There’s a crow calling through the trees. He’s agitated – you can tell by his sharp and repetitive squawking and it echoes across the forest like a clock ticking the seconds. The air is heavy with the smell of woodsmoke, the wool blanket across my legs heavier still. All I hear is the hiss and crackle of the old stone fire and the tapping of keys from the writer across from me. Oh yes, and the crow.
I’m at a cabin deep in the Canadian Shield, twenty feet from the shore of Lake Superior. Not an official Writer’s Retreat, not like the one we did in February (also on Superior’s shores, but opposite direction). That one was concerted, dedicated, productive. Five writers pulling monastic duty to create, edit, revise, brainstorm. No, this time it’s different. Just two of us, Jean E. Pendziwol and me. Ah, chipmunks now, rebuking someone or something. They chatter like popcorn. We’re both at a crossroads and we’ve set aside this time to make some decisions. Jeannie writes children’s stories, some funny, most poignant, all lyrical. Her latest work, ONCE UPON A NORTHERN NIGHT, was short-listed for the Governor General’s Award (which is a big deal in Canada) and her books are frequently on the best-seller lists of children’s books (also a big deal in Canada.) She has set herself a huge task – that of writing a novel, and her decision this weekend is whether to finish it or not. To overcome the hurdles of being an award-winning author in one niche and step onto the unknown soil of another. To lay aside her inner dictator and let the novel write itself and if not, to be okay with that outcome. Novels, it seems, are tricky beasts to tame. A hawk now, his cry ringing like small stones on metal. For me, it is a time of regrouping. I’ve just finished 2nd draft of COLD STONE & IVY 2: The Crown Prince and am mentally exhausted. Novels are also hungry beasts and there is nothing left of me other than editorial skin and emotional bone. It’s a strange place for me – empty, lost and devoid of story. I have a very busy life with an active family but when I’m writing, there is a part of me that is just ‘not there.’ There’s always another conversation going on in my head; there’s plotting and planning and scraps of dialogue that need to get onto paper (or laptop) as soon as my busy life will allow. But now, those voices are quiet and I don’t know what to do with the lack of sound. Across the lake, an arrowhead of geese heading first to Southern Ontario then New York, then most likely Virginia to winter. They are taking the leaves with them. Do I start the final chapter in CS&I? It would be a good idea, especially since I’ve just finished the second and the characters are fresh, the plot taking shape, and publishers circling like contented trout, nibbling, tasting but not biting yet. Or do I start something different, a diversion. A romance? (The Virtues of Dunn Eden) A mid-grade mystery series? (The Steam Team) A‘Remington Steele’-esque detective thriller? (Locke and Keyes) What about picking up BONES IN THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON? The Upper Kingdom occupies such a different room in my mind palace. In fact, it has its very own wing. Kirin would be pleased. The wind has picked up on the lake now. Superior is so big, it is really a freshwater sea and the waves crash against the rocky shore like breathing. In a few hours, we’ll crack out the wine and discuss what we’ve learned; if we’ve learned; what we’ve decided. It’s not life or death and in fact, it’s a blessing to be able to have this time away to take stock and think. Few people can do that, especially in a place this staggeringly beautiful and wild. The leaves are just beginning to turn but the air is cold. The bears are hungry, the moose are rutting. Winter is coming and here, in the north, that is not a meme. That is a harsh reality. Things die during our winters and yet, we stay. Tough birds, the lot of us. Still, we dream of summer. The fire roars now, throwing sparks across the tile floor and I scramble to push the logs deeper in. Keeping it contained. Keeping it safe. There’s no Wifi, there’s no TV, not even a radio. Just the sound of the world and our keyboards and the fire. It’s a perfectly blank canvas, just us against the elements. Or maybe with the elements and you know how Kerris is with the elements. Bending them, shaping them just enough to keep us alive. If we fail, at least we died writing, which is not a bad thing. But I’d like to live just a little longer, if only for the sake of the stories. The crow has flown across the window and is sitting in a tree branch, laughing. I’m glad he’s not a raven. The allegory would be too much for me. So we sit and tap our keyboards and wrestle with our decisions and stoke the fire as night wraps us in her cold blanket. We wait for the wine, or the morning and we’re okay with the waiting. When there are usually so many voices, the sound of silence is a terrifying, challenging, beautiful thing. In fact, it’s deafening.
0 Comments
“So, again, with bright shiny newness, I uploaded first Tiger, then Lion, sat back and crossed my fingers to wait.”
It sold. It sold some more. And it kept selling. In fact, within days, it was hitting the top 10 Amazon free and not just for its genre. I was blown away, so very pleased and I was sure that once the 5 free promo days were over, it would sink to the bottom of the 12 million, but it didn’t. Less than a month later, I released TO WALK IN THE WAY OF LIONS, and the same thing happened. Reviews began to come in, one by one and for the most part, they were all very positive. I felt like Sally Field on Oscar night (I will spare you the quote). I like praise as much as the next geek but really, to hear that something I had written actually resonated with people was affirming, encouraging – in a word, validating. But it was also challenging, for with it came a responsibility to keep it up, get better at it, improve. But while I was enjoying success with Amazon, a part of me had become intrigued with this world of publishing, of agents and houses and contracts. If self-publishing was validating, how much more so traditional publishing? Actually getting ‘the call’, ‘a contract’, ‘an advance???’ These glittered like stars above my head but I did realize one very interesting fact – that while the Upper Kingdom series were brilliant, they were at first glance ‘niche.’ Cutting a potential readership pool into a very small slice simply because of the premise. I needed to write something more mainstream. I know, a romance! A paranormal romance! Yeah, yeah, that would sell! I could do it. Except that I couldn’t. Now, for years I had been dabbling in the fan fiction scene (I know you are rolling your eyes. I can see it. Roll away.) but NOT the kind you’re thinking of. Seriously, I’m not that kind of girl. They were mysteries, criminal cases, scripts and screenplays, complete with red herrings, complex supporting characters, story arcs and commercial breaks (cue fade to black). And they were so wildly successful in the forums that I decided to take the most popular of them and turn it into a novel. And so during the month of November 2011 and a NaNoWriMo challenge, COLD STONE & IVY was born. It took less than six months but, as per my usual verbiose grandeur, it clocked in at 165,000 words or a healthy 650 pages. By this time, I knew the difference between agents and publishers, so I began to submit it to agents in Canada, the US and UK. I got immediate attention and five very big names requested fulls. Their comments were so encouraging – engaging, storyteller, great voice, great world-building. But still a newbie, I had also forgotten one essential ingredient. Editing. Argh. Editing. The bane of writers, the blessing of authors. There’s the rub. Editors are like personal trainers. No one likes them and they hurt you like crazy, but boy oh boy, do they get you into shape. I sent off a chapter to writer and editor, Erica Orloff and she was like “I honestly never say this but this is amazing. You NEED to get this published.” We worked on it for months, getting it down to the lean, mean size of 145,000 words (or 580 pages) and in the fall of 2012, I resubmitted to several agents, and some new ones. 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’ (it was still the Big Six at the time). 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. To be continued… (Cause I’m mean that way. Really.) Here's a great Q&A not so much about the books but more about me, my life and the writing process. Much thanks to Sherrel of Free eBooks Daily.
Here's the link to get her Sherrel's great site! http://www.freeebooksdaily.com/2014/08/author-spotlight-h-leighton-dickson.html As I head into the final chapters of COLD STONE & IVY 2: The Crown Prince, I think I've been procrastinating. There are two ways (maybe more) that I can take it and while I ponder and plot and put off making that decision and writing it, I decided to edit. Good choice, I thought. Editing gets and keeps that proverbial ball rolling, gets you back into the swing of things and in fact every cliche you can think of finds its beginning and its end while editing. My agent should be applauding all the work I have been putting into COLD STONE & IVY 2: The Crown Prince, except that I wasn't editing The Crown Prince.
I edited TO JOURNEY IN THE YEAR OF THE TIGER. My very first novel. My daughter would say WTF? To me that says With the Fantastical! so it's a rather different meaning. You see, I've been getting active on Goodreads and have discovered reviews for my books that I never knew I had before! Great reviews, honest reviews… brutally honest reviews in fact, and I cringe with every truth that is written. That truth boils down to the fact that, while I read and re-read, wrote and rewrote those first books, I never really, truly edited them. I didn't know how. It was an interesting journey (pun intended) for that one. Originally planned as a Graphic Novel when I was pencilling for DC Comics back in the day, it quickly became too big, too sprawling for my artist's brain to contain. I needed to write it down so I would know what to pencil later on. But the story took off and began a journey of it's own, quickly becoming a novel very much like what you read today. Until, of course, I read "Lions of al-Rassan' by Guy Gavriel Kay and stopped all my attempts at the literary craft in shame. (But that's another story for another blog.) I filled my time with life, kids, work, painting, anything but writing. Years later, I picked it up, almost exactly where Journey/Tiger ends and finished it within four months. It was big. It was epic. It was 250,000 words. Equivalent to a 1,000 page novel. Yikes. I didn't know. Hey, I thought, "Epic fantasy is really big!" In my sweet innocence, I googled publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts and sent it out into the slush pile wilderness. I even printed it in its entirety for TOR as they were only accepting paper manuscripts. It cost me almost $100 to mail it. The rejection I got back cost them 25 cents. I could have been crushed if it hadn't been for a man named Daniel Lazar at a place called Writer's House. Now, to attest to my newbieness, I honestly thought Writer's House was a publisher. I don't know why. This was a different world. Agents, publishers, they all ran together in my zoologist brain like deer and moose or wolf and coyote. In case you don't know, Daniel Lazar is a brilliant agent and I sent him my query, unknowing. He read it and within 24 hours, requested the entire MS. I sent it. He read it, he loved it, he said it wasn't his thing (he reps a very different genre) but he said there was something in the writing that just gave him hope. He knew I was onto something with this story of lions and tigers and bears, oh my, and to keep trying and never give up. He was so gracious, so encouraging that I began to believe that I might just have something to offer. He did have one piece of advice. Cut it. And not 'edit it.' Cut it. In half. Too big, too long, no one would publish it that way. Make it Part 1 and Part 2, or in the case of Epic Fantasy (a world of it's own) Book 1 and Book 2. And so, without really considering the ramifications, I did. I cut this huge monster of a book which was always called TO JOURNEY IN THE YEAR OF THE TIGER even in it's photographic novel phase, in half. And, TO WALK IN THE WAY OF LIONS was born. So this answers all the questions and comments re: the ending of Journey/Tiger. It does seem arbitrary because it WAS arbitrary. It was a natural break and I took it, all on the advice of a man I thought was a publisher! So I began to send it/them out as a duology, a tag-team of Book 1 and Book 2, Siamese/conjoined twins two but one, telling one very big story. I got several rejections from publishers but for the most part, all my beta readers loved it, so I continued, undaunted until I heard that the internet megagiant/superstar sales powerhouse called Amazon was publishing books. I've never really embraced vanity press, but with Amazon, I didn't need to print 2000 books and try to flog them. If I sold, I sold. If I floundered, I floundered. There was little risk and for a science geek like me, this world of rejection and applause was so very daunting. This road seemed like a good way to find out if anyone other than my DC comics crew wanted to read anything I might say. So, again, with bright shiny newness, I uploaded first Tiger, then Lion, sat back and crossed my fingers to wait. End of Part 1 ('cause I'm mean that way.) In the same vein of a blog tour, I bring you a Blog Share. I tend to travel in artsy circles and one of my best friends is a renowned prairie painter. She decided this week to blog about 'Dearest', a charming superlative to Dear, and happily, I fell headlong into that category! Here is the text and a link to her site. Take a gander at some of her paintings and see if they move you as much as they do me. SASKARTGIRL: Funk, Food and Living a Creative Life "My grandmother used to start letters and cards to me with “My Dearest Carri,” and somehow it made me feel more special than if it had said “Dear Carri”. She is long gone but not forgotten. :) I was her first grandchild of only four and I always felt loved by that quiet lady. So anyway, I was thinking about a few people in my life who I would call “dearest”. Now of course, there are the obvious - my sister, husband, mother and sons. Then there are those who are not officially family, but hold places of importance in my heart. I’ve often thought of myself as a collector of people; quality people, people with moral fibre, principles, ethics, and a sense of humour. It’s intriguing to me how some of these dear people can be similar to me, yet others can seem to be opposite- the yin to my yang. Take H. for example (that’s her in the photos to the left). I’ve known her for YEARS [since 1977?]; she’s my best friend from high school and we still love each other. We are alike and dissimilar: we are the same [short] height, same age, she is blonde and I was brunette, we both have green eyes, different body builds, both very artistic & creative, when I was ‘into’ boys, she was into DC/Marvel comics & sci fi movies, we are both readers and photographers, and we love to laugh. I love to bake and cook, she does not, but we both like wine. And chocolate. :) H is an animal person- her family has a horse or 2, 3 dogs and I think 3 cats. She is a friend I value greatly and whenever we get together, no matter how long it’s been, it’s like we were never apart. One of the most heartfelt gifts she gave me was to sing with me at my father’s memorial service. I knew she could sing from ‘way back, but apparently no one else knew. She’s got a lovely voice. I really wish we lived much closer- she’s 1300 kms of highway away, *sigh*. She’s one of the best huggers I know. Another person is V. – that’s her and I in the photos to the right. She inspired me to start this blog in the first place; thanks, V! I’ve known her since about 2003 when she was a customer of my bakery. Later on she taught my sons, and somewhere in there we became fast, fast friends. At first glance we may not seem as similar as H and me, but don’t be fooled. I would defend her like a mother bear. We are not the same age (she’s a few years older than me, but I really don’t know how many- it just doesn’t matter), she is taller but we are both brunette, she is the same body type as H but not like me, her eyes are brown, we both like to read, and drink coffee or wine. Like H, V doesn’t especially love to cook. Unlike H, V does not have animals. V is not as similar to me creatively as H, but man, she’s WAY better at keeping dust bunnies at bay and closets tidy! ;) We like clothes and shopping together and ‘doing’ lunch. She is a retired teacher, I am a teacher. And there’s laughter. Laughter is so important. And hugs. She is also further away than I’d like- about 300 kms. We need more together time – I feel ‘at sea’ when I go too long without her. Both of these women are loyal and reliable and great to talk with. Both are happy to have me cook and bake for them…and it just makes me feel good to know I have solid friends, fans, people I can lean on or rant to. I like to make them laugh, and as I look at these photos, I’m struck by the fact that they both have wonderful smiles, and they are young and open to the world. In this age of “social media”, all of which is screen driven electronica, real true flesh-and-blood friends are all the more important. They keep me grounded and help me remember what is real is most important. Hmm. I may have started something here, as I can think of a small handful of other friends who should be introduced to you as well. In other news: My knitting is on pause right now, the one act play I’m directing (adult actors, not school kids) goes onstage next weekend, dance continues, as do rehearsals for my school drama troupe. I am looking forward to doing creative, artistic things on the May long weekend. Take care, Carri" (And here's the link to her site and her paintings.) http://saskartgirl.wordpress.com/2014/05/03/dearest-friends/ Brings me to tears, that girl. I'm not the maudlin type, but friends are special, and friends who have been friends for almost 40 years even more so. Think about all the 'Dearests' in your life. Maybe drop them a line and tell them so. Feels good, really. And then go create something out of the colours.
Cheers, H Second radio interview but a rather global one this time! Thanks to Neville de Angelou of The Journey with Neville for allowing me to be the first author of the second season! Grab a cuppa, sit back and enjoy!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-journey/2014/04/21/songs-in-the-year-of-the-cat--h-leighton-dickson Do you like fantasy, hard-boiled film-noir detective stories, dieselpunk tales and poetry? Well, do I have the guy for you! Bard Constantine is a bold author who seamlessly blends genres with skill and authenticity, and I had the privilege to interview him for the Imaginary Blog this month. Check out some of his insightful answers on writing, publishing and the quiet magic of night.
1. Can you tell us a little bit about your background, education and family. I was born in Chicago, raised in Southern California, and currently live in Birmingham, Al. with my wife of nearly 16 years. I’m the second of five boys, most who are now scattered across different states, which makes a good reason for cross-country trips. After graduating high school I entered the working world, without a clue that I’d one day write seriously, much less complete several novels. 2. So when did you start writing? What inspired the characters and story? What is it about Film Noir and Steam/Dieselpunk that inspire you? I started writing right around my 29th birthday. As I approached the age of thirty, I realized that I had not done anything with all the stories that swirled around my head. I made a goal of writing a novel from start to finish by the time I turned thirty. It was a massive fantasy epic that I sometimes regretted starting, but ultimately I reached my goal and completed it. At the time I still felt it was greatly imperfect, so I had to set it aside and work on some smaller projects to develop my craft. I became interested in noir and dieselpunk because I’ve always been intrigued by the private detective character. It’s almost a cliché in itself –that world-weary, chain smoking, hard drinking, morally gray character with a bit of stubble on his chin and a bandage on his face. I wanted to take the whole slang, grit, and feel of the noir detective and place him in an entirely different setting: a dystopian world, one that was equally dark and hazy as the noir setting. I didn’t know I was writing ‘dieselpunk’ at the time I published New Haven Blues, but it turned out to be a fortunate side affect to be embraced by the dieselpunk community. 3. How would you differentiate Dieselpunk from Steampunk? (For readers who might not know the difference.) More than anything, it’s the time periods that divide the two. While there are no hard rules, steampunk tales generally take place from the Victorian age up to the first World War. Dieselpunk tales generally start around the first World War, and continue until the atomic age, or Cold War time period. But it’s also a completely different look and feel than steampunk as well. Obviously with diesel you’re going to get a lot of grease and grit, so the stories reflect more gritty and darker tales, reflecting the conflictions of the time period. The style is much more military and noir inspired than the Victorian styles of Steampunk, as well. 4. What authors have influenced you from childhood to adulthood? Is there one author (living or dead) that you’d like to meet and why? What would you ask him/her? I believe the first author to truly impact me as a child was Lloyd Alexander. His Prydain Chronicles put a stamp on my consciousness, leading to my love of fantasy novels and eventually my desire to write one of my own. The works of Robert Cormier were also devoured, particularly After the First Death and I Am the Cheese, which mesmerized me as a youth. I also loved certain classics: Lord of the Flies and Frankenstein being a couple of them. As I grew older I discovered the fantasy world of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time novels, the thrillers of Jeffery Deaver, the Easy Rawlins mysteries by Walter Mosley, and many other writers and stories that would take too long to name. But fantasy has always been my first love, so the works of George RR Martin, Gene Wolfe, Patrick Rothfuss and others continue to command my time and attention. Not to mention a certain newly discovered writer named H. Leighton Dickson… I’ve never had the desire to meet any of the authors that I enjoy and admire. Not sure what I’d talk about. It’s enough that I get the opportunity to read their work. 5. Are you a city dweller? If so, how has your life in the city inspired your creative process? I’ve lived in or nearby the city for almost all of my life. I’m not sure how that inspires my creative process, or if it has any effect at all. Looking at what impacts me and stirs my imagination, the settings around me usually aren’t all that important. But that’s an interesting thought. 6. Explain your writing method. How do the images, stories and characters flow from your mind to page? Do you write from beginning to end or do passages in-between reveal themselves? Do you find at times you have writer’s block or is your vision constant? I am never without stories building in my mind. I’m pretty sure I could write for the rest of my life and still have unwritten stories that will die with me. So it’s never a problem coming up with something to write. I generally mull over the details, characters and the path of the story before every sitting down to write. I prefer to know the ending of the story before I start, so I know where I’m going. I always write from the beginning to the end. Anything additional is added after the first draft is finished. And I never have writer’s block. In fact, the only thing that blocks my writing is time constraints with ‘real world’ duties. Once I start typing, the words flood from mind to my fingertips. 7. You frequently write poetry. Is that a first love for you? How does that poetic spirit influence your writing? Poetry will always be special to me. The reason I chose to write under the pseudonym ‘Bard’ is to pay homage to my poetic roots, which is how I built my writing skills to the point to have the nerve to write novels. I try to keep that poetic touch when I write, but sometimes I overdue it and have to come back and get it up to shape. Generally my shorter works tend to be more poetic in tone. You can get away with that a bit more with novellas and short stories. It’s harder to do so with longer works, at least in my opinion. 8. Explain your choices to self-publish. How has that been for you? I started off self-publishing just to test the waters. I wanted to see what the whole ‘revolution’ was all about. In a way, that experiment is still ongoing. Unlike some indie authors, I don’t hold a negative attitude toward traditional publishers, and find the whole ‘middle finger’ attitude toward them puzzling. I see pros and cons with both avenues of publishing, and it’s really about what you want to put in as a writer. It takes a ton of hard work no matter which way you choose to go, but you really have to be ready to put on a lot of different hats should you choose to self-publish. I’ve enjoyed the journey so far. It’s been gratifying to have my books read by complete strangers every week, every month, and every year since I published my first work. I enjoy hearing feedback from readers and reviewers, all who have pushed me to try to produce the best work that I possibly can. I’m truly indebted to those readers who chose to pick up my books. At the same time, I feel that my publishing journey has just started. With my latest novel I’ll be testing the waters of traditional publishing and want to see how that goes. I like the idea of hybrid publishing, taking advantage of both options for specific works. The landscape is rapidly changing, and I’m glad to be a part of that atmosphere. 9. On the road to becoming an indie author what have you learnt about the industry and yourself along the way? Would you change anything? Regrets? Lessons learned? Number one lesson learned: Go with professional editing. An author just can’t properly edit their own writing. Nothing is more embarrassing than a glaring error pointed out after you published your book. There is so much that your eye just won’t catch on your own. Other than that, I wouldn’t change much. I didn’t know anything about the industry and had to learn as I went. That’s something I see with so many budding writers. It pays to do the research, learn how to spot the scams, know what you should pay for (editing, professional cover art) and what you should avoid paying for. Overall, it’s about being a professional. Publishing is a business, and those who ignore that fact will be in a world of hurt. 10. Who does the cover illustrations for your novels? How did you connect? My Troubleshooter novels boast the photographic skills of Mark Krajnak of JerseyStyle Photography, who poses as Mick Trubble, and the photomanipulation art of Stefan, an artist in Paris who is also an icon in dieselpunk art. I was fortunate enough to connect with both online, simply browsing through their work. I owe both gentlemen much for combining their skills to create the visual look of the world of Mick Trubble. The current cover for The Aberration was artwork by Chris Cold, an artist I found on Deviantart. That was simply a matter of finding the art and inquiring about licensing it for the novel. Sometimes you’re fortunate to find something that fits well for your book, which ends up being less expensive than having something commissioned from scratch. 11. You make some bold choices in your writing (no spoilers!) Is that hard for you or is it dictated by the power of the story? How much do your characters live/speak in your mind? And can you see any of your work in film? It’s a bit cliché to say that a story writes itself, but there’s no other way to put it. Whatever the situation demands is what tends to happen. I’ve been surprised more than a few times by unexpected twists, but that’s the joy of writing. You can never be too sure of what’s going to happen, even when you plan ahead. And my characters are always in my mind, demanding to be written. I won’t go cuckoo and say I hear their voices, but the stories spin, build, and gather constantly, just waiting for the time when my fingers pound the keyboard. As far as film, that’s funny because I tend to think that I write in a cinematic style, and movies definitely impact my writing. I picture all of my films as movies when I’m writing or reading what I’ve written. I particularly enjoy casting actors, even directors for the films. It’s definitely a dream of mine. 12. Where do you write in your home? Do you have a special place that inspires? Any particular time of day? I have a corner desk in my study/man cave, but I can and do generally write anywhere. There’s no special place where the muse appears. Give me a screen, a keyboard, and some mild quiet and I will be lost in an instant. I do love evening writing, though. Something about night is magic to me. 13. What are your future goals and aspirations? What would you love to do one day as an author? I still want to walk into a bookstore and pick up a book with my name on it. That’s what drives me. I also would like to write for a living. I have so many stories to tell, but a full time job and the related duties hold me back from accomplishing some of it. So in the meantime I work at mastering my craft and trying to improve with every effort. I figure eventually I’ll be able to get to that point. That would definitely be something. 14. What advice would you give to other aspiring authors? Don’t rush. Take the time to develop your craft. Don’t be discouraged. Quit procrastinating. Keep at it. Rewrite, revise, redo. Invest in editing. Research the market. Learn, learn, learn. And most importantly, keep writing. Many thanks to the Bard for taking the time to discuss his writing process. It's interesting to see what motivates/challenges/inspires us and how so many new stories can be percolated inside that wonderful thing we call Imagination. Check out his work at http://bardofdarkness.wix.com/bardconstantine. I call them my penguins.
It started years ago when I was watching a National Geographic special of Antarctica. As a zoologist, I love documentaries and my brain retains not only the biological facts but the meteorological, geological and physical ones as well. Don't ask me to remember your name, don't expect me to remember your face (even minutes after we've met). Sometimes I wish it was different, but it's how I'm wired. It's a peculiar trait of writers, I think. There was one memorable scene showing a small ice floe floating miles off the icy coast. Every square inch of it was literally covered in a blanket of penguins. They were layered on top of each other, almost forming a tuxedo pyramid and crowded to the very edges, the claws on their little webbed feet desperately clinging to the slippery surface. It was a choice place, this little floe - a sweet respite from six months of non-stop swimming and feeding, swimming and feeding, swimming and feeding. The camera caught an amazing aerial shot - dozens of aquatic birds making 'beelines' for the ice, homing in from all directions like arrows on a target. A tiny black and white bullseye in the middle of a vast cold ocean of blue. They were swimming very quickly as well, for they needed to gain speed in order to leap out of the water and onto the ice. So from all angles, little penguins were closing in, taking their aim and soaring from the water onto the ice. Immediately a ripple would carry through the crowd and in a marvellous example of Newtonian Laws of Motion, a penguin would fall off on the opposite side. It was like a multidirectional perpetual motion machine in black and white. Penguins were swimming, penguins were leaping, penguins were falling. Those in the middle were safe, happily squished between their comrades and becoming almost a part of the floe as they scrambled for a flipper-hold on the ice. The poor fellows along the edges were vulnerable, however - fodder for other, more determined souls in their bid for position, security and a much-needed snooze. And in one swift, hilarious and humbling moment, I realized this was a microcosm of my brain. Not a mind palace, oh no. Not a memory castle or mental gymnasium or Roman Room, my brain is a very small ice floe, adrift from the Antarctic shores. Thoughts, facts, ideas and memories are all just penguins looking for a place to land. These thoughts, facts, ideas and memories come at me from all directions, at all times, in all circumstances. I think we're all pretty much that way, but I am surprised at the sheer number of penguins that fall off. Or maybe I'm not surprised. There are an awful lot of penguins. Some penguins I intentionally squeeze into the middle of the floe. Maybe even penguins that don't deserve to be there, penguins that have less seniority or longevity but obviously penguins that I value more than some random bird like, say, your name. Other penguins, like a birthday, a face, a date, a 'penguin-on-the-list-of-penguins-to-do' - those are carelessly pushed to the edges and left vulnerable to the jockeying of other penguins. Those penguins are always the first to go when another stronger, more determined fellow leaps onto the slippery stage, causing his buddy across the way to teeter, topple then fall with a splash into my icy cold cranial waters. Life comes along like an Orca or a Leopard Seal, only too happy to devour that little critter as he flounders helplessly in the waves. Sometimes I remember that I had more penguins, but more often than not, I don't. I suppose I don't really care. Like Kerris Wynegarde-Grey, there are just so many things that are more important, like sleeping, dreaming and supper. I really should investigate the renovation of my memory palace, because as I get older and try to juggle more complex things, I wonder if I might be losing too much along the way. A 'Method of Loci' would certainly help when I scramble to get that much-needed birthday card on the way to the party or trip across a fantastical plot line in that waking-dream state just before sleep. It's a fascinating thought, this memory palace, this Roman Room of the mind and I'd really like to develop it and see where it leads. It's probably a brutally cold journey but a equally brilliant one. Maybe I can build my mind palace out of ice and crystal like the Fortress of Solitude, or Frozen's Crystal Castle or Jötunheim's pre-Asgardian desolation. Maybe it will be inhabited by fantastical characters like Superman or Queen Elsa or Loki. That would be, pardon the pun, cool. But with my luck, I'll just find more penguins. I attended my first Book Fair last night at the Definitely Superior Art Gallery's launch of 'Burning Tree', their new publishing imprint.It was a brilliant experience, the gallery itself being a bit on the 'underground' side of the world, literally in the basement of a warehouse with sliding doors, concrete floor and a labyrinth of rooms leading to surprising dead ends. But the city's indie population was out in full force (now THAT is the correct use of the term. See my blog entitled "Chuckle" Nov 2012) From authors to painters, from reporters to musicians, it was pure anarchic paradise in hats and snow boots. It was a very interesting feeling connecting to readers in the room as they went from table to table, waiting for that certain something to catch their eye. For the most part, it was covers. We really do judge a book by it's cover, and that made me realize that I'm not entirely certain I want to traditionally publish the Upper Kingdom series. I seriously doubt anyone could match my covers. (But that is a little artist ego rearing its head, and the subject of another blog, at another time.) For the first time in my life, I handed my books into a reader's eager hands, and accepted bills in exchange. The books do very well on Amazon and the auto-deposit is sweet, but there is something visceral and satisfying about seeing that little smile as they walk away, book in hand. What was really exciting, however, was the networking that took place last night between like-minded folks in the local industry, an industry that is just beginning to find its legs here in the North. Three small presses have started up recently and I immediately connected with Stacey Voss and the gang from Split Tree Publishing. We talked ebooks, paperbacks, Lightning Source, ISBNs, you name it, we talked it, along with the requisite fist bumps, palm slaps and bear hugs when we would trip across a shared passion, pet peeve or genre-appropriate in-joke. Totally, Big Bang Theory for the Bookish set. I also chatted with some local booksellers to arrange physical homes for my books. Since the series is Amazon-pure, I don't have other distribution channels and while people in my city know about my books, there are no local venues to purchase a print copy. Hannah of Gallery 33, The Baggage Building Art Gallery and even our local public library are all potential homes for the Upper Kingdom. All connections made in and through this event. And of course, it was a delight to chat with my fellow authors. There are some big hitters here in the North. I shared a table with Jean E. Pendziwol, author of many Governor-General's Award nominated and winning books, and Duncan Weller, also a GGA winner. Children's books, YA, poetry anthologies, graphic novels. It was all here in this underground labyrinth, along with wine, sweets and sushi. What a great evening. My husband is a professional photographer (my day job is Girl Friday and Photoshop Guru) and he was on hand to record some of the energy and vibe in the gallery. So, great night, great company and great potential here in the Winter to End All Winters. But now, back to writing. Ivy and the Mad Lord have found themselves in a bit of a pickle in Vienna and I need to help them out. Let's see where this adventure takes us… An author's journeyt
Lisa Sandham Imagine a future where humans no longer exist. A tale spun conjuring visions of lions, tigers and wolves that walk amongst snow covered mountains. Through written page a fantastical world is born where the influences of dynastic China, ancient India and feudal Japan spring to life. Such a world exists and is the brainchild of local author H. Leighton Dickson. Her first novel To Journey in the Year of the Tiger was the start of Heather’s journey. Subsequent novels in this series followed with To Walk In The Way of Lions and Songs In the Year of The Cat. Now with three successful self-published novels under her belt Dickson is in the midst of writing her fourth novel, Cold Stone & Ivy. Her new novel is brewing excitement within the literary world and last year she signed on with the prestigious Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York City. Both Penguin and Baen Publishing are expressing interest. It is an exciting time for this author and it marks the beginning of a new chapter in her life. Working along side her photographer husband Alan Dickson she admits their household is a creative one that has inspired and encouraged her writings. “When the kids were little, we would sit by the fire and I would read novels aloud to them, complete with different voices and accents for different characters.” Her enthusiasm for art and literature evolved at a very early age with her parents encouraging her to explore her many talents. “My mom was an art teacher and my dad an architectural technician, so I have drawn, written and painted ever since I could hold a crayon. I guess it’s in the genes.” At the tender age of 13 she wrote her first full-length novel and had an offer to publish from KidsCan Press but to this day cannot explain why she did not pursue it. During university she continued to write and draw and was selected along with a good friend for DC Comics New Talent Showcase. Her talents allowed her to pencil comic books and the income assisted with some of her tuition. It was while she attended university that the idea of To Journey In The Year Of The Tiger first presented itself in the form of a graphic novel. After penciling out the first chapter Heather decided that it would serve better as a novel. Her first draft once completed consisted of a 1,000 page novel. She approached agents who were very encouraging and suggested she create two novels from the draft. Thus To Walk In The Way of Lions was born. As Heather explains, “This was the summer of 2012 and Amazon was beginning to make a mark in the publishing world, in the form of Kindle e-books. I really didn’t know anything about publishing but I thought this might be a good way to see if I had what it took to entertain a reader. I put both books up on Amazon and they started selling immediately. Also, almost immediately I had people asking for more in the series. I was getting fan mail!” Her fan base continues to grow by proof of her ranking among Amazon’s Best Sellers in their Kindle Store and reviews left by readers world-wide testify to the originality of her characters and innovative story telling. After attending the University of Guelph where she studied zoology and then a two-year equine study program in New Liskeard, she took a position as what she describes as a “scullery maid” in a great house in Lancashire, England. This experience would ultimately be the seed of inspiration for her current novel Cold Stone & Ivy. “The Great House where I worked became the estate of the Mad Lord of Lasingstoke and is an integral part of the storyline. Both my editor and agent have commented how they felt like, while reading, they were living in Victorian England because I related the sense of place – the smells, the sounds, the textures.” Having always been inspired by such classic authors as Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Alexandre Dumas and Arthur Conan Doyle, Dickson describes her new novel has a Victorian steampunk thriller in which the greatest mystery of that era serves as an anchor to the plot. “Given that I love all things Victorian and have always been a reader of the great Victorian writers, I thought it was simply natural to set my mystery in the Victorian era. And what was (and still is) the greatest unsolved mystery of that era? Why, the identity of Jack the Ripper of course!” H. Leighton Dickson admits she has learned much on her journey having self-published her first three novels and now embarking on a more traditional route with her new novel. She considers herself “a hybrid” having experienced both worlds. Although both offer benefits to a writer there is much to consider. “I’ve learned that both markets are very different and sort of antagonistic toward each other. Self-publishing is much more instantly gratifying. But somehow, being a part of the ages-old tradition of publishing, being validated by a signing agency, of making the cut and ultimately seeing your work in a bookstore that is very gratifying.” When asked what advice she would give to other aspiring authors she puts emphasis on the fundamentals: grammar, sentence structure, pacing and tension but is also quick to point out that there are no short cuts to achieving a great plot and characterization. Hard work and dedication are required. “Edit it. Chop it. Lengthen and strengthen it. Then leave it and percolate for a while and see if you can think of ways to give the ending more of a wow, make the characters more complex, give the story a twist and write your way out of it. Think, “What would I do if this happened to me?” and then have your character do it.” As winter slowly settles in I can’t help but ask this writer a simple question. Does living in the North influence creativity? Her response is enthusiastic. “Actually, I think we are very creative here in Northwestern Ontario. The country here really affects us. We see, smell, hear and feel things very differently and I think there is something to be said for harsh climates and the creative fire. I think the connection to environment has given me the words to create a sense of place, of being somewhere very different, and then the emotional response that goes along with it.” Most evenings H. Leighton Dickson can be found at home typing away on her laptop, sitting by a warm fire and enjoying a glass of red wine. She is an author who dares to dream big and is excited about the potential of her latest novel. She envisions Cold Stone & Ivy on the big screen and is currently making plans to travel to Vienna, Strasbourg and Paris for research for a follow up novel. Experiencing the cultures, sites and sounds of these stunningly beautiful cities will again inspire this gifted writer to weave yet another tale. As her journey continues it will serve as the inspiration that will delight and entertain readers for years to come. To learn more about H. Leighton Dickson and her novels please visit: www.hleightondickson.com. Lisa Sandham is an interior designer, home designer and freelance writer. Contact her at www,lisasandham.com |
H. Leighton DicksonAuthor. Zoologist. Imaginary Genius. Engineer of Fantastical Worlds. Master of None.
Archives
March 2024
Categories
All
|