Elizabeth Guizzetti's Blog, page 31

Writer’s Block #2: Unjustified Fear

Tycho and Rosie’s fear is getting a bath.

The reasons people get writers block generally all do with fear. Fear of rejection, Fear of Failure, Fear of success. Fear of the dark.

My biggest fear is that my writing or artwork is “derivative” or worse, I will accidentally plagiarize someone. Maybe I’ve watched Secret Window too many times. Anyway when I think about it…let’s just say since I know why many authors drink.

Now just to point out how crazy, my fear actually is, let’s look at all of this logically.

According to Miriam Webster Dictionary: “Plagiarism is to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own use (another’s production) without crediting the source.”

Phew! So it sounds like “accidentally plagiarizing” someone is impossible, since plagiarizing is stealing.

Alright so let’s look at the idea my work is “derivative”

Miriam Webster defines the noun derivative “as something that is obtained from, grows out of, or results from an earlier or more fundamental state or condition”

As for the work being derivative: well, duh, everything derives from something. We don’t live in vacuums. Also there is also genre specific attributes to any story.

Let me give everyone an example: I was skipping along my merry way after the release of Other Systems. Working on the Martlet, working on Other Systems Luna and Faminelands #3 when Suddenly I saw it–something that knocked me for a loop.

In one chapter of Other Systems, Abby and Pat are exploring a planet orbiting a red giant. Now there is a theory that Earth-type photosynthesis probably won’t work on a  planet orbiting a red giant. In fact, we might not be able to see any green due to the red light. So anyway I was thinking cool maybe they have some sort of living petrified tree. So I did a little research and wrote about petrified trees. Abby refers to them as crystal trees.

Then as I said, one day Dennis started re-watching TNG and I saw the Crystalline Entity. Yes, I realize its supposed to resemble a snowflake, but all I could see at that moment was it looks like tree branches. So I started slamming my head on the table. (Not literally of course.)

Okay so I am telling all this to Maria who points out this children’s story that she is pretty sure we both read where a girl goes into a land of Crystal or possibly Diamond Trees.

If I had been afraid to go through this gate, I would have missed one of the most beautiful and interesting gardens in all of IrelanD!

For me the problem is once I feel my work is “derivative” suddenly ALL my work is derivative and I never have had an original idea once. Afterall I didn’t come up with roverbots, spaceships, or planets orbiting a red giant. I didn’t come up with man-eating sirens or elves or demons or… fill in the blank with any story I wrote.

Once again logically, I do realize that is like saying “I didn’t invent people with problems to solve!”

So my idea might be “derivative”: regardless what I did with it was original. I was placing these trees on a planet. (No they were not trying to kill people) they were just the predominate life form that existed after the planet’s sun went red giant. They were found around pools of salt water and in decaying buildings. They were feeding off the saline while the white crabs nibbled at their roots.

So as the world can see, I am crazy, but if I can get over my big fear, you can too!

What fear stops you from writing?

Writer’s Block

So many people ask how have I conquered the dreaded beast known as Writer’s Block?

First of all, I am one of those people who just work through it. Generally I have writer’s block because of the new and shiny idea which is trying to wrangle my attention away from my current project. So I give myself an hour to work on new shiny idea and then set it aside until my current project is over.

 Sometimes when I am stuck on an idea, I go on long walks with my dogs and talk out the problem. They like it because I am talking with them.  Strangers don’t bother me, because I obviously am having deep discussions with two dogs.

If I can’t or don’t feel like leaving the house, I get up and clean the house. A clean house can clean out my mind.

I also create lego structures. 

Things I have heard from other authors:

Keep a journal. You must make writing a habit.

Go to the library and read something new and exciting that interests you.

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Web Reading!

 

Elizabeth Guizzetti reading an excerpt of the prologue from her debut science fiction novel, Other Systems.

Parental Warning: Other Systems is an adult novel. This chapter is about a family dealing with a suicide. There are a few spoken obscenities.

Other Systems was published April 1, 2012 by 48Fourteen and available on e-book from Amazon and Barnes&Noble.

Review of Red Leaves and The Living Token by Benjamin David Burrell

Burrell creates a wonderful fantasy world in Red Leaves and The Living Token. There are three distinct races and interesting characters within each race. I love the parent/child family dynamic which infuses the narrative. The relationship between Raj and his son Emret makes this novel worthwhile. As does the relationship between the Master Cleric Bedic, his daughter Moslin (who is Emret’s nurse) and her daughter Sinesh. There is true sweetness radiating between them which I found very appealing.

The action is good and the tension rises throughout the novel as more and more people become aware of the token. Lord Valance is an interesting villain. He has good and negative qualities and I found myself wonderfully surprised at his intelligence and nuance.

I enjoyed Red Leaves and the Living Token very much but there were a few things which bothered me. Burell used the same descriptive words within close proximity to each other and so I sometimes found myself confused about who was doing what.

Emret is driving the action but it is Raj who truly seems to be the protagonist. Indeed it seems Emret is not in charge of his own destiny until closer to the end and then it feels Raj is being pulled along. This also gets a tad confusing.

Still this was a wonderful book, and I had so much fun reading it. My only final comment was I thought it would have more closure at the end so I guess now I will have to look forward to the sequel.

Harry Harrison passed away today.

Another science fiction legend passed away today.

Harry Harrison (March 12, 1925-August 15, 2012) passed away in England early this morning. He is best known for his 1966 novel Make Room, Make Room which was turned into the movie Soylent Green.

Harrison began his career as an illustrator for EC Comics, working on Weird Fantasy and Weird Science. During the 1950s and 60s, Harrison served as the main writer for the “Flash Gordon” comic strip. A prolific author, his first novel, Deathworld, was published in 1960 and he created over fifty novels in his long career. The last the one, The Stainless Steel Rat Returns, was published in 2010.

His blog has a place for memories at: http://harryharrison.wordpress.com/20...

Interview with Bryan Johnson author of Yield

This week, I am happy to interview Bryan Johnson the author of the new novel, Yield Book 1 in the Armageddia Series.

1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

My journey as a writer started out first as a reader. I loved exploring the science fiction worlds of Tolkien, Brian Jacques, and David Eddings growing up. I was always amazed by the feeling that a good book series could give you. I remember as I finished up one of Eddings’s five-part story lines in high school, having this almost overwhelming feeling of disappointment that it was over. I didn’t want the characters that I had been through so much with to leave my mind. Great writers make us feel like we truly know the characters, and can bring them to life in a way that is so real and personal. We feel their fears. Laugh at their triumphs. Cry at their pain. I started writing in high school at first to continue some of those incredible stories that I just didn’t want to end. I moved on to graphic novels, toying with the idea of being a comic book illustrator, then on to screenplays and finally my debut novel, Yield.

2. Do you have any writing quirks, odd routines or superstitions?

Listening to loud music when I write is probably my oddest work quirk. For some reason, the steady electronic beats of trance music help flip a switch in my brain. No vocals. Just instrumental music of varying paces and tones. There’s just something in electronica music that blocks out the world and allows me to focus. Dark symphonic music and movie themes also help evoke different moods and channel my thoughts in various directions. It’s amazing how music can actually inspire different things.

3. What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

I lead a very scattered and chaotic life. I’m a moonlight writer with a busy day job, and have regional marketing responsibilities for a statewide television group. I spend a lot of time on the road in addition to working 50+ hours a week. I write when I can, while also balancing time with my wife and kids when I’m at home. I was actually still writing Yield while finishing up a very challenging MBA program, too. I don’t know how I juggled everything, but somehow you just find a way when you’re passionate about it.

4. Where do you get inspiration for your books?

For Yield, it was a singular experience. I was on a plane from San Francisco to Bend, and the fog was so thick over the bay that it blotted out the sky. As we took off above the cloud bank, everything just disappeared beneath me. Mankind and all our worries seemed to fade into the grey. I wondered what would happen if the world changed at that very moment. What if the life I knew didn’t exist when I landed? What if my world died somewhere under those clouds?

That one flight started my entire thought process, and even turned into one of my favorite scenes in Yield. As our main character, disgraced firefighter Devin Bane, takes off on the way to an interview, everything he knows changes while he’s in the air. Devin crashes headfirst into a chaos he doesn’t understand, fighting not only to get back to his wife and kids, but also to protect the other survivors now looking to him for a leadership he wants no part of.

5. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Yield?

I think the biggest surprise for me was the process after all the writing was done. Becoming an author isn’t simply putting together a compelling story with a unique hook, then watching the floodgates of success open wide. Becoming a published author with tangible numbers is far more difficult than writing the story itself. There are a lot of other very talented writers out there, all competing with one another to reach prospective readers. New writers must be well versed in social media, able to network and build connections, be willing to invest their own time and resources, maintain engaging presences on a host of different platforms, and always be looking for ways to market themselves and their brand to new customers. I have an MBA in marketing, so thankfully I have a bit of experience in that arena. But trying to build credibility and a following takes time. New writers start at ground zero, regardless of how great you think your book might be. Don’t get discouraged, but don’t underestimate that either.

6. What is your favorite book?

Picking a single book is really hard. I’m a big fan of multi-book story arcs like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Eddings’s Belgariad. I also just finished reading the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, and was really impressed by the author. She did an amazing job of interweaving her world’s backstory into the broader narrative, and creating an intense pace through the entire three-book series. I think I read each book in about a day. They were just too good to be put down. I love books like that.

7. What do you think makes a good story?

I think people gravitate towards the stories they can relate to on some level. It can still be a fantastical plot, but if the writing paints the world with realism, it becomes a much more engaging adventure for the reader. I also like characters that are flawed, as we all are to varying degrees. They can become much more believable and memorable with each idiosyncrasy.

8. Do you have any advice for new writers?

It sounds obvious, but make sure your writing is polished and professional. Edit it until your fingers bleed and you’re positive that it just couldn’t possibly be improved. Then . . . edit it again. I know it sounds painful, but to be taken seriously and to have a chance inside this competitive industry, the work has to stand its ground against an army of financially-backed juggernauts with legions of professional editors in tow. In order for a publisher or agent to take a chance on you, the material can’t just center around a good idea. It has to be well executed cover to cover. Tighten it up. Make sure it is as perfect and captivating as you can make it. Then read it again.

Thanks Bryan!

Geek Girl Con Presentation

Here is me doing the How to Write (and Finish) a novel at GeekGirlCon!

Photo Taken by Alan Tauber

GeekGirlCon Wrap up!

Dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the contribution of women in all aspects of geek culture, Geek Girl Con was August 11th and 12th at the Conference Center in downtown Seattle.

Many moms and their teenaged daughters or even little girls enjoyed the convention together. Lots of young kids and it definitely had a “safe place” vibe. One reason for this vibe was the lack of certain costumes (Princess Leia as a slave girl and Poison Ivy) Most of the costuming was pretty, rather than revealing. Or flat out fun. I saw someone dressed up as Red from Fraggle Rock and the Marauder’s Map. There was a five year old Darth Vader.

Of course what is interesting while there was more women in attendance, but there were plenty of men there.

Maria and I were at Table 417 in Artist Alley handing out sample chapters of Other Systems and selling our comics. A few people seemed excited that we have a release date for Faminelands #3 Mareton’s Curse. Our neighbors were Real Gone Girls, Amy Hevron, Bob the Angry Flower, and Erin Middendorf.

Maria found a huge role of raffle tickets at a garage sale. We’ve wanted to try to do a raffle for some time, so we raffled off one of my pen and ink drawings: The Champion. This drawing was an experiment in hand coloring, but I really like the lady bug on the elf’s knee.

I was so happy that the lady who won it, was nearly moved to tears she was so excited to win. Apparently, she loves red heads and fantasy.

This afternoon, I presented  an hour-long workshop called So You Want to Write (and Finish) a Novel that discussed how to start, slogging through the murky middles, concluding the work and common pitfalls each step along the way. I had a Powerpoint presentation so Dennis came to be my technology assistant and take photos. When I got there, there was so many people, I thought the previous panel went long. So I slipped in at 3:22, and Dennis and my room attendant, set up my power point presentation. By 3:30, it was standing room only. Talk about terrifying! This was a terrific convention.

Wow all these people came to hear me speak about Writing (and Finishing) a novel.

Time Management #1: Making time for one’s self even though you became an author

Since the publication of Other Systems, I found myself constantly battling taking time out for myself until pure exhaustion would knock me out. I was getting irritable and more than a little crazy. Any given week, I work 40 to 60 hours. That’s just the gig, but especially on convention weeks, I was working 80 – 90 hours.

I have ideas for other books I want to write, plus connventions, plus promotional stuff, plus social media, plus…well you get the idea.

Something had to give: for me it was my weight. Other Systems added 30 pounds to my bum and tummy. Some people can put on 30 pounds in good places. Not me. Still I don’t really care about the weight–what I care about is my writing and artwork.

Here are a few tips that I have found if I follow, my work is actually stronger, plus I feel better too.

1) Make time to exercise. In the middle of the day Monday through Friday, I walk my and my neighbors dogs. I also try to do either in the afternoon or at night time, an exercise DVD as often as I can. Yes, I know its an on going joke, but I really do like Sweating to the Oldies.

My favorite breakfast: this quiche has red peppers, artichoke and parmesan cheese. (http://www.boulangerienantaise.com/ab...)

2) Garbage in/garbage out. I’ve a terrible sweet tooth but I make sure I eat fruit and vegetables each day. I also take my Flintstone vitamins — yes I realize they are for the kids, but I hate to swallow pills.

Most importantly, I have begun to always eat breakfast. I used to skip breakfast until I realized I was crashing at noon and shoving anything halfway edible in my mouth. My favorite is quiche or  scrambled eggs with cheese, but even if it is just a croissant with jam, I force myself to sit down and eat. My diet is certainly not perfect, I also drink a latte each day.

3) I admit I ignore my own good advice with this next one.  When I am stuck on something, I know if I walk through the neighborhood, I normally see something that triggers my mind. Yet, I tend not to do it. Instead I try to powerhouse my way through the problem. Then I am no better off than I was. It is important to get up.

4) Now if the above doesn’t work for you–this next one might. Clean your house. So if I can’t bring myself to leave my house for a walk, generally I will take 15 minutes to vacuum my apartment, load the dishwasher, or some other small chore. Personally I feel the pressure of the unclean house. My husband and I live in a one bedroom apartment. There is no where to hide the mess. Plus it is our mess! We should be the ones who clean it.

5) I try to take at least one full day off during each week. Generally this will be a Saturday or Sunday for me so I can spend time with my husband, but after a convention it will be a weekday. Maybe two.

6) Find yourself a hobby. I build lego castles, bake, and sew. I like to go stargazing and in the winter I enjoy snowshoeing. I also try to take an hour at least to read the news and ongoings of the world.  It is very uncomfortable moment for an author to go to a party and realize they have spent so much time in their made-up world, that they have no idea what is going on in the real one.

Sometimes Rosie gently suggests I take a break and give her a snuggle. Now.

Curiosity Landed!

Dennis and I had Popeye’s chicken and watched the countdown and landing of the Curiosity just moments ago. It was exciting to see the people in the control room, clap for each step, cry, hug. I felt my eyes mist with tears when I heard the calls come back that the parachute opened  and then to see the first photographs come back. I thought seeing the one of the horizon with the shadow of the rover was pretty exciting.

I wasn’t alive during the moon missions so I want to be part of the excitement for this one. After all, we are exploring another planet! Due to the complexity of designing interplanetary missions, exploration of Mars has had a huge failure rate, but this one landed only 227 meters off the landing site.

I am interested to see what the Mars Science Laboratory discovers.  The Mission goals include determining whether Mars could ever support life, study the climate and geology and plan for a human mission. The idea that I could see astronauts doing a Mars walk in a decade or so is simply mind boggling.

For more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Sci...

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl...