Howard Andrew Jones's Blog, page 67

Writer’s Festival

If any of you are in the Southern Indiana region, I’ll be part of a nifty little Writer’s Festival held at the Knox County Public Library on Saturday, November 2nd. Margaret McMullan, National Author Winner of the 2011 Glick Indiana Authors Award, is giving the keynote address and leading a workshop on “Writing What you Think You Know But Should Know Better” from 9-11.

She’s followed by James Alexander Thom, National Author Winner of the 2009 Glick Indiana Authors Award, who will be making a round table presentation on “The Art & Craft of Writing Historical Fiction” from 11-12.

Sarah Alderfer, Professor of English at Vincennes University, leads another panel from 1-2 on “Your Dreams of Becoming a Writer: Making it a Reality.”

And then I wrap things up with a presentation on “Becoming a Published Author” from 1-2.

The schedule’s a little tentative now — there may be gatherings for coffee, and there will be opportunities for book signing — but registration will open soon. It’s $30.00 for the day, and details will go live soon at the Knox County Public Library site.

 

A Good Rest

I haven’t felt this good in years. I feel so healthy that I want to leap in the air and kick my heels. Heck, I’m so well rested I can even do it. And there’s the key phrase: well-rested.

I’ve been suffering from sleep apnea. I don’t believe I’ve ever talked about it on the blog before because as medical conditions go, it beats the heck out of most of them. Who am I to complain when some of my friends and relatives have diabetes, or are struggling with Alzheimer’s… or are dying of cancer? Annoying as it is to be hooked up to a machine each night, at least I have something manageable that isn’t killing me. As long as it’s treated, sleep apnea isn’t dangerous.

Except that for a good long while it hasn’t been as treatable as it should have been. Around the month I got my book contract for The Desert of Souls I remember being thankful not just for the contract but for the timing of the moment, because I didn’t think I had the energy to write in my spare time any more. Over the last years if I’d had to write in my spare time, I wouldn’t have had the strength. I was convinced that my waning reserve in the evenings was a result of me simply getting older, and that the sleep apena regimen had improved my life as much as it could.

For the last four or five years, I’ve had good days and bad days, good weeks and bad weeks, and months… but lately I’ve been tired all the time. Each morning I was waking up feeling like someone does when they’ve put in a full day and are ready to start winding down for the evening.

I have been short tempered with the kids, and my wife. Writing has been difficult. I’ve developed coping strategies to be more patient and polite, and to maintain my productivity, but everything has been an incredible challenge. I’d gotten so used to the condition I didn’t actually remember what it felt like to be well rested, only that I missed it, very much.

Things started turning around this weekend. After some tests, my doctor ordered an adjustment made on the amount of air forced through the machine and down the mask into my lungs. The first morning after the change, I didn’t really feel any different. The second morning, I noticed I felt a little better, but wondered if it was wishful thinking. By the fourth day I suddenly realized how bad I’d really been for so long.

I have been so bad that normal seems superhuman. Just waking up in the morning I feel like I’ve had an energy drink. I don’t have to struggle to sit upright with my shoulders back. I don’t have to strain to focus or pay attention when working or talking to my kids. I’m here, in the present. My default mood is a happy one. It’s as though twenty or more years have been lifted from my shoulders.

Will my razor-sharp instant recall memory return? That remains to be seen. I am 45 now, after all. But I have fingers crossed. I am just delighted to be able to head outside in the evenings to play with my kids without faking interest. And to be able to sit at the computer and plug fiercely away at my prose. My God. I’ve gotten to be a better writer over the last years despite all this, so what will this mean for the work I’m doing currently? What will my productivity be like now that this weight is lifted? Will the right words start coming easily to me again?

I can hardly wait to find out. I can hardly wait to live, again. I am so very, very happy. Thank you, Dr. Cocanower.

 

Kaiju Rising

Shh. So I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I’m one of the authors who will be unlocked if funding is met and exceeded in a new Kickstarter. There’s at least three of us mysterious contributors (I won’t tell you the identity of the others) who will be revealed if Kaiju Rising meets its stretch goals.

As it’s an anthology for monster stories, you can darned well bet that I’m drafting a new Dabir and Asim story for the collection. I’m pretty busy with other stories right now, but it was such a great looking assembly that I couldn’t stand to pass up the opportunity.

The project is being published by J.M. Martin, Tim Marquitz and Nick Sharps (the latter two serving double-shift as editors), illustrated by Dan Howard, and will feature stories by Larry Correia, Peter Clines, James Lovegrove, Erin Hoffman, James Maxey, Jaym Gates, Timothy W. Long, Mike MacLean, Natania Barron, Joshua Reynolds, David Annandale, Clint Lee Werner, Jonathan Wood,  Gini Koch, Paul Genesse, Edward M. Erdelac, Samuel Sattin, Bonnie Jo Stufflebean, and Peter Rawlik.

The first stretch goal will include additional internal art from Robert Elrod and Chuck Lukacs, and the next three stretch goals are authors. I’m not sure which of those three I am, but I’m hoping you’ll join in the Kickstarter and unlock my story. The full details can be found here.

 

Conan and The Fan Fic Writers of Doom

If I didn’t love the writing of Robert E. Howard I would probably never have bothered with any Conan pastiche. As a matter of fact, those Conan novels on store shelves in the ’70s and ’80s made me so skeptical of Conan that I didn’t try Robert E. Howard’s fiction until years later. I wrongly assumed that because the series looked cheap and mass produced that Howard’s writing would sound that way. (Robert E. Howard, of course, had NOTHING to do with the mass marketing of his character, having been dead for decades before that marketing was carried out by other hands.)

You can fit the sum total of all the Conan that Howard wrote (including some fragments and rejected stories) into one large hardback. That’s not a lot of fiction about such a great character, and so for decades people have been trying to create new tales of adventure starring Conan, mostly because they wanted MORE!

What makes those stories pastiche instead of fan fic, I suppose, is that many of these writers were paid to write it and the result was distributed widely. One would assume that meant that the work was well-edited and had some kind of consistency, but a lot of people, me among them, would tell you you’re wrong.

Some writers don’t quite get the character, or want to change him, or don’t understand that he actually does change, age to age, and is capable of greater subtlety/humor/intellect than is popularly assumed (just as REH’s writing is more complex than popularly imagined). Putting aside the whole discussion of whether or not it’s even right or proper to publish pastiche (especially when the actual Robert E. Howard books were out of print!) what are the best Conan pastiche novels?

First, read the real work by Robert E. Howard.

Okay, so you want some more that feels  a little bit like that, or that celebrates that character and setting in a proper way? Ryan Harvey and Morgan Holmes and John Chris Hocking have read far more deeply than I have, but I can make some general comments. First, I didn’t much enjoy Robert Jordan’s work with the character. His Conan novels were like ’70s era James Bond movies — some cool action bits and moments, but also a lot of cheese and too much ’70s sex vibe. I gave up on them.

Yesterday I mentioned that Conan and the Emerald Lotus is my favorite. Here are some others from my highlight reel, in no particular order.

Karl Edward Wagner’s The Road of Kings is quite powerful, though rushed near the end. Wagner gets Conan and the setting very, very well.

Leonard Carpenter’s Conan The Raider is strong and evocative. Carpenter writes with astonishing visual power — in a few words he can sketch an entire scene with crystal clarity. I’ve heard that his plots don’t always hold together, but Conan the Raider works quite nicely.

Andrew Offut’s Conan and the Sorcerer doesn’t get mentioned much, but I thought it a pretty good Conan yarn. His second is a little talky, but I started the third (The Sword of Skelos) and it seems pretty promising, with wonderful atmosphere and forward momentum.

John Maddox Roberts seems to have consistently written excellent Conan pastiche. I’ve read four of his Conan novels now, and if you don’t mind the mash-ups of famous plots then you’re in great hands. A writer friend (I think it was Charles Rutledge) mentioned that the JMR Conan books were a little like stories of Conan’s slightly more thoughtful brother. Anyway, I can highly recommend those I read: Conan and the Treasure of Python (a riff on King Solomon’s Mines), Conan the Marauder (basically Conan meets up with a Genghis Khan like conqueror and his horde), Conan and the Manhunters (a nifty adventure story about a treasure theft and multiple competing factions) Conan the Rogue (a fabulous mash-up of a number of noir detective stories by Dashiel Hammet). I have four more by JMR sitting on my shelves, and apart from Conan and the Amazon, which Ryan Harvey informed me was a little weak, I’m looking forward to getting to them, sooner or later.

John Maddox Roberts has written some fine fiction of his own, including a long running mystery series set in ancient Rome, and a personal favorite of mine, an alternate history/blood and thunder novel titled King of the Wood.

So is there more good Conan pastiche out there? Well, maybe. I’ve heard that Poul Anderson’s Conan novel is decent (Conan the Rebel). I have read and enjoyed, or read and not enjoyed (more frequent) various Conan comics, but I want to keep this discussion to novels. I haven’t heard a whole lot of positive feedback about other writers of Conan, but I won’t repeat what I can’t personally verify. If any of you out there have thoughts on good non-REH Conan stuff I’ve missed, let me know!

 

 

Conan and the Emerald Lotus

THIS is one of my favorite Conan books. You’ll note that it is not by Robert E. Howard. Howard himself actually wrote only one full-length Conan novel, as Conan was aimed at Weird Tales, a short story market. (If you’re THAT curious, you can go read up on REH at various sites.) I will add that it is my favorite pastiche Conan, ever, much as I greatly enjoy some of the John Maddox Roberts Conan novels. And it’s better than Karl Edward Wagner’s Conan novel The Road of Kings (often the default “best pastiche” answer) and ANY Conan novel by Robert Jordan.

Conan and the Emerald Lotus was written by John Chris Hocking about twenty years ago. A big fan of Robert E. Howard, noir, and Weird Tales, Hocking wrote Emerald Lotus and sent it in, unagented… and because it was so danged good the publisher snapped it up and printed it. (In case you’re wondering, that NEVER happens.) The second Conan novel by Hocking, as it turns out, is even better, and L. Sprague de Camp relayed to Hocking that de Camp and his wife were so eager to see how it unfolded that they sat together on the floor of their study turning the pages. Conan and the Living Plague, unfortunately, never saw the light of day even though it was intended to re-launch the Conan line, because the purchasers of the line seemed uninterested in anything that had come before.

Conan and the Emerald Lotus, however, is still available. It is such a fantastic adventure romp that by the first third of the book I was saying out loud to myself: “wow, this guy really knows what he’s doing!” I was also saying “I have got to talk to this guy.” Because Hocking was a friend of a friend, we were soon exchanging e-mails and he’s now one of my closest personal pals. But even if he had ended up being an antisocial doofus, I’d still be raving about what a great sword-and-sorcery adventure this is. If you want, search for my name and Emerald Lotus and you’re bound to turn up one or two quotes.

Because this is sword-and-sorcery, and because, moreover, it’s pastiche, you won’t find too much additional discussion of its excellence… except suddenly, in the last few weeks. Conan and the Emerald Lotus has been read by two fine writers, Evan Lewis and James Reasoner, both of whom feature the book and discuss its plot and strengths in detail. If you haven’t ever believed me, go read what THEY have to say.

From time-to-time people ask why Hocking was writing tie-in fiction. Well, he loved Conan, and he wanted to see the character handled properly if he was going to be written. And then, it must be remembered, in the ’80s it was hard to get sword-and-sorcery on the shelves UNLESS you were writing Conan or your name was David Gemmell.

And WHY oh WHY haven’t the powers-that-be ever put Hocking’s other Conan novel out? In recent years they’ve published a set of poorly received novels set in Conan’s world (apparently each of the authors was only given 3-6 months to write THREE books), and they oversaw Harry Turtledove’s poorly received Conan novel, but did they ever think to publish a novel ALREADY written by one of the two Conan pastiche writers alive who is still getting good ratings and reviews?

If so, they didn’t think long, because it’s never happened. I live in hope of many things, but one of them is that someone in power there will finally wise up and publish Conan and the Living Plague. If they’ve really got their act together maybe they’ll even hire Hocking to write the others he had planned…

Anyway, if you like sword-and-sorcery and good adventure fantasy, just go read the book.

I’m going to stop grumping and get back to writing my Hearthstones novel.

 

Alas

…I am not at WorldCon 2014 (AKA LoneStarCon 3). In the grand scheme of things it is a tiny disappointment and certainly no tragedy, but I find myself wishing I could be there in San Antonio this weekend with so many of my friends and colleagues meeting readers and interacting with movers and shakers in the industry. I imagine there will be a sizable coterie of Robert E. Howard folks there, and I’d love to raise a glass or two with them. And writer Norman Spinrad is there as well, and he’s someone I’ve always wanted to meet.

I may not be staying up late talking with some of my favorite people, but I can take consolation in the fact that my writing is going very well right now. Things are different for every writer, of course. I’m working on being one of those guys who, when in rough draft phase, dependably gets the same thousands of words done every day. What I’ve found instead is that sometimes, for weeks, the writing crawls. I’ve just come out of one of those phases and now suddenly the narrative is so alive I can barely write fast enough to keep up with it. If I were at a convention that would crash to a halt. Then there’s the insomnia issues I’ve been fighting for the last few weeks. Staying up late for another four nights in a row would probably be a horrible idea.

I JUST got back from GenCon a few weeks ago and it took me a while to recover from those late nights and get back up to speed with all my family duties and my writing deadlines. Heading off to another convention so soon would be not just awkward, but hard on the checkbook. I really wish they had been separated by a few more weeks.

Still, I kind of wish I was there! Perhaps next year… although WorldCon next year will be in London. Much as I’d love to get to London, I’m not sure my oversea sales justify a trip across the Atlantic yet.

Maybe I should just get back to writing.

 

Dreaming of the Writing Life

When I was a kid, the writing life had a magical luster. I felt as though were I to become a published author, I would have “made it.” But beyond the mountains lay more mountains. I’m a middle-aged man now and there are still mountains further off. I had that first published story, and then I wanted a professional published sale and got that, and then a book deal, and on and on. Now, though, the stars have faded from my eyes. Don’t get me wrong, I still love storytelling more than any other job. But I’m far less concerned with fame and glory than earning enough to make a difference for my family.

This all serves as preface to a pretty interesting article at Black Gate about what the modern writing life is like for those of us who haven’t made it big. Any of you interested in becoming professional writers yourselves should really take a look.

Also, here are two more summaries of GenCon, one from Lou Anders and one from Dave Gross, so you can see a slightly different perspective from mine. These two, and a significant number of my other writer friends, are probably in WorldCon in San Antonio right now. I wish I could be there myself. I probably won’t be at WorldCon next year either, as it is scheduled for London at the same time as GenCon.

Comedy

Still hard at work in the word mines today, and making great progress. Here, then, is a great comedy routine from two inspired comedians. And yes, even thought it’s these two guys, adults should soon find themselves laughing. Thanks to Lou Anders for this one, who gave a brilliant rendition of the routine at GenCon last week over dinner.

Also, this Lego masterpiece. Words fail me.

Link Day!

Copyright Darian Jones

Link Man returns today to provide safe, interesting, and fast loading links while I’m hard at work on my new series for St. Martin’s (Thomas Dunne Books). Verily, the new book is picking up speed, so I must send you elsewhere into the void in search of entertainment.

First, there’s this great article on The Mummy Returns from Alex Bledsoe. I have to confess that I never made it very far into this movie because I found the first few minutes really bad. I think a lot of people did. But now, in light of Alex’s essay, I may have to revisit it. He found a lot to admire about it, at least in its depiction of a female action hero. Take a look.

Second, here’s some writing theory from Michael Moorcock that I’ve always found pretty interesting. At the bottom is even more writing info, this from Lester Dent, which you should also read. Great tips. I don’t think that these will work for every writer, but there are certainly some universal truths there worth looking at.

Third, here are twelve letters that didn’t make the English alphabet, or, more precisely, that didn’t stay, and why. I was always pretty partial to the thorn, myself. Seems like it could be useful!

Fourth, here’s a sneak peak at the new season of Legend of Korra, plus some links to some webisodes. My family loves the Avatar series from Nickelodeon. Why haven’t I heard about any of this before now? Shouldn’t some of you have told me?

My work here is done. Link Man, away!

GenCon 2013 Part 4

I thought I’d finish my write up of GenCon with a sort of highlights reel of my remaining favorite moments, in no particular order of preference until the final three.

First, while I’m not much involved in Black Gate anymore, I do still occasionally review game products, and it was a pleasure to get handed a few review copies of some great looking books. I’ll be covering them at Black Gate before too long, but I can say right now that I’m most interested by Pete Nash’s Monster Island, a sandbox setting compatible with Runequest, Sarah Newton’s Monsters & Magic, from Mindjammer Press, which is a way to convert old school RPGs for more modern, FATE style play, and Brian England’s The Demolished Ones, a FATE compatible mini mystery campaign  in what looks like Victorian times. I have a handful of others as well, and each will be getting write-ups in the near future.

Second, the Writer’s Symposium had two get togethers after the opening dinner, a game night and a freewheeling meet & greet on Saturday. While there on Saturday I spoke at last with the talented Ari Marmell and heard his elevator pitch for a nifty novel idea I wish I could steal. I spoke for a little while with the gifted Mary Robinette Kowal, who has the same sharp intellect, natural poise and easy charm that you’d expect from reading her blog and fiction.

I did get to meet or reconnect with a number of other writers at the Saturday Symposium get-together, among them Mike Stackpole, Jerry Gordon, Geoffrey Girard, Jaym Gates, David Wohlreich, and Miranda Horner and probably more whose names I unfortunately can’t recall! I had a long, fantastic conversation with Maurice Broaddus and Rodney Carlstrom about the business of writing, classic sword-and-sorcery, Charles Saunders’ Imaro, and a host of other topics besides. I’d never met either man before the con and we walked away not just acquaintances, but friends. Finally, I had a blast talking with Scott Lynch and John Scalzi about a host of topics. Those two have such razor-sharp wit that I often feel like I’m sprinting to keep up, but  this time I guess I was relaxed enough with them that it resulted in me feeling like I fit right in.

Third, in and around the panels I had some wonderful interactions with two generous, gracious, and talented men, Paul Genesse and Matt Forbeck, with whom I shared a reading. I’m looking forward to reading more work by both gentleman.

Fourth, my wife and daughter drove up to wander through the Hall of Treasures and then we walked for dinner. As it happened, there was a motorcycle convention at Indy at the same time as GenCon. It was more of a bug than a feature, especially due to the noise and crowds that evening (although I have to admit some of the bikes were gorgeous). We ended up at Fogo de Chao, a Brazillian restaurant, and exceeded our red meat intake for the month. For the next several months, really. It was so very, very good that I actually laughed with joy. I’ve never been particularly big fan of steak or burgers, but I like them every now and then. Fogo de Chao has so completely spoiled me that I may never eat red meat again — unless I’m at Fogo de Chao. My daughter, who’s in her early teens, was just as impressed as the two of us, and discussed the meal like an adult. It was fascinating and wonderful to get the sense of the person she is growing to be.

Fogo de Chao in Indianapolis.

Fifth, Sunday morning I met Frazer Ronald for a light breakfast at the Starbuck’s at the Omni Severin. Frazer and I have known each other for a long, long while, most recently as guest and host at his Accidental Survivors blog cast. This, though, was our first chance to talk at any length in person, and given our shared interest in history and sword-and-sorcery, it was long overdue. Dave Gross joined us about half way through and we began to trade advice about overlooked but excellent cinema. Well, mostly I listened and asked questions, because those two know their way around the genres better than I.

As cool as all of these things were (along with the tales I’ve already told and the Writer’s Symposium, which I’ll soon be discussing at Black Gate), probably my top three are Friday night dinner, our Thursday night game, and any number of quiet chats with my room mates Lou and Scott over the course of the convention. Happy as I was to be heading home to my family, I was quite sad thinking that it would probably be a year or more before I saw either of them in person again.

Friday Lou and Scott and I joined Joel Shepherd for dinner off site at the Bosphorus cafe. It was a little bit of a drive, one made a bit confusing (despite my map) by several streets closed down for the aforementioned motorcycle convention. The food there at the Turkish restaurant was fabulous, though, and the chance to unwind with my friends in a quiet place was one of the best moments of the con. I’d been hanging out with Joel by that point for a while, but it was the first time I’d gotten a true sense of what a thoughtful, considered man he is. Lou tells me that Joel writes amazing action scenes that are coupled with complex but engaging characters and plots. That would have had me interested right there, but seeing as how he’s also become a friend of mine, Joel’s advanced pretty high up my “to be read” pile.

Scott Lynch and Howard Tayler at game night (pic by Lou Anders).

The absolutely best moment, though, was gaming on Thursday night. On the other side of the table were Lou Anders, Howard Tayler (a fine and engaging fellow I met for the first time that Thursday), Scott Lynch, Dave Gross, and Saladin Ahmed.  I was running a Viking adventure involving a vengeful witch, a (mostly) abandoned steading, and some wandering undead. Lou was playing an impatient dwarf, Scott a practical halfling, Saladin a heroic leader, Dave a fey-touched bard, and Howard a skilled woodsman (Tayler, I mean). This account is already too long, and recounting game sessions rarely conveys the real amount of fun that games have, so I’ll just say that it was a blast.

Well, there you have it. If you’ve stuck with me through all of these GenCon wrap-up messages it must be because the convention sounds like fun. Trust me, it is. It’s hard to do it justice! There were many more things I wanted to see and do that I never found time for (among them sitting down to play a FATE powered role-playing-game) and there are so many more tales I could tell (like a brief visit with the talented Jim Pavalec) but I think I’ll just sign off, and hope to see you next year. My blog will return to regularly scheduled nonsense with occasional writing advice Tuesday.