Much longer post incoming... but, no I have not been in the Caribbean snorkeling these past 5 months.
I now find myself involved in three things, outside of my busy family life and my writing hobby.
* Co-founding a startup
* Helping out the good folks at M13
* Producing RHS Jamboree '2026
so how did I get here?
well thats the longer post.
Hello friends, autumn has arrived. As you may recall, I had planned to take the summer to scratch some creative itches before heading back into the workforce. I am pleased to announce that those itches still need scratching. I have a few story ideas in their infancy, and although I have felt a bit stuck over the last month or two, I am getting motivated to write again. Fingers crossed.
I can also share the story I entered in part 2 of the NYC Midnight 1000-word challenge. The prompt was Romance, Mountain Stream, and a Thorn. The Legend of the Fire Lily. Reading it now, there are so many things I would change, but aint that the way it works?
I have also been reading (and listening to audiobooks) more than normal (where normal = not at all). This has been both inspirational and demotivating, as it is obvious I have a lot of work to do to raise my game and find my voice.
First, two re-reads. Let's get those out of the way (though they were not what I read first, actually, but that hardly matters).
I decided to give the Amazon audiobook a try. I originally read the book in high school, but I felt that as I pursue my SF journey this year, I would give it a re-read. I gotta say I did not love the audiobook. They over-dramatized the story. I want to go back and look at the original text again, as there were sections that just did not work for me, and I am curious if that was how the book flowed. Anyway, irrespective of the delivery of the story, man, it is depressing.
Also a book I had read previously but mainly had forgotten. I had recently given a copy to my sister, so I decided to re-read it so we could talk about it. Anyway, after getting through it a second time, I remembered how I felt the first time. I really like the first 2/3 of the book, and don't like the last third at all. I am going to take this off the recommended list. Sorry Arthur. Even if I were to buy into the ending's premise and/or treat it as an allegory about parent's relationship with their children (which I dont), I think the execution is laborious at best.
Ok, on to the new stuff (for me).
I first learned of Kate through the #vss365 challenges. She has two characters who show up every day to entertain. This book is her first novel and tells the backstory of these characters. I had the privilege of getting an early copy from Kate. It's a fun little romp about pixies and the mischief they can get into. Recommended for folks that like that world (pixes, ...) and want to support a new author.
Banks has written 10 "Culture" novels. These are SF stories, where one of the races/societies is called The Culture. This is the first of the 10 that we wrote. It is also the only one I have read. Booktube is split on whether to read them in published order or start with some of the others that introduce you to The Culture in, perhaps, more accessible ways. Anyway, I liked the world-building quite a bit, but I think the book had too many "side quests" that were not necessary and really bogged the story down; or alternatively, those side quests maybe were required, as they introduced ideas, but the ideas were then not incorporated into the ending of the book. The ending also really felt rushed and unsatisfying. And the afterword amplified that feeling. I will give The Culture one more shot, maybe Player of Games, but not anytime soon.
I very much enjoyed this novel. It has an interesting premise, good pacing, and good characters. I especially like the progressive disclosure approach. The authors don't explain things to the reader that the protagonist clearly already knows; they slowly fill in the details over time. And things that the protagonist never knows—well, they are still mysteries to you, too. I also enjoyed the afterward, where they talked about the challenges of publishing stories in the Soviet Union.
I really enjoyed this novella and can not recommend it enough. We listened to it in the car (but also had a copy of the book to thumb back over). The audiobook is excellent, and the reader's style adds spunk to a protagonist who is already overflowing with charm. I knew nothing about the story or the author ahead of time, which made it all the more rewarding. I am definitely seeking out her other works.
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I have just started reading Children of Time. I'll let you know how it goes later this year.
A lot happened in July.
Well, my submission to the NYC Midnight 100-word story competition was not in the top 5 for my group, so I will not be advancing in this challenge.
I was tasked with writing a Historical Fiction story that included "sunbathing" and the word "edge." You can read it here: The Summer of 41
Although I did not advance, I did receive some AMAZING feedback from three judges (mostly suggestions on improving the last line). Anyway, I am very happy I participated and will definitely try again next time.
Next up is round two of the 1000-word challenge later in July.
I should hear about that first NYC Midnight 100-word story TOMORROW. The suspense is killing me.
In celebration, I whipped up my first 100-word Suspense story.
Yippee!
48 hours and 1000 words is pretty interesting. I got the prompt (genre, location, object) at midnight (friday night/saturday AM). noodled it for maybe 20 minutes--nothing felt good--and went to sleep, hoping my background brain would get to work. Saturday morning I fussed around with a few ideas in my head, but still mostly hemming and hawing. As I was on the clock, I forced myself to think through a basic plot and characters, expecting to hate it. But I knew that until I wrote the first story I would not be able to write the second, hopefully proper, one. And so I labored through a story for a few hours, trying not to re-write too much along the way. I then handed it off to my three beta readers, only one of whom knew it was coming. I set it down, grabbed some dinner, thought about making some edits but was really pretty drained. So, I loaded up brain with all the things I did not like about the first story, and the few things I did like. I then went to bed.
I got some feedback back from my first reader, and from my background brain, and did a major revision. I started with a clean sheet of paper and basically wrote the same story again, but cutting out the parts I did not like from before, and adding more detail to the bits I liked.
Sent it back out. And too my surprise I got mixed results! One person liked the first story much better, and someone else the second one. Oh dear.
But this was a blessing, actually. Each version had a good part, and a bad part. I was able then to make a third version of the story, now much more focused on the bits that were working for my early readers.
I then showed it to my daughter (she had been out all day), and she liked it. She also pointed out one last sentence that was a little odd. Fixed that up, and submitted it.
I highly recommend people doing these challenges; they are fun and make you stretch your brain.
Ok, I am registered for NYC Midnight/1K word challenge, which starts on May 31. So good heavens, I better start writing again.
Fortunately, I am heading up to our cabin (see picture upper right on blog) this weekend and should have some quiet time and, hopefully, inspiration. I have started two different stories this past week, but I am still stuck in the gate with both of them. Neil Gaiman says you have to finish things. Fingers crossed.
I am also committing to reading more. I am currently half-way through Huck Finn, which is obviously amazing. I just picked up four books printed on actual paper, which I hope to tackle this summer: Siddhartha, Roadside Picnic, Children of Time, and A Fire Upon the Deep. I also ordered Consider Phlebas, which should arrive tomorrow. Based on my reading speed, this will be very ambitious, and maybe a more realistic EOY goal.
If anyone wants to do a read along on any of these, let me know!
On the game dev front I have been experimenting in Unity (as opposed to following a course), and trying out a number of packages from the asset store. I am gaining confidence and despair at the same time. Everything is easy and hard at the same time. And I am not artistic! (though I do have a very skilled daughter I will deploy once her school year wraps up :-))
peace, greg
