been subjected to terrible violence and her reaction is understandable, so there is no real story in that. I read of heroes but more often see them in visual narratives who are unaffected by violence and grief, or one dimensionally intent on revenge.
Etaine transcends that and I think that's why she sticks in my mind.
Etaine from The Emerald Serpent is having that effect on me, and that book was launched on Amazonkdp in Oct 2015.
As an author, I think you always have to be in love with your key characters when you're telling their stories. If you didn't care about them, you wouldn't bother to write the book.
Completing a novel and editing it to a professional standard and learning how to publish and promote it (if you're an Indie) are major time consuming and exhausting activities.
You need to laugh and cry with your key characters otherwise they would remain in your head, but their journeys have to resonate on a personal level too. Etaine continues to occupy my thoughts because sheThe Emerald Serpent embodies so much that sets female heroes apart.
Her healing, guiding by the Fuaran, allows her to heal others. But to heal in the first place, she must step from the path of hatred and bloodshed. This turning aside is what I find powerful.
Etaine has been subjected to terrible violence and her reaction is understandable, so there is no real story in that. I read of heroes but more often see them in visual narratives who are unaffected by violence and grief, or one dimensionally intent on revenge.
Etaine transcends that and I think that's why she sticks in my mind.
October 26, 2016
Stand alones, duologies, trilogies, series - hmmm
My recently launched Heart Hunter was a stand alone, then a duology, then a stand alone again. My angel 'series' became a trilogy and now I'm not quite sure.
Mulling over the decision last night threw up some interesting questions. Of course there is the over-arching story arc, and the individual arc of each constituent story (where you are splitting), but there are also commercial considerations.
If independent publishing requires critical mass, than a 6 book series would be better than a trilogy - wouldn't it? Especially if you are going to make Book 1 a freebie. Especially if the freebie is 60,000 words rather than 120,000 of the original trilogy?
And then where to split. What if Book 1 has a natural split at 57,000 words and you really really want Book 1 to be 65,000 words, like you envisage Book 2 and 3. See how nice they look on the shelves? All the spines the same thickness. What if the spines are skinny, fat, fatter, skinny? Does it matter?
Then there is pricing. Should I ask someone to pay the same amount for a skinny read as for a fat one? Is it the quality of the story the reader is buying or the number of pages? What if that great story requires 300 pages to tell, and that other great story requires 500?
The obvious solution to my 57,000 word Book 1 would be to add 8000 words but I've just spent weeks cutting the original from 103,000 words to 93,000. I cut because it is tighter, better, more powerful. Padding would undo my good work, dilute the story etc. Plus it might induce madness!
I am still thinking trilogy with my angels, but having Book 1 at 57,000 words shifts about 40,000 words to Book 2, and Book 2 already has 50,000 first draft words.
If I'm following the domino theory, I can shift excess to Book 3, as long as there is a natural break. I haven't written Book 3 yet, but I know what has to go in. What if the new material doesn't fit? What if there's not enough room? What if I end up with three and half books? Do I extend and go for a quadrilogy?
Stay tuned. I'm still nutting this out.
Mulling over the decision last night threw up some interesting questions. Of course there is the over-arching story arc, and the individual arc of each constituent story (where you are splitting), but there are also commercial considerations.
If independent publishing requires critical mass, than a 6 book series would be better than a trilogy - wouldn't it? Especially if you are going to make Book 1 a freebie. Especially if the freebie is 60,000 words rather than 120,000 of the original trilogy?
And then where to split. What if Book 1 has a natural split at 57,000 words and you really really want Book 1 to be 65,000 words, like you envisage Book 2 and 3. See how nice they look on the shelves? All the spines the same thickness. What if the spines are skinny, fat, fatter, skinny? Does it matter?
Then there is pricing. Should I ask someone to pay the same amount for a skinny read as for a fat one? Is it the quality of the story the reader is buying or the number of pages? What if that great story requires 300 pages to tell, and that other great story requires 500?
The obvious solution to my 57,000 word Book 1 would be to add 8000 words but I've just spent weeks cutting the original from 103,000 words to 93,000. I cut because it is tighter, better, more powerful. Padding would undo my good work, dilute the story etc. Plus it might induce madness!
I am still thinking trilogy with my angels, but having Book 1 at 57,000 words shifts about 40,000 words to Book 2, and Book 2 already has 50,000 first draft words.
If I'm following the domino theory, I can shift excess to Book 3, as long as there is a natural break. I haven't written Book 3 yet, but I know what has to go in. What if the new material doesn't fit? What if there's not enough room? What if I end up with three and half books? Do I extend and go for a quadrilogy?
Stay tuned. I'm still nutting this out.
