Joshua P. Simon's Blog, page 36

Choosing to Die

Choosing to Die is an hour long documentary filmed and hosted by legendary fantasy author, Terry Pratchett. Pratchett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease a few years ago and since then has wanted to commit assisted suicide when the disease makes it so he can no longer live the kind of life that he wants.

The video shows part of his journey in deciding how he should handle his death. Currently, it is illegal in any country to "assist" someone in suicide through an injection. However, Switzerland allows trained medical professionals to help someone kill themselves by giving them a glass of poison that the person must be able to drink without assistance. Before this poison is given, the person who wishes to end his life must be interviewed by those professionals and then the final decision is up to the medical professional on whether they will give the person the poison or not.

This is a great source of worry for Pratchett since with Alzheimer's disease, he would essentially have to kill himself before he is probably ready to die as he must be able to coherently answer the medical professional's questions and be able to give himself the poison. He cannot make the decision beforehand and have them carry it out at his request. Throughout the video you see him struggling with the question "when do I know the time is right?"

For him, a big factor is that if he can no longer write, then he doesn't want to live. But again, by that point it may be too late for him. A famous Belgium author used the Swiss process several years ago and according to his widow who Terry interviewed used the same criteria for his decision….he could not finish the book he had started writing.

The documentary interviews and follows two individuals who do kill themselves through this relatively painless process. One is a 40-something year old man suffering from what I believe is MS. The other is an older man (I think in his 60s) suffering from another physical disease. In their cases, they felt they could no longer handle the physical pain and made their decision to die. This again, we're reminded, is a luxury that Terry does not have since these two people still had their minds intact.

The show ends with the older man drinking the poison, falling asleep, and dying on camera. To say it is a tremendously sad event would be an understatement. His wife is next to him and holding his hand the entire time, trying to be strong for him. It isn't until he is gone that she allows herself to cry.

That is a quick summary of what the video contains. I've included the YouTube link below for those who are interested in watching the documentary. Be warned, it is pretty heart wrenching.

My thoughts:
Although I completely understand where these people are coming from—wanting to die peacefully on your own terms—I cannot agree with it. One, this goes against my religious beliefs as a Christian. But removing religion from the equation, I can't imagine ever agreeing with this process.

In many ways, to kill yourself (however you go about it) is completely selfish. I felt more sorry for the older man's wife than the man himself. She had to put up a front in order to support her husband's wishes and then has to live the rest of her life knowing that her husband would rather die than suffer on earth to be with her. That really hit home for me. I love my family too much to just give up on life.

Oddly enough, it seems that this is a subplot in Terry's decision. His wife did not want to speak on the documentary because she does not agree with his desire to do this. She has asked him not to kill himself because she wants to take care of him in old age. He feels it is his decision to make and she doesn't understand what Alzheimer's will do to him eventually.

I really do understand Terry's decision as well as anyone else who uses this route to end their life. Let's be honest, life does suck sometimes. Among my many physical ailments, I've suffered with Crohn's disease since I was eight years old. I've had two surgeries, countless tests, and currently give myself injections each month to keep things in check. At the worst of times, I've gone to the bathroom as much as two dozen times in a day and lived a soft food/liquid diet for nearly five months. And although it isn't common, Crohn's disease could kill me.

That being said, I hope that I never bend under the pain (physical or mental) that I may experience in my life where I might even consider this method as an option. I can honestly say that for every moment of pain, I've experienced a dozen moments of joy.

I just don't want to miss those next dozen.

Music Monday - Spiritual Beggars

Spiritual Beggars is a great old school rock band that many would classify as Stoner Rock. It is actually the side project of Arch Enemy's Michael Amott. The first album sounds like it could have been written by The Jimi Hendrix Experience or Cream. They added a keyboard player for the later albums and the band's sound started sounding a bit like Deep Purple. Regardless, the musicianship is great and it's hard not to imagine this band being huge if they came out in the late 60s/early 70s.

Enjoy!

Tall Tales


Sad Queen Boogie


Dying Every Day

2011 NFL Playoffs - Round Two

Round Two of the playoffs begin Saturday at 4:30pm with the Saints vs. 49ers. In many ways, the second round could also end, at least for me, with that game. Don't get me wrong, I'll watch the other matchups this weekend. As much as I dislike the Patriots, I want them to beat the Broncos. And I'm expecting a good game between the Giants and Packers. However, I really have no vested interest in those teams like I do with the Saints.

I'm definitely more worried about this game than last week versus the Lions. The 49ers have a great defense that I expect to test New Orleans. San Francisco also doesn't make a lot of mistakes and unlike the Lions, they have a strong running game. And, let's not forget the argument that many of the sports writers are touting…the Saints have never won a road playoff game.

I will admit New Orleans is better at home. But let's be honest, it took the Saints decades to win a playoff game period. The road game argument doesn't mean much to me. Playing outdoors does…

Here are my thoughts on what the Saints need to do:
- Score early – I know this is easier said than done, but the Saints looked like a completely different team in the second half last week. They can't afford to get behind or off to a slow start against the 49ers since San Francisco is all about clock management and will plan on doing everything they can to keep Brees off the field.
- Run the Ball – The running game looked great last week and although their passing game is insane, the Saints finished the season as the 6th best rushing team. That's two spots above the 49ers who are being talked about as a team that can better control the line of scrimmage. I know the 49ers have a better run defense than pass defense, but I think it is important for the Saints to stay balanced.
- Cut down on the mistakes – The 49ers do a good job protecting the ball and until last week, the Saints only had 6 lost fumbles on the season (I think?). However, Brees will sometimes force a pass into a tight space. He's usually good for 2-3 of those a game. I'm not saying to play conservative, but unless the Saints are playing from behind, I see no reason to go crazy with throwing into double coverage. Turnovers which usually happen through INTs for the Saints will be key.
- Don't stop blitzing – Thankfully, Williams won't change his scheme for anyone. This week it should pay off. Alex Smith has definitely improved as a quarterback, but he's still young and can be rattled.

This game can go either way, but I'm still picking the Saints for the win.

Saints – 30, 49ers – 24

And just for fun,here's my predictions for the other games.
Patriots – 38, Broncos – 20
Ravens – 21, Texans– 17
Packers – 34, Giants - 28

Influences - Steven Erikson

To see my previous posts in my series on who influences my writings, click on the links below.
Robert E. Howard
Glen Cook
George R.R. Martin

Steven Erikson is a writer that fantasy readers are generally very passionate about. Either you love him or you hate him. I'm a member of the former group, but I can understand how he might not appeal to some. His books are densely packed with massive intertwining plot threads. Sometimes a point made at the beginning of one book might not pay off until three books later in the series. For many, that can be a lot to keep up with. I however, like the fact that he doesn't talk down to the reader and trusts us to figure things out. Honestly, I can't imagine anyone doing as good of a job as he did with his extremely ambitious series Malazan Book of the Fallen. He literally had plot threads spanning hundreds of thousands of years across several continents and countless POV characters.

There are several reasons why I really enjoy Erikson's writing and as I'm sure readers of my blog have already noticed, I like using bullets when going over these sort of things so, here we go:

Lots of sword and sorcery elements interwoven within a giant epic fantasy. What I mean is that many of the characters are on selfish quests with only their own interests at heart, yet their actions will affect countless others.Larger than life characters. There are so many in this series it's hard to list them all, so I'll just go with my favorite. Karsa Orlong is a character we don't really get to know until the fourth book in the series, but he steals every scene he's part of. In many ways, he is sort of Conan on steroids. Big, strong, fast, arrogant, quick-witted, and full of memorable one-liners.The worldbuilding is just insane.Strong dialogue, especially among the soldiers of the story.Some of the best fight/battle scenes I've ever read. Some may only last a couple of paragraphs, others over one hundred pages. Regardless, you'll want to read every word of them.He is able to generate a lot of emotional impact in his writing. The only author I think can do this better is Paul Kearney.The philosophical mutterings of his characters are quite ingenious and enjoyable when given to the readers in small doses. (Unfortunately, the later books have a bit too much of this)Original and inventive races of characters.A very unique style of prose.

Erikson's writing and storytelling is so different than anything else I've read it's hard for me to really do his work justice. So, as before on these sort of posts, I've found a few examples that might give you a better idea of what to expect from him.

Kallor said: "I walked this land when the T'lan Imass were but children. I have commanded armies a hundred thousand strong. I have spread the fire of my wrath across entire continents, and sat alone upon tall thrones. Do you grasp the meaning of this?"
"Yes," said Caladan Brood, "you never learn."

"Tell me, Tool, what dominates your thoughts?"
The Imass shrugged before replying.
"I think of futility, Adjunct."
"Do all Imass think about futility?"
"No. Few think at all."
"Why is that?"
The Imass leaned his head to one side and regarded her.
"Because Adjunct, it is futile."

"Children are dying."
Lull nodded. "That's a succinct summary of humankind, I'd say. Who needs tomes and volumes of history? Children are dying. The injustices of the world hide in those three words."

"Wise words are like arrows flung at your forehead. What do you do? Why, you duck of course."

"Seven Cities was an ancient civilization, steeped in the power of antiquity, where Ascendants once walked on every trader track, every footpath, every lost road between forgotten places. It was said the sands hoarded power within their sussurating currents, that every stone had soaked up sorcery like blood, and that beneath every city lay the ruins of countless other cities, older cities, cities that went back to the First Empire itself. It was said each city rose on the backs of ghosts, the substance of spirits thick like layers of crushed bone; that each city forever wept beneath the streets, forever laughed, shouted, hawked wares and bartered and prayed and drew first breaths that brought life and the last breaths that announced death. Beneath the streets there were dreams, wisdom, foolishness, fears, rage, grief, lust and love and bitter hatred."

"Such is the vastness of his genius that he can outwit even himself."

Music Monday - Guns N' Roses

Greatest Acoustic song ever written and performed. There. I said it.



Disagree? Too bad. You're wrong. :)

2011 New Orleans Saints

So, like most of America I'm really looking forward to the NFL playoffs. There should be a lot of good games in the coming weeks, and I'll be watching one team in particular.

The New Orleans Saints have always been my favorite sports team, even in the bad times (which to be honest was most of the time). Like most Saints fans I grew accustomed to them losing year after year and never imagined they would actually win a Super Bowl in my lifetime. I remember sitting on my couch after they beat the Colts, stunned. I think it took a day or two for the win to sink in.

Of course, last year's loss to Seattle was a huge letdown. However, after the changes in the offseason, I think the 2011 Saints are as good, if not better, than they were in 2009. That being said, I don't expect the playoffs to be easy. Despite their awful defense, Green Bay is a hard match-up. The 49ers are going to be tough with that defense. I don't fear the Giants or Falcons at this point, but the Lions do have me a bit nervous. Their offense is unbelievably explosive.

I think the Saints will win, but I expect it to be close.

Saints 38
Lions 35

2012 Goals

2012 is here and for many that means resolutions. I usually don't go for that sort of thing for various reasons. However, I do set goals. So, I thought it might be fun to post a few things I hope to accomplish in the coming year as it relates to my writing.

1. Release Walk Through Fire, my prequel novella in the Blood and Tears world by April.
This shouldn't be too difficult to do. The novella needs a cover and a blurb and it still needs to go to an editor, but the hardest part (writing it) is done.

2. Finish writing Book Two in the Blood and Tears Trilogy, Divide and Conquer.
I'm around the 50-55% mark on the first draft so this is not a big deal either (I hope. HA).

3. Release Divide and Conquer by the end of Summer 2012. I don't have a hard date on this one as there are a lot of other factors to consider.
This is a bit tricky as the release date will depend on how quickly I can complete revisions and how fast I get feedback from the various people I use in the editing process.

4. Write Break the Chains, a novella set in the Blood and Tears world.
Other than the basic idea and a few notes, I have not started this yet. I want to make sure this is solid as the focus will be about couple of pretty minor characters in Rise and Fall. I think the story is worth telling.

5. Release Break the Chains, by the end 2012.
I think this should be pretty doable as long as I don't drop the ball on Item 4 above.

6. Complete the detailed outline of Victory and Defeat: Book Three of the Blood and Tears Trilogy.
I only have the key events and major plot points written down. Still need to do a chapter by chapter breakout and weave everything together while adequately closing out the series.

7. Begin writing Victory and Defeat.
I should be able to do this. The key is I don't want to just start the third book. I want to make some good headway on it before the year is out since I REALLY would like to have this released in the first half of 2013 at the latest.

Yes, I know that's an awful lot going on for 2012, but I feel pretty confident that I can accomplish each of these goals. Besides, just wait until you see my goals for 2013. :)

On a personal note:
1. I'm trying to get more consistent with my workouts again (2-3 days a week of weights and 1-2 days of cardio).
2. I've also downloaded this app to my phone which will allow me to study the entire bible this year with my wife.
3. Outside of that it's reading, listening to music, and spending time with the family.

So, what are you hoping to accomplish this year?

Music Monday - Top 5 Albums of 2011

With 2011 officially over, I wanted to do my top 5 albums for the year with a few thoughts. Enjoy!

5. In Flames – Sounds of a Playground Fading
In Flames is one of my favorite bands of all time. Although their sound has changed drastically from their early stuff, I still like their last few efforts a lot. That being said, I feel this wasn't necessarily a great album by their standards, but a strong album nonetheless.

Sounds of Playground Fading


Deliver Us


4. Megadeth – Th1rt3en
Another solid album by a band that is making great music again. The guitar work over the last 2-3 albums has just been amazing.

Public Enemy No. 1


New World Order


3. Trivium – In Waves
This album has gotten better to me with each listen and is probably my favorite by them so far.

In Waves
The title track has one of the heaviest opening groves. Just awesome. I dare you not to bang your head to it. The intro ends around the 1.5 minute mark.


Shattering the Skies Above


2. Anthrax – Worship Music

Anthrax is awesome. Admittedly, I'm more of a Bush-era fan than Joey-era fan. However, I love all of their stuff regardless of what year it was released. For me, this is their best album with Joey on vocals. Really looking forward to what they do next.

I'm Alive
This song is so unbelievably catchy.


The Devil You Know


1. Machine Head – Unto the Locust
This was a really tough choice, but when it came down to it, I just can't stop listening to this album. I'm not sure if it's Machine Head's best efforts, but it's really close. Such a great band.

Darkness Within
The lighter intro is so great on this song. My favorite on the album.


Who We Are
Best use of kids singing since Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall. Ha.


The Sentinel (Judas Priest Cover)
Since this album is my number one choice, I'll throw in an extra song which is actually a cover of my second favorite band of all time. I usually hate covers, but I really like this version of the song.


So, what were your favorite releases from 2011?

The Writing Process - Beta Readers

For the previous posts in this series on my writing process, click on the links below.
Part 1 - Introductions
Part 2 - Ideas
Part 3 - Outlining
Part 4 - First Draft
Part 5 - Revisions
Part 6 - Alpha Reader

After I've completed edits based on comments from my alpha-reader, it's time to move on to the beta-readers.

A beta-reader is another person who reads your story prior to it being published. The idea is that they receive the story 'cold' as would a member of the general public. This differs from an alpha-reader who as previously discussed, has advanced knowledge of the story and often sees it in a rougher form. The goal of the beta-reader is to help the author improve the plot, characters, description, dialogue and any other weaknesses discovered in the story. To a lesser degree, a beta-reader can help with grammar or clunky wording.

For me, I chose six beta-readers. The big thing was that I wanted individuals who read a lot and where possible, those who read stories in the genre I'm writing. Here are some characteristics of my betas:

- Three of my betas read a lot of fantasy which gives them a better understanding of overall structure and certain plot elements unique to the genre.
- Two of the betas read little fantasy, but read a ton in other genres, including many literary classics. This is a plus for me as they can look past the fantasy aspects and focus on the basics of whether the story is any good or not.
- One beta doesn't read a whole lot of fiction, but reads a lot of non-fiction which gives me a completely different perspective from the other five. This beta-reader has caught some minor errors I made in constructing the world that few others would have noticed.
- One beta was in the military and although that wasn't planned, it was great to hear from him that I successfully portrayed those aspects of my story. That was a big compliment for me.
- All six vary in age and education.
- Four betas are women, two are men.
- All six can be brutally honest…very important. You don't want nice betas because when it goes live, the readers will be much harder on you than the people you know.

What does this all mean? It means that I'm able to get a broad range of opinions and feedback which helps tremendously when evaluating my story. I would recommend that other authors do the same.

So, after I receive these comments I'll do one final pass through the manuscript before sending it off to my editor. The next post on the writing process will talk about the importance of an editor.

How do you like your magic?

Magic plays a huge role within the fantasy genre. Many people would even say that magic is what helps define the genre itself. However, not everyone agrees on how magic should be used within fantasy. There are two basic camps. The first camp likes a well thought out and extremely detailed magic system with a concrete set of rules. In these stories, the magic almost takes on the form of science. The second camp likes to keep magic mysterious where the reader never gets all the answers on how things work. Below, I'll give some of my pros and cons of each approach and close with my own personal thoughts.

Camp One: Detailed system (examples: Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss, and Brent Weeks)

Pros:
1. Rigid set of rules ensures no deux ex machina ending.
2. The reader can more closely relate to what a magic user is going through as they solve problems.
3. Allows for stronger creativity of the author in developing the system.

Cons:
1. The magic system will at times dominate the story, pushing aside characters, setting, and even plot.
2. May lead to info-dumps or lengthy (and sometimes boring) explanations on how the magic works.
3. Could potentially cause more problems for the author as they are now bound by their own rules when using the magic and a reader can more easily spot mistakes.
4. Action scenes told through a magic user may become tedious and bogged down as the mechanical aspects are explained to the reader rather than focusing on the emotions of the characters fighting with magic.

Camp Two: Mysterious (examples: Glen Cook, George RR Martin, and Steven Erikson)

Pros:
1. With magic in the background, the story and characters are better able to take center stage.
2. A lack of understanding can lead to a greater sense of awe from the reader when something magical does happen.

Cons:
1. In the hands of a poor storyteller a lack of rules could make it easier for an author to lean heavily on magic to solve plotting problems, leading to a deux ex machina.
2. A lack of rules can also cause characters to grow exponentially in power since a ceiling has never been established.
3. With this approach, if magic is used too frequently, it can become boring rather than awe inspiring.

Generally speaking the first camp has really become more popular as of late thanks to someone like Brandon Sanderson whose books pretty much revolve around a created magic system. Most people seem to be leaning toward this process as the preferred method of dealing with magic.

I personally prefer to read and write with the second camp in mind. The biggest reason I've stated above in the pros and cons section. For me, in most (not all) of the books in the first camp, the emphasis is placed on the magic itself rather than the characters, plot, and world.

Using George RR Martin as an example, I like the fact that magic stays mysterious. Magic is used from time to time in Martin's books but it isn't the focus of the story. There are limitations and consequences that are touched on (such as the role of dragons) but the details of how the magic works isn't explained to death. And when magic is used, it adds a greater sense of tension to the story.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy detailed magic systems, but overall I prefer the less is more approach.