Trevor Schmidt's Blog, page 8
August 28, 2014
Microbial Life in Meteorites?
Photo Credit: National GeographicWhat are the chances that microbial life exists in meteorites or the asteroids from which they broke off? Scientists have already found that some forms of life can live in the vacuum of space. In addition, the Tardigrade can live in space for up to 10 days, taking in radiation far beyond what a human could withstand. This article from 2011 talks about a rare type of cyanobacteria that was found fossilized in a carbonaceous meteorite. These are the types of articles I researched when I was planning my upcoming novel Symbiote, set for release in September 2014.In my novel, I posit that alien parasites can indeed survive in or on a meteorite as well as the journey through our atmosphere. I consider this speculative fiction, as the science is certainly leaning this direction, with life possible on meteorites and asteroids, but not being conclusively proven yet. In Symbiote, I go into the implications of this, of what it would mean for the Earth if such a thing were to occur. From there, the novel transgresses to more of a soft science fiction, in which I explore one possibility of an alien parasite and what it could do if it came in contact with a human.
Think of this: We come into contact with millions of kinds of bacteria in the course of our lives and some of them make us sick. Some of them could make us die. But some of them are necessary for digestive function. The line is thin but it is there. The major question throughout the novel is whether or not the alien parasite is truly that, or if it is in fact symbiotic. What changes would occur in the human body if it came in contact with this extraterrestrial microbe? Would it change who we are? To find out, you'll have to pick up a copy when it comes out next month. Until then, I'm open to questions or comments on the possibilities of us actually finding life on a meteorite that falls to Earth.
August 26, 2014
Human Cloning Ethics in Orphan Black
I had the pleasure of binge watching the first two seasons of BBC America's Orphan Black on Blu Ray over the past week, and found myself ruminating over the ethics of human cloning. For someone not familiar with this series, this is hardly a spoiler as the tagline for the first season is "A Clone Is Never Alone."
The series begins with Sarah Manning (
[The following section may contain minor spoilers of Season 1 and possibly Season 2 of Orphan Black]
This post is not meant to be a review of the Orphan Black TV series, though in case anyone was wondering, I loved it. Instead I wanted to focus on the scientific aspects of the show. For instance, if someone were to clone a human being and that child made it to full term, would their process for doing so be patented? If it were, would they have a patent on that human being? How much control could they exert over that person? Would they have a legal right to be able to monitor their "creation?" These are a few of the questions that came up in the series, though there are many more that I would need to get into more back story to relate.
The show focuses more on the questions about what to do after this process has already occurred and there are clones in the world. The question of SHOULD a human being be cloned is not really at the forefront of the date. They're here and there are many of them. An exact number isn't known. What should be done about it and what rights should the clones have is at the forefront of the debate. Various factions treat the clones with varying levels of respect. The Dyad Institute, which in part created the clones, seems to be interested in the science of it, though they most certainly have ulterior motives. There is a group religious extremists called the Proletheans who for the most part believe the clones should be destroyed. It is also revealed that the military has been involved at various points in time.
If human cloning were to be revealed to exist today, I think the way it's portrayed in Orphan Black would be very accurate as to some of the types of groups involved and how the different clones would react (some take it better than others). As far as my opinion on human cloning, I believe it should be restricted to regrowing specific body parts/organs by way of stem cell lines and 3D organic printing and that cloning involving full term babies should be illegal. The ramifications far outweigh the possible benefits. Soon, groups could form that aim to clone their leader or to clone a 'master race' and we're down a rabbit hole we'll never get out of again. Imagine if terrorists could clone their leaders and raise them to lead the next generation of terrorists. They would look identical and soon they could be labeled a prophet and their face is blasted everywhere. It would be a nightmare. That said, if clones were to exist already, I think we would have to treat them like anyone else and pass legislation that guarantees their human rights.
I do believe we need to be careful where we tread in regards to this science. We want to make scientific progress that allows people to live longer, healthier lives. At the same time, there are so many questions that are unanswered regarding the technology. Orphan Black brings up the fact that what if numerous people had the same DNA or fingerprints. I can hear the criminals in the courtroom crying that their clone did it. What are some of the questions this brings up for you? Do you believe human cloning should be legal, patented or otherwise?
The series begins with Sarah Manning (
[The following section may contain minor spoilers of Season 1 and possibly Season 2 of Orphan Black]
This post is not meant to be a review of the Orphan Black TV series, though in case anyone was wondering, I loved it. Instead I wanted to focus on the scientific aspects of the show. For instance, if someone were to clone a human being and that child made it to full term, would their process for doing so be patented? If it were, would they have a patent on that human being? How much control could they exert over that person? Would they have a legal right to be able to monitor their "creation?" These are a few of the questions that came up in the series, though there are many more that I would need to get into more back story to relate.
The show focuses more on the questions about what to do after this process has already occurred and there are clones in the world. The question of SHOULD a human being be cloned is not really at the forefront of the date. They're here and there are many of them. An exact number isn't known. What should be done about it and what rights should the clones have is at the forefront of the debate. Various factions treat the clones with varying levels of respect. The Dyad Institute, which in part created the clones, seems to be interested in the science of it, though they most certainly have ulterior motives. There is a group religious extremists called the Proletheans who for the most part believe the clones should be destroyed. It is also revealed that the military has been involved at various points in time.
If human cloning were to be revealed to exist today, I think the way it's portrayed in Orphan Black would be very accurate as to some of the types of groups involved and how the different clones would react (some take it better than others). As far as my opinion on human cloning, I believe it should be restricted to regrowing specific body parts/organs by way of stem cell lines and 3D organic printing and that cloning involving full term babies should be illegal. The ramifications far outweigh the possible benefits. Soon, groups could form that aim to clone their leader or to clone a 'master race' and we're down a rabbit hole we'll never get out of again. Imagine if terrorists could clone their leaders and raise them to lead the next generation of terrorists. They would look identical and soon they could be labeled a prophet and their face is blasted everywhere. It would be a nightmare. That said, if clones were to exist already, I think we would have to treat them like anyone else and pass legislation that guarantees their human rights.
I do believe we need to be careful where we tread in regards to this science. We want to make scientific progress that allows people to live longer, healthier lives. At the same time, there are so many questions that are unanswered regarding the technology. Orphan Black brings up the fact that what if numerous people had the same DNA or fingerprints. I can hear the criminals in the courtroom crying that their clone did it. What are some of the questions this brings up for you? Do you believe human cloning should be legal, patented or otherwise?
August 24, 2014
Three Authors Who Inspire Me
I found this great question floating around on the interwebs, so I'll try my best to answer it.
"Who are the three authors who most inspire you or your writing?"
1. Philip K. Dick - I love his work. Author of 44 novels and 122 short stories, he was an incredibly prolific writer when he died at the young age of 53. He is best known for the novels and stories that would become the hit films Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, Minority Report, Paycheck, Next, Screamers, and more. Beyond the sheer number of original stories he produced, he wrote about authoritarian governments, drug abuse, reality, parallel universes, androids, and the future in general, just to name a few common themes.
One reason I love his work is that he was able to tell a story quickly, without sacrificing detail. Most of his novels were around 220 pages in paperback, which in my opinion is perfect for a science fiction novel. By doing so, he was able to express more ideas, taking his readers to more worlds and more alternate realities. For the most part I strive to keep my novels around the same length for that reason. I have far too many ideas in my head to bloviate for 500 pages in each novel.
2. Kurt Vonnegut - Vonnegut was a master of satire and dark humor. Probably best known for his novel Slaughterhouse Five, about the fire-bombing of Dresden, I actually like some of his more obscure works even better. Novels like Deadeye Dick delve into the minutiae of how Hitler might not have come to power if not for his art teacher, who told him to quit and try something else. Vonnegut creates characters that interweave his novels regardless of the non-related plots. A character in Deadeye Dick might be a cousin of a character in Breakfast of Champions. Vonnegut tries to tie the world together in a way we can understand by trying to remind us that we're all related in one way or another.
I am guilty of trying to emulate some of his style with regards to narration, which I really used heavily in my debut Science Fiction novel Memory Leak. Vonnegut was such a master of the English Language, that he could break rules for the sake of breaking them, flaunting the standard way of doing things just to prove a point. When people would try to correct him, I imagine him sitting back and laughing. His views on the hypocritical nature of society is something I believe more authors need to incorporate into their writing.
3. Ernest Hemingway - Like Dick, Hemingway kept most of his novels and stories short, which I appreciated because I felt I could spend more time analyzing his meaning rather than making it through a story. Call it ADHD... As an example, in The Sun Also Rises, one of my favorite books, Jake Barnes takes a woman for a ride in a taxi through Paris. If you were a casual reader, you might have thought it took forever to get to the destination because it was far away. In reality, if you mapped it out, Jake was directing the cabbie to take the longest route, which took them all around Paris, just so he could spend more time alone with her. I try to put 'Easter Eggs' like this into my writing for the reader who cares enough to find them. There are many more nuances to The Sun Also Rises that Hemingway doesn't come right out and say. In a novel that's only about 250 pages, there are a lot of subtle aspects to it.
I understand that Hemingway was misogynistic and hyper-masculine which puts some people off to him. What I respect is that he told things how they were according to his feelings. It's a trait I try to portray in some of my characters. For instance, in my upcoming novel Symbiote, Detective Yuri Markov is a bit of a misogynist, has strongly held political views, and is about at secular as they come. These are not my views, they are the views of my character. I think any good novel has people with varying beliefs and value systems. Some of my readers might relate to him, while some might relate better to his partner, Detective Karen Hall, a tough female cop who often buts heads with him.
Who are your favorite authors who inspire you or your writing? Leave a comment in the space below or tweet me @TrevorSSchmidt
"Who are the three authors who most inspire you or your writing?"
1. Philip K. Dick - I love his work. Author of 44 novels and 122 short stories, he was an incredibly prolific writer when he died at the young age of 53. He is best known for the novels and stories that would become the hit films Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, Minority Report, Paycheck, Next, Screamers, and more. Beyond the sheer number of original stories he produced, he wrote about authoritarian governments, drug abuse, reality, parallel universes, androids, and the future in general, just to name a few common themes.
One reason I love his work is that he was able to tell a story quickly, without sacrificing detail. Most of his novels were around 220 pages in paperback, which in my opinion is perfect for a science fiction novel. By doing so, he was able to express more ideas, taking his readers to more worlds and more alternate realities. For the most part I strive to keep my novels around the same length for that reason. I have far too many ideas in my head to bloviate for 500 pages in each novel.
2. Kurt Vonnegut - Vonnegut was a master of satire and dark humor. Probably best known for his novel Slaughterhouse Five, about the fire-bombing of Dresden, I actually like some of his more obscure works even better. Novels like Deadeye Dick delve into the minutiae of how Hitler might not have come to power if not for his art teacher, who told him to quit and try something else. Vonnegut creates characters that interweave his novels regardless of the non-related plots. A character in Deadeye Dick might be a cousin of a character in Breakfast of Champions. Vonnegut tries to tie the world together in a way we can understand by trying to remind us that we're all related in one way or another.
I am guilty of trying to emulate some of his style with regards to narration, which I really used heavily in my debut Science Fiction novel Memory Leak. Vonnegut was such a master of the English Language, that he could break rules for the sake of breaking them, flaunting the standard way of doing things just to prove a point. When people would try to correct him, I imagine him sitting back and laughing. His views on the hypocritical nature of society is something I believe more authors need to incorporate into their writing.
3. Ernest Hemingway - Like Dick, Hemingway kept most of his novels and stories short, which I appreciated because I felt I could spend more time analyzing his meaning rather than making it through a story. Call it ADHD... As an example, in The Sun Also Rises, one of my favorite books, Jake Barnes takes a woman for a ride in a taxi through Paris. If you were a casual reader, you might have thought it took forever to get to the destination because it was far away. In reality, if you mapped it out, Jake was directing the cabbie to take the longest route, which took them all around Paris, just so he could spend more time alone with her. I try to put 'Easter Eggs' like this into my writing for the reader who cares enough to find them. There are many more nuances to The Sun Also Rises that Hemingway doesn't come right out and say. In a novel that's only about 250 pages, there are a lot of subtle aspects to it.
I understand that Hemingway was misogynistic and hyper-masculine which puts some people off to him. What I respect is that he told things how they were according to his feelings. It's a trait I try to portray in some of my characters. For instance, in my upcoming novel Symbiote, Detective Yuri Markov is a bit of a misogynist, has strongly held political views, and is about at secular as they come. These are not my views, they are the views of my character. I think any good novel has people with varying beliefs and value systems. Some of my readers might relate to him, while some might relate better to his partner, Detective Karen Hall, a tough female cop who often buts heads with him.
Who are your favorite authors who inspire you or your writing? Leave a comment in the space below or tweet me @TrevorSSchmidt
August 22, 2014
Social Media and the Future of Publishing
I've come to accept that a large part of my time will be spent trying to gain an online following to drive book sales. It's not enough to write a great book and release it anymore. In the past, a traditional publisher would do a lot of the legwork in the marketing department, getting big name reviews, getting your book on email blasts, getting you press exposure and more. In the 21st century, even if you go the traditional publishing route, there's no guarantee they'll give you the attention you need since they're more likely to focus on the big-name authors that are sure to get them revenue. Nowadays, a lot of traditional publishers look at whether an author has an online following before signing them to a contract because they want you to have to do the legwork.
There is a solution. There is very little a traditional publisher can do for you that you can't do for yourself if you have the knowledge. By having an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites you bring your name up in the search engine results, increasing your chance of exposure. I've found that having a blog has been helpful as well. Having a relationship with other bloggers is a surefire way to get more reviews for your books and reach a larger audience. I'll site an example. Craig Dilouie, author of great zombie fiction like Tooth and Nail, networked with bloggers and now has 236 reviews on Amazon (as of this writing), most of them positive. It helped that he wrote a great novel, but it was just as important that he did the legwork and marketed the novel himself.
Some people will tell you to get on LinkedIn and post in the group discussions. I'm sure there are people out there that have success with that, but most of the discussions are pedantic and the 'help' is really a thinly veiled marketing ploy for authors who blast notices everywhere. Sorting through that for a relevant discussion is time consuming and, in my opinion, not worthwhile. You would be much better off focusing on a blog and gaining twitter followers using websites like Just Unfollow. Make sure you don't blast only promotions and marketing tweets or you won't get very far.
If you're an aspiring author, the time to start a blog and get involved in social media is now. It's not a passing trend. It isn't going away. Readers want to feel connected to the authors of the books they love and have conversations with them about their work. I for one welcome any questions about my books! What I've done is mark down in my records my total book sales before I started using social media and I've kept a running total afterward. There is a marked increase to say the least.
More to come on this subject, but for now be sure to follow me on Twitter: @TrevorSSchmidt and share this post with aspiring authors! Leave a comment below if you'd like me to address a particular issue in publishing, marketing, or any other aspect of the book business.
There is a solution. There is very little a traditional publisher can do for you that you can't do for yourself if you have the knowledge. By having an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites you bring your name up in the search engine results, increasing your chance of exposure. I've found that having a blog has been helpful as well. Having a relationship with other bloggers is a surefire way to get more reviews for your books and reach a larger audience. I'll site an example. Craig Dilouie, author of great zombie fiction like Tooth and Nail, networked with bloggers and now has 236 reviews on Amazon (as of this writing), most of them positive. It helped that he wrote a great novel, but it was just as important that he did the legwork and marketed the novel himself.
Some people will tell you to get on LinkedIn and post in the group discussions. I'm sure there are people out there that have success with that, but most of the discussions are pedantic and the 'help' is really a thinly veiled marketing ploy for authors who blast notices everywhere. Sorting through that for a relevant discussion is time consuming and, in my opinion, not worthwhile. You would be much better off focusing on a blog and gaining twitter followers using websites like Just Unfollow. Make sure you don't blast only promotions and marketing tweets or you won't get very far.
If you're an aspiring author, the time to start a blog and get involved in social media is now. It's not a passing trend. It isn't going away. Readers want to feel connected to the authors of the books they love and have conversations with them about their work. I for one welcome any questions about my books! What I've done is mark down in my records my total book sales before I started using social media and I've kept a running total afterward. There is a marked increase to say the least.
More to come on this subject, but for now be sure to follow me on Twitter: @TrevorSSchmidt and share this post with aspiring authors! Leave a comment below if you'd like me to address a particular issue in publishing, marketing, or any other aspect of the book business.
August 20, 2014
Writing Environment is Essential
I'm often asked by friends how I sit down and focus when I'm writing. Every person is different, but I like to go somewhere to write, whether it be a study room in my building, a coffee shop, or the college campus near my house. Wherever you choose to write, it's essential that you're comfortable and can limit outside distractions. When I'm writing, I try to go for 500-2,000 words a day. Some days I'm really in the zone and can write more, others I focus more on social media and various marketing avenues (more in a future post).
Generally, I like to try to write in the mornings and market in the afternoons. That setup lets me focus on one task at a time and be more productive throughout the day. Writing is more than an art. It's a business. Authors are entrepreneurs selling a product to a target audience: their readers. Like any good entrepreneur, the product comes first. Writing a good novel is paramount to gaining a loyal readership and part of that is finding a place to write where you're comfortable.
Do any fellow authors out there have a routine you follow or a place you prefer to write? Post in the comments below!
August 18, 2014
Announcing Upcoming Novel: Symbiote (September 2014)
Hello!
I'm happy to announce that I'm putting the finishing touches on my next novel: Symbiote. I'm expecting a September release so things are getting pretty exciting!
"Neil Meriwether was a middle-aged insurance salesman; that is, when he could find work. He led a boring life, until an alien parasite attached itself to his brain. Now, he blacks out for periods of time and leaves a trail of dead in his wake. San Francisco Police Detectives Karen Hall and Yuri Markov are on a mission to put a stop to the wave of violence. Their investigation creates more questions than answers as they find themselves in a race against time. Can they put a stop to his reign of terror before he puts more people in body bags? Or could one of them become the next SYMBIOTE?"
Do any fellow authors out there have an upcoming release? If so, post in my comments for a chance to be featured on my blog!
Please post your questions below and I'll do my best to answer them!
I'm happy to announce that I'm putting the finishing touches on my next novel: Symbiote. I'm expecting a September release so things are getting pretty exciting!
"Neil Meriwether was a middle-aged insurance salesman; that is, when he could find work. He led a boring life, until an alien parasite attached itself to his brain. Now, he blacks out for periods of time and leaves a trail of dead in his wake. San Francisco Police Detectives Karen Hall and Yuri Markov are on a mission to put a stop to the wave of violence. Their investigation creates more questions than answers as they find themselves in a race against time. Can they put a stop to his reign of terror before he puts more people in body bags? Or could one of them become the next SYMBIOTE?"
Do any fellow authors out there have an upcoming release? If so, post in my comments for a chance to be featured on my blog!
Please post your questions below and I'll do my best to answer them!
April 4, 2013
Bioethics in Replica: A Short Story
My newest short story, entitled "Replica," battles the question of how much technology should be integrated into the human body. Logan Martel is an Army Sergeant who learns firsthand what it means to lose one's humanity. Without spoiling anything, he is used as a vessel to show the reader how little humanity thinks about the ethics of robotic integration and technological dependence.I challenge you to read my short story and post back here your thoughts on the ethics of cybernetic implants and the use of technology going forward. Where will it stop? Will we become one with the machine? The military applications of genetic and robotic modifications to modern humans is extensive, but is it going too far? What are your thoughts?
December 9, 2011
Memory Leak Free on Kindle 12/9 to 12/14!
Get my Sci/fi Thriller Memory Leak for free on kindle from 12/9 to 12/14!
Please 'buy' a copy for free on the kindle and review it! This goes for you bloggers too! Get it HERE!
Synopsis:
Every night, Jonathan Hart dreams of a cracked wasteland in the setting sun. By morning the image retreats to his subconscious mind. Again, he finds himself in a city of symmetrical people, where he is anonymous in his perfection. A voice in his head tells him there is more to life than following the will of his supreme leader, Liam Mail, and that there is more to his own life than he can remember. That there are things he can’t remember about the city of symmetricals that could tear down the fabric of his world. Now, Jonathan must fight against the forces that suppress his memories before his mind is damaged beyond repair. Can Jonathan expose the twisted truth about the symmetrical elite, and in doing so restore society to its flawed asymmetrical origins? Or will his efforts explode and create a MEMORY LEAK?
Please 'buy' a copy for free on the kindle and review it! This goes for you bloggers too! Get it HERE!
Synopsis:
Every night, Jonathan Hart dreams of a cracked wasteland in the setting sun. By morning the image retreats to his subconscious mind. Again, he finds himself in a city of symmetrical people, where he is anonymous in his perfection. A voice in his head tells him there is more to life than following the will of his supreme leader, Liam Mail, and that there is more to his own life than he can remember. That there are things he can’t remember about the city of symmetricals that could tear down the fabric of his world. Now, Jonathan must fight against the forces that suppress his memories before his mind is damaged beyond repair. Can Jonathan expose the twisted truth about the symmetrical elite, and in doing so restore society to its flawed asymmetrical origins? Or will his efforts explode and create a MEMORY LEAK?
March 30, 2011
The Process of Writing
Every author's process varies. Writing Processes are like assholes. Everyone has one, and some of them stink more than others. In this post I'll share part of my process with you. I won't share all of it, some parts are secret.
When I write, I write a skeleton. When I'm working on a novel I write 5 pages every day, without exception, until I'm done with a first draft. A first draft for me was about 100 pages in word. It was bare bones, dialogue and general stage directions for my characters.
During the first edit through, I add A LOT of detail. The manuscript will balloon to 200 pages in word. Keep in mind, I'm a succinct writer and the finished product of Memory Leak was 210 pages. I drew inspiration for the size of my Novel from Philip K. Dick. Each of his fantastic novels are between 190 and 250 pages, yet each tells a compelling story and many have been turned into movies.
The second edit adds any forgotten detail and brightens up the language. This is where I focus on the nuances of writing...add bits and pieces that affect the major themes and make sure the voice of the writing is consistent throughout.
The third edit is special. During my first two edits I take notes on little details I want to emphasize later on. In the third edit, I create what I call Circular Themes. Ever see an episode of Seinfeld? Larry David takes a seemingly minute detail in the beginning of the show and brings it back later on. The story comes full circle. In this edit I create these Circular Themes to add subtle layers underneath the main storyline. Some of the Circular Themes I created in Memory Leak were meant to be resolved in a sequel. These little details will tie the two novels together with thin threads, unnoticeable without reading both books. This way, a novel and its sequel don't have to be connected just by a continuing storyline.
I edit one final time skimming only for typos and grammatical errors.
That's my process! What's yours?
When I write, I write a skeleton. When I'm working on a novel I write 5 pages every day, without exception, until I'm done with a first draft. A first draft for me was about 100 pages in word. It was bare bones, dialogue and general stage directions for my characters.
During the first edit through, I add A LOT of detail. The manuscript will balloon to 200 pages in word. Keep in mind, I'm a succinct writer and the finished product of Memory Leak was 210 pages. I drew inspiration for the size of my Novel from Philip K. Dick. Each of his fantastic novels are between 190 and 250 pages, yet each tells a compelling story and many have been turned into movies.
The second edit adds any forgotten detail and brightens up the language. This is where I focus on the nuances of writing...add bits and pieces that affect the major themes and make sure the voice of the writing is consistent throughout.
The third edit is special. During my first two edits I take notes on little details I want to emphasize later on. In the third edit, I create what I call Circular Themes. Ever see an episode of Seinfeld? Larry David takes a seemingly minute detail in the beginning of the show and brings it back later on. The story comes full circle. In this edit I create these Circular Themes to add subtle layers underneath the main storyline. Some of the Circular Themes I created in Memory Leak were meant to be resolved in a sequel. These little details will tie the two novels together with thin threads, unnoticeable without reading both books. This way, a novel and its sequel don't have to be connected just by a continuing storyline.
I edit one final time skimming only for typos and grammatical errors.
That's my process! What's yours?
March 28, 2011
Palindromes in Memory Leak
[Warning: May Contain Minor Spoilers]
My science fiction thriller, Memory Leak, is full of palindromes. From the tagline, "Live not on evil" to names like "Liam Mail" and "Kerrek Reinier." My reasoning was to show that in the fictional society in Memory Leak, symmetry pervaded every aspect of life. From a person's face, to their name, to their mannerisms, everything is symmetrical. I've heard from a few people that it took them two reads through to catch all of the symmetrical undertones.
The human mind likes patterns. If given the choice, our mind will put things in order, or make patterns out of nothing. Many found when first reading my novel that they didn't notice some names and places had symmetrical features or names. That's because their minds wanted there to be a pattern and so they naturally accepted it. I did this deliberately for one reason.
When the main character, Jonathan Hart, travels to Old Town, there is a stark contrast from the world he came from. Technically, my descriptions of the two sections of Nattan (Manhattan) were not too different. A few extra words here or there made a strong contrast in the mind. The difference between round edges and sharp edges on a table. It's not something you point out at first and say "that's what's different." Rather, it's a feeling you get that one is more inviting than the other. My purpose was to convey the feeling that something was different between the two sections of town without telling the reader directly.
Writers: Do you employ similar techniques in your writing?
Readers: When did you notice the Palindromes? Also, how did your feelings of the main town and old town differ?
My science fiction thriller, Memory Leak, is full of palindromes. From the tagline, "Live not on evil" to names like "Liam Mail" and "Kerrek Reinier." My reasoning was to show that in the fictional society in Memory Leak, symmetry pervaded every aspect of life. From a person's face, to their name, to their mannerisms, everything is symmetrical. I've heard from a few people that it took them two reads through to catch all of the symmetrical undertones.
The human mind likes patterns. If given the choice, our mind will put things in order, or make patterns out of nothing. Many found when first reading my novel that they didn't notice some names and places had symmetrical features or names. That's because their minds wanted there to be a pattern and so they naturally accepted it. I did this deliberately for one reason.
When the main character, Jonathan Hart, travels to Old Town, there is a stark contrast from the world he came from. Technically, my descriptions of the two sections of Nattan (Manhattan) were not too different. A few extra words here or there made a strong contrast in the mind. The difference between round edges and sharp edges on a table. It's not something you point out at first and say "that's what's different." Rather, it's a feeling you get that one is more inviting than the other. My purpose was to convey the feeling that something was different between the two sections of town without telling the reader directly.
Writers: Do you employ similar techniques in your writing?
Readers: When did you notice the Palindromes? Also, how did your feelings of the main town and old town differ?
