Saturday night, I finally finished reading Don Quixote. It was nearly a thousand pages long, though it could have been a quarter of the length if the writing style was simpler and the side characters' backstories were omitted. Despite being a tedious read, it still seemed surprisingly relevant. Don Quixote can be a warning for taking one's fandom to extremes. His difficulties in distinguishing fantasy from reality, as well as his finding explanations for facts that don't agree with his fiction, find parallels in the fake news and conspiracy theories of today.
Which classic stories do you feel are most readable or relevant today? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Baby Yoda and Alien Lifespans
If you've been anywhere on social media in the last week, you've probably seen the cutest creature ever from Star Wars: The Mandalorian (yes, even cuter than the porgs):
I'm talking about Baby Yoda, whom I'll refer to here as BY. It's not clear yet if BY is actually Yoda's child, but since no one knows the name of Yoda's species, the child has to have some kind of name. (Since we don't know the child's gender, I'll use "they" and "them" pronouns.)
BY is supposed to be 50 years old, but they appear to be an infant or young toddler. Since BY can get out of their carrier, let's assume they're developmentally equivalent to a two-year-old human. It's mentioned in Star Wars that species age differently, and we know Yoda was about 900 years old when he died. Still, BY has already spent about 5.5% (50/900) of their total lifespan as an infant/toddler. A two-year-old human has reached about 1.7% of her maximum life span, using 120 years as maximum age. Is that a significant difference? It's hard to judge on so little data. If species age at different rates, it might make sense that they would spend different proportions of their life at different stages. Sentient, social species like humans need to have longer childhoods to learn the rules of their world. That said, if you're going to have an extended childhood, it would make sense to be equivalent to a four-to-ten-year-old human child, not an infant. The older child is slightly less dependent on caregivers, can explore the world independently, and has enough brain power/development to make sense of it.
Of course, there are some good explanations for why BY might still be a baby or toddler after fifty years. Here are a few of them:
Are you a Baby Yoda fan? Are you content to adore their cuteness, or do you want to learn more about their species? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
(Photo Credit: Disney)
I'm talking about Baby Yoda, whom I'll refer to here as BY. It's not clear yet if BY is actually Yoda's child, but since no one knows the name of Yoda's species, the child has to have some kind of name. (Since we don't know the child's gender, I'll use "they" and "them" pronouns.)
BY is supposed to be 50 years old, but they appear to be an infant or young toddler. Since BY can get out of their carrier, let's assume they're developmentally equivalent to a two-year-old human. It's mentioned in Star Wars that species age differently, and we know Yoda was about 900 years old when he died. Still, BY has already spent about 5.5% (50/900) of their total lifespan as an infant/toddler. A two-year-old human has reached about 1.7% of her maximum life span, using 120 years as maximum age. Is that a significant difference? It's hard to judge on so little data. If species age at different rates, it might make sense that they would spend different proportions of their life at different stages. Sentient, social species like humans need to have longer childhoods to learn the rules of their world. That said, if you're going to have an extended childhood, it would make sense to be equivalent to a four-to-ten-year-old human child, not an infant. The older child is slightly less dependent on caregivers, can explore the world independently, and has enough brain power/development to make sense of it.
Of course, there are some good explanations for why BY might still be a baby or toddler after fifty years. Here are a few of them:
- The child was first sensed while they were in an egg or in stasis, so they might not have actually been born fifty years ago.
- Yoda's species is strong with the Force, so the Force may affect the child's development. (The Force could limit the child's growth, or the child may need to grow slowly to master the Force.)
- There might be some environmental factor limiting the child's growth. For instance, the child may need some nutrient found only on the species' home planet to mature. (This is my favorite theory and what I would use if I was writing this story.)
Are you a Baby Yoda fan? Are you content to adore their cuteness, or do you want to learn more about their species? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Libraries of Unwritten Books
I recently read a book called The Library of the Unwritten, by A.J. Hackwith. Not surprisingly, the book is about a library full of books that have not been written. Some of these books can't be written because their authors have died, while other books have authors who haven't been inspired enough to write them yet. Perhaps it's fitting that the library is located in Hell (although the library is considered neutral territory), as not being able to finish one's books would probably feel like a punishment for many writers.
One thing that felt strange about this library to me was that the books were all stored in a fixed form, though their characters could escape and change. For me, unfinished books are constantly in flux. I may imagine some scenes vividly, but they often change as I try to capture them on the screen. For every scene like that, there are many more that I won't know about until I write it. Even then, a book may become completely transformed from draft to draft, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. For me, a book isn't fixed until it's published--though sometimes I would still like to revise books I released years ago.
How do you feel about unwritten books? Do you think of them in finished or unfinished form? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
One thing that felt strange about this library to me was that the books were all stored in a fixed form, though their characters could escape and change. For me, unfinished books are constantly in flux. I may imagine some scenes vividly, but they often change as I try to capture them on the screen. For every scene like that, there are many more that I won't know about until I write it. Even then, a book may become completely transformed from draft to draft, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. For me, a book isn't fixed until it's published--though sometimes I would still like to revise books I released years ago.
How do you feel about unwritten books? Do you think of them in finished or unfinished form? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Wednesday, November 06, 2019
IWSG: Weird Google
First of all, good luck to anyone participating in National Novel Writing Month! I've already written over 55,000 words in my current work in progress, Dryad in Doubt, so my goal for this month is to finish it instead of starting something new. And if I don't finish this draft in November, I'll do it in December (or whenever I figure out the third act of this book.)Anyway, it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post. You can learn more about this group on their website, Facebook page, or Twitter account. You can sign up for their newsletter here.
Our hosts for November are Sadira Stone, Patricia Josephine, Lisa Buie-Collard, Erika Beebe, and C. Lee McKenzie.
Our question this month is, "What's the strangest thing you've ever googled in researching a story?"
I don't remember everything I've looked up over the course of my writing career. Since my current project is about dryads, I've been researching trees, and I blogged recently about some of the extreme trees that will play a part in this book. I've also had to research the main setting: Madison, Wisconsin. Probably one of the strangest things I've looked up for this project are hospices in Madison for a scene location. While I've drawn inspiration from maps and pictures, I changed some details about the location (which I try to keep unspecified) to better fit the story. I've also looked up layouts of local hospitals.
What weird terms are in your Google history? Feel free to share them with us, since Google will probably find a way to profit off them anyway.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
The Day It Finally Happens
The day before Halloween might be a good time to talk about witches, vampires, and mummies, but life has horrors that are far worse. Mike Pearl, a columnist who suffers from anxiety disorder, tries to manage his fears by studying how likely some situations are and what their impacts would be. In his book, The Day It Finally Happens: Alien Contact, Dinosaur Parks, Immortal Humans--and Other ImPossible Phenomena, Pearl examines all the situations listed above and more.
Some of these events, such as freeing all slaves worldwide, are good events, while a supervolcano eruption could theoretically kill half of humanity by blanketing the world in ash and causing a volcanic winter by blocking sunlight. Others, such as ending oil dependence and no longer killing animals to eat, would be a mixed blessing. Pearl introduces each event with a scenario showing how it might occur. He also rates how likely it is each event will occur in this century along with how plausible it is, how scary the event is, and whether or not it's worth changing our habits to avoid the event. Some of these events are more plausible than you might expect, such as creating a dinosaur park. (Pearl suggests this could be done by selective breeding and genetic manipulation, since actual dinosaur DNA would be too badly damaged to use.) In my opinion, some of the topics he discusses, such as the end of British royalty, seem frivolous compared to the extinction of all fish or learning aliens do exist.
Although some of the scenarios Pearl discusses would be catastrophic if they ever occurred, Pearl attempts to assure us in an Epilogue that the future isn't lost. Humanity may not always exist in its current form, but our descendants would be better adapted for their environment. We may be able to avoid demise if we're able to colonize space. We also know too little about the universe to know what will happen in the far future. He stresses that he wants to convince us the future is worth it:
Some of the horrors I've outlined won't be avoided, and some will. Some of the wonderful things I've predicted won't happen, and others will....If we fundamentally don't believe in a future at all, I'm pretty sure of one thing: it'll be more horror than wonder.
As a science fiction writer, I try to predict the future even knowing how unlikely it is I'll be right. It's always interesting to read what other futurists think. Do you find these kinds of books useful for your own world-building? Free free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Some of these events, such as freeing all slaves worldwide, are good events, while a supervolcano eruption could theoretically kill half of humanity by blanketing the world in ash and causing a volcanic winter by blocking sunlight. Others, such as ending oil dependence and no longer killing animals to eat, would be a mixed blessing. Pearl introduces each event with a scenario showing how it might occur. He also rates how likely it is each event will occur in this century along with how plausible it is, how scary the event is, and whether or not it's worth changing our habits to avoid the event. Some of these events are more plausible than you might expect, such as creating a dinosaur park. (Pearl suggests this could be done by selective breeding and genetic manipulation, since actual dinosaur DNA would be too badly damaged to use.) In my opinion, some of the topics he discusses, such as the end of British royalty, seem frivolous compared to the extinction of all fish or learning aliens do exist.
Although some of the scenarios Pearl discusses would be catastrophic if they ever occurred, Pearl attempts to assure us in an Epilogue that the future isn't lost. Humanity may not always exist in its current form, but our descendants would be better adapted for their environment. We may be able to avoid demise if we're able to colonize space. We also know too little about the universe to know what will happen in the far future. He stresses that he wants to convince us the future is worth it:
Some of the horrors I've outlined won't be avoided, and some will. Some of the wonderful things I've predicted won't happen, and others will....If we fundamentally don't believe in a future at all, I'm pretty sure of one thing: it'll be more horror than wonder.
As a science fiction writer, I try to predict the future even knowing how unlikely it is I'll be right. It's always interesting to read what other futurists think. Do you find these kinds of books useful for your own world-building? Free free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
The To-Do List
As always, I have so many projects yet make so little progress on any of them. Here are some of the things I'd like to work on or have in progress:1. Crochet: I recently completed a pair of fingerless gloves, but I might make some more pairs for other people. I'm also learning how to make Harry Potter characters.
2. Knitting: As if crocheting isn't enough, I want to learn how to make socks and sweaters. First, I need to start with a scarf kit.3. Writing: In addition to Dryad in Doubt, I started a
new short story for an anthology.
4. Marketing: I recently discovered a site called Book Brush that allows you to make marketing images. Below is one I made for the Catalyst Chronicles series. I need to make more graphics for my other books.
5. Mailing List: I set up an account on MailerLite, but I have to finish importing my list from MailChimp. (MailChimp's prices have gone up, which is why I want to switch.)So, yes, I have reasons for not blogging as much as I used to. In fact, I should end this post and start writing.
Anything interesting on your to-do list? Feel free to share in the comments.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Jury Duty
When you have to juggle a lot of roles every day, a disruption to your routine can feel like a real curveball. That's how I felt when I got a summons for jury duty. I've been summoned before, but either I no longer lived in the area or didn't get called for standby duty. This time, there was no standby option, and I'd been assigned to a court in the city of Chicago, where I don't drive. Fortunately, a friend was able to pick my son up after school, and I was able to use the Metra train and Uber to get to the courthouse.
After waiting to go through the metal detector, I had to wait in line while being checked into the jury assembly room and assigned a group number. There were several tables for people to work. I'd brought my netbook, Kindle, and a paper book with me, planning to write after going through the first draft of Dryads to Discover. But soon after the orientation video ended, my group number was called. We had to line up, put on special stickers, and proceed to a courtroom in another part of the building. Actually, we had to wait in the hallway outside for about an hour due to a delay. During this time, the first group of names of potential jurors was picked. When we finally filed into the courtroom, it was almost noon. The first group of jurors had to sit in the jury box while the judge read out some initial instructions. Then we got a lunch break, though it was a little difficult figuring out where the cafeteria was.
When we finally reconvened, the judge spent a couple of hours interviewing each potential juror. It was interesting listening to everyone's stories. In particular, I noticed very few people identified themselves as belonging to a group. I was surprised by how many people were dismissed after this round. The judge went through two more rounds of picking names and questioning people. I was called in the second group. I hoped I'd be considered too eccentric, but I wound up being chosen as an alternate juror. That meant I had to stay and listen to the trial itself, but unless a couple of the regular jurors didn't show up, I wouldn't take part in the delibrations.
To protect the defendant's privacy, I'm not going to list names or describe publicly what the case was about. It felt like the actual trial itself was shorter than the jury selection process. However, since it was late afternoon by the time jury selection was over, the trial extended to another day. Four people, including the defendant, testified. We were also show video recordings as official evidence. We got a fairly late start the next day, but despite breaking for lunch, closing arguments were done by mid-afternoon. When the rest of the jurors returned to the deliberation room, the other alternate and I waited for the judge in his chambers. There, we received a check and a certificate before being escorted out of the building. The first day went so late that I didn't get back home until close to 8:00 p.m., but the second day, I returned around 5:00 pm.
Other details worth noting: we were instructed not to discuss the trial with anyone until it was over. Once we were assigned to the jury, we had to report to the jury room, and we were escorted in and out of there. There were bathrooms attached, and we were provided food and drinks (but not tea). All the bathrooms in this old courthouse had only one stall, which was quite annoying when other people were waiting. Jurors were allowed to bring cell phones with them (everyone else had to surrender them when entering the courthouse), but they were locked up during the delibrations.
I was allowed to call back to find out what the jury result was. It turned out that they reached the same decision I had, though the group took three hours to decide. Part of me would have liked to have participated in the discussion; perhaps I could have helped the group come to a consensus more quickly. I did appreciate getting home sooner, though.
Has anyone else been a juror for a trial? If so, what did you think of the experience?
After waiting to go through the metal detector, I had to wait in line while being checked into the jury assembly room and assigned a group number. There were several tables for people to work. I'd brought my netbook, Kindle, and a paper book with me, planning to write after going through the first draft of Dryads to Discover. But soon after the orientation video ended, my group number was called. We had to line up, put on special stickers, and proceed to a courtroom in another part of the building. Actually, we had to wait in the hallway outside for about an hour due to a delay. During this time, the first group of names of potential jurors was picked. When we finally filed into the courtroom, it was almost noon. The first group of jurors had to sit in the jury box while the judge read out some initial instructions. Then we got a lunch break, though it was a little difficult figuring out where the cafeteria was.
When we finally reconvened, the judge spent a couple of hours interviewing each potential juror. It was interesting listening to everyone's stories. In particular, I noticed very few people identified themselves as belonging to a group. I was surprised by how many people were dismissed after this round. The judge went through two more rounds of picking names and questioning people. I was called in the second group. I hoped I'd be considered too eccentric, but I wound up being chosen as an alternate juror. That meant I had to stay and listen to the trial itself, but unless a couple of the regular jurors didn't show up, I wouldn't take part in the delibrations.
To protect the defendant's privacy, I'm not going to list names or describe publicly what the case was about. It felt like the actual trial itself was shorter than the jury selection process. However, since it was late afternoon by the time jury selection was over, the trial extended to another day. Four people, including the defendant, testified. We were also show video recordings as official evidence. We got a fairly late start the next day, but despite breaking for lunch, closing arguments were done by mid-afternoon. When the rest of the jurors returned to the deliberation room, the other alternate and I waited for the judge in his chambers. There, we received a check and a certificate before being escorted out of the building. The first day went so late that I didn't get back home until close to 8:00 p.m., but the second day, I returned around 5:00 pm.
Other details worth noting: we were instructed not to discuss the trial with anyone until it was over. Once we were assigned to the jury, we had to report to the jury room, and we were escorted in and out of there. There were bathrooms attached, and we were provided food and drinks (but not tea). All the bathrooms in this old courthouse had only one stall, which was quite annoying when other people were waiting. Jurors were allowed to bring cell phones with them (everyone else had to surrender them when entering the courthouse), but they were locked up during the delibrations.
I was allowed to call back to find out what the jury result was. It turned out that they reached the same decision I had, though the group took three hours to decide. Part of me would have liked to have participated in the discussion; perhaps I could have helped the group come to a consensus more quickly. I did appreciate getting home sooner, though.
Has anyone else been a juror for a trial? If so, what did you think of the experience?
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Winters Cover Reveal and Preorders!
I have news so exciting that it can't wait until next Wednesday. Today is the cover reveal for Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Winters. Here it is!
Barnes & Noble ebook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/glass-and-gardens-wendy-nikel/1133945334;jsessionid=1C9D64CAD685A99538A0DCBC6CE00FD3.prodny_store02-atgap08?ean=2940156531141
B&N paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/glass-and-gardens-sarena-ulibarri/1133980680?ean=9781732254688
Apple iBookstore: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1482306460
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/glass-and-gardens-solarpunk-winters
World Weaver Press: https://www.worldweaverpress.com/store/p169/Glass_and_Gardens%3A_Solarpunk_Winters.html
The anthology will be released on January 7, 2020. You can preorder the eBook for only $0.99. The paperback will be available for $15.95, but if you order it directly from World Weaver Press, it's only $13.95. You'll also be able to get it in December. Here are the buy links:
Amazon ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YW6HZQR
Amazon paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Gardens-Solarpunk-Wendy-Nikel/dp/1732254680Barnes & Noble ebook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/glass-and-gardens-wendy-nikel/1133945334;jsessionid=1C9D64CAD685A99538A0DCBC6CE00FD3.prodny_store02-atgap08?ean=2940156531141
B&N paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/glass-and-gardens-sarena-ulibarri/1133980680?ean=9781732254688
Apple iBookstore: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1482306460
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/glass-and-gardens-solarpunk-winters
World Weaver Press: https://www.worldweaverpress.com/store/p169/Glass_and_Gardens%3A_Solarpunk_Winters.html
Wednesday, October 09, 2019
Fantastic Trees and Where to Find Them
Since my work-in-progress is about dryads, naturally I have to research trees. In particular, I've been looking up extreme trees, such as very old or very big ones. Here are some of the most interesting ones I've found, though I won't tell you how they affect the story:
Thimmamma Marrimanu is a banyan tree over five hundred years old and spread out over almost five acres. It's found in India.
The redwood trees along the coast of California and Oregon can reach nearly 380 feet in height. They can live over a thousand years.
Baobab trees in Africa can also live a long time, up to fifteen hundred years. They bloom for a single night, and their root systems are taller than the part of the tree above ground.
I plan to introduce trees from other continents as well, but I'm still researching them.
Have you seen any of these trees in person? Do you have a favorite type of tree? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Thimmamma Marrimanu is a banyan tree over five hundred years old and spread out over almost five acres. It's found in India.
The redwood trees along the coast of California and Oregon can reach nearly 380 feet in height. They can live over a thousand years.
Baobab trees in Africa can also live a long time, up to fifteen hundred years. They bloom for a single night, and their root systems are taller than the part of the tree above ground.
I plan to introduce trees from other continents as well, but I'm still researching them.
Have you seen any of these trees in person? Do you have a favorite type of tree? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Wednesday, October 02, 2019
IWSG: Reading and Writing
Our hosts this month are Ronel Janes Vuuren, Mary Aalgaard, Madeline Mora-Summonte, and Ellen@The Cynical Sailor.
Here's our question for the month: It's been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing if you don't enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?
How important do you think it is for a writer to be a reader? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Ysabel, Avatar of Fall
Ysabel is the daughter of a Challen musician (who used to be a Fallswoman, dedicated to the Challen Goddess of Fall) and a Selathen merchant. Like all Season Avatars, she was born on the first day of fall (in Challen, only Season Avatars are ever born on the first day of a season), but her birthdate was falsified in the official records. The country of Selath was devastated by magic eight hundred years ago (during the time of Seasons' Beginnings) forcing Selathens to flee their country. They still hate magic, which was why Ysabel's mother had to hide her daughter's identity. Ysabel hopes that over time, she will be able to reconcile her people to magic.
As the Avatar of Fall, Ysabel has animal magic. She can bond with all native Challen animals, heal them, and command them to some extent (depending on the type of animal). She has an anilink, an intelligent magical animal companion with whom she can communicate telepathically. Her anilink senses when magical weather storms occur anywhere in Challen so Ysabel and her sister Season Avatars can set the land to rights.
Like her mother, Ysabel has musical talent and plays the piano very well. She's also the most maternally inclined of the Season Avatars, having helped look after her younger siblings. If anything, Ysabel's greatest fault is being too kind. She hates having to euthanize badly injured animals or allowing one to die to feed another. She can also be too trusting of people. To see how she handles the challenges of animals who don't heed her or relatives who are jealous of her, read her story. However, since her book is fourth in the series, I recommend reading the prequel Season's Beginnings, which also provides more details about her long relationship with Kron. The next two books in the series are Scattered Seasons and Chaos Season.
Is there anything else you'd like to know about Ysabel? Feel free to ask in the comments.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Dear Writer, You Need to Quit
Are you looking for a "magic bullet" or a guaranteed "ten-step program for success"? If you are, then Dear Writer, You Need to Quit by Becca Syme is not for you. Instead, Syme, an author turned coach, wants to change your mind-set. She doesn't want you to quit writing; instead, she wants to help you quit bad habits that hinder your work.
According to Syme, your productivity can be affected by minor things, even what you do the first thing in the morning. (Spoiler alert: checking e-mail or social media can send you on a chase that can hamper your productivity.) However, being productive doesn't necessarily mean you have to write a book every month. Some authors may be able to manage that, but others need more time to process their stories. Some authors may plan their stories in advance, while others discover it as they write. However, attempting to imitate another author's work methods doesn't guarantee success for you. To put things into perspective, Syme reminds us that there are more than seven million books on Amazon, and the vast majority of them don't get good sales. Even a skilled author needs luck for success.
What should you be looking for when you pick up this book? Uncomfortable truths that can help you grow. So put away the phone (or at least turn off the internet) and check it out.
According to Syme, your productivity can be affected by minor things, even what you do the first thing in the morning. (Spoiler alert: checking e-mail or social media can send you on a chase that can hamper your productivity.) However, being productive doesn't necessarily mean you have to write a book every month. Some authors may be able to manage that, but others need more time to process their stories. Some authors may plan their stories in advance, while others discover it as they write. However, attempting to imitate another author's work methods doesn't guarantee success for you. To put things into perspective, Syme reminds us that there are more than seven million books on Amazon, and the vast majority of them don't get good sales. Even a skilled author needs luck for success.
What should you be looking for when you pick up this book? Uncomfortable truths that can help you grow. So put away the phone (or at least turn off the internet) and check it out.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
The Storytelling Animal
We authors might like to think our drive to tell stories makes us special. However, humans have been obsessed with telling stories for thousands of years, and this characteristic has shaped our evolution. Jonathan Gottshall discusses this topic in his book The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human.
Make-believe is an essential part of a young child's development. It's a way of practicing social and problem-solving skills. However, we continue making up stories our entire lives, and they're not always wish-fulfillment fantasies. Our nighttime dreams are more often nightmares instead of pleasant vacations. Stories can bring groups together and establish social norms. On an individual level, our memories aren't exact, but fictional recreations. Even our self-images are fictional versions of ourselves where we're always better than average and the hero of our own stories. People suffering from depression have more realistic images of themselves, but in this book, that's a sign of how important storytelling is to our mental health.
Storytelling has taking many forms during human history. We no longer depend on oral storytelling for our fix. We consume stories through books, video, and games. Even if reading fiction becomes a lost art, we will find ways to tell new stories.
In my Season Avatars series, there's a Goddess who calls Herself the Grandmother of Stories. Although She originated in a quasi-Polynesian culture, She is aware of events happening in other parts of the world. She uses her understanding of human and divine nature to protect Her chosen people and uses storytellers as Her Avatars. Even deities from other cultures respect Her.
Do your own stories reflect the power of human storytelling? If so, how? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Make-believe is an essential part of a young child's development. It's a way of practicing social and problem-solving skills. However, we continue making up stories our entire lives, and they're not always wish-fulfillment fantasies. Our nighttime dreams are more often nightmares instead of pleasant vacations. Stories can bring groups together and establish social norms. On an individual level, our memories aren't exact, but fictional recreations. Even our self-images are fictional versions of ourselves where we're always better than average and the hero of our own stories. People suffering from depression have more realistic images of themselves, but in this book, that's a sign of how important storytelling is to our mental health.
Storytelling has taking many forms during human history. We no longer depend on oral storytelling for our fix. We consume stories through books, video, and games. Even if reading fiction becomes a lost art, we will find ways to tell new stories.
In my Season Avatars series, there's a Goddess who calls Herself the Grandmother of Stories. Although She originated in a quasi-Polynesian culture, She is aware of events happening in other parts of the world. She uses her understanding of human and divine nature to protect Her chosen people and uses storytellers as Her Avatars. Even deities from other cultures respect Her.
Do your own stories reflect the power of human storytelling? If so, how? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Wednesday, September 04, 2019
IWSG: A Coffeehouse of One's Own
Thanks to Gwen Gardner, Doreen McGettigan, Tyrean Martison, Chemist Ken, and Cathrina Constantine for co-hosting this month. The question we're supposed to discuss is If you could pick one place in the world to sit and write your next story, where would it be and why?
Since I'm focused on my current project (working title is Dryad in Doubt, the second book in an urban fantasy trilogy, about 27,500 words long as I write this post), I'm going to use this story for my answer. The heroine of this series is a dryad who lives at the top of Bascom Hill on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus (see picture below for Victoria's tree):My first thought was to write either on the steps of Bascom Hall (the building in the picture) for inspiration or to write in Memorial Union on campus to be on location. The first floor of the union can be noisy, however, and the steps would be uncomfortable. So I'm going to go with my favorite coffee house in Madison: Michelangelo's Coffee House. Although the address is on State Street, they have a back room and back entrance very close to the Concourse Hotel, where WisCon is held. (Yes, I miss not having gone the last couple of years. Maybe next year or 2021.) I've attended readings at Michelangelo's. They not only carry a good selection of tea but also have good vegetarian meals and desserts. I could find a quiet corner to write in and keep myself fortified during the process. When I need a break, I can wander around Madison and scout out scene locations. A shame I don't live in Madison. Anyone want to contribute to a GoFundMe so I can live in Madison until I finish this series? That might make school drop-off and pickup a little inconvenient, so I guess I'll have to write at home and at work (on my lunch hour) instead.
Where do you like to write? Do you have an ideal writing location? Feel free to share it in the comments.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Saving Story Ideas
While I was cleaning my office last week, I came upon a trove of sticky notes full of story ideas, haiku, and other odd thoughts. Many of them I'd forgotten about. Some of these notes are for current series, while others are for story ideas that I haven't done anything with. I've been trying to declutter, so instead of keeping them, I transcribed them into a Word document. I have a bunch more to finish. I suppose there are plenty of apps people can use instead for capturing thoughts on the go. Perhaps when I upgrade my phone to one with more memory, I might be able to use of of them. In the meantime, here's an old haiku on one of those sticky notes that fits the topic:
So many boxes.
Things I used enough to save
Now they’re forgotten.
How do you organize your story notes? Do you keep them on paper or in electronic form? Feel free to share in the comments.
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