Not Dead Yet

For several months now Swords of Fire has sat unlooked at and unworked on. I've been busy writing other stories. Other novels. Those projects aren't generating much more interest than my epic fantasy. A little, but not much.

The truth is, none of my works is of the kind which makes people want to read them. Feel like they need to read them. Not sure why what I write is so dull, but then there haven't been many books in my life which I've read which just demanded I read them. Lord of the Rings comes to mind, certainly. And maybe Well-Favored Man. Those are the two which have spawned many re-reads over time.

Some people make a big deal out of whatever book they're reading. Like teenagers, every book seems to be either the greatest or the worst. While I do tend to categorize books into two groups, the groups are far less extreme. Either I like them or I don't. Sometimes it isn't easy to tell. Sometimes a story has elements which I truly enjoy, while at the same time having other elements which completely annoy me. Ultimately, I will base my decision on the story and the characters.

But back to Swords of Fire.

Swords of Fire has its main story, which crosses over several books. It is the story of Madatar's fight with Shatahar over control of The Great Sea. Not the blog. The place. There will be six books in this series. At least. As the story unfolds I discover some chapters have enough detail and suspense to warrant their own book.

But apart from the main story between Madatar and Shatahar there are literally hundreds of other stories associated with Swords of Fire and The Great Sea. My favorite is the story of Tavaar, which also intertwines deeply with the main Swords of Fire saga.

There are over 6,000 people in Khirsha's family tree. More than once I have thought it would be very cool to write a short biography for each and every one of them. I believe I even gave it a go on this blog at one time. But the process is incredibly time consuming, and it takes away from telling other stories. With 6,000 people you know there has to be more than a few stories in that mix.

Then there are the stories of the Children of Fire, and how they helped shape and fashion The Great Sea in the first place. What of all the creatures they created, most now deemed mythical because they were destroyed in the Great War which nearly destroyed The Great Sea. What of the Dragons and the Unicorns and the Phoenix?

There were Overlords and Mortals. What of their stories?

It's a trap for world builders, I suppose. Getting lost in the background stories of their creations.

Recently, I reread Lord of the Rings again. I've read that story more than 200 times in the past forty years. I used to read it over and over and over again. Now I'm down to a couple of times a year. But in his Foreward, Tolkien says something I didn't understand before, but completely sympathize with now.

"I had little hope that other people would be interested in this work, especially since it was primarilly linguistic in inspiration and was begun in order to provide the necessary background of 'history' for Elvish tongues. When those whose advice and opinion I sought corrected little hope to no hope, I went back to the sequel."

Few people care about a character's background. Or the history of a place. All they care about is the story that's going on now. They don't look back and they don't look forward. I suppose that's ultimately a healthy way to live, but it's an ignorant way, to my thinking. So much of what is now is based on so much of what was then. And certainly the combination of then and now are going to impact the future.

Real stories don't begin at Chapter One and conclude at a book's ending. They began some time before, possibly at the beginning of everything, and they don't end until all is done.

But what I find interesting others find dull. And to a great measure I think the opposite is true, too.

And so I keep writing. My audience is me. There are no others.

Potential

One of the beautiful things about the creation of The Great Sea is that it allows for a myriad of stories which have absolutely nothing to do with the Main Saga, which is Madatar's struggle to take possession of what was promised him.

There is a Troll story I want to tell, but that is probably going to become part of the Saga. There are tales from the Kingdom of Azua, but they indirectly point to the Saga, too.

But there are other worlds. Other creatures. Did you know that the Deltumler live in the ocean, and that their most hated enemy are the Sharogues? Both actually made an appearance in the original sequel to The Prophecies of Madatar, which was one of the Saga's earliest manifestations.

There are the Centaurs, the Pennans, the Nomads, and the orginal Men who populated the first giant world. And what of the Dragons and the Unicorns? At one time I thought about doing stories for all of these beings. Only I put it all on hold because I deemed the stories without a base if I could not get the Saga published.

The truth is, Apprentice and Quest could very easily take place on The Great Sea. Neither story has anything to do with Madatar.

Renaming this blog has reminded me that I have a host of stories to tell which are not based in any fashion or form upon the epic fantasy of my life's work.

The problem I have is I don't really understand online publishing at all, and that appears to be where short stories are going to have to be submitted in order to receive publication. Perhaps I should continue my Kiahva stories in hopes of finding a place for her. At the same time I could include a story or two about Dragons, Dwarfs, communities of Men on other worlds. All of this would build a base from which even the Saga could rise.

It's something to think about.

An F.Y.I.

This is kind of a cheat to reach 100 posts, but I wanted to let you know I will not be posting again before Sunday. I'm going to be away from my computer. So, some time next week I will submit my 100th post for this blog. Unless I hear otherwise, it will be a Tavaar episode. Tavaar is now in command of the company.

What Does it Take - And Do I Have It

So, I read a variety of blogs, each dealing with a variety of topics. A few speak about writing, and what it means to write well and tell a good story.

Often, I find myself wondering if I qualify as a good storyteller. You see, while having a lot of stories to tell, and having written several million words toward them, that does not necessarily mean I know what I'm doing. Just look at G.W. He was president for eight years and never figured out how to do his job properly.

I get worried about my storytelling. Probably, this is because so few people read my stories. Oh, I have had as many as thirty people read Swords of Fire over the past thirty years, and only a couple didn't like it. Two didn't like it because they simply do not like any fantasy story. One didn't like it because she thought it was religious. (It's not. She just thought it was.) Everyone else liked it to varying degrees. Several were very eager for the sequel, which no one but me has read. Well, I take that back. I think I may have read it to Spouse and Son a couple of years ago. Can't remember. Getting old.

There is the Tavaar background story, of which I have posted 34 entries on this blog. But those are all rough drafts, and not part of a real story. Tavaar's backstory is just a series of vignettes without any real plot. I'm simply following her life in order to define her character.

Then there is Apprentice, which has been read by four people, three who liked it and one who didn't care for the subject matter, but who liked the writing.

So I've got some feedback, and it's mostly positive. Even my blog writing has been complimented by two or three. Apparently my writing style is easy to read.

I honestly believe that most fantasy readers would enjoy my stories, if they could but read them. But convincing them of that is difficult. I have no idea how many people write fantasy, but I expect it is in the tens, or even hundreds, of thousands. I expect a good many of them also have writing styles that are easy to read, and should those of us who read fantasy but get a chance to read what they have written we would enjoy those stories, too.

In the writing group I have joined there is a man who is writing a book in which Dwarfs are the main characters. I'm not so into Dwarfs. Stereotypically (in fantasy) their personalities are too gruff for me. I prefer the gentleness of Elves and Fairy Creatures (when they are portrayed as gentle and in tune with nature). But he has a good premise, and he shared his first chapter with us back in February. I think it's going to be a good story, and I think he is going to tell it well. Will it ever be accepted by an agent or publisher? I don't know. Hope so.

But I need to be honest. If it were only about getting my stories into the hands of readers the solution is simple: self-publish on the internet. Only the honest truth is this: I would very much like to be paid for my stories - at least those I consider epic in nature. And that is where my doubts arise. It's one thing to write with an easy style, and produce works people enjoy reading for free. But what about when it requires money? Are they still interested?

Perhaps those few people who know me might be willing to fork over the twenty or thirty dollars required to buy a new book these days. But I don't know that many people. Not who have money anyway. So somehow I have to convince strangers that my writing is worthy. That is done via query letters submitted to agents and editors.

A good salesperson goes into a meeting confident (or at least showing confidence). They hold to this even amidst heavy evidence of opposition. Like the lions of the African plains, they often fail to make their kill/sale. That's the way it is with writers. Only sometimes I think it's a h*lluva lot easier for a lion on the plains to pull down a buffalo than it is for a writer to secure a book deal with an agent or editor. Lions get to hunt in packs. Ultimately, writers are on their own.

What a scary place to be.

Well, I'm the one who thought playing in the Big Leagues would be fun. If I can succeed, it will be.

NOTE: Willie Mays went hitless in his first 35 at bats when he joined the Major Leagues. He sat down on the bench one day - after striking out AGAIN - and started to cry. The manager came by, patted his shoulder, and assured him he would do all right. Willie Mays made it to the Hall of Fame. Wish I had been a baseball player.

What to Do Now

So. The book is completed and I have written a first go at a query letter. When I am ready I will send to Evil Editor so the Minions can have at it. As much as they have helped me in the past I do not look forward to the ordeal. I suppose it's like an athlete in training camp. They don't relish the idea of the punishment they are about to go through, but without it they will never be ready for the season.

The problem there is that there was just a post for a book which has treason as a significant issue. Treason is what Traitor's all about. I'm thinking I should delay in posting the query until at least April.

Anyway, I'm finding myself thinking about Book II, The Prophecies of Madatar. I confess this is my favorite book of the Saga. It introduces two characters who become pivital to the entire series. Also, it happens to be a fun book, despite the fact there is actual fighting and war. The stakes are higher, but that only makes Khirsha that much more fun to write. He is about to get a crash course in male-female relationships. (Why is it I have to correct my spelling of female every frikkin time from F-E-M-A-I-L to F-E-M-A-L-E? Talk about going postal. Cheesh.)

So I'm wondering if I'm doing myself, the Saga, Book I, Book II, and who knows who/what else a disservice by moving on to Book II before I even have a working query for Book I? The last time I did that I wound up with a mess. I finished Book II in the spring of 2007. In 2008 I tried getting Book I published, only to learn it was dead before it left the gates. But there's a lot of work to be done with Book II. For one thing, It is over 180,000-words. Even assuming Traitor is published as is, that seems like a high word count for a second book. I should probably drop at least 30,000-words. It's a rough draft. That should be no problem. Right?

But should I even be working on it? That's the question.

A New Mythical Creature

My son has been writing his own fantasy story over the past week. Every so often he gets inspired and writes. Only now that he's older, his stories are no longer just a few paragraphs. His current work is over 10,000-words. I haven't read any of it because he hasn't presented it yet. But clearly it is a fantasy work.

I know this because he asked for help in scanning a drawing he made of one of the creatures in his story. I won't post it now because I don't have his permission, but I will describe it.

It kind of looks like a lion, except it has ridges like a komodo dragon along its back, and the end of its tail is spiked like the stegosaurus?. Not sure which dinosaur had the spiked tail, but you've seen it, I'm sure. It has a mane that looks like fire and sharp claws on each of its four feet.

The creature is called, A Wulgad.

The Muses have been having fun with Son of late. He's been inspired to learn keyboards without any help from a teacher. (We just don't have the money.) But he's getting good. He can play reasonably quick with few errors. He does know how to read music. And playing the tuba gave him an inside track on learning the bass cleft.

He also draws, although not so often anymore. But he drew the Wulgad himself. He also created a comic series of stick people which now encompasses several notebooks. I try to get him to draw on drawing paper, but he likes the spiral bound notebook paper. Well, I'm not going to discourage him.

Music. Drawing. Writing.

I'm kind of proud of him. I'd like to believe he inherited at least some of that from me.

Coming to it Again

In all likelihood I will finish the latest revision of Traitor this week. Possibly today or tomorrow.

Normally, this would fill me with joy because it would mean I can move on to the next book. That is also written, but needs to be cut down significantly. So I'm looking at a major rewrite again.

But I won't be able to move on to the next book when I finish. I will still have two problems: Traitor will be more than 130,000-words. I am told that for a new author, that is means "dismissal out of hand". Any agent or editor who sees a book that long by a first time author will immediately reject it without another thought.

Only there is a problem with that, too. The query letter.

I hate them. Query letters are a combination of begging and persuasion. I'm no good at either. When I beg, people respond by telling me to "get the h*ll out of here". When I try to persuade, people respond by telling me to "get the h*ll out of here".

I've seen examples of "bad" query letters. Then I've seen how they have been punched up to be "good". And you know what? I really can't see the difference. I suppose it's like diamonds. I can't tell a fake from a real, but experts can.

Maybe it's like wine, or cheese tasters. They can tell imediately which sample is better. All the same to me. I'm no connoissuer - of wine or query letters.

I make what I believe to be a very good lasagne. Yet I know if I served it to one of those television chefs they would probably spit it out. You see, I used pre-grated parmesian cheese from a cardboard tube. You've seen them in the grocery store, I'm sure. Kraft? I've heard some of these chefs speak with great disdain over this.

That's the wall which looms before me. The chasm I have to cross.

I don't know how.

Crap.

There Has to be a Reason for It

A good number of years ago I attended a Christian Writers' Conference in Wheaton, IL. Wheaton is just outside of Chicago and is home to Wheaton College, where the conference took place.

The idea was for Christian writers to gather together in one place and learn various things about writing. There were also representatives from vairious publishing houses to look at pieces of work. It was an excellent chance to meet a lot of people in the book business.

I met several authors, but I can only remember two: Myrna Grant and Janette Oke. I was also introduced to an editor at a Christian publishing house. His company did not publish fantasy, but he told me to write a story about children and baseball. I did. I wrote Joey. Based it on an actual incident and submitted it. Rejected.

There was another author I met, but I cannot remember his name. He read one of my earliest versions of Swords of Fire: Book I. That was when it was called The Prophecies of Madatar, which is now Book II. He did an excellent job of shredding it without making me feel horrible. That's a true gift.

I remember he was especially bothered by things which seemed to not have a reason. He said the family's extended lifespans were simply pro-rated out. Which was true. He said there was no purpose in Khirhsa's traveling all over the world. He had reasons for being there, but not for going.

He had a lot more to say and I tried to incorporate all of the suggestions into my work. But his thoughts on story elements having no reason have remained strong with me ever since. I learned the reason for the family's extended lifespans. It was before me all the time. I found reasons why Khirsha should make the journey he took. I know how Abrin gets his knowledge. I know what the "madness" is which infected Khirsha, Tavaar, Sayla, Avalina, and a few others not dealt with directly in Book I. And I know how and why they were "infected".

Learning the "why" of something can be trying sometimes. Sometimes I want to write a scene because it is so cool. The problem is, there is no reason for that scene to happen. I agonize over those scenes, searching for a reason for them to be. If I can find no reason, I cannot write the scene. I hate that, but everything has to happen for a reason.

I once had to rewrite two entire chapters in order to get a character to a place they needed to be. I have altered birth dates - and years - in order to suit matters. Marriage partners have been changed (no divorce - just changed - a literary form of spouse-swapping). Everything has to fit. It can get quite complicated at times. Which reminds me, I still have to complete 350 years of military assignments.

A Million Worlds Means a Million Stories - and more

My thought all along was that, after finishing the Swords of Fire Saga, I would continue with Stories From the Great Sea. These stories could take the form of trilogies and sagas, but more often simply be stand alone tales of their own merit. My short story, Apprentice, could fall into this category. As well as others.

The Great Sea consists of so many worlds. I have not counted them, but references in my notes indicate there are at least thousands, if not tens of thousands, or even millions. Most of the worlds would either be devoid of Free People representation, or inhabited by humans. There would be worlds devoid of any real fauna. Not much of a story there. But there are so many tales to be told.

The difficult thing about these others stories is that they must also adhere to the general laws which govern The Great Sea, and which are spelled out in the Swords of Fire Saga. For instance, Swords of Fire states there are twelve dragon breeds. It further identifies them. This means any story which involves dragons would have to conform to this knowledge. The existence of Windows can be used, but the manner in which they function cannot be altered. The presence of the Children of Fire cannot be altered. Nor can their involvement.

The fact that a story might be interesting if certain things were true which Swords of Fire states are not is not the point. In order for the story to belong to The Great Sea, it must conform to The Great Sea. Otherwise, it has to take place some place else.

If Swords of Fire ever becomes successful, I shall put together all of these rules into a single volume. That way anyone who becomes inspired to write into this place will have a working knowledge at their disposal to write a believeable story for it.

I think that would be the greatest thing of all.

A Lot Going On

I keep thinking about all of the background elements I have let slide the past few months. I think I finished with determining where all 7,400+ people lived every year of their life, but I'm not sure. I know I haven't finished with the military. That is critical if I am ever to make Tavaar's life into a real book.

At the same time I have Book I - currently titled, A Traitor in the Midst - to refinish. By the way, I have yet to have anyone tell me how that title grabs them. I've gone through so many titles that others hate I'm kind of shy about believing I've got a good one.

That I have a good book I do not doubt. That the book is interesting and fun to read I do not doubt. That an agent could sell it to a publisher I do not doubt. That a publisher could make good money off it I do not doubt.

So what do I doubt?

My ability to sell it to an agent when I finish it again. Damn query letters. I wish query letters were living things. I just might commit murder.

I can't sell. I just can't. It has nothing to do with how much I believe in the product. As soon as I'm supposed to convince someone else something is good I lose all enthusiasm. My focus leaves the product and turns to, "Who in the h*ll am I to be trying to convince this person/these people of anything?"

In the meantime, I still have to finish Book I. When I do then, perhaps, I will return to background work.

Happy Rabbit Hole Day!

Pretty Wuffles

I wish I were a Wuffle. Why?
Because Wuffles are so pretty. Sigh.

You say they are so pretty? Yes.
Very so. Why don’t you guess?

Are they as pretty as a lion’s roar?
Oh my, oh no. They’re much much more.

How’s about a pretty, sky-blue sky?
A sky is pretty, but not so high.

What about an ocean blue?
A good good guess. You’re down to two.

A pretty flower, bright and fair.
Who’s quickly plucked? Now don’t you dare.

A child’s kiss, so innocent?
You used five guesses, off they went.

So how pretty are the Wuffles then
A Wuffle is a Wuffle, Jen

The Blahs

That's what I've got. The blahs. And right now I don't believe I have any readers for this blog, so I think I'll just pass today other than to say: I've got the blahs. Pity. If there is anyone actually reading this, let me know and I'll add the next installment. I think it's about Tavaar's relationship with Shello. Whatever.

A Tool Every Writer Should Own (have access to)

FairyHedgeHog posted a link on her blog to a wonderful writing tool. It's called OneTwoFiver. If you want to write something, but aren't sure what, give it a go. It should prove to be a wonderful starter tool.

Thanks FH.