Scott Seldon's Blog, page 15
May 5, 2012
Keeping Up With The Classics
I picked up the original Star Trek on DVD quite a few years ago, but it has taken until now for me to really get into watching them. I am nearing the end of the first season. I like to watch the first episodes in production order so that made it a challenge initially which may be why it took me so long. But after a point, it really doesn't make difference. Now that I am watching them, I am noticing with new eyes how well made they are. True there are a few plot holes, but overall they are excellently done. For the 1960's, the effects are superb. There were movies that weren't at that level. Lost in Space and Doctor Who certainly weren't.
LIke classic movies, classic television has a lot to offer. There is a reason some shows have that lasting appeal. Often it lies in the writing. Star Trek is one of those where great writers created great stories that delved into the characters. Well, Kirk and Spock anyway. This time watching it I have noticed some stories may have been inspired by history that I hadn't noticed before. After so long since I last watched them it is like I'm watching them for the first time. While not as inspirational to my own writing as Firefly, it does have a lot to inspire me. I was watching reruns of Star Trek on TV back when I started to write. I find revisiting those early inspirations to be invigorating.
You can strive to keep up with everything new, and I do my share of that, but don't forget to revisit the older stuff. They could write back then and it will help your writing as much as anything new will. I think it helps more, but that's just me.
LIke classic movies, classic television has a lot to offer. There is a reason some shows have that lasting appeal. Often it lies in the writing. Star Trek is one of those where great writers created great stories that delved into the characters. Well, Kirk and Spock anyway. This time watching it I have noticed some stories may have been inspired by history that I hadn't noticed before. After so long since I last watched them it is like I'm watching them for the first time. While not as inspirational to my own writing as Firefly, it does have a lot to inspire me. I was watching reruns of Star Trek on TV back when I started to write. I find revisiting those early inspirations to be invigorating.
You can strive to keep up with everything new, and I do my share of that, but don't forget to revisit the older stuff. They could write back then and it will help your writing as much as anything new will. I think it helps more, but that's just me.
May 4, 2012
Book Release and the Will of Landru
I just got word from Amazon that my novella, Not Past Redemption, is now live. I am trying out the KDP Select program so if you have a Kindle and are a Prime member, you can check out a copy and read it for free. Otherwise it is priced at a reasonable $0.99. Don't look for it elsewhere until August (if you are anti-Amazon and ask nicely...).
The story was inspired by my tenure as a temporary employee. Seriala and Mags go on an adventure. What you won't find, either in this novella or in Well of Dreams, is that Seriala is the pilot Ven hires and fires two weeks later. I couldn't resist some parallels to my own experience and I went with it.
Yesterday I returned to watching the original Star Trek. I watched Tomorrow is Yesterday and Court Martial yesterday, and then Return of the Archons today. Funny connection to that episode, a few years ago I met someone named Landru. Needless to say I have never forgotten them even though I only met them the once.
In watching these old episodes I am amazed at two things. On one hand, the writing is outstanding. Court Martial has to be one of the best episodes. I knew the story but it still had me on edge. But the plot holes, especially in Tomorrow is Yesterday were almost glaring. Well, for me they were. Most people would never catch them and similar things still happen in writing all the time. Still, the writing was superb aside from that and the stories are as wonderful this time around as the last time I watched the entire series, about 15 years ago. I just wish the DVD set was in production order, not broadcast order. I compromised by watching the first 16 episodes in production order and then I'll just go with the flow and watch them as they are arranged on the discs. It is the Will of Landru.
The story was inspired by my tenure as a temporary employee. Seriala and Mags go on an adventure. What you won't find, either in this novella or in Well of Dreams, is that Seriala is the pilot Ven hires and fires two weeks later. I couldn't resist some parallels to my own experience and I went with it.
Yesterday I returned to watching the original Star Trek. I watched Tomorrow is Yesterday and Court Martial yesterday, and then Return of the Archons today. Funny connection to that episode, a few years ago I met someone named Landru. Needless to say I have never forgotten them even though I only met them the once.
In watching these old episodes I am amazed at two things. On one hand, the writing is outstanding. Court Martial has to be one of the best episodes. I knew the story but it still had me on edge. But the plot holes, especially in Tomorrow is Yesterday were almost glaring. Well, for me they were. Most people would never catch them and similar things still happen in writing all the time. Still, the writing was superb aside from that and the stories are as wonderful this time around as the last time I watched the entire series, about 15 years ago. I just wish the DVD set was in production order, not broadcast order. I compromised by watching the first 16 episodes in production order and then I'll just go with the flow and watch them as they are arranged on the discs. It is the Will of Landru.
April 30, 2012
Influences
All writers have influences, but they are not always apparent. Typically we ask what writers have influenced a writer, but that ignores a huge chunk of what can affect a writer’s work and voice.
You have to include the environment, family, friends, co-workeers, work situation, education, experience, and just about every other factor you can think of. I know that a great many things in my childhood,
from the music I was exposed to, to political discussions at the dinner table, to how my friends and I played, to the many obstacles that came up along the way.
So I have to thank a lot more people than just Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and other science fiction writers for how I turned out. I have to thank my cousins, classmates, friends, and enemies. I have to
thank the city I grew up in, the network program planners (and their counter parts in my local affiliate) for the shows I was able to watch. And a few other personalities in particular. Alan Alda, Burt Reynolds, George Lucas,
Jan Michael Vincent, Lorne Greene, C.W. McCall, John Denver, and the many reruns on WTBS (exposing me to the great comedies of previous decades). And to Buster Crabbe, who without my knowledge, influence so many of the people
who influenced me with his early SF portrayals.
So next time you are asked about your influences, stop to consider all the non-writers who have led you to be the person you are.
April 16, 2012
Don't Forget, People Can Be Really Stupid
What a title for a blog post, but it was inspired by a clip on our local news covering the ceremonies in the North Atlantic marking 100 years since Titanic sank beneath the waves and cost 1500 people their lives.
So, someone actually suggested raising the Titanic. Talk about a really stupid idea. Who ever is thinking this or talking about it clearly has no idea what condition that ship is in and doesn't care that it is an under water grave. I'm afraid that even if the ship had been found after even a month, that the sinking did too much damage to ever have considered it feasible to raise. Not only is it in water that is too deep to work in, but the ship is in more pieces than can be counted and even the largest piece, the bow, is broken and twisted. Not only that, but we don't have the technology to lift something that large form that depth. Add to that its condition and it becomes impossible.
And it's not like this is top secret knowledge. Every documentary on Titanic talks about the fragile condition of the wreck. And somewhere it seems forgotten that Titanic is a grave for some 1200 people whose bodies were never recovered. Even bringing up a few of the artifacts strewn on the ocean floor has raised questions on what should be done. Those who control the wreck are dedicated to preserving it. Even James Cameron is an advocate of study and preservation, not recovery. He has been down there more that most other people and has become quite the expert on the wreck.
I guess I should bring this back to writing. People can come up with stupid ideas and as a writer this is something I need to keep in mind. Isaac Asimov was an expert on having characters behaving in the stupid manner of so many of our species. It is a flaw of our species that we often work off incomplete information to come to a decision or come up with an idea. Unfortunately we often carry through on those and end up doing some very stupid things that a careful analysis of the information would show us to be unwise and ill conceived. We all do it, just some are masters of it.
So here is to those who still think we can raise the Titanic (a good book/movie in its day, but not based on any knowledge of the wreck) who have inspired me to have my characters come up with their own equally stupid ideas.
So, someone actually suggested raising the Titanic. Talk about a really stupid idea. Who ever is thinking this or talking about it clearly has no idea what condition that ship is in and doesn't care that it is an under water grave. I'm afraid that even if the ship had been found after even a month, that the sinking did too much damage to ever have considered it feasible to raise. Not only is it in water that is too deep to work in, but the ship is in more pieces than can be counted and even the largest piece, the bow, is broken and twisted. Not only that, but we don't have the technology to lift something that large form that depth. Add to that its condition and it becomes impossible.
And it's not like this is top secret knowledge. Every documentary on Titanic talks about the fragile condition of the wreck. And somewhere it seems forgotten that Titanic is a grave for some 1200 people whose bodies were never recovered. Even bringing up a few of the artifacts strewn on the ocean floor has raised questions on what should be done. Those who control the wreck are dedicated to preserving it. Even James Cameron is an advocate of study and preservation, not recovery. He has been down there more that most other people and has become quite the expert on the wreck.
I guess I should bring this back to writing. People can come up with stupid ideas and as a writer this is something I need to keep in mind. Isaac Asimov was an expert on having characters behaving in the stupid manner of so many of our species. It is a flaw of our species that we often work off incomplete information to come to a decision or come up with an idea. Unfortunately we often carry through on those and end up doing some very stupid things that a careful analysis of the information would show us to be unwise and ill conceived. We all do it, just some are masters of it.
So here is to those who still think we can raise the Titanic (a good book/movie in its day, but not based on any knowledge of the wreck) who have inspired me to have my characters come up with their own equally stupid ideas.
April 14, 2012
Slow Progress When Going It Alone
The one thing that you don't realize when you go to self-publish ebooks, is the time it can take to get your book into all the outlets Amazon only delays your publishing by hours, so that is good, but that is only one retailer. Smashwords has it as soon as the upload finishes, but to get it to all the retailers they distribute to takes time. In the case of Well of Dreams, it has been over a month and it hasn't started appearing yet. It hasn't even shipped to all of them.
But compared to how long it would take to get to this same place by the traditional publishing world, I have no complaints. It just is longer than I expected. What this means is that in the future, I will have to plan my release schedule better. Since it will appear on Smashwords, I'll use that to get it to early reviewers and then time the Amazon release to be closer to the other retailers and wait to advertise until they are all up. Based on what I've seen so far, that is my current plan.
But then there is Amazon's KDP Select. I haven't tried that yet, but I plan to. I have written a novella that I am currently in the final critique and editing phase on that I plan on publishing with KDP Select to see how that goes. That requires a 90 day commitment to have the title at Amazon exclusively. With the delay in going through Smashwords to other retailers, that is more like 120-130 days before customers of other retailers will have a chance to read it. I'll have to see if that is a better option for future books. I don't intend to publish my next new title until summer and I should have a good feel if the KDP Select will be of any use by that time.
This business of self-e-publishing is a time-consuming options, but so far is well worth it.
But compared to how long it would take to get to this same place by the traditional publishing world, I have no complaints. It just is longer than I expected. What this means is that in the future, I will have to plan my release schedule better. Since it will appear on Smashwords, I'll use that to get it to early reviewers and then time the Amazon release to be closer to the other retailers and wait to advertise until they are all up. Based on what I've seen so far, that is my current plan.
But then there is Amazon's KDP Select. I haven't tried that yet, but I plan to. I have written a novella that I am currently in the final critique and editing phase on that I plan on publishing with KDP Select to see how that goes. That requires a 90 day commitment to have the title at Amazon exclusively. With the delay in going through Smashwords to other retailers, that is more like 120-130 days before customers of other retailers will have a chance to read it. I'll have to see if that is a better option for future books. I don't intend to publish my next new title until summer and I should have a good feel if the KDP Select will be of any use by that time.
This business of self-e-publishing is a time-consuming options, but so far is well worth it.
March 27, 2012
No One Is Perfect
(possible minor spoilers)
Among other things, it is our flaws that make us unique. I'm rather a fan of Sherlock Holmes so when it came time to give my protagonist, Ven Zaran, a flaw, I mimicked the great detective's addiction to cocaine. But, being science fiction, I couldn't let it be something so ordinary. Instead I came up with a drug that blocks memories and called it Tint. But why would Ven Zaran need to forget? Well, that took a few drafts before the final reason came to me. This man had another life, another name. A troubled childhood, overbearing parents, and a host of other issues led this man down that path.
I couldn't just make Tint a tool like cocaine is to Holmes. I found it better to have it be a roadblock on the path he has chosen in life. It costs him his first job, it nearly prevents him from being with the woman he loves. But for her, he conquers it. So when, in Well of Dreams, events conspire to strip him of everything he has built by successfully fighting his drug habit, he succumbs to it again. This will be a recurring theme with him. Circumstances aren't going to let him beat this habit completely and it will occasionally just make his problems worse.
Tint has some nice side effects. In addition to making it hard to remember things (and the more you take, the less you remember), as you come off the drug, you have little control over your anger and temper. As for the culture of the drug, I was more inspired by the old opium dens, a place to go for a binge. In this case, the Tint is administered in a dose that knocks you out and clears your head of all thoughts until it wears off. That leads to Ting rages where they person is irrationally angry at everything. Quite a fun thing for a captain to do to his new crew. But Ven Zaran is a strong minded man and even Tint can't conquer him.
Among other things, it is our flaws that make us unique. I'm rather a fan of Sherlock Holmes so when it came time to give my protagonist, Ven Zaran, a flaw, I mimicked the great detective's addiction to cocaine. But, being science fiction, I couldn't let it be something so ordinary. Instead I came up with a drug that blocks memories and called it Tint. But why would Ven Zaran need to forget? Well, that took a few drafts before the final reason came to me. This man had another life, another name. A troubled childhood, overbearing parents, and a host of other issues led this man down that path.
I couldn't just make Tint a tool like cocaine is to Holmes. I found it better to have it be a roadblock on the path he has chosen in life. It costs him his first job, it nearly prevents him from being with the woman he loves. But for her, he conquers it. So when, in Well of Dreams, events conspire to strip him of everything he has built by successfully fighting his drug habit, he succumbs to it again. This will be a recurring theme with him. Circumstances aren't going to let him beat this habit completely and it will occasionally just make his problems worse.
Tint has some nice side effects. In addition to making it hard to remember things (and the more you take, the less you remember), as you come off the drug, you have little control over your anger and temper. As for the culture of the drug, I was more inspired by the old opium dens, a place to go for a binge. In this case, the Tint is administered in a dose that knocks you out and clears your head of all thoughts until it wears off. That leads to Ting rages where they person is irrationally angry at everything. Quite a fun thing for a captain to do to his new crew. But Ven Zaran is a strong minded man and even Tint can't conquer him.
March 23, 2012
Back On Track
Finally have Well of Dreams back on track. Within a few weeks it should start appearing in the various other outlets like Barnes & Noble, Sony, and Apple.
Making progress on the Novella. I have a draft of the cover and it has a title - Not Past Redemption.
Spring has arrived early in Colorado. It's nice, but it has me worried. March and April have been known for snow in the past. We could still have a cold spell that will setback the flowering bushes and trees for a third year in a row. If we don't have a cold spell, it will soon be time to turn on the sprinklers and do some work outside.
Making progress on the Novella. I have a draft of the cover and it has a title - Not Past Redemption.
Spring has arrived early in Colorado. It's nice, but it has me worried. March and April have been known for snow in the past. We could still have a cold spell that will setback the flowering bushes and trees for a third year in a row. If we don't have a cold spell, it will soon be time to turn on the sprinklers and do some work outside.
March 16, 2012
Unexpected Delay
Well, I had hoped to be making more progress on getting Well of Dreams distributed and marketed, but Smashwords has run out of ISBNs. Without an ISBN, they won't approve it for the premium catalog so it won't go out to the major bookstores. I also can't put it on Goodreads. I could upload it to Amazon, but I want to be able to market it properly, so I am waiting.
In the mean-time, I am expanding my offerings. I am writing a novella which will be free. So if you want to read a full story by me, but haven't been willing to pay for it, this will be your chance. It should be available early in April. Then I will be writing the fourth volume of the series and editing the second with a summer publication date in mind. So I will be busy for the next several months.
In the mean-time, I am expanding my offerings. I am writing a novella which will be free. So if you want to read a full story by me, but haven't been willing to pay for it, this will be your chance. It should be available early in April. Then I will be writing the fourth volume of the series and editing the second with a summer publication date in mind. So I will be busy for the next several months.
March 14, 2012
Untitled Free Novella
You'll want to keep your eyes open for another offering from me in a month or so. I am writing a novella that I will be offering for free on all the major ebook vendors from Smashwords to Amazon. It features a character only mentioned in passing (with no lines, scenes, or even a name) on my novel, as she has an adventure that will change her life.
March 11, 2012
Novel - Well of Dreams - now available
The first novel length adventure of Captain Ven Zaran is now available on Smashwords.
Follow Ven as he buys a new ship, hires a new crew, and starts a new phase of his career, only to see things fall apart when his former first mate gets involved with gangsters. A kidnapping leads Ven down a dark path and only the actions of those close to him can bring him back.
Those who have read Edge of Hyperspace have read three other tales of this captain, but this is a pivotal year in his life. He hires several people who will remain in his circle of friends for years to come. This is the first volume of a family saga that will stretch more than 80 years into the future. Watch for the next volume, Pirates of I'ab, to be released summer 2012.
Follow Ven as he buys a new ship, hires a new crew, and starts a new phase of his career, only to see things fall apart when his former first mate gets involved with gangsters. A kidnapping leads Ven down a dark path and only the actions of those close to him can bring him back.
Those who have read Edge of Hyperspace have read three other tales of this captain, but this is a pivotal year in his life. He hires several people who will remain in his circle of friends for years to come. This is the first volume of a family saga that will stretch more than 80 years into the future. Watch for the next volume, Pirates of I'ab, to be released summer 2012.
