Burn Out & Recovery

It's been some time since my last blog post. Work and life have consumed my time and while I always mean to come back here, it's never been a priority. Gonna change that.

I hit a wall in December after NaNoWriMo. Burned out. Disinterested in my big novel project. Zero passion in writing. There was a real struggle to get any words written for two months. I could blame the holidays and work, but it boils down to me in the end. The past couple of years I've been focused on short stories and this novel is a whole different beast. A demanding, needy beast that consumes everything. Add in a self-imposed deadline, mix, and watch it implode. By the end of the month I'd let it go, writing when the mood struck and poking with disinterest at other projects.

March got me back into the writing mood, letting me finish two short stories and do a revision to the third. So far I've gotten one acceptance and one rejection with the other third at the beta readers. Feeling much better about things, my head's in a good place and things are rolling along.

I finished the first draft of the novel and it needs a lot of help to be honest. Too many characters, lacking in focus on the central conflict, and there's no single "face" to the enemy. Lots of minions, but no boss or lieutenant to chew up scenery or truly menace the protagonist. I'm diving back into prose and starting to restructure the first chapter. I know who the enemy's stooge is and can plan around that fact. Plus I get to use more of the side-story idea to show what's going on behind the scenes. The cast is down to a handful now and been shuffled around so it makes sense why certain events happen. And tension. If there's one thing that comes back time and again from the beta readers is that I need to racket up the tension. So I did. The protagonist has to deal with two issues of a very personal nature.

On a non-writing related note, I've been impressed with Jurassic World, Avengers 2,Inside Out, and Mad Max: Fury Road. Looking forward to seeing Ant-Man, the new Stars Wars movie, Minions, Terminator Genisys, & the Fantastic Four reboot. Been quite a good year for movies and hoping that 2016 is just as good. I did see that we'll have to wait until 2018 for the Godzilla sequel from Legendary, but there's Pacific Rim 2 & a Japanese Godzilla in the meantime to fill the Kaiju / Giant Robot need.

THE SAGA OF DRAGONS

I've been focusing on my novel for the past two months to the exclusion of everything else. Feeling a bit burned out which shows in my struggles to write the past month. Today, I took a break and followed a path down a different road. I'm drawing on a lot of different sources in this bit of world building. One of the small press is rumored of having a call about dragons in the future and this could be leveraged into a short story or three. Pardon any spelling, rambles, etc... this is alpha draft material.

THE UR DRAGON

In the beginning there was only the Ur-Dragon. It waited and watched in the void. For what, it knew not, but did so all the same. Then came the soft ones, springing from the primal mass, oddly bent and not of the world. They fled to the far realms, finding comfort in remote places.

And still the Ur-Dragon waited and watched.

Then came the broken ones. Crawling and capering and writhing across the myriad dimensions. They called and cried and screamed as they tore and fought with one another. Tiring with the same sport, they fled to the darker spots, hiding away from the far realms and those strange denizens.

And still the Ur-Dragon waited and watched.

From the motes of light came the small gods, testing their strength and wits against the endless sea of nothing. They grew larger and took on forms both new and old. Newer gods came as the older ones faded or died, each generation different. Then they created the world.

And the Ur-Dragon stirred with interest for this was something new.

Upon this world they Gods sought to bring about smaller life, but lacked something to anchor it to the void. They fretted and cried and quarreled, while the Ur-Dragon gazed upon their work and saw the flaw.

“Little gods,” it spoke, “I will help you with your world, but I request a favor.”

His words caused the gods to quake for they knew not the source and stood in awe at the ancient being. “How can you help?”

“I will give you my body to build your world and it shall make it complete. All I request is that you allow my children to live upon the world without care.”

“If you can do this, then we agree,” they said after a great discussion.

“So it is agreed, so it shall be.” And the Ur-Dragon tore his body in two. From his blood and entrails sprang Tiamat and Baphomat. The Primal Dragons. They carried a fraction of their progenitors knowledge, knowing only the bargain and that the world came forth at its sacrifice. Thus, the gods claimed the land and air and water for their own and honored the Ur-Dragon's children.

The siblings traveled across the land and space, finding new things and celebrating life. Children sprang forth from, taking to whatever and wherever they felt. Many ignored the gods, considering them unimportant as they carved domains along side the mortal creations.

Wars broke out across creation as the Gods quarreled with each other, the Broken Ones, and the Soft Ones. Amid this, the dragons carried on, for their mandate came from an older power and none could gainsay them. In time, others sought their aid, turning to the Eldest for support. Good and evil sent emissaries to tip the balance in their favor.

Thus came the Sundering and the Plague of Dragons.

Walks-Brightly-In-The-Stars curried favor with Baphomat, enticing the male with stories of glory and being the first amid equals. Tekcgreljw'Gtkeial'tkeann or The Clever One spent centuries negotiating the favors of the dark realms and kept company with Tiamat, wooing her with words and wits and wiles. Neither could be convinced without support of the other, thus the emissaries were traded.

For all his goodness, Walks-Brightly considered the male form superior and looked down upon the female Eldest. His audience consisted of lectures and words that bordered just on the side of insulting. During one of the debates, Tiamat pointed out the angel was not male, nor female, thus his logic did not follow. To his credit, Walks-Brightly did what no one else had ever done before or since. He slapped the female Eldest.

Religious scholars all agree that Walks-Brightly didn't survive Tiamat's fury, nor did his entourage save a single, lowly Archon that prostrated itself on the floor and begged forgiveness for his master's stupidity. They also agree that Tiamat took off the demi-god's head with a single swipe and devoured it, consigning the immortal to a humiliating demise. What they don't agree upon is the assertion that the Eldest “shat down his neck and threw the body at the feet of demi-god's master.” This question is never asked of dragons, who find the topic amusing and infuriating.

The Clever One took audience with Baphomat engaging in debate and banter to show that not all glory is won by combat. That the brain held more power than any muscle. Thus a series of tricks and japes, culminating in a miscalculation by the demon. It gave the male Eldest a torc of silver, saying that it would enlighten him. Thinking that it was a symbol, Baphomat gave it to a favored servant who donned it. The electrical charge turned the mortal to dust in a flash, while barely tickling the now furious Eldest.

Visitors to the Platinum Citadel walk before a crystal column that encases The Clever One. Still alive after many thousands of years. First time visitors are kept in this room for an hour listening to the weeping of the insane demon as it begs for the occupants to ask the male Eldest for its freedom. An escort will explain the demon's crimes and should he/she be asked. The smart ignore the whispers and focus solely on their business. Those who plead the demon's case find themselves and their companions ejected from the realm with a warning never to come back. In some cases, the corpses are all that are dumped at the borders. Ambassadorial staff run a large betting pool on the chances of survival of first time visitors.

The confrontation between the two in the aftermath rocked the world. The siblings quarreled and bickered and finally fought. Many have sought the domain they shared, but do date none have found it or its ruins. Their conflict left nothing recognizable and even the Gods hid as the pair flattened mountains, diverted rivers, and quite literally remade the world. Too evenly matched, they would've fought to the death except for a congress of dragons asked them to stop. Twelve of the youngest, the newest litter, wept at the sight of their fight and plead for peace.

In that moment, the Eldest paused and looked upon the youngest and the ruins around them. Without another word, the siblings vanished to their private domains where they dwell to this day. Baphomat works on the side of good to bring order to the world, while Taimat supports chaos through the machinations of evil. Thus balance is restored to the world.

Thus ends the saga of the dragons...

But not quite...

The most learned of sages whisper that this is merely a ruse. That, over the millennium, the Eldest reconciled and reforged their bond thanks to the Youngest. Once a century, the pair conceives and births thirteen eggs. Twelve pearlescent globes and a solitary black one are laid in a nest, spending a decade in the care of the Youngest. In time, the twelve are given to other dragons to raise as their own, as the magic of the Eldest makes it so. In the ravings of Esdaur the White is the single passage that reads such:

“A black egg sits in the hollow of the earth, tended by nexus of elements. A century of incubation to birth forth the Primal. The child of the Eldest, not mortal or god or dragon. The dragons will claim the world to restore the promise while heaven and hell burn.”

Dragons scoff at these rumors and openly mock those who demand answers. Persistent inquiries end with a personal visit by a dragon or a flight should it require. More than one powerful priest or mage has found themselves besieged by demonic armies and hosts of angels seeking to silence them before they attract much more dire attention.

These are only musings and even the most learned of sage will deny knowing anything of such rumors.

Fire and Frost Q&A

A look inside the minds of urban fantasy authors of "Under An Enchanted Skyline". We did a round robin on questions and here's the results. A reminder that there's only a week left before the collection disappears. It's a bargain for less then a buck. I'll be following up with links to other questions as they come in.

Some Urban Fantasy stories feature a divide between the people and creatures who use and know magic and the normal everyday humans. Do you think this affects how some characters respond to emergencies?

Doug Blakeslee: In Fire & Frost those that can use magic aren't afraid to rely on it in an emergency, provided there's no witnesses. Fae magic loves illusions, trickery, and subtle misdirection to avoid calling attention to itself. In the case of my protagonist, his usual response is very showy and not at all subtle. He uses it only when there's no witnesses or when someone else has used it first, such as in the climax of the story. That's something comes up when I'm working on stories, just what would normal people do when confronted by magic or something that's decidedly inhuman. Setting up those situations gives a more “realistic” feel to the story.

Jennifer Brozek: People with different skills respond to emergencies in different ways. An EMT will respond with the skills they have while a general office worker with no experience may panic. Those with magic or other supernatural abilities will use them when they are confronted with a crisis. The fun comes out when they must do something out of the ordinary to save a normal person, thus revealing themselves.

Erik Scott de Bie: Lady Vengeance is a little unexpected for someone whose powers are magic-based. You’d think she’d rely on her powers to solve all her problems, but the virtue of nearly thirty years as a superhero is experience with various other techniques, be they computers, diplomacy, or good ol’ bare-knuckled brawling (or frying pan-fu). Her opposite—Stardust—is a technical genius and big science nerd who absolutely hates magic, mostly because he can’t anticipate or grok it. He solves all his problems with science, and magical solutions don’t even occur to him. (That’s cheating!) The tensions and contrasts between my two principals is an important part of the story.

Phoebe Matthew: Weak magic runs through the Mudflat families and results in them covering for each other. The paranormal sunspinners would love to have a little magic. It would make their lives so much easier. Instead all they have is a normal everyday human to cover for them and yes, it affects their behavior. They have added more security devices to their home than ADT ever dreamed of.

Django Wexler: In John Golden, this divide doesn’t really exist – everyone knows about magic, at least a little. It operates on the same level that detailed technical knowledge does in the real world: most people know computers exist, and can use them, but when something goes badly wrong they have to call an expert. In the John Golden world, things going wrong can be a little bit more alarming, but the principle is basically the same.

Janine A. Southard: Everything that we are is reflected in what we do. Imagine a small emergency. For instance, they’re out of your mother’s favorite brand of orange juice when you go to the store for her. Are you the kind of person who calls her (because you know she doesn’t like texting) for other options? Or the kind who just grabs what’s on sale (because you know better than to disturb her)? Perhaps you text your sister, or tweet a request for advice, or skip the orange juice altogether.

With magic at your disposal in this scenario, you’d have a lot more options, and you’d probably be tempted to pick one. Why not transform the Florida’s Natural into Tropicana with your alchemical skills, or teleport to the grocery store on the other side of town? No problem. These sound much better than all of the above.

Cedar Blake: Well, that line’s pretty blurry in Dream Along the Edge. Rachel Cooper, my heroine, has a degree of paranormal ability, although whether that’s an innate part of who she is or whether it comes from her intimate association with her shapeshifting lover Heaven remains deliberately ambiguous. Her roommate Chalice, and the boy-toy Luke, obviously lack such abilities, and their jealousy plays a definite role in the tension between them all. As for emergencies, I think the ghost-net episode reveals just how much Rachel and Heaven have in common. Their abilities allow them to do what they do, and that “emergency” bonds them in ways no other situation could have done.

Fire & Frost - Release Day!

Release Day!!

My novella, "Fire & Frost" has been released in the e-book collection - "Under an Enchanted Skyline", along with seven other urban fantasy tales. This is for a limited time and a great price of $.99, so get it today. You won't be sorry.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/492559

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-an-enchanted-skyline-janine-a-southard/1120736158?ean=2940150328389&itm=1&usri=2940150328389

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/under-an-enchanted-skyline

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PJJ519W

And a review link at Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23550887-under-an-enchanted-skyline

Enjoy!

National Novel Writing Month

    October came and went with a bang. Started a new job with that all important health insurance plus a steady paycheck. Not a glamorous job, but one that’s also not soul sucking. Moved into a more permanent place for the time being and managed to get most of my crap out of the storage. Working full time with the commute does make writing full-time at my leisure not a viable solution. October started out pretty rough and it took some effort to get past the bumps.

    In terms of writing, it’s was a mixed bag of promise, disappointment, and things in between. My novella, Fire & Frost will appear in a collection of urban fantasy stories. E-book only format for the time being, so expect that I’ll be pimping that hard when the time comes. Most of my energy went towards writing my novel, not at the pace I wanted, but I did hit my goals for the most part. 29 out of 31 days involved writing in some manner and I found a good routine in the morning and evening. Submitted two short stories, one of which has been rejected already. Disappointing, but there’s other opportunities that I’m investigating.

    November is National Novel Writing Month. I’m getting back on the horse for the ninth time and shooting for a seventh win. I have a lot of motivation to complete the novel and since it’s more than the 50k word count, I could even get into the books two of the series. I have found myself going back and adding scenes to chapters one and two, while working on chapter three. I've blocked out scenes in chapters four and five that have come to mind in the process. Chapter six is still a blank slate but that will change once I get a feel for how chapter five resolves itself.

    Other than the novel, I've got two short stories in process plus the edits on my Fossil Lake II story. I’m going deep instead of wide for the next few months but expect a few side projects along the way. Feeling good about hitting goals and keeping ahead of the curve in terms of writing this month. Full steam ahead and no looking back.

Counting Stories

    In talking with a friend, I decided to do a quick count on what I've sold in the past 2 years. There's a definite progression which I chalk up to not working and having people push me to do stuff.

    The last half of 2012 saw 2 short story sales ["Madame" & "Perfection"]. Both stories features Henri and his axe, Madame. I've got another story written, but it didn't fit the current assassins call, so it's just waiting for a chance. This year [2014] saw some world building around Henri as I tried to envision his world. Nothing too crazy or serious yet, but I've got a good grip on his setting and that opens up even more stories.

    2013 showed a spike with 6 sales ["Broken Horn", "GRONK!", "The Flowering Princess of Dreams", "The Tamer of Beasts", "The Dank", and "Knife's Edge"] and the birth of my urban fantasy world. Five of the six stories can be tied to this theme. I have many plans for this, some of which have come to fruition in 2014. I'm not racking in the $$'s, but my name's out there and showing a small amount of dividends.

    2014 exploded with 8 confirmed sales. There's a couple of sequels [Attack of the GRONKlings!, Bride of GRONK!, MegaGRONK!], some urban fantasy [The Crew, A Measure of Air, The Handmaiden's Touch], and a few new ones [The Last Hero, Granny's Hood]. I'm really happy about how this year is progressing and I've got six out for calls and three more short stories in process. No rest for the wicked.

    I've been setting goals for myself each month and working to hit them. Last month was to write 500 words a day, every day. That didn't happen, as I failed to write anything on 13 of those days, though my average ended up at 623 words/day. Not terrible, but not every day. That's the key, write every day. This month is down four days due to a pinched nerve in my foot and moving, but the average is up. It's getting that habit down. Every single day. Write.

September, Do you remember?

    A song by Earth, Wind, & Fire from the 70's. It shows up on my Pandora feed from time to time and makes me pause to enjoy the music for a moment. That's my old man moment for the month. This is going to be a short post as I've got things brewing that I can't announce quite yet, but hopefully in the next week or two.

    Last month was a busy one and I came out okay but not fantastic. The last week of the month involved an inflamed tendon that messed with my getting around and made it hard to write. Ended with just over 19k words over 11 stories, about half being started projects that didn't get finished up until September.

    This month saw me finish up "The Handmaiden's Touch", "Oakai", and "Frozen in Stone" for calls leaving two short stories in process. "Broodlings" & a yet unnamed one about Scarecrows. The later is stalled out as I'm not 100% sure where to go with it. Still got six weeks to finish it up, so there's time left.

    I've managed ~14,200 words and I suspect that will swell to close to 30k by the end of the month.