R.J. Hore's Blog: Fall is Here, page 2

What's Up in April 2021?

Just thought I should bring you up to date on what has been happening lately.

Housetrap Chronicles #11, "T'Was the Night Before the Week" is at the publisher, and if it survives the editing process will be released as an eBook in August 2021.

I've been working on an ending (for now?) of the Housetrap Chronicles fantasy detective series. "The Mid-Winter Cuckoos at Midnight" has been sent to the publisher and my editor for consideration and comment. Assuming it is accepted, it should be released as Housetrap #12 in 2022. Which would mean a fourth print collection should be available then.

The third Housetrap print collection was released in April 2021 including the novellas:
"Menagerie @ Trois," "Murder on the Disoriented Express," and "Silence of the Sands."

I'm currently amusing myself mucking about with a novel that will definitely be fantasy and may touch into horror, if and when, I finish it.

Is There Anybody Out There?

What are the chances our searching the heavens for alien life will be successful? Is there anyone else out there? Because we have not been successful, so far, in contacting anyone does this mean we are alone in the universe?

Think back on the progression of life on this planet we call Earth. Life, in one form or another, has existed here for something over 500 million years. During that period of time there have been several mass extinctions as climate, temperature, and atmosphere, have all gone through several serious changes. The scraps of life that managed to escape these disasters eventually resulted in us, the surviving branch of humanoids.

We exist in a modest solar system, in a vast galaxy, that we have recently discovered is but one of a countless number of galaxies. Our telescopes are finding a large number of planets in what we call “the habitable or Goldilocks zone,” where life such as ours might be able to exist. Our probes have even discovered potential areas where life might survive on some moons and other bodies within our own system. I suspect, given the millions/billions of possible habitable worlds, we are far from the only place where life has scratched out an existence.

So, why have we not heard back from anyone else out there? If someone on a distant planet was searching for signs of life what would they find if they probed in our direction? If you think about it, over the 500 million years or so life has crawled about on the surface of the Earth, it is only in the last one or two hundred years we have been making any noise that might be heard beyond our borders. How long have we been sending out television pictures or radio waves into the great beyond? How long would it take this noise to reach an inhabited planet several light years away? And what are the odds that life on that planet would have reached the same level where it had developed a civilization capable of tuning its ears toward the heavens?

There are solar systems far older than ours and those much younger. Even if life is common in the universe, the odds are stacked against two planets in separate systems being close enough, and reaching a similar level of technology at the same point in time, where they could communicate, let alone visit. Remember 100 to 200 years of noisy technology vs 500 million years of life’s existence in our case. That is a very narrow target to hit. The odds are stacked against us finding a connection.

What about actual face-to-face contact? Today, we are a long way from faster than light travel, if it is even possible. This may be a good thing, given our often fatal experiences when one advanced human civilization discovers another not quite on the same level of technology.

The bottom line, I have no objection to our searches for distant intelligent life, and no serious objection to us sending out attempts to make contact with a potential neighbor. I do believe we should cease including maps on how to find us though, just to be on the safe side. Maybe the reason we don’t hear from anyone is they are remaining quiet for a reason?

War of the Worlds Etc. Etc.

Watching the latest TV series on the topic brought me back to some thoughts I had while working on the “Of Destiny’s Daughters” trilogy. This was an issue I had to consider when putting this particular epic Space Opera tale through its paces. There have been a number of books, movies, TV series on the subject, usually ending up with the valiant Earthlings struggling against overwhelming odds and eventually winning due to their moral superiority etc. What do I think we should consider?

Why are the aliens invading earth in the first place? What is it they want? Remember, they have crossed an immense distance to get here, which makes me suspect their technology is advanced far beyond anything we currently have, faster than light flight, for one, or immense generation ships, for another.

Do they simply want more land? Can they terraform? Why not pick an empty world, rather than one already teeming with supposedly intelligent life?

Do they want our mineral resources? The heavens are filled with empty rocky worlds, asteroids, moons hiding frozen oceans.

Are they looking for food? While we might be tasty, less sentient creatures could be easier to herd, although I suspect our mythical invaders would probably have the ability to synthesize their meals, given the amount of room and bother a herd of live meat creatures might take up on a fleet of space ships.

Do they want our women? (or men?) While we are certainly delectable, I doubt an advanced alien breeding program would require our particular warm bodies when any other warm body would probably serve just as well and be easier to wrangle, or construct.

Or, what might be worse, they might “invade” us for reasons we can’t even imagine, like considering us a virus they have to stop before it spreads.

What about weaponry? Assuming an advanced technology which doesn’t really need to keep us around, they could simply scour the planet from orbit and there would be nothing we could do about it. They would hold the high ground. Think of applying pesticide to a garden. Our imaginary aliens could even use targeted chemicals, or sterilization, if they wanted to keep some of the Earth life alive. Alternatively, they could simply kill every living thing from a safe distance, sterilize the planet, alter the atmosphere, poison the water, and how could we resist, assuming we were even aware before it was too late.

One thing I am pretty certain of is that the alien invaders would not show up, on the surface of Earth, driving around in machines, attempting to shoot us one at a time. That would be highly inefficient. But then, I suppose you never can tell about aliens from outer space?

The moral of this essay, while war of the world’s tales can be fun, interesting, educational, the end result of such an invasion would be devastating.

Which I suppose that brings us to the question, what are the odds of such an event, and should we be blurting out welcomes into the vastness of the universe, attempting to let everyone know we are here, and welcoming contact? But that could be the subject of another essay.

A Glance at a Problem Unique to Writing Sci Fi

I ran into a small problem with my first venture into writing science fiction. When you are creating fantasy based on past eras you have a familiar framework you can weave your story around. Writing mediaeval-style fantasy? No problem. you can easily research weapons, military tactics, clothing, buildings, or you can draw on the books you've already read, the movies you've seen, to build your take around. There are lots of ancient cultures you can use as an inspiration for your story set in a pre-modern era, think of Rome, Greece, Egypt, China, or the Aztecs. Just these words alone are sufficient to plant a picture in yours and your reader's minds

So, what happens when you try to write a speculative fiction tale set in the near future? I first discovered this problem while writing "We're Not in Kansas." Supposedly set in the near future, I attempted to subtly incorporate some things that would indicate we were not set in the era of 2014-2015 back in the days when I wrote this beast. I discovered that science was often advancing faster than my imagination.

I steered clear of further future settings until I became caught up with the story "Of Destiny's Daughters." While this was set in the fictitious version of today (actually a future 2020) I was dealing with modern folk interacting with an advanced race of aliens. This story eventually turned into a full-blown Space Opera. When the setting moved from downtown Ottawa to the great universe beyond our borders, I had to try and build a world setting that might look like some five thousand years into the future.

How do you make the scene different from simply dumping modern humans into spaceships? What might it look like? How important are these details to the story anyway? Can you cheat and ignore them?.

A Trail of Publishing - Part 3

Back in 2015 one of my editors suggested I send some material to a second publisher. I was churning out words at a prodigious rate in those days.

eTreasures Publishing said yes please, so I sent them two projects.

"We're Not in Kansas," a near future thriller came out in 2016. It was a standalone tale that I've been told cries out for a sequel.

Then I followed with the alternate history Toltec Project. I presented the publisher with a rather large manuscript. They came back, said they liked it, but as they were a small publishing house, it was too long for them to do as a print edition. (Not a problem for an ebook format.) Their suggestion was I should cut the large manuscript in two, which would allow room for me to flesh out the existing story. Because they liked where the tale was going, they requested a third volume to continue what was happening, with the possibility of a series and further volumes

"Toltec Dawn" came out in 2016 followed by "Toltec Khan" later that same year. "Toltec Noon" completed the trilogy in 2018

Back at Champagne Book Group I was looking for something new to exercise my brain with and decided to try a science fiction based tale with a little more toward a full bore Space Opera than "Kansas" had been. "Of Destiny's Daughters" was published in April 2019. By the time I was halfway into creating this tale I knew it had to be another trilogy. "Hammer Across the Stars" was released as an ebook in July 2020. "Expeditions to Earth" was released in ebook format in September 2020. Trade paperback print editions followed shortly after.

Back on the Housetrap Chronicles trail, "Silence of the Sands" (Housetrap #9) was released in ebook format in August 2020. Hopefully a print collection of #'s 7,8, 9, will be out shortly. Housetrap #10 "The Road to Hell is Paved With Parsnips" is scheduled for release Feb 1 2021, and I have the rough drafts completed for # 11 and 12 which will complete this fantasy detective series and allow for a fourth print collection.

A Trail of Publishing - Part 2

The year is 2014. I’ve had two novels and four novellas published. (all still available in print or ebook format, by the way.)

The publisher came to me in 2013, looked at my two fantasy novels, and asked: “What happens next?”

I re-read “The Dark Lady,” and from that tale of a young girl in peril created “Dark Days,” which was published in May of 2014, and “Dark Knights,” published in August 2014. This took a story that already had a sort of conclusion, and carried that tale to a more satisfactory ending. As long as enough characters are still alive, including the main protagonists, this works.

Meanwhile, back in January of 2014, the publisher gathered up the first three Housetrap Chronicles novellas, “Housetrap,” “Dial M for Mudder,” and “House on Hollow Hill,” and put them together in a novel-length paperback format under the title “The Housetrap Chronicles, Volume 1.”

Two more Housetrap novellas came out later that year, “Murder in the Rouge Mort” in May 2014 and “The Treasure of the Sarah Madder” in October 2014. These were joined by “Hounds of Basalt Ville” which arrived back in November 2013 and were issued in a second print volume titled, “The Housetrap Chronicles, Volume 2 which arrived in December 2014.”

Next, for a change of pace I came up with a plot about a modern married couple, in the midst of an argument, who are sent into a Dark Age setting in an alternate universe and dispatched on a dangerous quest. Had a lot of fun writing this but decided it could safely stand-alone instead of carrying on with the madness. This was published in June of 2015 as “Alex in Wanderland.”

I went back to “The Queen’s Pawn” which I’d enjoyed writing and seriously abusing the main character, and set about making it into a trilogy. “The Queen’s Man” was published in September 2015.

Another Housetrap Chronicles novella, “Murder on the Disoriented Express,” came out in September 2015 followed by “Menagerie à Trois” in November 2015. It’s not that I’m writing one of these in two months, it’s just that the publisher sits on them until she can work them in to the schedule. (These may eventually see paperback daylight now the ninth "Silence of the Sands" was published in 2020,)

I went back to the world of “The Queen’s Pawn” with a final episode, “The Queen’s Game” which came out in August of 2016. Another trilogy brought to a conclusion, sort of.

Next time, a side trip with a different publisher.

A Trail of Publishing Part 1

The other day I took a look back at how my writing career has progressed. I had written a considerable amount of non-fiction in my day job, and had a lengthy stack of novel manuscripts and short stories rejected, but my first pieces of fiction that saw the light of day (I don’t count the high school yearbooks, one short story, one illustration) were in a collection of shorts self-published in 2005 by the writing workshop I belonged to. Titled “Pieces of Eight,” because eight of us participated, my efforts included “After the Hop,” a light sci-fi tale, “Lost…Gull Harbour,” a true story about how I almost drowned my brother during my first attempt to voyage any distance in my first sailboat, and “History’s Rumours,” my first and only attempt at an epic poem. If this effort taught me one thing, it was the necessity of having a good editor.

My next “success” arrived in 2006 when I took first place in the Canadian Authors Association national short story contest with a romantic ghost story, “Midnight,” and was published in the Canwrite anthology that year.

My next writing luck came in 2010 with the publication of a short story; “Chrysalis,” in an anthology of vampire tales titled “Evolve” and put out by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. I got to go to the World Horror Con in Brighton England that year when the book was launched. I even got to waive at Neil Gaiman.

Somewhere during this time I took a break from fiction to co-operate with two other writers to create a full-length book, “Rotary Club of Winnipeg, 100 Years of Service.”

During this period I was still churning out short stories, novels, and novellas, and filling closets with rejected manuscripts. Then, in 2011 I met with a publisher at a con, apparently was fast enough on my feet to answer her questions, and while in Nova Scotia on a summer holiday trip, received word she was sending me a contract. Welcome to the Champagne Book Group!

“The Dark Lady,” a medieval-style fantasy novel was published in February of 2012.

“Housetrap,” a fantasy detective novella was published in December 2012.

“The Queen’s Pawn,” another medieval-style fantasy novel was published in May of 2013.

These were followed in quick succession by three more Housetrap Chronicles fantasy detective novellas:

“Dial M for Mudder” in July 2013, “House on Hollow Hill” in September 2013, and “Hounds of Basalt Ville” in November of 2013. I don’t really write this fast, you may suspect I had quite a pile of completed material I could readily draw on by this time.

On Editing

You might think that once you’ve completed the first draft of your manuscript, the hard part is over. Nothing can be further from the truth. We all have our own method of creating the final product. I do a lot of editing as I go. Often, while I’m in the creating mode, I will start the writing day by first re-reading what I wrote the previous day before starting with my new thoughts. Changes can be made every time I look at what I’ve written.

Once I’ve completed the manuscript I go back over it again, and again. I have another author who writes the same genres I do. I pass my work along as I go. She will read and return with comments and suggestions. It’s up to me whether I agree or disagree.

At the point I believe the manuscript to be perfect I send it off to the publisher for acceptance or rejection. If accepted, she will assign an editor to work with me. This means looking at grammar, punctuation, spelling, and content. Not all editors have the same pet-peeves, so you have to be prepared for what they prefer. They may decide that scenes you’ve worked hard on, and love, are surplus to the story and tell you to remove them. This is the point where you decide whether or not you agree. Do you have a good argument for keeping the scenes in? If not, let them go. If you want to argue the point, assemble your reasons. Always be prepared to lose in the final round. They work for the publisher, not you. This process can take up several rounds, back and forth.

I’ve found most editors to be reasonable and tend to look at your work objectively. They can point out things you might overlook. I can think of examples where two editors suggested I tone down a character to make her less objectionable. I have also had editors who comment on the ending of a novel; with the result I have tweaked the final scenes.

Once everyone has had their go at the manuscript, it is formatted into the final form, with cover and dedications and all the trimmings. Now it is time for the line edits. I receive the work back with a deadline to give it a final going-over before publication. This usually means I read the entire novel through slowly, at least three times, and one of these in reverse. By reading the manuscript in reverse I avoid getting caught up following the story and can concentrate on the details. No matter how many times I have gone over a project, I always find pages of things, some obvious, some not, that need to be changed or corrected.

Writing and story-telling is the part I enjoy the most, yet editing is of high importance. Since being involved with that part of the process I often find myself discovering errors in almost every book I pick up to read for pleasure. Self-published books and volumes put out by vanity presses are often the worst offenders and so can give those industries a bad reputation. Take very good care with the editing process; no matter the method of publishing. This is your hard work and your reputation you are playing with.

How Do You Schedule Your Writing Time?

When I worked for a living creative writing time was precious. After work it was something I tried to squeeze in between family time and life in general. I know in later years, I seldom found the free time after hours to write fiction. Or was too tired. When I finally retired, I kick-started my genre writing again.

I’d often write in the morning, after breakfast. Living with a large annoying cat, mornings come quite early. While still dark, have a coffee, read the paper, massage the cat, exercise, and then go for a 3km stroll, all before breakfast.

The early morning stroll is when the creative juices really flow. Ideas run mad, scenes get created, dialogue shows up. I just have to remember to set it all down when I return home.

My writing room is a quiet place in the lower level of the house. It’s finally gotten far too messy for the cat to interfere with the creative process on my desk. I’ve tired writing outside. Doesn’t work for me, too distracting and bright.

What else do I do: a lot of reading, belong to a critiquing writer’s workshop, work with another genre writer to discuss each other’s work, and am a member of a couple of writers’ organizations. I attend conventions when I can, and I keep on writing.

What do you do to keep the creative juices flowing?

Genesis of a Housetrap

I started writing Housetrap novellas as a simple change from writing novels. I’d started out writing short stories but discovered I preferred the longer lengths.

My original idea was to try writing a fantasy detective tale. To come up with a story, I had what I thought was a brilliant idea. I needed a plot and motivation. Why not simply take the title of an existing mystery tale, mash it around a bit, and write a plot to suit the title. I’d recently seen Agatha Christie’s play, “The Mousetrap,” so I came up with “Housetrap.”

I needed a setting, a detective, and a plot. What’s a housetrap? After a few false starts the ideas started flowing and I was away. That’s when I discovered that the novella length is not the easiest length of writing to sell. So, I write two more and sold the trio as a book-length package.

I discovered the backstory of the main characters as I went along.

Since then I’ve had nine tales published, one more picked up by my publisher, another plot percolating, and a twelfth idea starting to annoy me and begging to be let out.

In the main, I still use my original scheme, create a title first and figure out the plot later. Tales like “Dial M for Mudder,” “House on Hollow Hill,” and “Murder on the Disoriented Express,” come to mind.

Occasionally I come up with a story idea and then struggle for a title. Examples of this are “Menagerie à Trois,” and the recently published, “Silence of the Sands,” which will trigger a third print collection.

Sometimes, a dinner-time conversation will trigger an idea such as “The Road to Hell is Paved with Parsnips” which will hopefully be published in the next few months.

Housetraps are my means of relaxation. There are very few rules, and I make them up as I go along. I enjoy the characters and bring back favorites for repeat performances. It is my world and I will do what I like! I still write novels, the novellas are my mental therapy.

Housetraps are available as individual ebooks or as collections of three novellas in either print or ebook format. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I do writing them.