Settings - Turning Reality into another World

Mersea

Taking a much needed walk with my family on New Year's Day reminded me how much I love where I live, and how much of those real life settings have become part of my writing. World building has to be one of my favourite parts of the writing process, and I'm lucky that I live in a small town, but close to the countryside and to the beach to escape. Colchester in the UK is Britain's oldest recorded market town and a place with a long and rich history. Once intended to be the Roman capital Camulodunum before being superceeded by Londinium, it was originally a Celtic settlement before the Roman invasion, then burned to the ground by Boudicca, the iconic queen of the Iceni. Colchester Castle is a Norman fort built on the ruins of a Roman temple, and now the town's museum. The town came under seige during the Second English Civil War, and nearby the medieval Layer Marney Tower once hosted Queen Elizabeth I. Colchester is a place seeped in blood, fire and changing cultures. How can that not be inspiring?

Take the photo above for example. To me it could be an alien planet. The mudflats of Mersea even inspired a scene in Keir's sequel, though it only takes up a page of the story. The desolate brown-grey surface with the ridges of water sparkling in the winter sun was an image that really stuck in my head.

A recent review for Keir commented that the reader wanted to stay on Metraxi. The tropical island of Kasha-Asor where Keir and Quin were 'imprisoned' came from lazy weekends spent on the beach at Frinton-on-Sea, just a half hour drive from my home.

And the bamboo groves instead of the  stereotypical palm trees? They were down to the wallpaper on my computer at the time. Just to prove inspiration can come from the strangest places and the smallest things.

With my latest release, the setting was already given by the anthology canon - a space station but with holographic suites that could become anything a visitor desired. Even then, a real life setting became the opening scene of Terms & Conditions Apply. Taken from a piece I originally did for my university course a couple of years ago, the meeting area began life as Culver Square in my home town, with its Romanesque style central fountain tying in nicely with the Roman goddess after which the space station was named - Venus. The fountain no longer works these days, but it lives on in the wasteful display of water Marie scorns as she sits in the meeting area of Venus Ascendant. The canon description - of a public area surrounded by shops and market stalls - seemed a perfect match with the real life setting for the town centre.

Culver Square in Colchester.

How much has the place where you live, or places you've travelled to, influenced the settings in your writing? Is there anywhere you haven't been that you'd like to? Have you ever gone somewhere just for the purpose of research, or was that just an excuse?

Pippa's Journal

Action!
I've nothing new to report on the writing front. Everything pretty much went on hold over the Christmas holiday, and my little monsters only returned to school yesterday. Most of my plans for this month involve revamping my Book Reviewers List, cleaning up and reorganizing all my social media sites, and the imminent edits for Gethyon. I'm waiting to hear back from my editor regarding Tethered, and for news on my sfr short story submission. I'm also hoping to increase the amount of guest blogging I do elsewhere, and to enter a few more contests over the year. Aside from that, I have two draft novellas which have the potential to become three, a decision to be made over Keir's sequel, and at least one more short story that I'd like to have completed and published this year. Think that should keep me out of mischief for a while...

What are your writing plans for the year ahead?

Discoveries
Some odd ones for you. First up, who wants to smell like a library? Think I'm joking? A company called Demeter have come up with a scent called Paperback which promises to smell like your favourite library or used book shop. If anyone gets it, let me know how it smells. :)

This is an interesting one, although I'm not sure how good a match it produces. BookRX will apparently match you to the perfect books based on your Twitter ID (using the hashtags from your tweets). You can test it out for yourself here.I have to say I hadn't heard of ANY of the books it recommended to me, although a couple of the author names were familiar. If you're looking for something different, perhaps this is the way to find it. Let me know if it gives you anything interesting.

For the stargazers among us, a handy guide to the meteor showers in 2013 with Meteorwatch.

Happenings
With the end of Six Sentence Sunday rushing towards us, it has been proposed the Brigade run one of its own, to showcase the works of SFR authors. I'll be arranging a sign-up inlinkz on the SFR Brigade main blog, much like the one for the tagging parties (which are now on hold, pending this trial run of the blogging ring). Snippets should be one paragraph (approx 150-200 words) to go live late Friday (time zone to be decided but it'll be a US one most likely). Snippets will not be checked, so it's up to participants to make sure their posts are live and at the limit. As yet we're still discussing a name and hastags to be used - if in doubt, you can use the main SFR Brigade tag which is #sfrb. Those Brigade members who've taken part in SSS will be familiar with the idea, but feel free to ask any questions. It's all very informal and experimental for now, but the idea is not only to familiarize each other with examples of each other's work, but to hopefully entice readers to the genre. So, mutual promotion of the event is key! If you have any ideas, suggestions or even, dare I say it - complaints, please comment below or in the Facebook group.

Have you submitted to the SFR Brigade anthology yet? If not, there's still time. The deadline has been extended until the end of January. Hurry up!

My cover for Keir will be up on the You Gotta Read site and I need your votes! *flutters eyelashes* pretty please? It's #14 and will be up here from the 14th January. C'mon, it's a good looking guy with tatts - got to be worth a click. ;)

Ping Pong
Laurie, the first of anything is always special, but I can promise you I'm as excited about each release as I was the first...and probably a lot less nervous about it. I hope that feeling never goes away, but here's to a new batch of firsts!

Desperately Seeking Great Endings

So fess up. How many times have you finished a book and thrown it against the wall?

There's been a lot of discussion about what makes a five star story. Is it the hook? The characters? The world building? The conflict? The romance? The plot?

I think it's all of the above.

But it doesn't stop there.

Putting on my reader's hat, there's one more element that is absolutely a deal maker or breaker for me. The story has to have a fantastic ending. The kind of ending that makes you close a book and say "Wow! That was amazing." Because for me, all the things that go into "a really good book" only transform it to a great book when they culminate in a knock-your-socks off conclusion.

I want to see the characters thrown right off the cliff--beyond all hope, past the point of no return--and then see the HEA salvaged in a believable, exciting way, especially if it involves a wicked twist or a big revelation (that kind I should have seen coming but didn't, because it was so well crafted).

There is nothing that's more disappointing than to read three-quarters of a great novel only to have the characters lose their way and the plot lack a solid resolution. Or end so abruptly that it leaves the reader thinking "What the heck?" It's like being promised thundering fireworks and getting a quiet fizzle.

Maybe we've created a culture of great beginnings to the detriment of grand finales? Admittedly, there's not a lot of attention paid to crafting story endings. There are myriad contests for the first chapter, the first three chapters, the first 50 pages...but none that I know of that are focused on improving the ending of a book.

But a book is not just a beginning.

I've become a seeker of those rare great endings. Here are a few books that make my list of All Time Great Endings. (Yes, you've heard of some of these titles before. There's a good reason for that.)

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones (Paranormal Romance)
A sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying novel about a private PI and the mysterious dark entity that invades her life. And turns out to be a very flesh-and-blood hunk of a man. Sort of. The revelation about Reyes at the finale of the novel absolutely took my breath away.

Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair (SFR)
One of the blackest moments in SFRdom, hands down, that still ends in a seemingly impossible uplifting HEA.

The Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald (SFR)
An edge-of-your-seat, fire and brimstone conclusion that ties ties together several plot threads in a big reveal that made me say "OMG!"

Strangers by Barbara Elsborg (Contemporary Romance/Erotica)
Two of the most tortured characters in bookdom overcome all odds to find happiness in a finale that will absolutely make you believe in the power of love.

The Last Colony by John Scalzi (SF)
The conclusion of a trilogy about the journey of two characters who join an extraordinary corp of superhumans--while many dark secrets about the universe are withheld from the unsuspecting population on Earth. The conclusion of this tale will leave you believing in new beginnings--and that everything in the universe is about to change.

Now I need your help. I'd love to find about a dozen more books to add to my Great Endings list. What books would you recommend? (Any genre is welcome, but SFR is a plus.)

HOBBITS AND DWARVES AND ORCS, OH MY!

Well, here we are all in our places with bright shiny faces, ready for the New Year!  Time to get started on those resolutions Pippa mentioned; there will be no resting on our laurels around this Lounge!

So let’s start 2013 off with a review of one of the last great films of 2012, one which science fiction/fantasy fans had been in a dither of anticipation over for years—THE HOBBIT, AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY.  Peter Jackson’s first installment of the prequel to his LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy finally debuted December 14 to somewhat mixed reviews.  Given the film’s rocky production history, it was a wonder THE HOBBIT ever made it to the screen at all.  Perhaps we should not be surprised that the little fella showed up with some baggage.

In the earliest stages of development there were battles over who owned the rights to the story.  In this era of studio failures and buyouts trying to track the pea of story rights through the shell game of studio mergers can be a full-time job for a stable of lawyers.  Once that was settled and backers lined up to produce the movie, special effects genius Guillermo del Toro (LABYRINTH) was named as director, with Peter Jackson onboard as executive producer.  Jackson said at the time that he didn’t want to compete with himself as director of LOTR.  Oookay.

Del Toro, Jackson and LOTR writers Phillipa Boyens and Fran Walsh took on writing duties for the films, which at one time were planned as two films, later on as three.  Production delays ensued once creatures and effects began to be envisioned.  Some media articles blamed del Toro for this, noting it wouldn’t be the first time his perfectionism had caused cost or time overruns.  A larger obstacle was that the major studio involved—MGM—was having financial problems and couldn’t feed the hungry film. Del Toro pulled out.

Eventually a new coalition of studios came together to fund the project (New Line Cinema, MGM, Wingnut Films) and Peter Jackson took over as director.  The structure settled out as a trilogy (AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, THERE AND BACK AGAIN) and filming began with several of the actors from the LOTR films signing on again (Cate Blanchet, Ian McKellan, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis, and Elijah Wood and Orlando Bloom in cameos).

Still the film could not avoid problems.  Shooting was plagued with labor disputes and accusations of cruelty at some of the farms where animals were stabled by outside contractors.  No doubt the fans were not the only ones happy to see the day come when the first film was in theaters.

All of these problems seem well worthwhile when you see the result on the screen.  The magic of Jackson’s vision is fully intact as Hobbiton opens up in all its charm and innocence and color, every detail perfect.  Again, as was true of LOTR, the casting is wonderful in THE HOBBIT, and we can’t help but be enchanted by Martin Freeman’s (Sherlock) fussy, lovable Bilbo and fascinated by the dwarves who come to his door in the night.  As Richard Armitage plays him, Thorin Oakenshield is a truly heroic figure, and it’s easy to dismiss the fact that he’s, well, maybe four feet high.  

As the adventure proceeds and things grow darker, the wargs are scarier, the orcs are fiercer than we’ve seen them (except perhaps the Great Goblin and his minions, who are played for laughs), because we see them not from the perspective of men like Aragorn and elves like Legolas, but of shorter dwarves and hobbits. 

This is, however, a lighter story than LOTR, as was the book it is based on.  There are more moments of humor for humor’s sake, more songs, sillier characters (why else name characters Bifur, Bofur, Oin, Gloin, etc.?)  THE HOBBIT is still not a children’s story, but the adults who see it must have a high tolerance for throwing plates in the kitchen and the odd wizard with a penchant for carrying birds’ nests under his hat.

Tolkien’s The Hobbit was also a single book.  How then does Jackson justify making three movies out of it?  Some critics would say not very well.  He’s padded the story by letting us see some things that were only implied or not referred to at all in the book—a meeting of the “White Council”, for example, who Jackson interprets to be Galadriel, Saruman, Elrond and Gandalf at Rivendell.  The scene foreshadows the events of LOTR much more than was ever done in Tolkien’s book, simply because he hadn’t written the trilogy yet and probably had no idea how it would develop from The Hobbit.

But as a Tolkien fan and a fan of Jackson’s LOTR I found the scene compelling.  I kept hoping Aragorn would show up, too, though he’s not anywhere in The Hobbit.  This gives me hope for the two future installments.  Jackson is faithful to the spirit of Tolkien, though he may take liberties with the canon.  That makes for great entertainment in his movies.

That said, THE HOBBIT probably is less of a classic than any film in the LOTR trilogy.  I’ve seen it twice, and it doesn’t have the power or the sustainability of the previous films.  Perhaps it’s the subject matter; perhaps it’s the characters.  I doubt it’s the fact that we’ve been here before or the filmmaker’s abilities.  The first time I saw THE HOBBIT, the pace kept me so enthralled I sat for the entire nearly three hour duration of the film without going out to the restroom for fear of missing something important.  The second time I felt I could miss the “cleaning up the kitchen while singing” scene.  Not sure I could tolerate that one the ten or more times I’ve seen the LOTR films.

Finally, my two cents about the High Frame Rate innovation introduced with this film.  In case you’ve been hiding under a rock somewhere, Jackson filmed THE HOBBIT at a higher than usual 48 frames per second (fps) rather than the usual 24 fps that has been the industry standard since the 1930’s.  This has caused no end of controversy.  Because the film is also showing in theaters in 3D, it is difficult for most moviegoers to tell the difference.  I know I really didn’t know what to look for, and I’m a film buff. 

Critics have said it makes the film look like high-definition TV, rather than a film.  Why this is bad, I don’t know.  I LIKE HDTV.  I thought that was the point of digital cameras, etc.  So the higher frame rate gives you a better, clearer picture.  The one thing I noticed was that fight scenes could be followed better.  Instead of a blur when a punch was thrown, you saw the arm swinging and the connection being made.  Cool!  Other than that, no difference that I could see.

So, overall on THE HOBBIT, I’d say it was not Jackson’s best film, but it wasn’t KING KONG, either.   It is well worth your movie dollar and for Tolkien/LOTR fans, a must see. 

Now, just a few more months until J.J. Abrams takes us back out into space with Jim Kirk and the crew with INTO DARKNESS!

Cheers, Donna

Happy New Year! Pippa's Journal

Happy New Year! Was the old one good for you?

I don't, as a rule, make resolutions as I've never kept those I did. At the start of 2012 I set myself a list of hopes and dreams for the year ahead, so I thought I'd look back at it. Funny to think this was only a year ago, and interesting to see what did, and didn't, happen. :)

My hopes -

1.That Keir will do well when it's released on the 7th May (or at least not get too many poor reviews). So far, so good!
2.That I will finish editing the sequel in good time, and that my editor and publisher will like it. No, yes, and no. The fate of Keir's Fall remains undecided, but at least it's finally finished.
3.That Gethyon will find a home with a publisher, even if that turns out to be myself via Amazon. Gethyon is due for release with Champagne Books in June 2013. :)
4.That my sfr short will be accepted into the anthology. This was Misa Buckley's proposed Andromedan Dreams which sadly never came to pass. However, I self published the story - Terms & Conditions Apply - in November 2012, and it's had good feedback so far. Also, this dream is still current, as I'm waiting on news for my entry for the SFR Brigade anthology. A bizarre coincidence...
5.That I will get my other scifi short completed and up on Amazon. Um, yes and no. After feedback on CritiqueCircle, that particular short - Samaritan - is still classed as a WIP, and goes back on the list for 2013. However, Terms & Conditions Apply filled the gap.
6.That I will figure out the rest of books four and five which are still a little hazy in my mind. No. Instead my crazy muse gave me two more drafts of one-off stories for NaNoWriMo, which are now three potential novellas.
7.That I won't run out of ideas and that my writing will just keep improving. Yes on the first and...well, judging by feedback I'm also managing the latter too.
8.That my friends and family will be happy and healthy, for this year and many, many more to come. Yes, but still on the list as a permanent wish.
9.That I will do more reading, and help clear a pending list of reviews. Sigh. Not quite.
10.To get into some kind of fitness routine to counteract the amount of time I now spend on my bum in front of this computer! Definitely not, so back on the wishlist...
11.A late addition, but a scifirom with succubi has got my muse all in a tizzy and I've already done 5K words on it, so I hope the fuzzy idea I currently have is going to settle down into a proper story. It's not quite my usual thing, so a bit nerve-racking, as well as exciting. This was Tethered, now complete and being looked over by my editor. I have hopes for this story. :)

2012 was a glorious year on the #amwriting front, and I'm expecting even better of 2013, and myself. You can check out my highlights here.

Christmas was an enjoyable and relaxing time with my family - and look what they bought me! A handy lap table for my notepad pc, something that's going to make the imminent edits for Gethyon a far more comfortable task.

Not my best side, lol!

Happenings

Carrie-Ann Ryan's New Year Blog Hop is happening right now, from the 1st-6th January. Aside from getting a cocktail recipe to celebrate the occassion, you can also win your chance at a $5 gift card from me by telling me your favourite New Year tipple and way to celebrate, be it champagne and a party to a cup of cocoa and an early night. The latter is my personal favourite. ;)

Champagne Diva

The closing date for entries to the SFR Brigade anthology has been extended until the 31st January. The Brigade is still looking for a few more entries, so I urge you to dust off that old short you have tucked away in your files, or scribble down that latest scifi romance idea that's been brewing over Christmas. Don't let the anthology fall! *begging*

It's been proposed to do a SFR Brigade-specific style blogging ring similar to Six Sentence Sunday which sadly finishes at the end of this month. More information will be posted in the Brigade Facebook group, once I've got my head around it. The suggestion is to post a paragraph around the 150-200 word mark on a Friday night. For the time being, this will be run as a test, and it is reliant on participants to make sure their post will be live and active on time - no one will be patrolling the links to check, so it's in your own interests to be up and ready. Stand by!

Bookshelf



Last year, I took on the challenge of reading SFR titles, partly to get to know my chosen genre better but also to learn more about the talented members in the SFR Brigade. I've not done as well as I could. At thirteen books, I've only achieved Earth level, and my TBR pile continues to grow faster than I can clear it. There's just too much excellent stuff out there! And I haven't managed to review all of them either. *slaps self* Highlights for the year were Even Villains Fall in Love by Liana Brooks, Unacceptable Risk by Jeanette Grey and Ambasadora by Heidi Ruby Miller. You can check out the rest of my list here, and also the reviews I have managed to get down for the majority of the titles. One New Year resolution for me is to dive into my TBR pile and get some more reviews up. For the year ahead, I'm looking forward to Misa Buckley's Tin Cat, a sequel to EVFiL, reading my copy of Downside Girls won from Jaine Fenn, and hoping for release dates on story drafts from Liana Brooks and Laurie Green that I've been lucky enough to get an early viewing of. What books are you hoping to see in 2013?

Ping pong

Gosh, what a year it's been for the crew of Spacefreighters Lounge! Two debut novels, two signings with agents, and yet more Golden Hearts! I'm so proud to have been a part of it all.  A round of Billins to celebrate! :P

I'm afraid this post is a little patchy - I still have my three little monsters home for another week, and once they're back to school, I have a list of tasks even longer than my TBR list. Eeeek!

May the New Year bring you all you dream of!