Vincent Trigili's Blog, page 9

Robby Episode 11

Episode 11 – Mice on Ice – Part 2

Originally Released on August 7th, 2005

Robby is still quite depressed this week. Who would not be after the run of luck he has had? He does not want to open the letter he received, but the “caller” convinces him to, even though Robby is sure it will kill him. This kind of thing happens to all of us. Sometimes we just get in such a defeated state we assume the absolute worst case of everything. I guess if you are Robby, that is probably not too far from the truth!

 

Click image for larger size

 

Speculative Fiction Blog Hop

Hey, everyone, this post will be a little different than my normal posting because I am taking part in a “Speculative Fiction Blog Hop.” Basically a blog hop is when a group of people with blogs link their posts together on a common topic so readers can hop from blog to blog reading the various posts.

If you came here directly, then you missed the previous post in the blog hop, which was by Ceinwen Langley. She has contributed short stories to Birdee, an online magazine for young women, and has taught and spoken at universities and high schools. She spends her spare time trying to grow European wildflowers in a West Australian climate and taking pictures of her dog with things on his head. You can find out more about Ceinwen on her blog: www.ceinwenlangley.com.

This one is done in a pseudo-interview format. So without further ado, here is my post in the blog hop of doom! Er, I mean in the Speculative Fiction Writing Process Blog Hop:

 

What am I working on now?

I am currently working on The Sac’a’rith: Rebirth. That is volume seven in my current series. The Sac’a’rith: Rebirth is the continuation of the second major arch in my ongoing series, the Lost Tales of Power. That book will return to the characters that were featured in volume five and had a small cameo in volume six.

Following that book will be the much-anticipated volume eight which has not yet been announced, has no working title, nor have I picked a storyline for it yet, but everyone is on the edge of their seats waiting for it. I understand several people have already started camping Amazon.com in anticipation. If you see them, please give them some ice water. I understand it can get hot in the rainforest.

I have several plots that I am thinking of for volume eight, and there is an extremely strong possibility of it being a third major arch for the series. I am leaning towards opening a new realm, which means nothing to you unless you have read the books, but if you had then you likely just got excited for real. Or maybe you are throwing stuff at my picture on your wall right now in frustration that I am adding more threads and have not finished up the old ones yet. Either way, it is a very emotional event.

 

How does your work differ from others of its genre?

Well first off, I wrote it. That makes it different already because there is no one out there that is like me. Not that anyone would want to be, mind you, but even if they were silly enough to want to be, they can’t because I am the only me that will ever be!

Second, I blend fantasy and science fiction together along with both primitive and futuristic worlds. All the science in the books is at least vaguely plausible based on my understanding and research. Even the magic system is based on my understanding of real world physics and current theories of matter and energy.

I guess the best way to say it is I weave science, fantasy, and clean story-telling together to create a unique and entertaining experience.

 

Why do you write what you write?

Some authors write to market. That is, they look at what is selling right now and write books that fit in that mold. It is a great plan, and I know many authors are successful in following that plan, but honestly I could not tell you what the current trends are in the marketplace right now. Maybe what I am writing is a current or future market trend. That could be cool, but I do not write to market, and I do not think I ever will.

Instead, I write what I love to read. I do not want to read Vogon Poetry so I do not write that. I do not want to read political commentaries, so I do not write that. What I enjoy reading are stories about good people fighting for good causes and doing it with lightning bolts and space ships. I want to read about dragons defending gates to space stations. I want to be lost in the adventure and caught up in the struggle. So that is what I write.

 

How does your writing process work?

So, um, are you saying I should have a process? Because I was not warned I would need to create a process before this blog interview. Okay, well, I will wing it then. So, um, yeah, here is my process:

Step 1) Disconnect from Internet and turn off all devices

Step 2) Use a whiteboard to mind map out the entire series

Step 3) Convert mind map into a high level outline

Step 4) Expand outline so that it has four major points, and each major point has four to eight sub points

Step 5) Take each sub point, and expand it into a summary of a chapter

Step 6) Take each summary and expand it into a full chapter

Step 7) Assemble all the parts into a book, and format cleanly

So yeah, that’s a good process. I do not actually do any of that, but it sounds better if I say I did all that. If I tell you the truth, which basically just negates every one of those points, then you might think I am some ‘fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants’ author instead of the highly refined erudite that I am. So let’s not go there and just pretend that is my real process.

I mean, could you really take an author seriously if he told you he has no idea how his current book is going to end, or what characters survive? No, of course not. So we will just keep this fact to ourselves. *wink*

 

Next week be sure to check out the next stop in the hop: Sheila Guthrie’s blog. She writes various types of speculative fiction under the pen names Griffin Carmichael and Anne McKinley. When she isn’t writing or working on other tasks related to publishing, she is gardening, taking care of two dogs, a cat, and six chickens, and being a mother to three fine young men.

She also tries to find time to read, surf the Internet, do some crafting, and inform the world about her nefarious plans to take over the world at http://newsfromsheilasworld.blogspot.com. (She tells me that’s not exactly true, but I think there is more to her blog than she lets on!)

 

P.S. This blog hop has been going on a long time, and no one is sure where and when it started anymore, but Jessica Rydill has assembled a list of some of the stops in the hop over on her site. You can check it out here: http://livinginthemaniototo.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/speculative-fiction-blog-hop-new-and.html

 

Robby Episode 10

Episode 10

Mice on Ice – Part 1

Originally Released on July 31st, 2005

This episode starts a new storyline for Robby. The intention with this storyline was to start broadening Robby’s world a bit. It starts with the introduction of a new character that we only see via telephone in this episode. This strip also starts the longest-running storyline that Robby has had to date.

 

Click on comic for larger size

 

Robby Episode 9

Episode 9 – The Back Issue Originally Released on July 24th, 2005

The idea from this one came out of the way some stories in popular magazines and websites are written. They often will say things like “This April 10th there will be a great meteor shower…”, or “Next month there will be a real treat in the sky…” or something else along those lines. It occurred to me that someone who picked up the magazine and did not know it was a back issue…

This also is the first departure from the standard three-panel that Robby has used up to this point. The addition of the fourth frame forced us into a vertical format (based on the old website) which I really do not like, so we stayed with the three-frame layout for most of the strips.

 

Click image for larger size

Robby Episode 8

Episode 8 – Sleepy Robby

Originally Released on July 17th, 2005

Many is the night when I would notice the moon would be setting in an hour or so, and I would consider just getting up early to use the telescope. Sometimes I would even set everything up in anticipation. It sounds like such a good plan. You get a good nap in, then use the scope for a while during the best part of the night. Even if you did not go back to bed, at least you got a few hours. Great plan…well it seems Robby has about as much luck as I did with this plan…

Click comic to enlarge

Rebel Wing by Tracy Banghart

Rebel Wing by Tracy Banghart is a story about a young woman who must give up everything she has in order to gain back the one thing she lost. Her story is told against the backdrop of a nation fighting a loosing war and the treachery that comes with desperation.



The book follows the path of Aris as she transitions from being a helpless lame girl into a soldier. When the story opens Aris is living peacefully with her parents in a section of her nation that is far enough away from the war to be at peace even though they are losing the war. Her boyfriend, Calix, is recruited and leaves before they can get “promised”.

Aris who, despite her lame leg, is an expert pilot and is recruited to join a secret group of women that serve in the military despite the law against females serving. She joins at first in hopes that she will be able to join Calix and serve with him, but her motivation changes as the story goes on.

The core of the novel is the growth and development of Aris as a person. She starts off weak and innocent, and must over come that to survive. The war, espionage, and treachery serves mainly as a backdrop to Aris’s personal story. Aris is likeable and it was easy to root for her as you got wrapped up in the story.

If you are the kind of person looking for a war story that is about the fighting, and combat this is not the book for you. While there is some of that in it, it is very subdued. If you enjoy deep espionage and stories of betrayal this is not the story for you, despite those elements being present. There are also elements of romance and unrequited love, but they are not the focus either.

However, if you are looking for a story about how a young woman comes to age in a setting with all those elements in it, then Rebel Wing is for you.

The novel is well written with out any sex (though there are some sexual tensions that Aris has to work through) or gore. The language is surprisingly and refreshingly clean for a story about soldiers at war. I would judge the book suitable for any teenager and up, but as always parents should evaluate the book for themselves.

Tracy Banghart’s Website: http://www.tracyebanghart.com/

Rebel Wing on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1qIGMiD

NOTE: I was given an ARC (advanced reader copy) by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Robby Episode 7

Episode 7

Super Scope 10,000 – Part 3

Originally Released on July 10th, 2005

This is a continuation of the thought that started in the previous strip. This time Robby correctly plans for the heavy weight of the new mirror, well mostly…

 

 

Click for larger version

Changes to Facebook

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have created a Facebook group for the series. I am going to retire the Facebook “page” that is set up, because Facebook does not show my posts there to most of the people that like the page. For example the last post I made Facebook showed it to less than 10% of the people that have liked the page. It really makes the page pointless to have.

However, Facebook will show group posts to everyone in the group, and it allows for greater interaction between members. So if you are a Facebook user, consider joining the group. The email list, and this website (including the now officially under active construction wiki!) will remain active. This allows for options so that each reader can pick the medium they like best.

Thanks! And please continue to spread the word about the series to everyone that might be interested!

Here is the link to the group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LostTales/

Robby Episode 6

Episode 6 – Super Scope 10,000 – Part 2 Originally Released on July 3rd, 2005

When I was creating this strip a member of the astronomy forums that I used to run was talking about a massive, new mirror that he was shopping for to build a large scope for his observatory. That got me thinking about what it would be like to try and work with such a scope, so I brought back the Super Scope 10,000 for some more air time. Robby finally got his mirror for his scope, and he ran out to install it right away. Robby did not plan for one minor detail though….



 

Click image for a larger size

Witch Hunt by Annie Bellet

Imagine you are an all powerful god. Through the use of your voice you can sing things into existence. You can speak a word and things are uncreated. Nothing is beyond the power of your voice. You even created the very world through your singing. Now, imagine you have been struck mute, and are forced to live among those you created in the world you fashioned.

That is the basic premise behind the fantasy novella, Witch Hunt, by Annie Bellet. The story covers the path of “Killer,” as she travels with a ragtag group of adventurers. She must complete certain tasks if she is to ever get her powers back, but she cannot communicate with her party to tell them this. They travel with her as a member of their adventuring group with no idea who she is, or what she needs.

First, a note about the length. The story is a fairly short read. I would guess it at around 40-50 pages if printed in a traditional paperback format. I read it in a single sitting. I do not typically buy works this short, but I did not realize it was this short when I grabbed it. It is part of a larger series known as the “The Gryphonpike Chronicles,” so if you read and enjoy it, there are currently three more books in the series.

The story was very much like following a game of Dungeons and Dragons. First you had the introduction to the characters, and then they traveled quickly to the first scene where a stranger gives them a quest. They then head out to fulfill the quest, which is to kill a pair of witches and save the town. It continues in this way walking through like a typical D&D quest inside a larger campaign.

I enjoyed the short read and may in the future get the other books in the series. The editing was fairly good, but there were one or two places where I had to back track and read a passage again.

Overall I recommend people who enjoy short, easy reads where the heroes are not perfect and the story is fairly linear to grab this book and the rest of the series.