E.D. Martin's Blog, page 33

Steampunk lighthouses and roadtripping for research

Stavkirke on Washington Island

To celebrate making it through another semester of grad school (and especially for passing Intermediate Statistics), I rewarded myself with a roadtrip to one of my favorite spots, Washington Island, Wisconsin. It’s part of Door County and therefore gets hit pretty hard during tourism season, so it was nice to make it there a week before the craziness hit.

The island is accessible only by ferry. It’s small – 35 square miles – but wonderful for hiking or just watching the waves on the beaches. And eating, especially if you like fish, which is caught in the morning and served fresh for dinner.

Driving back, I decided to detour along Lake Michigan. It was out of the way, but I needed to head along the shoreline to find the lighthouse that’ll feature prominently in an upcoming novel, On the Other Side (working title). Unfortunately it was solid fog and I was unable to see any of the five lighthouses on my list. But the trip wasn’t entirely wasted – I was able to stop by Popeye’s in Milwaukee for dinner (the nearest Popeye’s to where I live is about 2 1/2 hours away).

On the Other Side will be a bit of a change from my other stuff. It’s a political thriller featuring a Victorian steampunk heroine, a modern-day Chicago architect, and an inventor in the vein of Nikola Tesla.

And a lighthouse, if I can ever find the right one.

Media Monday: Good ole rock and roll

The book: “Not My Thing” by E.D. Martin (yeah, I’m self-promoting this week)

The music: The Steepwater Band

Since moving back to my hometown a couple years ago, I’ve become my dad’s concert buddy. There’s a local venue in town that gets great regional rock/blues acts for decent ticket prices, so whenever an interesting show comes through my dad invites me along. The best part, however, isn’t the music – it’s the people watching.

I’ve gotten a lot of great stories out of stuff I’ve seen there: “The Best Day of Herb’s Life,” based on this accountant guy we saw at a Samantha Fish concert, and “Killing Johnny Garcia,” about the devil giving up a life of chaos to become a middle-aged, overweight guitar virtuoso. And, of course, “Not My Thing.”

“Not My Thing” is about a regional band out on tour. I came up with the idea at a Steepwater Band/Royal Southern Brotherhood show when I noticed the guys from the opening band mingling in the crowd. What’s it like, I wondered, to be in a band, playing a small venue where a few people know your music but not enough know it to recognize you in the crowd? What’s it like to play for the love of music rather than fame or money, and what happens when the music runs out?

The Steepwater Band is rock, pure and simple.

Weekend Writing Warriors 5/17/15 #8Sunday

Another post from my story “Spice Pirates,” which will be out May 30th and is currently available for preorder through Amazon.

Rosamaria’s sick brother Basil just wants to be a pirate, so she enlists the help of her friends Origano, Clovio, and Anisa to take him on a pirate adventure. But then the REAL pirates show up….

Picking up from last week, our heroes have been captured by pirates who’ve announced plans to throw them overboard.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Rosamaria gasped, while Origano felt sick; how had such a harmless game turned into such a disaster?

Basil, meanwhile, didn’t seem bothered in the least. “Real pirates!” he whispered loudly to his sister before addressing the leader. “Good sir, there is no need to use such harsh measures. My friends and I will willingly answer all your questions, provided you will allow us to join your crew.”

The pirate leader grinned wickedly and asked. “But what if we prefer those harsh measures anyway?” As if to demonstrate, he aimed his arquebus at Basil.

“No!” Origano shouted, lunging in front of him just as the pirate pulled the trigger.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Read more about Rosamaria, Origano, Basil, and the pirates bypreordering a copy of “The Spice Pirates,” just $.99 and set to release Saturday, May 30th.

Then post a link to your eight sentences blog entry, or join the fun at the Weekend Writing Warriors website.

Can you kill someone with your keys?

I take the stairs at work because I don’t like elevators. The stairs I use are enclosed, just two flights straight down. When I left at 6 pm today, someone entered the stairs a flight above me at the same time. My thoughts as I was walking:

If he attacks me, could the people outside at the bar under my office hear me scream?
If he attacks me, could I get my pocketknife out of my purse quickly enough to defend myself (and yes, I carry a pocketknife – a shiny blue Leatherman – because sometimes you really need a screwdriver)?
Could I kill him with the blade on my pocketknife?
What would it take to kill him with just my keys, which are in my pocket and more accessible?

And then I started brainstorming a story about a woman who attacks her attacker, only it’s a coworker, not an attacker, and awkwardness in the office ensues. But unfortunately I haven’t had time to write it at all tonight because I have a statistics final tomorrow that I need to study for because if I don’t get at least a 70% I don’t know if I’ll pass the class which is a prereq for the fun classes I’ll take later, like Correlation and Regression and Structural Equation Modeling.

Weekend Writing Warriors 5/10/15 #8Sunday

Continuing on with “Spice Pirates.”

Rosamaria’s sick brother Basil just wants to be a pirate, so she enlists the help of her friends Origano, Clovio, and Anisa to take him on a pirate adventure. But then the REAL pirates show up….

In this scene, Rosamaria and Origano have taken Basil to find treasure the “pirates” have hidden on a nearby island. Last week,  they found someone else on the island with them, who may just be actual pirates.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Hands bound behind their backs, Origano, Rosamaria, and Basil were led through the dark to a small cove where men were busy loading crates onto a small ship.

“What are you going to do with us?” Origano asked. He’d intended his voice to sound strong and brave, but to his ears it came across as pitiful, especially in contrast to the captain’s. He hoped Rosamaria didn’t notice.

“First, I thought we’d let you reunite with your friends.” The captain nodded towards Clovio and Anisa, similarly bound near a stack of boxes. “You somehow found out our whereabouts, so I thought I’d torture you until you tell me how. Then we’ll load you into our ship, sail out several leagues, and drop you overboard.”

* * * * * * * * * * *

Post a link to your eight sentences blog entry, or join the fun at the Weekend Writing Warriors website.

Also, my short story “Tim and Sara” is free this weekend, so head over to Amazon and pick up a copy.

Story a Day 2015 update #1

It’s been a couple years since I last attempted Story A Day, where you write a story a day for the month of May. This year probably wasn’t the best to attempt it; in addition to the day job and end-of-the-semester tests, papers, and projects and helping classmates on those papers and projects, I’m also taking three weekend trips this month. We’re about a week in, and here’s my progress so far:

Stories attempted: 5

Stories completed: 0

I carry around a bunch of notepads with me, each with a different story started on them. So far I’ve worked on five different stories, but I haven’t written more than a page or so for each one. I know what I want to write about, but it’s hard finding the time to actually do it. Things should maybe calm down after next week, so I may still be able to finish successfully.

Are you participating in Story A Day? If so, how are you doing with it?

Media Monday: The End of the World and Agnes Obel

The books: Savage Dawn by Inge Moore and Anyone? by Angela Scott

The music: Agnes Obel

Imagine you’re off on a weekend camping trip, or maybe just asleep in your bed. Without any warning, there’s a natural disaster. You seek shelter – a secluded cave in the forest, the bomb shelter in your backyard – and wait for the disaster to end. Except it doesn’t end; it just keeps getting worse. You wait for someone to come rescue you, but months pass and you’re still alone. What do you do? How do you survive?

Such is the dilemma in today’s books. In Savage Dawn, a small group of families and strangers band together to try to survive after a series of volcanoes end civilization. In Anyone?, teenage Tess must try to find her dad and brother, aided by a guy who may not be what he seems, after meteors wipe out most of humanity. Both are post-apocalyptic stories that push their characters to the limits.

Agnes Obel‘s music reminds me of Rasputina, but more haunting.  Close your eyes while listening to “The Curse,” and imagine yourself standing on an empty street, strewn with ashes and litter and lined with empty, dilapidated buildings, not a soul around for hundreds of miles.

What’s your plan for surviving the apocalypse?

Weekend Writing Warriors 5/3/15 #8Sunday

Let’s continue on this month with “Spice Pirates,” a short story I’ve been working on.

Rosamaria’s sick brother Basil just wants to be a pirate, so she enlists the help of her friends Origano, Clovio, and Anisa to take him on a pirate adventure. But then the REAL pirates show up….

In this scene, Rosamaria and Origano have taken Basil to find treasure the “pirates” have hidden on a nearby island. Last week,  they found someone else on the island with them.

* * * * * * * * * * *

“Pirates?” said the stranger, holding up his empty hands. “Please, there’s no need for violence; I’m sure this is all just a misunderstanding.”

“Oh, yes, sir,” said Rosamaria. “You see, my brother wants to be a pirate, so my friends and I buried a treasure and arranged for him to come here and find it; we’re not really pirates.”

“Well, then, that makes this much easier. Garlicci, Fennelio, if you would be so kind.”

Two men emerged from the shadows; one held an arquebus and another a long length of rope.

“Pirates!” Basil exclaimed, grinning.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Post a link to your eight sentences blog entry, or join the fun at the Weekend Writing Warriors website.

Friday Five: Ashley Capes

This week’s Friday Five focus is on Ashley Capes, author of poetry and epic and contemporary fantasy novellas and novels.

Ashley is a poet, novelist and teacher. He lives in Australia and loves haiku, volleyball and Studio Ghibli. He is firmly convinced that Magnum PI is one of the greatest TV shows ever made. His most recent novel is The Fairy Wren, a contemporary fantasy.

The Fairy Wren is a contemporary fantasy set in Australia, where Paul, a bookseller, struggles to juggle attention from a strange bird, a shady best friend, an Italian runaway and a missing ex-wife, all the while struggling to cling to a long-buried dream.

* * * * * * * * * * *

1. If you could pick just one book to read for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Today, I think my answer is The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami because it’s longish, it’s the kind of book where I get a little more from each reading and it has a metaphysical/surreal element to match the mystery and domestic/realist aspects.

2. Why should people read YOUR stuff? Who’s your target audience and why?

I’d like readers to check out my stuff because I try and have fun with my stories – even though I’m not writing comedies. I think my audience is people who have open minds and who like to be surprised here and there.

3. What genre do you currently read most and why?

Fantasy or poetry, it’s probably 50/50.

And I think it’s both because I’m writing those genres and because I get most enjoyment from them as a reader. I like to see what folks have already tried and how they tried it too. It’s inspiring.

4. What’s your current writing project and what are your writing plans for the near future?

I’d like readers to check out my stuff because I try and have fun with my stories – even though I’m not writing comedies. I think my audience is people who have open minds and who like to be surprised here and there.

5. Where do your inspiration and ideas for your stories come from?

Everywhere! Wildflowers in a gutter, classic film, music, literature, advertising and TV – people on the street, in cafes, at work, wherever – but tiny fragments and impressions are always seeping into my mind and eventually, they congeal into a story.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Ashley’s latest novel The Fairy Wren is available through Amazon.

Become a Friday Five author.

Roadtripping 2015

Lake Superior near Split Rock Lighthouse, Minnesota

The weather is warm-ish. The semester is almost over. I’m itching to travel.

I love to travel. I especially love road trips along two-lane highways (I dislike interstates).

Coming up in the next month, I have a camping trip in Wisconsin and a long weekend in Montreal (flying, not road tripping). And on the wishlist for the summer/fall:

Thunder Bay, Ontario, and this time I will find a kayak rental place
My annual trip to Washington Island, Wisconsin, or maybe Duluth, Minnesota, or Copper Harbor, Michigan
Channahon, Illinois (because Staples’ website thinks I live there) for a weekend of camping
The Southeast: the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, Atlanta, Charleston, a North Carolina beach or two, and my old haunts in Durham
Tulsa, Oklahoma (although that might wait until spring break next year when I can turn it into a stop on my way to South Padre Island, Texas, and New Orleans)
The entire length of US Rte 6 because Route 6 runs uncertainly from nowhere to nowhere, scarcely to be followed from one end to the other, except by some devoted eccentric,” and I am that devoted eccentric
Back to Pondicherry, India, for winter break

My son and I have decided we’re going to visit every US state and Canadian province and territory by the time he graduates high school in ten years: 27 states left for him, 15 for me, and 11 provinces/territories.

Are you a traveler? What’s on your list of places to visit this summer?