Martha Wells's Blog, page 163

Links for Monday

We watched the movie J. Edgar over the weekend, and it was really good. It's not exactly a fun movie, but it's told from Hoover's perspective, and basically shows how the reality inside his head intersected with the rest of reality. It's a neat study in using an unreliable narrator, particularly in the moments when it lets you know that Hoover is describing something that never happened.

Links:

The Pitfalls of Freelancing

Judith Tarr has started her Kickstarter for a new novel Living in Threes
Three lives, three times, one world: a mystery that spans millennia. LIVING IN THREES is the story of three young women in three different ages of the world, who work together across space and time to solve an ancient mystery and end a terrible plague.

I've written the first draft of this novel. I'm planning to rewrite it, commission a cover and interior art from a wonderful young artist, and publish it this fall as an ebook from Book View Cafe. I'll keep backers up to date as I write; I'll share snippets of the story as I go, and the art and illustrations as well.

Smart Bitches Trashy Books: Kay Manning, Peyton Bradshaw, Kristal Singletary and Plagiarism
Since January there's been coverage of plagiarism on Amazon, with folks self-publishing works in the public domain or copying works by other authors, slapping their own names on them, and selling them.

Movie Poster of the Week: "The Public Enemy" and the Berwick Discovery of Lost Movie Posters

Gardening Adventures

The weekend farm report: I got the tomatoes and carrots planted, and need to plant some shallots today. We still have room in the raised bed, and I want to put in some squash, too. Also got some basil and thyme planted.

I have a container water garden plus a small pond, and have trouble finding plants for them because the one co-op that sold water plants reduced its size dramatically a few years ago. But I stopped by the farmers market on the way to lunch yesterday and found a guy selling dwarf papyrus! I didn't have much cash on me and only bought one (they were $3.50, which is a great price). I'll check back next week and hope he'll be there again so I can get a couple more.

So today, once the temperature rises from 45 to its predicted upper 60s, I need to bail and wash out the container so I can get the papyrus planted. It's going to be lonely in there until I find some plants to go with it. I still need to bail and dredge the pond. That will not be fun, and I'm going to wait till it gets a bit warmer. Hopefully I'll be able to afford some more landscaping rocks to go around it by that point. I also need to wash the dirt and beetles out of the air conditioner before it gets hot. (Yes, it's a life of wild glamor.)

I also need to get some cheap plants to fill the rest of the pots and the one other big flower bed and dig out some more hollies that died during the drought. The drought killed nearly everything, except for very stubborn potted rosemary, a stick-like thing that produces pink flowers, and a giant climbing rosebush that is in the process of wrestling its trestle out of the ground.

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ETA: This is the last day for con_or_bust 's fundraiser auction. There are tons of great items up for auction here.

There are tons of signed books, jewelry, knitting, homemade cookies, and a list of potential bargain auctions without many bids. My auction for signed trade paperback copies of The Cloud Roads and The Serpent Sea is here.

I'm not feeling so well this morning, but need to get out...

I'm not feeling so well this morning, but need to get out and run errands, including to the drugstore to hopefully help the whole not feeling well thing. Yesterday it nearly 80, today it's in the 50s. Augh.

Links:

Seanan McGuire: An Awkward Situation and a Plea Author Seanan McGuire has gotten harassing and threatening email because Amazon decided to release her book in print form two weeks early, but not the ebook. She has no control over it, her publisher has no control over it, it was Amazon's decision. But people who ordered the ebook version, angry at having to wait until March 6 to get the ebook, decided the best response was to send threats of sexual violence to Seanan.


PW: Sharon Shinn talks about her new book at Genreville

IO9: Scifi author spoils his entire book series for terminally ill fan This is both heart-rending and wonderful. Nachu Bhatnagar is a huge fan of author Harry Turtledove's The War That Came Early alternate history novel series. Sadly, Nachu also suffers from terminal cancer and may pass away this June. The video isn't work safe due to happy swearing.

Book Recs and Link

Above World by Jenn Reese. A suspenseful sci-fi escapade plucks two children out of the ocean for a thrilling adventure.

Thirteen-year-old Aluna has lived her entire life under the ocean with the Coral Kampii in the City of Shifting Tides. But after centuries spent hidden from the Above World, her colony's survival is at risk. The Kampii's breathing necklaces are failing, but the elders are unwilling to venture above water to seek answers. Only headstrong Aluna and her friend Hoku are stubborn and bold enough to face the terrors of land to search for way to save their people. But can Aluna's fierce determination and fighting skills and Hoku's tech-savvy keep them safe? Set in a world where overcrowding has led humans to adapt - growing tails to live under the ocean or wings to live on mountains - here is a ride through a future where greed and cruelty have gone unchecked, but the loyalty of friends remains true. I've ordered this and can't wait to read it.

The Mortsafe by Lillian Stewart Carl. This is a new short novel in her Jean Fairbairn and Alasdair Cameron mystery series. I love this series. It's a supernatural mystery series set in modern day Scotland, where Jean, an ex-history professor turned travel writer, and Alasdair, a former DCI, can see ghosts. The first one is The Secret Portrait. It doesn't show it on these B&N entries, but they're all available in various ebook formats, too.

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NYT: Book Is Judged by the Name on Its Cover
Patricia O'Brien had five novels to her name when her agent, Esther Newberg, set out last year to shop her sixth one, a work of historical fiction called "The Dressmaker."

A cascade of painful rejections began. Ms. O'Brien's longtime editor at Simon & Schuster passed on it, saying that her previous novel, "Harriet and Isabella," hadn't sold well enough.

One by one, 12 more publishing houses saw the novel. They all said no.

Just when Ms. O'Brien began to fear that "The Dressmaker" would be relegated to a bottom desk drawer like so many rejected novels, Ms. Newberg came up with a different proposal: Try to sell it under a pen name.

Written by Kate Alcott, the pseudonym Ms. O'Brien dreamed up, it sold in three days.

Lots of Links

I've been working on my yard, pulling out dead plants and bushes killed in the drought and trying to get our vegetable garden planted. The ground is pretty soft right now with all the rain we've had, so it's a good time to do it. I'm also hoping the mud is not a happy environment for snakes.

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Two links that make me think of the Raksura books:

IO9: Artist transforms bonsai trees and empty cans into insane Lilliputian cities

Bridget on Twitter found this one: Floating Beds

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NY Times Berkeley's Artwork Loss Is a Museum's Gain
BERKELEY, Calif. — Everybody misplaces something sometime. But it is not easy for the University of California, Berkeley, to explain how it lost a 22-foot-long carved panel by a celebrated African-American sculptor, or how, three years ago, it mistakenly sold this work, valued at more than a million dollars, for $150 plus tax.

This piece could so easily have been destroyed, and instead it's ended up as the prize of the Huntington Library's collection, just because when it was sold as scrap the guy who bought it thought it was beautiful and special. But it makes you wonder what else has been lost over the years, with so many old buildings, libraries, theaters, being abandoned and left to rot or knocked down.

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Sarah Rees Brennan sarahtales does The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
I thought this was the perfect day to make my Gothic Tuesday (and Secret Sleuth Thursday) post about a book I love, which is both a Gothic and a sleuthin' lady story.
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This story is super implausible, but not for the reasons you think.
Wilkie Collins, the author of this book, had at least three personal acquaintances who had actually shut up their actual wives in madhouses with no trouble.

Margaret Cho: Shut Up Karl
You should hide behind that fan Karl Lagerfeld, shame on you, for calling Adele 'a little bit fat'. Who are you? What is the point of saying that? What are you trying to prove? Why are you trying to cut a bitch down? Shame shame shame. Don't read people as that only leads to being read to and you don't want to hear that story. You have talked about being bullied, and I am sure you were. I see it, as I was bullied too, and I am disappointed in you, for here you have proven yourself to be quite good at it, and you are the very worst kind – a condescending one.

Terrible Minds: 25 Things I Want to Say to So-called Aspiring Writers
3. Aspiring Writers, Far As The Eye Can See

Nobody respects writers, yet everybody wants to be one (probably because everybody wants to be one). Point is, you want to be a writer? Good for you. So does that guy. And that girl. And him. And her. And that old dude. And that young broad. And your neighbor. And your mailman. And that chihuahua. And that copy machine. Ahead of you is an ocean of wannabe ink-slaves and word-earners. I don't say this to daunt you. Or to be dismissive. But you have to differentiate yourself and the way you do that is by doing rather than be pretending. You will climb higher than them on a ladder built from your wordsmithy.

Question Answers and More

On Dreamwidth, grammarwoman asked Once you get an idea for a story/novel/work, how do you evaluate its viability? How much time do you put into it and what paces do you put it through to determine go/no-go?

That's a tough one to answer. It really depends on how excited I am about the idea, and if I stay excited about it through the first fifty pages or so. If I do, it does help me at that point to have other people (sometimes friends, sometimes my agent) read it and give me feedback. Good feedback on something will help keep up my enthusiasm for it. If I'm not enthusiastic about something I'm working on, I generally feel that prospective future readers won't be, either.

One thing I try not to think about is whether it will sell or not. I know I'm no good at judging that.

limb_of_satan asked My friend and I were recently discussing the rise of e-books and self-publishing. I feel like I'm seeing more and more authors (Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, Liz Williams for example) doing projects and stories that are available directly from them, to their fans, without the benefits (or hindrances) of a traditional publisher. I'm all for this because I want the authors I enjoy to be able to make money and continue to share their stories, but I wonder a little bit about whether the quality suffers from lack of an editor. For most readers the editor is all but an invisible presence in a book. Do you feel editors, in the traditional sense, are important for a book to be their best? Do you think self-published work suffers from any stigma?

I think professional editors are really important. For me personally, even if you get feedback/beta reading/editing help from your friends and your agent, to have someone who edits for a living and comes at the book from an objective perspective is a huge help. A good editor will be looking at your work with the attitude of making sure your book is the best version of your book that it can be, not trying to turn it into a different book or into the book they would have written if they felt like it or had the time, etc.

And one thing that's important to remember is that the "hindrance" of a traditional publisher includes paying you an advance for the book, distributing the book to bookstores and libraries (especially libraries, where people who are too poor to afford books or ereaders can still read it), and paying for cover art, design, copyediting, etc.

Self-publishing is a lot of work, and to me, it would be a last resort for a new novel. For reprints of previously published books, or short fiction or novellas, I think it works great. I do think self-publishing still suffers from a stigma, and it's more likely than not that a good self-published book will get lost and go unnoticed among the thousands of bad ones. Unless you already have an audience of readers, or friends who have an audience of readers who can recommend your book, you can be out of luck. Self-publishing is something that's very easy to do, but very hard to do right.

Glad you are still writing - I started reading you with The Element of Fire and have always enjoyed your books and admire that you are willing to start new worlds and new characters and aren't churning out book 12 in a series (even if that would perhaps make you richer!)

Thank you very much! I appreciate that.

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Con or Bust

con_or_bust 's fundraiser auction, which helps fans of color/non-white fans attend SFF conventions, ends Sunday, February 25, 2012. There are tons of great items up for auction here.

There are tons of signed books, jewelry, knitting, homemade cookies, and more. My auction for signed trade paperback copies of The Cloud Roads and The Serpent Sea is here.

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Things I've been meaning to link to:

Mur Lafferty: Definition: Work For Hire: The latest publishing brou-ha-ha is the tale of LJ Smith and her being fired from writing "her own" series.

Book Smugglers: Smuggler's Ponderings: Thoughts on Wonder by R. J. Palacio
I've been thinking about Wonder by R.J. Palacio a lot and about my reaction to it since I finished reading it. There are many things I loved about the book and I do recommend it to everybody, including its intended audience (Middle Grade) although I do so with reservations and the hope that the book can – should – engender thoughtful discussions.

Cherie Priest's ConDFW report: Dallas gives me nosebleeds: A love song for Texas

Lisa Mantchev: This is EXACTLY what's it's like to finish a new book.

ConDFW and More

First, congrats to all the Nebula nominees and Andre Norton Award nominees!

I've got a couple of questions answers left, and I'll do those tomorrow.

I was at ConDFW in Dallas all weekend and had a great time. In lieu of a full con report, here's a couple of pictures:


This is before the panel on being distracted while writing, with Cherie Priest, Susan Sinor, Michelle Muenzler, and me. Michael Ashleigh Finn was on it too but didn't arrive until a bit later. We were all very distracted.


This is a rare picture of me. (Rare because I don't often post them.)

This is a photo I've been meaning to post for a while and forgot. A friend was doing a project to fold 1000 paper cranes. She was collecting interesting scraps of paper to do it with, and I gave her the cut-up hardcover of Wheel of the Infinite which was sacrificed to make the ebook version (I still need to update the web site with the new links, but these are all the places where it's currently available: Barnes and Noble NookBook, Amazon Kindle, Kindle UK, Kindle De, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Lulu epub.)

Anyway, below is the 1001 crane, made from the cover of Wheel of the Infinite:

Good Raksura News

I got good news this morning: the third (still untitled) Raksura Book now has a contract and will probably come out in January or February of 2013!

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I have more question answers and some links to link to, but no time, so I'll resume on Monday. Have a good weekend everybody!

Writing Question and Book Recs

misslynx asked how do you handle having to write bad things happening to characters you like? I'm working on a novel right now and one of the things I'm wrestling with is that a certain point, a character I'm quite fond of is going to have to die, and I really don't want him to. But it has to happen for plot reasons. Intellectually I'm fine with it, and understand that good stories often include tragedies as well as triumphs, that it would probably weaken the story if I found some way to avoid killing him, etc. But emotionally, I'm having a hard time facing up to it, and keep avoiding writing that scene. Any advice?

I've found it hard too, even if I've known that character is going to die from the beginning. In some ways I think it's a good thing: if you're emotionally engaged with the character, the reader is more likely to be emotionally engaged with them. I don't think there is anything you can do to make it easier.

If I have to write a scene that's difficult for me emotionally, I notice that it will sometimes take four or five drafts for me to really get it where it needs to be. I did that recently with a scene in the book I just finished. The scene needed to be horrific, and it took me about four drafts to get it to the level of horror I wanted.

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Just finished reading Ran Away by Barbara Hambly. This is the latest book in her Benjamin January series, set in 1830s New Orleans. January is a free black surgeon and musician, and he fights crime. This is a great historical mystery series which I've enjoyed for a long time, and I really liked this one, too. In this one, a rich Turkish visitor to New Orleans is accused of strangling two of his concubines and throwing the bodies out a window. But Ben knew the man when he lived in Paris, and is certain he would never have done it. Solving the mystery forces Ben to confront his memories of his first wife Ayasha, who died in Paris, and how much he still misses her despite how happy he is with Rose. I love these characters.

I'm about to start reading Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed, which is a sword and sorcery fantasy adventure about Doctor Adoulla, ghul hunter, and I'm really looking forward to it.

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If you missed it yesterday, I posted a new free short story, a prequel to The Cloud Roads on my web site: Adaptation. It's the story of how Chime turned into a warrior.

Other short stories set in the Three Worlds on my site are: The Almost Last Voyage of the Wind-ship Escarpment, which is about a different set of characters, and The Forest Boy, which is another prequel, about Moon as a young boy.

New Free Short Story

I just posted a new free short story, a prequel to The Cloud Roads on my web site: Adaptation. It's the story of how Chime turned into a warrior.

I've got a few more writing questions to answer, so I'll be doing a post on that a bit later.