A lovely surprise in the e-mail today. Solstice Publishing, the nice folks who gave me the chance to be a Real Live Author!!!!! have put together a video ad for various spooky titles. I'm delighted to announce that my little story is the third one mentioned! WooT!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKImxSWv6HI&feature=youtu.be
Monday, October 13, 2014
Monday, October 6, 2014
Views
Tinkering away in various worlds of one's own creation can have interesting results. For instance, in thinking about the hows and whys of Edge's world, I have begun to look at 'real life' in a very different way. Instead of just passing through crowds, I now look, really LOOK at people. Each one has a story, a fight they are winning or losing, and a string of experience that trails behind them, leading to just this moment. The mark any one of us leaves, on others, on places, on time, is more than we might imagine. The writer in me is now engaged in the story, the history, and the potential futures all of us are making in this very instant. The breadth of this is staggering and wonderful, and I can't write fast enough to capture more than a small spark of it all.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Dry Spell Dispelled
Wow, what a dry spell THAT was!
After months and months and months of not writing a word, I've finally been able to sit down and work on my next story. And ya know what? IT FEELS GREAT!
I was half afraid I'd lost the thread of the tale completely, but it's still there, and a lot of things that I had half-assed ideas on have come into full bloom. Now, I don't have to worry about Ommers nipping my butt, or Edge giving me 'that look'.
WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
After months and months and months of not writing a word, I've finally been able to sit down and work on my next story. And ya know what? IT FEELS GREAT!
I was half afraid I'd lost the thread of the tale completely, but it's still there, and a lot of things that I had half-assed ideas on have come into full bloom. Now, I don't have to worry about Ommers nipping my butt, or Edge giving me 'that look'.
WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
Saturday, March 22, 2014
My Basket Leaks
All too often, when trying to work on one project, others will begin to jockey for attention. The story I am *supposed* to be writing keeps haring off into other directions, and scenes that don't fit in anywhere crop up at the most inconvenient times. For instance, it is difficult to jot down the really nifty idea when going sixty down the highway. But I manage.
After struggling to stay on-track, I've finally figured out why these odd scenes are flitting in and out, getting in the way of what I intended to write. They are from the NEXT story, which is, apparently, cooking away in my unconscious, and getting all over everything.
With that revelation, which is something of a relief, I can now clatter away at the keyboard, knowing that the stories will come, just not in any sort of order. Good thing I know how to herd cats!
After struggling to stay on-track, I've finally figured out why these odd scenes are flitting in and out, getting in the way of what I intended to write. They are from the NEXT story, which is, apparently, cooking away in my unconscious, and getting all over everything.
With that revelation, which is something of a relief, I can now clatter away at the keyboard, knowing that the stories will come, just not in any sort of order. Good thing I know how to herd cats!
Saturday, March 15, 2014
The Whole Wide Web
I am a creative person. Not only with writing, but with fabric and, occasionally, paint. However, in order to share these things, I find that I must become a marketing professional as well. This does not come naturally to me, as from childhood, I've been the 'invisible' one. Kept my head down, didn't talk much, tried very hard not to be noticed. This worked for me for years, but now, not so much.
So, this blog, a Twitter account, a Facebook page for my writing, and a spot on Goodreads later, I am more public than I've ever been in my life. And it's freaking me out! A little thrilled, too, to be honest. The idea that anyone would actually *want* to inspect my thoughts on this or that is a bit weird, but kinda neat, too. Still, this is the way of the world, and I am no Luddite, so I suppose I'll just have to get used to it. I do rather hope the feeling of 'Wow, people actually read my stuff? Awesome!' never goes away. I'm awaiting my first controversy with a bit of trepidation, though. And trolls. I have a bit of a temper, and just walking away from something that pushes my buttons is not easy.
At any rate, the journey should be interesting, and I thank anyone reading this for coming along on a bit of the trip. If you'd like more of my blather, check these out:
https://twitter.com/CatSerf
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/29644171-kate-McClure
https://www.facebook.com/EdgeWalkerandOmmers?ref=hl
So, this blog, a Twitter account, a Facebook page for my writing, and a spot on Goodreads later, I am more public than I've ever been in my life. And it's freaking me out! A little thrilled, too, to be honest. The idea that anyone would actually *want* to inspect my thoughts on this or that is a bit weird, but kinda neat, too. Still, this is the way of the world, and I am no Luddite, so I suppose I'll just have to get used to it. I do rather hope the feeling of 'Wow, people actually read my stuff? Awesome!' never goes away. I'm awaiting my first controversy with a bit of trepidation, though. And trolls. I have a bit of a temper, and just walking away from something that pushes my buttons is not easy.
At any rate, the journey should be interesting, and I thank anyone reading this for coming along on a bit of the trip. If you'd like more of my blather, check these out:
https://twitter.com/CatSerf
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/29644171-kate-McClure
https://www.facebook.com/EdgeWalkerandOmmers?ref=hl
Friday, March 7, 2014
Minds of Their Own
When one writes strong characters, one should not be surprised if they take the wheel, so to speak, from time to time.
In writing a certain scene for the next book, I had intended for two of my more 'interesting' creations to be, if not enemies, at least extremely suspicious of each other. They, however, had other ideas. It seems that while my back was turned, they became best buddies, and were out carousing together whilst I hammered away at their big 'confrontation' scene.
Rather than fight it, an author is best served by just going with the flow. When one resists the natural direction of the story, one risks making a right hash of things. On a key point like this, specific wording may go through several adjustments, but the main gist of the tale should stay true to what one's muse has given.
Reflecting that I'm not the only one who's characters have gone off on their own directions, I set aside the original idea, and put together some scenes revolving around this new dynamic. I'm sure it will surprise no-one that these second scenes have flowed much more easily than the first.
Jerks.
In writing a certain scene for the next book, I had intended for two of my more 'interesting' creations to be, if not enemies, at least extremely suspicious of each other. They, however, had other ideas. It seems that while my back was turned, they became best buddies, and were out carousing together whilst I hammered away at their big 'confrontation' scene.
Rather than fight it, an author is best served by just going with the flow. When one resists the natural direction of the story, one risks making a right hash of things. On a key point like this, specific wording may go through several adjustments, but the main gist of the tale should stay true to what one's muse has given.
Reflecting that I'm not the only one who's characters have gone off on their own directions, I set aside the original idea, and put together some scenes revolving around this new dynamic. I'm sure it will surprise no-one that these second scenes have flowed much more easily than the first.
Jerks.
Monday, February 17, 2014
People, Places, Things
An interesting side effect of writing is that one begins to look at people in a completely new light. For instance, persons who might have a particular face, or a certain style can easily become templates for characters in one's stories. The old caution 'Watch it, or you'll end up in my novel.' is not without precedent!
Dante, when writing his 'Inferno' tale, used various politicians he didn't like as occupants for the lower regions, and those who wrote in the 1920's, playing off of H.P. Lovecraft's creations, put either their author friend's characters into their own tales. It became quite a thing for your protagonist to appear in someone else's horror story, even if they did die horribly before chapter two.
Those who write historically based tales are commonly putting figures from the past into their writings, many times 'filling in the blanks' as to what said persons might have been doing, when we do not have specific information on what that might have been. The movie 'The Raven' does such with Edgar Allen Poe, depicting him in a way that may not be too terribly far from the truth. The mysteries of history are ever up for grabs when writing.
An even bigger world opens up when one writes fantasy. There, the question 'what if' comes into play, and the plot can take off in any direction one can imagine. As I was world-building for Edge Walker, I thought for a long time why his world had certain differences than the one I live in. Subscribing to the theory of Infinite Earths, I decided that his broke off from ours when 'his' Alexander the Great did not die on the Indian campaign, but survived to created a stable dynasty.
As I've found out, selecting that one point of departure is only the beginning. Like dominoes, one change leads to another to another to another.....and each needs to be logically included in the background of the world one has built. For instance, since I've chosen to change the history of Ancient Greece, would Rome ever rise to be the powerhouse it was in our timeline? What of religion? The various wars, science, women's rights, slavery, and so on? While I may not deal with these issues directly in my stories, they do need to have at least a bare-bones framework. Otherwise, if I *do* run into something that needs to be said on these subjects, I run the risk of contradicting part of my own creations.
While these things may keep one up at night, fretting about consistency, they also open up avenues of research that the author may never have considered before. This, in turn, opens up new possibilities for story arcs, which can lead to even more discoveries. It may seem like a vicious cycle, but as one who loves to 'run and find out', I couldn't be happier with the way things are turning out.
See you at the library!
Dante, when writing his 'Inferno' tale, used various politicians he didn't like as occupants for the lower regions, and those who wrote in the 1920's, playing off of H.P. Lovecraft's creations, put either their author friend's characters into their own tales. It became quite a thing for your protagonist to appear in someone else's horror story, even if they did die horribly before chapter two.
Those who write historically based tales are commonly putting figures from the past into their writings, many times 'filling in the blanks' as to what said persons might have been doing, when we do not have specific information on what that might have been. The movie 'The Raven' does such with Edgar Allen Poe, depicting him in a way that may not be too terribly far from the truth. The mysteries of history are ever up for grabs when writing.
An even bigger world opens up when one writes fantasy. There, the question 'what if' comes into play, and the plot can take off in any direction one can imagine. As I was world-building for Edge Walker, I thought for a long time why his world had certain differences than the one I live in. Subscribing to the theory of Infinite Earths, I decided that his broke off from ours when 'his' Alexander the Great did not die on the Indian campaign, but survived to created a stable dynasty.
As I've found out, selecting that one point of departure is only the beginning. Like dominoes, one change leads to another to another to another.....and each needs to be logically included in the background of the world one has built. For instance, since I've chosen to change the history of Ancient Greece, would Rome ever rise to be the powerhouse it was in our timeline? What of religion? The various wars, science, women's rights, slavery, and so on? While I may not deal with these issues directly in my stories, they do need to have at least a bare-bones framework. Otherwise, if I *do* run into something that needs to be said on these subjects, I run the risk of contradicting part of my own creations.
While these things may keep one up at night, fretting about consistency, they also open up avenues of research that the author may never have considered before. This, in turn, opens up new possibilities for story arcs, which can lead to even more discoveries. It may seem like a vicious cycle, but as one who loves to 'run and find out', I couldn't be happier with the way things are turning out.
See you at the library!
Monday, February 3, 2014
O.C.Squirrel!
I have a confession to make.
I am not a very good writer.
Oh, maybe some of my little scribbles will amuse, but as a dedicated professional, well, I suck. A successful writer sits down every day and hammers on their story, whether they 'feel' it or not. That is the way those long, beautiful works get done. But me? I tend to get distracted by shiny things, and am very lazy when it comes to actually sitting down and working.
It really is a sore point I have with myself, and one which needs a lot of work. But where to start? I have several stories for the Edge Walker universe inside, and I do want to share them, but why is it so hard for me to just sit down and start? That, my friends, is the issue!
Part of me is very judgmental when it comes to whatever I set my hand to create, be it a story, a drawing, a costume or what-have-you. Somehow, if this bit could be turned off, I think it would be much easier to just create, without worry that my inner editor would scoff at the results. Finding that off-switch isn't easy, though, so I guess I'll just have to set my jaw and muddle through.
That's a bit of why I started this blog. If I can make myself write here, I should be more easily able to write anywhere.
Right?
I am not a very good writer.
Oh, maybe some of my little scribbles will amuse, but as a dedicated professional, well, I suck. A successful writer sits down every day and hammers on their story, whether they 'feel' it or not. That is the way those long, beautiful works get done. But me? I tend to get distracted by shiny things, and am very lazy when it comes to actually sitting down and working.
It really is a sore point I have with myself, and one which needs a lot of work. But where to start? I have several stories for the Edge Walker universe inside, and I do want to share them, but why is it so hard for me to just sit down and start? That, my friends, is the issue!
Part of me is very judgmental when it comes to whatever I set my hand to create, be it a story, a drawing, a costume or what-have-you. Somehow, if this bit could be turned off, I think it would be much easier to just create, without worry that my inner editor would scoff at the results. Finding that off-switch isn't easy, though, so I guess I'll just have to set my jaw and muddle through.
That's a bit of why I started this blog. If I can make myself write here, I should be more easily able to write anywhere.
Right?
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Building Blocks
*Takes a Deep Breath*
My first foray into the land of Blog.
*Looks Around*
A little bare in here, but then, I suppose I can do something about that.
The question is, why are you here, reading this text?
Hopefully, you're looking for a little background information on my little story, Edge Walker and the Orb of Death. Yes, there is background, and a lot of it will never be in the stories to come, per se. It is, however, the bedrock upon which all the stories are being built. You see, for a fictional world to make any sense, there has to be a guiding set of rules, inside which the author creates the action. For instance, Edge's world has physics that allows low-level magic to be commonplace. Things like cantrips to keep the milk from spoiling, to prevent your tires from going flat, and to find your keys when the gremlins swipe them, that sort of thing. (Yes, there are gremlins. I'll get to that in a later post.)
The law in this world takes common magics into consideration, and sets limits on what is and is not acceptable. If you put a little cantrip on your watch to make sure you never lose it, fine. If you put a cantrip on a watch at the jewelry store, so that it comes to you without your paying for it first, not so fine. As for big magic, well, this is not so common. It takes a lot of power to fuel, for one, and most of that power comes from places one would be better off not knowing about anyway. As shone with the Orb of Death, items that channel energy on high levels can be pretty dang dangerous!
Edge, being native to all this, takes it pretty much in stride. He's used to having to go to the DMV, not only to get his driving license and tabs renewed, but also to renew various protections on his vehicle. The city, state and federal government offices handle protective charms for everything from your house to your business to your retirement. Not saying they always work like you want them to, but the law in this world says you've got to have them, rather like having insurance. Most of it is pretty routine, though getting tags for Ommers is a bit of a hassle. The city does not have a checkbox for chupacabras, but it does have one for 'other'.
Well, that's a little background for you. Let me know if you have questions. I look forward to 'hearing' from y'all!
My first foray into the land of Blog.
*Looks Around*
A little bare in here, but then, I suppose I can do something about that.
The question is, why are you here, reading this text?
Hopefully, you're looking for a little background information on my little story, Edge Walker and the Orb of Death. Yes, there is background, and a lot of it will never be in the stories to come, per se. It is, however, the bedrock upon which all the stories are being built. You see, for a fictional world to make any sense, there has to be a guiding set of rules, inside which the author creates the action. For instance, Edge's world has physics that allows low-level magic to be commonplace. Things like cantrips to keep the milk from spoiling, to prevent your tires from going flat, and to find your keys when the gremlins swipe them, that sort of thing. (Yes, there are gremlins. I'll get to that in a later post.)
The law in this world takes common magics into consideration, and sets limits on what is and is not acceptable. If you put a little cantrip on your watch to make sure you never lose it, fine. If you put a cantrip on a watch at the jewelry store, so that it comes to you without your paying for it first, not so fine. As for big magic, well, this is not so common. It takes a lot of power to fuel, for one, and most of that power comes from places one would be better off not knowing about anyway. As shone with the Orb of Death, items that channel energy on high levels can be pretty dang dangerous!
Edge, being native to all this, takes it pretty much in stride. He's used to having to go to the DMV, not only to get his driving license and tabs renewed, but also to renew various protections on his vehicle. The city, state and federal government offices handle protective charms for everything from your house to your business to your retirement. Not saying they always work like you want them to, but the law in this world says you've got to have them, rather like having insurance. Most of it is pretty routine, though getting tags for Ommers is a bit of a hassle. The city does not have a checkbox for chupacabras, but it does have one for 'other'.
Well, that's a little background for you. Let me know if you have questions. I look forward to 'hearing' from y'all!
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