Favorite Enemies
- A Little Sisterly Advice
- Cheeky Reads
- DRD aka Donna's Blog
- Gunner Marnee's Blog
- J.K. Coi: Living with Immortals
- Just Janga
- Killer Fiction
- Kimberly Killion
- Maggie Robinson
- Maureen O. Betita
- Megan Kelly
- Pam Clare
- Renee Lynn Scott
- Romance Bandits
- Romance Dish
- Scapegoat's Blogspot
- Smartass Romance
- Terri Osburn Writes Romance
- Tessa Dare
- Vauxhall Vixens
Blog Archive
Chaos
Pamela Clare will be here this Friday! (And in case you live in your cave without a calendar to keep track, this Friday means December 05, 2008. I bet you’re still wearing your sweat band and dancing it out to Olivia Newton John, aren’t you? Dude.)
Honestly, I’ve got nothing today. I’m all hopped up on chocolate cake and glittery hoohas (I betcha didn’t think I’d dare to use it in an actual blog huh?) and even thoughts on how I could tie it all together with a big fat velvet red bow were next to nothing. So I give you the chaos inside my head.
Beware of sparkly objects. They are closer than they appear.
I know there are some of you (okay most of you) who don’t listen to music, have no desire to make up a new playlist, so we’re not staying on this topic. I’m just saying that it’s a good way to focus on your inner character. And since I’m a scatterbrain, I need someone to focus inside of my brain.
…
…
…
…
Sorry, I got distracted. Listen to Under the Flood and I lost my train of thought.
My newest story is in the land of world building. I find this hard for me to do because I’m a history fan and as my advisor once told me “wasted” my minor on history in college. I could’ve minored in programming or language or something to further my career; but no, I went to Dead Civilizations, Women’s History, American History, European History… my list goes on and on; but in something I’ve learn in world building is that sometimes you just have to ignore your inner history guru and go with the flow. Except I feel like I need to do some sort of justice to the ancient Proto Celtic civilization and dialect and ancestry. I’m not writing an ancient civilization historical. I’m writing a modern day tale of life and sacrifice and paranormal craziness.
So in the land of no return, is me *waving* and there is my playlist *screaming* and there is my paranoia *twitching* that it must be perfect because my inner history lover dies a little inside when I start making it up. So I’ve devised myself a playlist to keep myself distracted over the details so I can just write it out and not think so much about it.
World building sucks the life out of you if you over think it. At least I think so.
So here are a few of my non-life-sucking-out-of-me playlist songs. Just to get me started into my groove and then I’m pretty good from there.
(Intro &) Big Tree- Desperate for Compromise
Undying- MSD
Waking the Demon- Bullet for My Valentine
Forfeit- Chevelle
Ashes- In This Moment
Murder- MSD
Coalescence- Desperate for Compromise
Serendipity- The Agonist
Expired- Endface
Worth the Pain- Digital Summer
One I get to the “Worth the Pain” song, I’m in the thick of things. I’ve made it to my required 1000 word mark to start making sense and not rambling like an idiot within my own story. From there on I listen to- oh god, I can’t believe I’m going to admit this in open air- Robert Pattinson’s song “Let Me Sign” on repeat. And before you guys make fun of me for being über hardcore and then wussing out, you’d have to listen to my playlist first and then decide. I can’t say why it’s important to my scene writing. I couldn’t have written a scene without it as she’s staring up at the sky and remembering the last time she’d saw her sister, how they stared up at the stars twinkling down on them and were at peace for five minutes as the world seemed to stop around them before they never see each other again.
“Let Me Sign” well, for me, it’s the perfect zoning out song. It’s the perfect for me because it’s not crazy. My thoughts can be collected and controlled. In the first 1000 words, I’m sporadic. World building requires the perfect amount of focus and creativity rolled up into the fingertips of someone willing to take a chance. I’m taking a character whose over 2000 years old and putting her into a modern human world. She’s feral and that’s the one thing I love about writing her and to me that song is about untamed love for one person and the desperation you feel- hopeless and struggling and fighting and falling.
So let’s hear it readers and writers. If you’ve ever world built within your own book, what do you like most about it and what do you struggle with? Readers what aggravates you the most about writers who build their own worlds? What is your favorite kind of paranormal/sci-fi/urban fantasy reads and how does the world building draw you into the story? And for our readers who don’t read para or sci-fi, what are your favorite parts about the genre you read or write?
Books by the Crew
49 comments:
I write paranormal. No music involved in the writing process, but I thrive on the chaos at Starbucks as I disappear into the world I'm building.
What do I love about it? I write in alternate history worlds, so I can let the strict history teachers stay on recess. So magic can run rampant thru Ireland, or the Caribbean... Alien worlds don't have to make sense, I don't have to follow science rules...
But I do try to stay grounded. And that is a struggle now and then. But...I seldom read the sorts of books I write. I know, but it's the truth. I read romantic mystery cozies. With an occassional dive into other things. I come close to what I write, but it distracts. I get wicked jealous at a good idea and so I don't read what I write.
That is my coping mechanism!
Mystery cozies are fast reads. I can finish one a day, easy. And the plot finishes, the characters may go on in another book. I like that! And now and then, I really run into a gem that makes me laugh, or teaches me something...
Sin, I like Olivia Newton John!
I think this must be my lucky day. Chaos is one of my favourite subjects and to have it described by my favourite writing 'strange attractor' has made my day! *g*
If a system is chaotic, its long time behaviour is unpredictable without a computer with infinite wordlength...... as when a butterfly flaps its wings in Beijing a hurricane may form in Florida, if the weather is in a chaotic phase.
When a writer goes chaotic however, the results can be really fascinating. I have a horror of being predictable and take great pains to avoid it. But to be naturally unpredictable, a living chaos, that must be a wonderful feeling. You no longer strive to 'think out of the box', you ARE out of the box!
Sin, why don't you combine your love of history with some of the sparse evidence for advanced civilisations on earth. Thinking of Atlantis, Mayan culture, mysteries surrounding the great pyramid and so on. I know you could write a fabulous historical fantasy that is way out of the box.
I like my fantasy to be consistent with physical laws though, or if not, to explain why the laws are broken. For me this makes the plot more plausible and consequently enhances the enjoyment. If Second Chance's alien worlds don't make sense then I probably won't like them......unless other writing qualities override the implausibility. These would have to be pretty special qualities I think...but then pirates are all pretty special! *g*
2nf change... that's some of my favourite fantasy reading alternate historical worlds. Jacqueline Carey is a perfect example of that. No para, but lots of history, same with Sarah Monette, it's a marvel what she'd done and her writing grabs hold and doesn't let go.
I do 'world building' for my historicals. I make up places and mould characters around what I think can be real by interspersing real history. The one thing about a real historical though, is you can't make mistakes with history, whether people know what they are talking about or not, they like to bitch...sorry having a bad contest feedback moment.
Fantasy/sci fi/paranormal settings allow you to twist what we know as real.
and i think i'm still tired... i tried three times to correct 2nd before posting... sheesh.
Sin - Yay world building! :) And your song choices are very you. :)
I am loving JR Ward this past month. I've almost gotten through all her books though I've read them completely out of order. But her stuff is great. Her vampire world is drawn so well, with the aristocracy and the warriors, just so cool. Though it doesn't seem like Caldwell is big enough to house it all without setting off some major alarms to the natives.
I've been messing around with a paranormal idea that has required a lot of world building. I'm still not sure it's going to work but I've been messing with it for the past couple weeks. We'll see.... My previous world building was pretty tame as my witches inhabit this world. I think it's easier to base fantasy elements in our world, both for the writer to accomplish and the reader to accept.
See, and if I went somewhere to write, I'd never write. I'm self-conscious about writing. I can't write in a public place. Sort of like peeing in public. Someone has to be runnin' the sink in order to flow. I can't be thinking someone is looking over my shoulder constantly and listening in to my thoughts.
That was TMI wasn't it?
*shrugs* Oh well.
I'm finding out that I like weaving the fantasy in with the real world. Since in the beginning, my heroine doesn't speak English. She understands it, but she can't speak; she's been saved by a man who understands her thoughts. That's been fun. But it's weaving the history into fantasy. Good thing I don't have to do much of it. I'm an info dumper so I catch myself going into long speeches in paragraphs.
I can't read and write at the same time. I don't know what it is about writing but while I'm visualizing the book I'm reading, I can't visualize my own writing. I can only focus on one creative project at a time.
I love it when you smoke the crack pipe first thing in the morning. Always makes the blogs that much more entertaining.
Who is MSD, by the way?
World building:
I love: being funny in it. Making the little ironies or pointing out the little absurdities, even within a made-up world. I don't do a lot of world building, but in my first draft about Lucifer, the second half of the book takes place in Heaven, where the heroine does not want to go, and I had a lot of fun with the "characters" (I was raised Protestant, so my characters were "historical people"; Jesus looked a little like John Lenon.) My favorite was Michael (Mikey) showing Elizabeth around and there were a bunch of sectioned off areas...and when she asked why that was (since this is Heaven), he explained it's for the different religions who think the other guys didn't make it. And he said the Calvinists were particularly irksome because they think only 144,000 were going to make it so they had to make a bunch of rooms...
What I hate: not being "original" enough.
I'm frequently in awe of many writers who make world building look so effortless. JK Rowling made it look so effortless that I truly believe I could go to Scotland and find Hogwarts. Even if it's Muggle-repelled and Unplottable. I'm a wizard in my heart; I could find it.
Sherrilyn Kenyon's world building continually fascinates me. It's huge and romping and funny and tragic. It's great storytelling. I do get a bit irked though when her world-building from her historical novels (under a different name) overlaps with her urban fantasy world-building under her Kenyon name though. It has the same jarring effect as when Spielberg put aliens in the last Indiana Jones movie.
I don't know a single band/song in your playlist Sin..Maybe I should broaden my horizon. Anyway you know how I like paranormal and UF and reading your quetions, I had to butt in. I'm all for world building. I love to be drawn into a new world with its own rules and codes and.. inhabitants is the word I guess. But it pisses me off big time when the writer who built that world bends the rules they created to suit their purpose. And yeah Sin you know who I'm talking about. I know you love her but I can't help wonder: What's the point in creating a new world if you don't respect what you've made of it till the end?
stef, crawling back into her hiddey hole.
Q, you make me want to get out my leotard and start singing "Physical".
For some reason, I knew you'd love chaos. You seem like the chaos type of chap. I love how you describe it too. Chaos in prose.
To be living chaos is much like living predictible; it becomes stale after a while. Chaos inside a writer is more of a tornado of ideas that rush in at 150 mph and leave just as fast. My mind goes in fifty directions at one time while I'm writing. I write one scene and my head automatically goes into another. I try to focus on one book, and my mind wants me to write a different one. Chaos is a whirlwind and I'm caught up in it.
I'm already combining my love of ancient civilizations into my writing. The Proto Celtic era is something they don't know much about. In fact, not much is known about early, early Celtic civilizations. I want to write about before the druids came into play. Well before the druids of history books. I'm going to write of the Celts before the migrated out into Ireland and Scotland.
The Mayan culture is very popular right now in para/fantasy. Mostly because authors are writing about the end of the world. Mayan calander only goes to 2012, so writing paranormal about that is really fascinating. I've never been much about Mayan history. Something about it underwhelmed me in school. Maybe now that I'm older I could find a new appreciation for studying it.
I'm trying to think of what wouldn't make sense in fantasy. Fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal is just that, it defies what we know to be true in the sense of truth. My para/UF is all based on immortals- demons, vamps, faeries, elves- the list goes on and on. How they became who they are now is based on evolution- sort of. I dunno. I can't go into it much. I'm hoping to write something singularly unique.
Of course us pirates are okay *wry grin* You know we'd make you walk the plank, Q.
Well I say that but I don't think we'd make you. Maybe tie you up and not give you any rum.
Probably not even that. I think we'll probably be too drunk to take offense to anything you say.
Tiff, I'm tired too. My eyes are nearly crossed. Good thing my fingers know where the keys are, my brain sure doesn't.
I like this- "Fantasy/sci fi/paranormal settings allow you to twist what we know as real." That's my favorite part about UF/Para, I like reading things that have been twisted. Kim Harrison really does a great job doing this. Once you find that balance that allows you to write the twist, it makes it so much better.
Fascinating blog, SIN. It’s always interesting to see how a Creative Mind works.
And Is it just me? Or is anyone else getting some frightening visuals running through their head when they read
‘glittery hoohas”
followed by
“Beware of sparkly objects. They are closer than they appear.”
Marn- I love obscure indy bands. LOL And the more you love an indy band, the more they love you back.
I'm a fan of old JRW. These newer books- blah. I think they are weak which is sad because she used to be so hardcore. But I do love how she weaves everything together.
Yes, but you do the paranormal so well that it just flows into the storyline easily. I have ever confidence that you can world build with no problem, Marn.
MSD is MSD (musica silentis doloris): http://www.entermsd.com/index2.html
I happened upon MSD a few months ago. I'm addicted to www.cdbaby.com and they have this suggestion finder. You can suggest who you like and they will suggest another band that is similar. But this find was me searching through their $5 CD's and I read- "Recommended if you like Evanescence, Lacuna Coil and HIM" I hit the freaking jackpot. But they don't sound anything like them. My gosh, they are so dark. I have "The Rebirth" and holy f*ck its hardcore.
No crack smokin' this morning. It's all about the music baby.
I'd say you're original. I don't think there are many other writers who could take Lucy and make him redeemable. Or write "Mikey" the way you do. I mean, you're great at it. You just don't realize it because it's your own.
Julie, I was totally thinking the same thing about glittery hoohas and sparkly objects that are closer than they appear....
I agree babe. There's is nothing I hate more than authors who bend their own rules to make something they wrote fit. And yeah, it may be your progrative as the author of your world, but at least try to make some f*cking sense and connect with your readers. Your readers are who keep you writing for the masses. At least give them some respect. You build this world, you set these rules and then you say f*ck it, I'll do this and who cares that I've said it can't be done or shouldn't be done or even that it's NOT possible.
*end of rant*
*brushing off soapbox*
Stef, you're always good to get the old soapbox riled up. I love when you come out of the hidey hole.
Stef, you'd really love MSD's "The Rebirth". It's your type of CD. It's really hardcore without much screaming. It's just... Hm, heavy? It's one of those CD's that pushes you down in a chair and puts weight against your chest so that you can't breathe. I love it.
When it comes to Fantasy Worlds I want the author to Be Consistent. Please. Come up with some Rules by which your world is ruled. Then stick to them. If you break those rules then it’s imperative that you Explain how those rules can be broken. Inconsistency breaks down the fantasy, it breaks down my connection to the story, & it breaks my trust in your ability to build a real fantasy world. Which will lead to …. My tossing your tome out the window!
MSD is MSD (musica silentis doloris): http://www.entermsd.com/index2.html
I happened upon MSD a few months ago. I'm addicted to www.cdbaby.com and they have this suggestion finder. You can suggest who you like and they will suggest another band that is similar. But this find was me searching through their $5 CD's and I read- "Recommended if you like Evanescence, Lacuna Coil and HIM" I hit the freaking jackpot. But they don't sound anything like them. My gosh, they are so dark. I have "The Rebirth" and holy f*ck its hardcore.
Great Minds think alike, hellion1
I can't post any f*cking comments today. It keeps telling me they are already posting.
*swearing heavily*
Hellie- No crack smokin' this morning. It's all about the music baby.
I'd say you're original. I don't think there are many other writers who could take Lucy and make him redeemable. Or write "Mikey" the way you do. I mean, you're great at it. You just don't realize it because it's your own.
Respect is really the key word here.
Respect your readers. And treat them like they are intelligent beings. Which they are, because hey, they’ve chosen to read Your book right?
Hey, Sin. I'm running through. Saw history buff and Bullet For My Valentine. If anyone saw my playlist they'd think something was seriously lose in the brain.
My list ranges from Chopin to Megadeath and everything in between. I love Seether, huge fan. One of my favorite songs to write to is Seven Mary Three's Cumbersome.
I seem to struggle with getting it right too. I'll be writing like the wind, BAM! Then I have to do some research, just to get it RIGHT. Not so easy when there are no real definites, which I find to be the case in my current series.
I wanted to take a modern Wiccan girl and toss her back into the days were the Druids were persecuting women heavily. Not out of some sinister twisted...well, I just wanted to have her tame a head druid, make him fall in love with her and battle all he's known.
Great blog. BTW, I like the little hints you've given. Can't wait to see the end result. We will see it, won't we?
Renee
You got spammed, Sin. I de-spammed you. *LOL*
Maybe it was all your f-bombs. *LOL*
Oooh I got spammed once,
Figured that it was a Subtle hint.
Well, f*ck I just wrote another out and reposted it. LOL
Hellie, I had this really great post about MSD and it wouldn't let me post. I'm going to try again.
MSD is MSD. It's their band name. They say it's short for musica silentis doloris. http://www.entermsd.com/index2.html
I found them because I'm addicted to www.cdbaby.com and cdbaby has this great feature that you can find artist that are similar to who you like. But I found MSD because I was looking through the $5 CD's and this one was literally the jackpot after I read the recommendation.
"Recommended if you like: Evanescence, Lacuna Coil and HIM"
*fan squeal*
But they are nothing like them. I think they are harder, more intense. I don't know how to explain them. But they are hardcore. Super hardcore.
"And Is it just me? Or is anyone else getting some frightening visuals running through their head when they read ‘glittery hoohas” followed by “Beware of sparkly objects. They are closer than they appear.”
*g*
*evil laugh*
Maybe that's what I intended.
I didn't drop THAT many f bombs. Seriously the more it messes with me, the more I'm going to use it. Just be glad you're not on this side of the monitor with me. It ain't pretty.
Jules, ITA with everything you said. I need my rule breaking to make sense and I need my para/UF author to be consistant, not all over the place. Maybe this is why I shouldn't write UF.
I'm so late today. Chaos is all around me! I'll be better when this week is over. *sigh* Once this dang company party business is over. The thing keeps growing!!!
Anyhooha, I'm sure I'm building a world for my contemp but it's not all that different from the real world. After all, it's straight contemp. But I did this little para piece for a challenge in my RWA chapter and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. It had demons and the main guy was basically an angel. But I got to decide that the demons blended in with humans except they don't need sleep or food. And why was that? Because I said so.
Ah, the four most favorite words of every parent. LOL!
I'm going to try to make time to look up this music. I think you might like my ex-BF's band, Sin. They're called Black Suit Karma and their first CD is called Negative White. Google them and you can find them on MySpace. My ex plays bass and pretty much manages all the business stuff. They've done a great job of getting themselves out there and I'm hoping a big label picks them up soon. I'd love to hear what you think of them.
Renee - I LOVE Seether! And I love Cumbersome as well. When I first met my ex-BF, him and some other guys took me to breakfast (pirate!) one morning and on the way, they all sang that song at the top of their lungs. I can't help but think of all of them everytime I hear that song. :)
And if you think the opposite of what you said you want to write Renee, you'll have a concept of what my para is about :)
Renee- I liked Seether before the lead singer went to rehab. The last CD was total crap. One of my favorite songs is Driven Under off Disclaimer. I like Out of My Way on Disclaimer II. Not to mention Broken. I saw Seether in concert right after Broken came out. Amy Lee came out on stage to sing it with him. Gives me freakin' goosebumps to think about it.
Seether sorta reminds me of a harder hitting Nirvana.
I'm sorta like you in my playlist listening. I listen to everything from classical to hardcore screamo. My "At First Taste" playlist is a little more goth than I usually use. I'm dark but my heroine has no light to follow. I think Winter by MSD describes her best.
If you're a little on the ecletic side of listening Renee, I can suggest all sorts of new music. :)
I love 7M3- Cumbersome and Water's Edge. Water's Edge was one of the first songs I ever listened to and wrote at the same time. It was a poem about despair.
And you can see it if I can get it written. I'm trying to write in 3rd PPOV and it's a hard learning process for me but it's the only way the full story can be told.
Ter, I've pulled them up now. Read some reviews first. They got really great reviews.
I think they need to hook up with cdbaby.com and I think they'd do really well.
Sin - I'll send Rus that message. Anything that helps get them out there is good. They have a video for the first single, Lovers & Leaches. It's all been kind of cool to watch come along.
Sin, I don't know, I like some of Seether's newest stuff. The lyrics are...interesting and left open to interpretation.
Don't say IF. Say WHEN. I suggest if you are having problems with 3rd, then write in 1st. I'm doing that with my latest historical. It helps me really get into their heads. I'm switching it to 3rd as I revise, which I've been doing along the way.
Renee
Renee, I'm doing okay with the third person. I've been doing a little of that too (switching things from first to third as I read back over it) because at heart I'm a first person writer.
I just messaged them. At first he asked me who I knew so he could give them some props and I wrote back it was you. Not two seconds before I messaged him back, he messaged me again to say "Nevermind. I see Terri is in your top friends. We love Terri!"
To which I replied, everyone loves Terri!
I made the suggestion to him as well about cdbaby.com to get their name out there.
I'm feeling a lot of love on this ship right now. Thanks, Sin. You're such a doll. I don't know the other guys in the band but I know they are very serious about making it big. And I'm just looking forward to the day I can say I officially have a Rock Star ex-BF. LOL!
I don't know how you guys change from 1st to 3rd and back like that. I'm afraid that would fry my brain. And I don't have enough brain cells left to chance losing what's there.
QC you were right! I'm listening to them through their MySpace and liking them lots.
Sin, I would love to read your Celtic fantasy some time. When visiting ancient sites in the UK, like stone circles, ancient burial sites, iron age forts and so on, your fantasy could bring it all to life.
There is an excellent popular book by Jan Wickerink entitled 'Souls of Distortion Awakening, A convergence of science and spirituality' which I think is available as a free download.
It sketches much of the hard evidence for advanced early civilisations. The Mayan 'end of time' in 2012 is supposed to correspond to a rebirth where the spiritual dimension of science becomes more in evidence. One can actually see it starting to some extent with some scientists seriously visiting ideas related to the Akashic field, telepathy, teleportation and so on.
By plausibility in fantasy I don't mean conforming with current knowledge. More that an extrapolative link with modern science is discernible. Magicians casting spells are OK as that could be seen as extensions of 'Energy healing'. Time travel is OK as science indicates how it might be achieved and so on. But if fundamental laws like 'conservation of energy' or 'material speeds not exceeding the velocity of light' are broken then I balk. Julie puts it very nicely I think when she demands consistency.
Tie me up with no rum?! I'm sure we could come to some amicable agreement without that. *g*
Ter- You should feel the love everyday babe.
Stef, I think their newest CD is on their myspace. If you look them up at CD baby you can find their old CD and listen to it there. I think it's much better. Their new CD reminds me a lot of Hurt- think like the second CD. I think it's because of the way it flows.
Anyone watch SNL lately where they do the skits of Two A-holes? The guy always says in the lame voice, "Whatcha think babe. Babe. Babe. Whatcha think." And the girl smacks her gum all annoying like and says something idiotic. Every time I type babe now it sounds like the guy in the skit. It's super annoying.
Q *wicked grin* I'm pretty sure we could come to a understanding.
I have to write the Celtic fantasy in order for you to read it *sigh* I have some of it but I'm not like I used to be where I could write 20,000 words in a week and still be able to do everything else to function as a normal working adult.
I've gotta say though, when I'm working on some of the history parts so I can get to know Cin better, I imagine her standing at the ancient sites in Ireland, Scotland and England and imagine how it would look through her eyes. To have known the land before it became what it is today.
Have I ever told you that I love when you talk science?
Though every drink starts with rum, ends with rum and has rum in the middle...
OOOO...Sin likes it when Q talks science... I intuit a new drink coming on. Talks Science...
That mail order certification from the Tortuga School of Bartending is so cool! I feel like I know what I'm doing!
Great. Right next to the Glittery Hooha on the drink menu is not the Bunson Burner. Or should that be the Bo'sun Burner?
Pass one of those my way, 2nd!
HA! HA! HA! I love it! I'm making up a list...
Bo'sun Burner 'tis!
I think of preparing to write each historical I write as involving world-building. I approach it pretty much the way you would if you were doing a paranormal or urban fantasy, but rather than making it up, I have to go find it. My slate is just as blank as if I were writing something set in another universe, because, really, the 18th century is another universe for me. No one asked me, but there you go. :-)
PC! *fan squeal* I agree. I tend not to think of historical as world building mostly because I can't think in the historical sense writing but you're right. I think anything that's not set currently takes a bit of world building. And you do scene setting and world building fabulously!
Post a Comment