I've been getting curiouser and curiouser about the notion of fanfiction. Writing for the fun of it, without thought of commercial gain - impossible in this scenario - using existing characters and worlds AND potentially tapping into a fanbase that loves it just because of "who" is in it.
So I'm thinking of having a go. Short bursts to start with, to see if anyone likes it. Flash-fiction, let's say. Of course it would be Doctor Who. Though I'm a Trekkie too, the writer in me rather likes the infinite possibilities of time travel (Yes, I know, they do that in Trek too, but far less often!). No one can beat the Doctor for sheer quotability. Hmm. Can I come up with some doozy one-liners for him?
In perusing some of the fanfic that's already out there, I've noticed that the writers often don't spend much time describing the characters. Well, sure, maybe it's not needed since everyone knows them so well already, but that's no excuse for weak writing, now is it? I would want to pay particular attention to that aspect, pretending they were people from out of my own head that I have to describe fully or no one will comprehend them.
The next thing I'd have to think about is what kind of story would I do? Well, I've often wondered what would happen if the Doctor ended up in New Zealand. I don't think that's ever officially happened - correct me if I'm wrong, please. Okay, so that's a setting.
I'm kind of leaning towards the Tenth Doctor with Donna and River, to start with. An interesting combination that we saw far too little of in the series. Plus some locals of course.
That just leaves a plot needing figured out...yes I do have thoughts on that, but I'd love to hear yours! What do you think the Doctor should get up to in my part of the world?
So I've published 25 books by 16 people (okay, 27 people if you count all the anthology contributors!) over the last three and a half years - not a bad haul. Two of them were my own novels, so in that sense I've been guilty of a sort of ego-publishing. I did the best I was able at the time. Maybe I relied too much on my own knowledge in declaring these books were ready...certainly my personal sales figures haven't been stellar, though of course numbers aren't everything. It's just a little hard to get motivated to write a sequel for Legendary Space Pilgrims when only twenty people read it in the first place.
There have been times I despaired of my own writing and decided to focus on publishing. That's a lot of fun and has more immediate results. It takes a little less time to publish someone else's book than to write one of my own.
However, eventually I began to pine for the writing life. I set up the Avenir Eclectia project in part for myself, to create a space where I could finish an ultra-short story in one sitting and publish it. Others found the same to be true.
But there's got to be more. More than just struggling on alone, stabbing in the dark and hoping for better sales on the next book. I need help.
Yup, the publisher - wearing her writer hat - needs a publisher. A support network to carry on the infrastructure while I worry about making my story the best it can be. And an editor to stand by my side and call me on to higher excellence. To make me better than I could ever be on my own.
Enter PYP. A press somewhat like my own in size and setup, with some overlap in genre, the very highest of standards, and a drive to shoot for the stars. With an indomitable Captain at the helm who - at times inexplicably to me - really likes the way I write.
And so it is, dear friends, that I reveal the happenings of this week: I've signed three contracts with PYP: for two brand new novels individually plus an omnibus edition. The titles we've settled on for now are A Guildswoman's Dream and A Guildswoman's Journey. I have a lot of writing to do! Some is done already, and we've been working on edits - at times with much hilarity as I remember my own dealings from the other side of the table. Yes, I complain and whinge, but ultimately it's the editor's call and I absolutely respect that. Hope I'm not too much trouble, Chila!
Splashdown fans, never fear! It's not going anywhere. In fact, this deal has been in the works for well over a year, so it's not new - we just formalised it at last.
So there you have it. The publisher is a writer again. Watch this space, but don't hold your breath: we're going to give this project as long as it takes until we're completely happy with the result.
Hey, folks! Today I have a new column up at Beyondaries, the magazine of Port Yonder Press. My part's called "Fragments: Reflected" so please go check it out - and the other great stuff on there.
If you are careful when you peruse my bio on the end of that article, you'll see a piece of news that's been brewing for quite some time now... go on, you know you want to! :)
There's this series of questions that's been going around lately; sooner or later it had to come to me, so here goes:
1) What is the title of your next book/work? Not sure yet, in fact. No doubt something snappy and alliterated in the theme of its inspiration. One option is Arachnids and Aristocrats, except that suggests more spiders than I intended. Bugs and Bluebloods? Suggestions welcome.
2) Where did the idea come from for the book/work? I always wanted to do one of those rewrites of a famous novel from the public domain, but transforming it into my genre. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do, but basically the best way to explain it is Pride and Prejudice in space.
3) What genre does your book/work fall under? Science fiction, with maybe a touch of fantasy blended in.
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition? Oh gosh. That's not something I ever think about, really. Off the top of my head: Keira Knightley as (wait for it) Darcy Mac; Liv Tyler as her trusty sidekick Carla Bingley; and a selection of stubbly dark-haired action heroes as the Bennet brothers, diamond miners all: let's say David Tennant, Robert Downey Jr., and more of that general type.
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? A pair of rich kids from Avenir station go down to the planet Eclectia to seek adventure hunting its giant beetles, but they don't expect to get involved with an array of suitors...
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Neither, my dears. We are the independent press and we do not approve of the wording of this question. :P
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript? Haven't started. Hope to get through it within the next year, alongside other projects.
8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? Don't have a clue, sadly. Anyone got a good idea? There's space chases, romance, a whole lot of dust, narrow escapes from volcanoes, fights with huge bugs, and intercolonial politics. What do you call that?
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book? See number 2, thanks.
10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest? It takes place in the already existing world of Avenir Eclectia, a multi-author project with room for microfiction and full-length novels and everything in between. The first "novel" is out now for the amazing price of $5.98.
Now I'm supposed to tag people to carry this on, but I hate doing that, and besides I know a ton of people have already done this. So if you would like, feel free to steal the questions and go for it!
It was a surreal experience to look at the faces around me and realise that they understood about the Bug Wars, Ash Lung, angels and spiders, nomads and miners. Four of us in one room for the first time ever! As we discussed our characters and stories, reconciled different elements and brainstormed new ideas, reminisced on Walt's legacy, and exchanged signatures in shiny books, it came home to me once again that I know these people very well, even though we only met that morning.
Stories do that. I've been following these ladies' work for a long time now, editing, tweaking, and enjoying. There are real people behind this world, and it was my great pleasure to meet some of them.
Above, back: Deborah Cullins Smith, Kaye Jeffreys and Mary Ruth Pursselley, contributors to the Avenir Eclectia project. Grab it now!
Last week, the first print collection of stories from the Splashdown project Avenir Eclectia was published. I'm so excited! We've been working slowly at this for almost two years now and it's wonderful to see this culmination. Of course, it's just a start - there's much more to come.
There are a bunch of other blogs posting about it this week:
So for my part I'm going to go all the way back to the very first story that I wrote, at a time when nearly no one knew about the project and no one else was writing for it. Thankfully, that all changed! But this first tale was my attempt at setting the bar - I wanted my contributions to be short, punchy, evocative and deep.
I did as every Avenir writer after me would do: I created a character, gave her a name (a somewhat unusual one in this case, because of the cultural shift), a location and a position in life. Then picked a turning point for her to experience in the moment that my window looks in on her.
The part with the song was inspired by a track that had already been written for the project:
I felt the potential in the spawning world, but wanted to begin gently with just a tiny peek. And this is what came out of it...
COOL, SMOOTH METAL by Grace Bridges
First published online on March 12, 2011
Story no. 1 in Avenir Eclectia Vol. 1 (click for buying options: $5.98 paperback, $2.99 Kindle)
Cool, smooth metal met Ave’s fingers as she slid down the wall to sit in the corner. No one would bother her here in this obscure corridor—not for a while, at least. She concentrated, and felt the distant, almost intangible vibrating of the station. Its comfort calmed her, and she hummed to herself, head down, hair shutting out the world and thoughts of Smith. A good kid, but they were both too young—only fourteen Foundings.* And the children—the beggars, the poorest of all beings, who didn’t even have a claim to parents—they looked up to her. She must do right, and not be distracted by an obsession for love, as heady as it was. The time was not yet come.
Ave recognised the tune she hummed, and smiled a little: her name-song, and that of the colony. “Arise, Avenir Eclectia; be strong, Avenir Eclectia. Stand firm, Avenir Eclectia; live on, Avenir Eclectia.” A rousing anthem that gave her the tingles. Her first carer had given her the name of the entire colony: Avenir, though she went by Ave. She placed her hands on the floor, felt her connection to the huge space habitat and the presence of the planet below, and hoped she hadn’t hurt Smith beyond repair. He’d understand, someday. Wouldn’t he?
The beings on the planet called to her and she rested in their mental embrace, sensing only the living station through the cool, smooth metal.
Splashdown's first new release for October is here!
Check out this excerpt...
--
The three of us entered the three-story
catwalk ringed room.
One of the two figures on the first floor
looked up at us, and then exited the room.
“Uh, guys, you may want to hurry,” I said.
“Okay. It will be in this batch,” said Tom.
As he swapped out e-girl’s case of trays,
she put a hand on each and closed her eyes a moment, searching for the circuit
board. Then she nodded. “Yep, it’s in this one.”
They swapped out my case with miscellaneous
boards as well. It was not necessary, but as long as my sister insisted on
having me along, it would make Enertech’s lab technicians guess harder at what
we had really been after.
The door through which we had entered
clicked open. The man who entered wore a rumpled suit and had to be security.
His clothing bulged in all the right places for concealed weapons—including at
his shoulders that could, by-the-way, bench-press a Buick. “Hi, Tom, how’s it
hangin’? Some of the boards we need today were among the ones that cycled up
here. Could you check…” His eyes fixed on me and widened slightly.
I’d only once been recognized by a stranger
before, and for this, inside a MegaCorp Ancology, to be the first time on an
op? It made my head hurt. My body relinquished control to my mindware, and I
slipped into overdrive. With a thought I drew one I. M. I. nine millimeter Baby
Eagle from a Quick Draw holster, and splattered a tranq on his forehead. With
reformed speed I rushed to the sec-man and eased him to a seated position
before he could collapse on the catwalk and alert his two friends below.
Control of my body ebbed back to me. Without
a word I walked to my case and closed it.
“Even if we weren’t done, we’re done,” said
e-girl. Without waiting for Tom to lead the way, she opened the door, stepped
into the hallway and dragged her case as quickly as she could to the elevator.
So I'm thinking of having a go. Short bursts to start with, to see if anyone likes it. Flash-fiction, let's say. Of course it would be Doctor Who. Though I'm a Trekkie too, the writer in me rather likes the infinite possibilities of time travel (Yes, I know, they do that in Trek too, but far less often!). No one can beat the Doctor for sheer quotability. Hmm. Can I come up with some doozy one-liners for him?
