“So what are you reading now?” A simple question, yes. And most times, the answer can be summed up in an author’s name or the title of a New York Times Bestseller or a trendy self-help book. Other times, the answer can be very impressive – a list for a book club; a profound, life changing book of faith or personal journeys; a run-through of the classics. All very good answers, deserving of praise and esteem. Quite frequently for me, the answer to the question is, “Nothing.” “Oh,” says the person asking. I quickly feel I must explain. “I’m writing and I can’t read when I’m writing.” "Oh," they say again but something feels diminished or less. It was NOT the answer they were expecting. Not from an author. I’ve often wondered about that. It wasn’t always the case, but then again, I wasn’t always writing. I’ve been an avid reader since I rooted for Sam-I-Am on that accursed train, but truth be told, I wrote my first book in Grade 3, so yeah, writing has been an occupational hazard for some serious decades. And for the longest time, I could handle it, juggling both the input and the output channels with amazing ease. Until one Canadian fantasy author by the name of Guy Gavriel Kay stopped me dead in my tracks and for a rather long time. For many years, I penciled for DC Comics (yes, Batman and Superman. No, I did not draw Batman or Superman. Tragic story best left untold) and I had an idea for a graphic novel. Now graphic novels were a very new media back in the day and this was a perfect concept for the story I wanted to write, but with the visuals I saw in my head. I had full support of my then inking partner and as I began to flesh out this post-apocalyptic series of genetically-engineered lions and tigers and bears, I began to realize that the story was big. Really big. I needed to write it down before I could even begin to tackle the pencils. It was then, as it is now, called TO JOURNEY IN THE YEAR OF THE TIGER. After a few years of stalling, procrastinating and self-doubt (dammit Jim, I'm an artist, not an author), I began to write. Type, actually, on WordPerfect, I think. And I began to get into it, enjoying the creation of worlds with words instead of pencil or brush. Before I knew it, the JOURNEY was 125,000 words and I had taken the characters from Nepal to Afghanistan, killing off most of the red shirts – I mean, leopards – along the way. So, during this time, a large new bookstore had come to our small Northern town. Chapters is similar to the US Barnes & Noble, and one day, as I strolled through the new ‘old-looking’ aisles with the delightfully-large number of titles on their cherry-wood shelves, I saw a cover. Three characters in profile – an intelligent-looking woman in Mediterranean robes, a Spanish-looking fellow with helmet and sword and a blond, rather Roman-looking fellow with an earring and a grin. The title – THE LIONS OF AL-RASSAN by a Canadian author named Guy Gavriel Kay. There were no lions at all mentioned on the back blurb. I was intrigued, bought it and brought it home to dabble with in between writing my novel. I cracked the first page when I got home and read for 14 hours straight. I stayed up on the couch all night, finally finishing at 3:00 in the morning, and crying until 4:00. And that was that. This man, this Guy Gavriel Kay, had written the book I wanted to write. The book I never could write and so, I stopped. I burned TO JOURNEY IN THE YEAR OF THE TIGER onto a floppy disk, put it in a drawer and gave up on my dream of being a writer. I went on to read all of Kay’s works, growing more impressed and enthralled at his world-building, his lyrical prose and his respectful handling of the human pysche. There are no villains in his work, only people with flaws and motivations and hopes and reasons and you find yourself rooting for everyone of them in their own broken, beautiful ways. He has his archetypes, yes and they are remarkably similar to mine. Probably why he resonated so strongly with me. I didn’t need to write, not when Kay was writing for me. Well, you all know that didn’t last forever but you might be surprised when I tell you that it lasted for over ten years. Ten years, JOURNEY sat in a drawer to the point that, when I finally picked it up again, I had to scrounge to find a computer that actually still had a slot for a floppy disk. We don’t need to talk about the fact that WordPerfect was an obsolete program by then, and I had to literally retype all 125,000 words because the manuscript looked like it had been plucked from Alan Turing’s brain. But I did retype it and I did finish it (JOURNEY and WALK were originally one very big book, remember?) but I learned that if I’m investing myself in creating a world, I can’t let myself get invested in another. For me, the stakes are too high and I’m enjoying writing as much as I enjoy reading. Just not at the same time. All this is to say that I’m going to a writer’s conference this May where the guest speaker is none other than Guy Gavriel Kay. Frankly, I’m terrified. What if I freeze up again? I’m beginning preparations for BONES IN THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON and am working with a publisher on COLD STONE & IVY. What happens if I cave and buy his newest book and get all stuck in my head again? Then again, maybe I’ll bring a copy of JOURNEY and give it to him. Who knows? Maybe he’ll get a little stuck this time. That would be okay with me. :)
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This book is a completion of the first in the series To Journey in the Year of the Tiger, which I reviewed on Monday. They must be read in order. Read the review (January 25, 3015) of the first book to have an understanding of the basis of this novel. https://bferrante.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/dickson-h-leighton-to-journey-in-the-year-of-the-tiger-book-review/ In the sequel, Dickson answers the questions raised in the first book and several in the second. All the odd plot twists and turns are pulled together into a gratifying conclusion. In the tradition of Tolkien, Dickson does not give a happily ever after ending but blends joy and tragedy, loss and gain in a believable and satisfying mixture. Readers get to know the travelers on a deeper, more profound level as well as Solomon and the culture he represents. Over the course of the two books, every character changes and grows as a result of their experiences, not always in predictable ways. Although the second book is darker, there are still moments of humor to lighten the read. Dickson puts the main character into a no-win situation. It isn’t as simple as choosing between honor and and love, duty and friendship, Empress and family. The difficulty is in ascertaining what is what and who is who, especially when surrounded by possible traitors and palace intrigue. The book raises some interesting questions about loyalty, racism, love, and duty. Nothing is simple, even for lions. Even though the story could be left at the end book 2, I have purchased book 3 in the series, reluctant to leave this remarkable world. Come back Friday for an interview with the author. A local author, blogger and colleague, Bonnie Ferrante picked up what I'm now calling 'The Cat Books' at the famous Mad Hatter's Tea Party this summer. She said they looked interesting and was always looking for new things to read. She's a bit of a local celebrity, so I was pretty excited but a little bit fearful, if I'm honest. When an author reads your work, you are literally under the literary spotlight of a peer. ALMOST as scary as a Goodreads review.
So far, she's read both TIGER and LION, and from her current review, I think I can sleep well tonight... Dickson, H. Leighton. To Journey in the Year of the Tiger. Book Review, by Bonnie Ferrante "The beautiful cover of this fantasy/science fiction novel is intriguing and embodies the story perfectly. A samurai-like character, with long blonde hair and a lion’s face, holds a shining katana. The book is a surprising and seamless blend of magic and science. Dickson merges Asian (Japan, India, and China) cultures and histories together to form a compelling and fascinating new society based on the superiority of cats. (Being a cat lover myself, I can totally buy into this.) Even though the reader will recognize the roots of the feline culture, Dickson incorporates these traditions in a unique and believable way into the rich and fascinating world. The descriptions of clothing, traditions, and beliefs are richly peppered throughout the story giving just the right seasoning. Much of the book is an enigma. Is this an alternate universe or our earth? Where did these animal hybrid species come from? There are lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Who can be trusted in this odd collection of travelers? Are their goals the same or is someone out to sabotage everything? What or who is killing the members of the Council of Seven? Who is Solomon? Will they ever find him and should they kill him when they do? Is he good or evil and will he bring about the great change predicted by the year of the Tiger? Personally, I hate spoilers. This book has such delicious twists and turns that I don’t want to say too much about the plot. It has drama and humor, fight scenes, intrigue, magic, and even forbidden romance. The plot is clever and believable without being predictable. Be aware that this is a cliffhanger novel. You will definitely have to read the second book in the series (which I review Wednesday) to have your questions answered. However, it is well worth it. It’s so delicious, you won’t want it to end. Also, come back Friday for an interview with the author." I'll post the next review soon - I hope it's as generous as this one. I feel so proud that a fellow writer enjoyed being taken on a journey with my cats. Hmm, I wonder what she'll think once she meets the dogs... Check out Bonnie and her brilliant work here: https://bferrante.wordpress.com or https://www.facebook.com/FerranteAuthor So I borrowed the title from my current favourite song, One Direction's Best Song Ever, just because it's so easy to change one word and create an entire new meaning. This last trip to the INSPIRE: Toronto International Book Fair started with Elizabeth Munro's (West Coast Book Reviews: Indie Pick review of the Upper Kingdom series. It started with Journey but quickly she devoured all three and had this to say about them:
"TO JOURNEY IN THE YEAR OF THE TIGER is the first in a Ground-Breaking Original Series by H. Leighton Dickson. This is a powerful, post-apocalyptic story of lions and tigers, wolves and dragons, embracing and blending the cultures of Dynastic China, Ancient India and Feudal Japan. Half feline, half human, this genetically altered world has evolved in the wake of the fall of human civilization. Fans of Tolkien, Game of Thrones, Redwall or Japanese anime will be entertained in these intelligent and beautifully written pages in a blend of science, fantasy and zoological speculation. Kirin Wynegarde-Grey is a young lion with a big job – Captain of the Guard in a Kingdom that spans from the mountains of western China to the deserts of the Middle East. When an ancient threat awakens in the West and threatens to overthrow the Empire, he must lead a team that includes his enigmatic brother, a lethal swordswoman and three radically different and mysterious specialists through a world where humans are legend and animals walk like men. This is the journey of six individuals as they travel beyond the edges of the known Empire, into lands uncharted and wild. It is a journey of magic and mystery, science and swords, romance and intrigue. It is a journey of different perspectives and unexpected kharma and love found in surprising places. It is a journey that takes place five thousand years or so in the future, naturally in the Year of the Tiger. I finished reading To Journey in the Year of the Tiger a couple of weeks ago and found it hard to sit down and write a review. It should be easy, considering how very much I adore this book but then again, that could be what makes it such a challenge to find the right words. Now that I'm half way through the second book, To Walk in the Way of Lions, I have a good idea what to say. I've never read anything like this. The idea of big cats living in the hierarchy and values of Imperial China caught my attention and the mystery and characters held me to the story. Each powerful character avoids stereotype. From the amazed and energetic Scholar, the dark and seductive Alchemist to the honour-first Captain each was well rounded, developed and managed to surprise me while staying in character. The descriptions of everything from scenes to garments draws on my knowledge of Imperial China and builds on my own imagery without making me struggle to make things fit in my own mind. I could use words like vivid and stunning because they would be true but the fact that the complex settings are so digestible makes this book so very rich. I found both books one and two in this series free and made sure I paid for book three before I found it free as well. Didn't feel right to enjoy this book so much without supporting the author with a few dollars. To Journey in the Year of the Tiger is like finding a bag of treasure and knowing you've stumbled upon something fantastic. It is definitely worth purchasing. To Journey in the Year of the Tiger is seductive and crass, powerful and humble, wicked and pure, humorous and stoic and rich and simple. The power of this book is in the contrasts it presents. Experience it." Elizabeth summed it all up in those paragraphs, the pain and the purity, the struggle and the victory that was this Journey. She perfectly described what I would want in a reader's response and it was the very best way to begin the Book Fair, which would be equal parts exhausting and exhilarating. Needless to say, it's reviews like this that make me keep writing, knowing that the characters are not "me" but strike a cord in everyone. That cord is, in fact, our shared humanity. And as I always say, some of the best stories about people, aren't about people. Chat soon. Has NaNoWriMo got you feeling intimidated? Overwhelmed? Ready to watch old episodes of 'Seinfeld' for 'research' rather than write? Well, here's a question I just got last night from an author friend who's hit that proverbial NaNoWall.
Question: Well, I've taken the triple dog dare, NaNoWriMo style! Saturday I topped out at just over 1000 words, and that took me most of the day. So not a real auspicious start. I'm a very slow writer, big surprise there. As you know, I'm taking a crack at retooling the Ryssaverse in a non-Trek context. Lots of cool ideas for fun character moments and vignettes, no real idea for an engaging and original overall plot or where the characters are going. Kind of a disadvantage in writing fiction, yes? Thing is, I actually really like the little bit I have so far. I'm also finding that as I write, new bits and connections occur to me. It's like I don't really see the forest or the whole path through it, but I can see a few more trees with every few steps I take. Still, I wonder if it's folly to write a novel without having some rough outline, some sort of overarching plan, some sense of going from A to B to Z. Not to mention having some sort of cool, compelling, non-cliched, knock-yer-socks-off plot figured out. I'm also sensing the secret to NaNoWriMo is to write like a maniac, instinctively, without fixing or editing anything. But that is so not my jam. I type, pace, wordsmith in my head, pace, type a bit more, repeat ad nauseam. Something tells me I need to either radically change my process or radically reduce my word count target, and just make sure I write every day. *Sigh* My Answer: I think that maybe the problem is your expectations. If you're liking what you're writing, then keep it up because all too often, you start off going in one direction and the characters take you somewhere else entirely. So go with it for now. You haven't really written like this for a very long time so you're going to be rusty so use NaNoWriMo as an excuse to brush off those cobwebs and polish up the skills. Nano is perfect for that 'cause no one's gonna see it. And, the beauty is the fact that, once you write it, you can totally edit it later. You can't edit something you haven't written. I still edit as I go, even in Nano, but I'm not competing against anyone. I'm writing a frickin' book and it's MY frickin' book and I can write how I want. But I have to write. Writing is the secret of NaNoWriMo. So don't stop because you'll be defeated before you start. Just write little vignettes or introduction scenes or snippets of conversation or action and stick them in a folder. It's like money in the bank. Don't bury it, dude. Just play. Besides, I triple-dog-dared you, and I have 3 dogs. Just sayin'… ;) So, good advice? I think so. Just write. Edit if you want. Stop and smell the roses and the coffee and the triple dogs but get back to your laptop and write about said roses and coffee and dogs. It's only one month so you can be as crazy as you want and the world will roll their eyes and shake their heads but admire you for all your crazy passion and flying fingers. It's an excuse to do it and who cares what comes out of it at the end. It's your book and it will be done when it gets done. End of story. And blog, for that matter. ;) And just for good measure, here's some photos of the triple dog dare... Now most of you know that I am what the industry considers a ‘hybrid’ author – one with works published traditionally as well as others that have been self-published. It’s quite the lucrative place to be, for if your traditionally placed work does well, then readers invariably google “What else has she written?” and discover the self-published works online, where the royalties are higher. Now for me, I’m in a strange place because my self-published books are doing well and my traditionally-published books aren’t actually published yet but still being ‘shopped’ at several big houses. So, if I’m not really a hybrid, what in the fantastical world am I? Schizophrenic, that’s what. I find these two extremes of the publishing process warring within me. I have a wild indie spirit and I LOVE the challenges that indie publishing brings. I love designing my own covers, finding new marketing outlets, running new campaigns. I actually love wrestling with the pros and cons of KDP Select vs diversification with Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, etc. I take inordinate glee in finding and confirming a pricing ‘sweet spot’ that results in improved sales and seeing the positive reviews mount as readers are drawn into the fantastical world of the Upper Kingdom. And you know what? I long to do the same with COLD STONE & IVY, the series that is currently out on submission with the Big 5. Deep down, I really want to take the reins back on this baby. I long to release the tag line and the amazing cover and watch it race up the Amazon charts. I long to wait a strategic 6 months before releasing Book 2 and then wrestle with my time as to writing Book 3 or Upper Kingdom Book 4. I have to admit, I love that crazy, messy, uncharted Indie book world and want to take a deep breath and dive in with both feet. And then, I find myself googling publishers. Publishers for the Upper Kingdom series, publishers that accept previously self-published novels, publishers that are currently seeking new and innovative works and I wonder at my behavior. Just a few months back, my agent and I were in negotiations with a small but growing press who had made me an offer. At first I was deliriously happy – finally! Publication! But quickly, the glow faded when I realized that they’d likely change my covers, run their own promotions, do their own editing, etc, etc, etc. I realized also that I would no longer be charting my own course but would be subject to the conditions and clauses that I had agreed to. So, Jen and I decided to keep the Upper Kingdom separate for now, keep it mine until the day when a really sweet offer comes along. I was good with that. I was fine. I was relieved. And tonight, I found myself googling publishers again. Is it the validation I’m seeking? I only have to read a review for that. Is it the stamp of professionalism I lack? The ages-old tradition of Brick and Mortar stores, of Bestseller lists and author signings and the like? Is it the relationship between an author and a really keen editor (which is so gratifying), or the notion of a team of people who are behind me and my book, wanting to see it do well and taking it to places I can never take it on my own? Is it the possibilities of foreign rights, and movie rights and audio rights and marketing? Is it the idea of sitting down with a senior editor and putting pen to contract and shaking a hand the way it has been done for over a hundred years? Is it the simple love of a bookshop stocking my book - something that is, for the most part, denied to the world of Indie publishing? What is that deep, visceral need that keeps drawing me back to the halls of traditional publishing? As I said, I am an Indie in my heart, but I wonder if it isn’t my head that’s traditional? I wonder if there isn’t that constant life battle between those two facets of my personality that will always be at war with each other? The heart vs the mind is an ages-old conflict, and probably one of the richest in both a literal and literary sense. Can they co-exist without destruction? Can I wear two hats - a Bohemian beret one day, then a Wall Street fedora the next? How about a Steampunk bowler? After all, I am writing two distinct series. Maybe they are meant to be published differently so maybe I am doing the right thing, walking two very different roads, wearing very different hats for both. No wonder Alice’s Hatter was Mad… So, living as a schizophrenic, conflicted writer. Does seem rather true to type. Ezra Pound, Sylvia Plath, Zelda Fitzgerald, Virginia Woolf, even dear Philip K. Dick, not to mention Tolstoy – just a few authors who have struggled with legitimate mental issues. Makes mine seem small and rather petty, but still. They are mine. And I really shouldn’t complain. After all, I do have some really cool hats now. When I’m working on revising/editing a novel, I need to have what I call the “Little Folder of Love.” It’s a folder that sits on your desktop, visible but not distracting, where you put all the scenes you’ve needed to cut. All the little bits of characterization, all those sweet or funny, poignant or thought-provoking scenes that flesh out a story but do not move it along. In a big novel big (124,000+ words) or of this nature (Epic Fantasy or Gothic thriller), you must be a butcher, cutting things that impeded the rush of the plot to its inexorable climax. In a word, you have to Kill your Darlings.
William Faulkner coined that phrase almost a century ago and it still rings true for writers today. We love these little scenes; we’ve invested such time and attention into crafting them. They are vignettes of character and mood, comedy or pathos and we love them. Sometimes even, the writing is surprisingly brilliant. So what if they have to go? What do we do with them? Can we really kill them, as Faulkner urges? Doesn’t that diminish our author’s voice, that intuitive stamp of individuality that marks our work as different from someone else’s? Are we really so callous as to highlight and delete something that may have consumed hours, if not days of our lives? I can’t. Not yet, anyway. Hence my Little Folder of Love. My agent, Jennifer Udden, suggested it to me during a phone conversation regarding the editing process. Set up a folder to house all the scenes because you may never know when they might work somewhere else. Perhaps they will become a little novelette of their own, after the original has taken off. Imagine little snippets of story from the world of Harry Potter – scenes of Hermione and Ron agonizing over textbooks, or Hagrid feeding a happy hungry griffon, or Harry bonding with Sirius Black over tea and treacle. I could release a collection of such scenes later or on my website as little extras, or bonus material, or teasers. So I did it. I made that Little Folder of Love and it contains scenes now from all three Upper Kingdom books as well as Cold Stone & Ivy 1 & 2. (Those I’m beginning to call the Empire of Steam, because I have many series that can/will take place in that ‘verse. It makes my world-building brain very happy.) It also came in very handy during the writing of CS&I 2: The Crown Prince, because I could move scenes where they needed to go, pick and choose snippets of conversation and manipulate the story arc in a way that made me very proud. I am growing up and so is my technique. Stephen King would be proud too. I don't know yet about Faulkner. But sometimes I just go and look into that Little Folder. It makes me happy. I can read scenes and the characters talk to me all over again, tell me why they need to live and how I am the only one who can give them life. It makes me wonder if someday, there will be fanfic written of Kerris and Fallon the same way it’s written of Hermione and Ron. Will there be Kirah’s? (Shippers of Kirin and Sherah?) Or what about shippers of Ivy and Christien instead of Ivy and Sebastien? Will they begin to have adventures in other people’s minds and take on lives of their very own, lives that I will ultimately have no control over? Will someone be bold enough to connect the Upper Kingdom with the Empire of Steam and write something that blows even my world-building mind apart at the seams? What a Pandora’s Box this folder has become! That’s why Faulkner killed them. He didn’t have laptops or folders other than the paper kind. He couldn’t afford the real estate that would be required to house those scenes. Easier to draw a red line through them and move on. And there are times when I have done it – highlighted an entire paragraph and hesitated a moment before clicking Delete. Then you gasp, release a deep cleansing breath and move on. It really is the best way to go, when all is said and done. But I’m not there, not yet. There is still too much residual emotion. The brain still wars with the heart. So for now, the Little Folder sits in the top left hand corner of the screen, filled with scenes that I’m glad are still there. I can see Faulkner rolling his eyes, I can hear his long-suffering sigh but louder than these are the laughing/fighting/cursing of those characters in that folder, those extraneous scenes, those useless Darlings of my literary mind. I don’t have it in me to kill them just yet. I may need to call on Major Ursa for that. This will be a cross-blog with the Imagination Station because of the illustrations being featured but still, I think you'll like it. I've long been a fan of anime-inspired illustrator Neisanna. I just love her style - very deft, skilled and emotive. Since she is a friend, I asked her if she'd be interested in doing some prelim sketches of the gang of COLD STONE & IVY and she jumped at the chance. She works both with pencils and photoshop and her layering is a joy to watch.
Physically, Ivy is Welsh, with great green eyes, freckles and masses of dark wavy hair. She is short, slim and tom-boyish - with a preference for men's clothing and bowler hats. I sent Neisanna some images of actresses I see when writing Ivy's character (namely Jenna Coleman and Poppy Drayton) for her to see but mainly, I just wanted to let this amazing artist percolate the idea of Ivy in her creative brain for a while before putting pen to paper or stylus to pad! Take a look at these great results!
“By Christmas, I had an offer of publication and two agents vying for the right to represent me and by January, I had signed with Jennifer Udden of the Donald Maass Literary Agency, a small but prestigious firm specializing in SciFi/Fantasy. I had fans crying for more of the Upper Kingdom but I had work to do to get CS&I ready for the ‘Big Six.’ What to do? What to do? Could I write one novel and edit another at the same time? All of this after hours of day job, parenting, being a wife, walking my dogs, shoveling snow, etc? That was a heck of a lot of work! Could I do it?
Of course I could. I buckled down and got to work.” So first up, edits for CS&I. It was a hard task – beefing up the character of Christien de Lacey and cutting the scenes with Davis Savage. In a novel this big, EVERYTHING needs to serve the plot, and while Davis’ scenes were very entertaining, they did not do this effectively. I put them in a folder (read the next blog entitled “Little Folder of Love”), had to reimagine how the rest of the story would be impacted and moved on. I finished the first round in two months and sent it off to Jen for approval. At this point, I had pretty much fleshed out how SONGS would go and had been writing that on and off since January but I put it on hold to attend the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York. It was a great conference as it focused on being a hybrid author, (having works both traditionally- and self-published) and it was looking like I was falling into that category. I had the good fortune to attend a workshop with Donald Maass, the head of my literary agency, and the things he said turned my writing upside down. Immediately, I emailed Jen to tell he that, based on Donald’s input, I was revising CS&I a second time and I plowed through that like a surgeon, cutting and stitching and reimagining this Empire of Steam through Ivy’s eyes. Another two months and I sent it back to her, exhausted but pretty happy with how it was shaping up. Christien’s role was increased even more so that it was a trio of main characters now and their voices were equally strong and true. Add into the mix, an offer for the Upper Kingdom series from PYR Publishing, a division of Prometheus Books. I had submitted them over a year ago, when I first began that new and sparkling submission process without an agent. Here, more than a year later, it was plucked out of the slush pile by a lovely young editor and she was excited to learn that I was now repped by an agent of Jen’s caliber. Less excited, however, to learn that in that year and a half of slush limbo, I had self-published the books on Amazon. Pyr had just instituted a new policy closing their doors on self-published works and that disqualified them from joining their stable. Anything else I would write, they would be delighted to look at, just not the Upper Kingdom. I was sad. Really sad. Really, really sad and second-guessed myself for weeks. Hind-sight is a killer. But I’m not one to wallow and I needed to finish SONGS. The interesting thing about this process was the fact that I had given myself a deadline. I had never written under a deadline before. I had just started and worked on a project until it was finished and with me, that could easily have taken years. In fact, with JOURNEY it did, years and years and years. With WALK, it was quicker, only one year or so for the first draft. With CS&I, it was 7 months. It wasn’t that I was getting more efficient, it was rather the fact that I had ‘come out of the closet’ as an author and was setting aside dedicated time to write. My family was surprisingly okay with it and they knew they could always find me in the evening, sitting on the couch with a glass of wine, three happy sleepy dogs and my laptop. Every evening. I gave myself to September. 3 months. I had already started. Surely I could write a novel of 125,000 words in 3 months. Deadlines were a reality in the publishing world. I needed to see if I could do this, if I had the chops and the discipline and the talent. And so, as August wore on, I knew SONGS would be a very different book than either of the three I had previously written. I could easily have written an entire book on Solomon, Kerris and Fallon’s journey to the New World and maybe someday I will. But pragmatically speaking, because of the differing timelines, their story was best served in flashbacks. Not generally my taste or style of writing but other than two gigantic tomes that I didn’t have time to write, SONGS needed to be lean and sharp and cinematic. Because I had a deadline. A line of dread. A Dreadline. But finish it I did. Sent it off to beta readers, polished off that gorgeous cover and put it up on Amazon. And yes, it sold. The writing in that book (deadline constraints and all) is pure cinematic imagery and I am very proud of it, despite the fact that I would like to have had more time. Maybe, one day, I’ll rework it and publish it as a ‘Director’s Cut’, with a Book 1 and Book 2. Just a thought. Jen had sent CS&I back for yet a 3rd round, this one requiring some serious word-count attention and some lagging middle bits. But I had just turned out a 125,000 word, 500 page novel in record time so I was hot. I was smoking. And I did it, tightening the middle (beginning of Part II) and changing the ‘quirk’ to ‘threat.’ Once again, it required some serious reconstruction and by the end of September I was completely lost inside my own head. I had read and reread, edited and re-edited to the point of confusion. It had become so blurred in my mind – what had I changed, what had I hadn’t. I had lost my handle on the story and just couldn’t keep it straight anymore. I was sure it was good, but I really couldn’t be 100% certain. Not anymore. So I sent it off to Jen, still 144,000 words but 144,000 words of tight thrilling paranormal steampunk spookiness. The Upper Kingdom books were selling nicely and I was learning the world of marketing (something you must do if you make that decision to self-publish). I was taking webinars, writing blogs, working my FB page (which you should totally check out if you haven’t already) but still, even with all this writing work, it’s not the same as writing. It was cold, it was October with a new NaNoWriMo around the corner. COLD STONE & IVY 2 was calling… In a recent online mystery, I have stepped into the very fine boots of Miss Ivy Savage, Girl Criminologist (COLD STONE & IVY), to undertake the investigation of the apparent murder of amateur archeologist, Baron von Boddy. The details of the case were found here (Eye of Africa) and just today, we have been notified that Miss Savage has indeed proven her considerable prowess by being one of three who has solved the case. Here is her inestimable solution:
Good day Madame Saffron, On behalf of esteemed Girl Criminologist, Miss Ivy Savage of London, Empire of Steam, I would like to pose the following deduction. She believes dearly departed Baron von Boddy has been proverbially put 'out of print' by his close friend, Colonel Billious Mustard. Yes, the gentleman has had a splendid military career but Miss Savage believes this has given him the exact skills to carry off such a daring and dastardly crime. Let me elaborate. Motive: Colonel Mustard is in a grievous way in relation to his finances and once his dear friend Baron von Boddy found success with his latest fantastical adventure, he was very quick to leave London and disappear – to Cornwall or Cairo, we can only surmise. Opportunity: Colonel Mustard is in a state of disgrace and is never at his regiment, at home, nor at his club. In fact, no one knows where he has gone. It is circumstantial but considerably suspicious. Method: The good Colonel is an aeronaut of no mean experience, having been decorated multiple times along with his regiment. He is also a military man, and the pistol he is holding in a singular photochrome could very well be of the same caliber as the fatal shot which killed our dear von Boddy and made a hole in the airship’s window glass. (We do need a Police surgeon of Sir Thomas Bond’s quality to do the comparison. If he is not available, Miss Savage is certain she could presume upon young Christien de Lacey. He is not working much of late, given his rather peculiar circumstances.) Miss Savage proposes that Colonel Mustard met up with Baron von Boddy at Boddy Manor and for some reason, they were on the Jules Verne at the same time. A struggle ensued during which the Baron was shot in the back and killed. Mustard then dumped the body of von Boddy over the side along with the trunk to keep it submerged, gathered a canopy and cork life vest and leapt over the side of the Jules Verne with the mask and rode the winds to the Cornish shore, where he proceeded to hide the canopy and vest in the rocks. There are, of course, other scenarios and Miss Savage has some questions that she would pose, were she there in person and not currently in Vienna investigating the apparent murder/suicide of the Crown Prince. 1) In which direction was the shot through the window? From within the airship’s saloon or from without? 2) Where is Baron von Boddy’s favourite coat and why is the body of von Boddy not wearing it? Was it removed and if so, before or after the photochrome with the Eye of Africa? Who was, in fact, wearing that coat? 3) It is clear that Lady Peacock knows far more than she is letting on, and is most likely the very same widow to whom von Boddy gifted the jewels (at Mrs. Midas-White’s expense). And we know, courtesy the spider-eyes that she is currently in possession of the Eye of Africa mask so I would be quick to question the damsel before she disappears yet again. If you do manage to locate the vixen, Miss Savage asks if you would be so kind as to ask her how well she knows Colonel Mustard himself. Could she be said fellow’s accomplished accomplice? 4) Is Oxford superior to Cambridge? 5) Where is the Bloodshot Diamond and was the Eye of Africa merely a ruse? Will Professor Polonious Plum be indicted for theft of the steamtrunk? 6) Is Baron von Boddy truly dead? (We might need to ask the Mad Lord of Lasingstoke for an assist on this one…) So there, gentle lady, is the preliminary deduction of Miss Ivy Savage based entirely on the evidence presented. She wishes me to convey the fact that it has been an honour to study the methods of the most esteemed Hercule Hornblower and she looks forward to working with him again in the near future. Your most humble servant, H. L. Dickson Do go back to the link and see if you can track her deductions, or perhaps stumble across a clue or two of your own. Kudos to Tim Ford and James Prescott, who have also corrected solved the mystery, and props to author Jayne Barnard (aka Madame Saffron) and the marvellous inventive Tyche Books for hosting such a ribald contest! We do love a good dead body! |
H. Leighton DicksonAuthor. Zoologist. Imaginary Genius. Engineer of Fantastical Worlds. Master of None.
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