Where’s the Reset Button?

Posted on April 30, 2013 by AmyBeth Inverness
My apologies, this is a convoluted goals update...

My apologies, this is a convoluted goals update…

Have you ever put a significant amount of work into a project just to discover that, somewhere along the line, you took a wrong turn and need to reset everything back to the way it was?

I had at least one student do that today during their final exam. They had to take an Access database and perform a list of additions and modifications. If you’re not familiar with MS Access, it is often truly simpler and easier to restart than it is to fix whatever mess you’ve created.

I spent April on blog hiatus. I attended my first writer’s conference (about which I’ve already blogged and will blog some more) It’s been just over two years of writing seriously with intent to create a career, and I have several small pieces published.

I don’t need to reset to an earlier status, but I do need to set myself in some direction that has purpose and makes sense. I’ve been going—not in the wrong direction—but in too many directions. I went from working steadily on my novels to chasing short stories and back to the novels again. I was kermit-flailing all over, and not necessarily in a good way.Kermit Flail

The one big certainty is that I must submit. It’s not as important what I submit as it is important that I do submit, preferably frequently. I need to collect rejection slips (Lord help me, I have a thin skin…) and put myself out there more.

What I’m not so certain about is exactly how to divide my energies. Tuesday was the end of the semester for me, so I’m done teaching for now. In September it gets even better because I don’t usually teach in the fall semester and my youngest child will finally be in all-day kindergarten. I will have more discretionary time.

I have both short stories and novels to work on.

I need and want to get my Pangalactic Sojourners series (5 books) out there. Firstly, it means a lot to me that there be Quiltbag Christian Romance written as simply sweet, maybe just a little steamy, stories of two people of faith falling in love.  Secondly, an editor expressed interest, and that is a HUGE impetus for a writer to finish. Yes…finish. I’ve almost finished book one and I’ve written a significant portion of book two. I have books three, four, and five roughly outlined.

Short stories are still a good idea. For one thing, I can write a short in just one night, or a few nights for the longer works. I’ve found that the markets are much more numerous than I originally thought. If I send out twenty stories and only one is accepted—huzzah!—I have an acceptance!

I’ve definitely grown and improved as a writer in the last couple of years. But I still have trouble differentiating between my own diva-behavior and genuine needs. Uninterrupted time is invaluable. But does that mean I shouldn’t even bother trying to write if I know I’ll be interrupted? Sometimes yes. Sometimes it ends in tears and frustration if I try to force my way through. I’ve listened to other writers describe their writing habits. Some, when working on a novel, push hard and get the first draft out in as short as time as possible; a few weeks or months. This appeals to me, and I think it will work well. But is it practical? I won’t know until I try.

The remaining question is with my Steampunk stories. Admittedly, they’re foremost in my brain at the moment. I used the first page of Give Me Your Answer Do (my Steampunk Mermaid story) as my sample for critique at the conference. What it has going for it: it is finished (the first draft) and it is fun! And quite a few of my friends and followers would love to see it published. What it has going against it is that the anthology I thought I would submit it to may not be the right fit after all. Namely, it is too long. I am able to cut the story back, and I’ve done so, but it is more appropriate for this story to be around 10k. The other thing against it is that I have not read nearly as much Steampunk as I should before I can believe my own story is true to the genre.

So…I’m still figuring out how to divide my concentration between the Steampunk novellas, the Pangalactic Sojourners, and the shorts. I might try spending a few days a week on the novels, and a few on the shorts. I may put aside the novels until I can dedicate a few solid work weeks to them. I don’t know.

With the blog, there will definitely be some differences. I have been doing a SciFi Question of the day post every Tuesday, a ROW80 update every Wednesday, and an interview every Friday. I’ve been trying to add to the Pangalactic Sojourners Blog regularly, but that hasn’t happened lately. I am going to cut back a little because I’ve been spending too many hours on the blog and I need to spend more on actual writing. I will do either an interview or a SciFi Question of the Day post every Friday. Some of my best writer-relationships have grown from the interviews, so I’ll keep that up. The SciFi Question of the Day posts aren’t very popular, however the original questions on social media are very popular. I’ll definitely keep those up. I’ll still post an update every Wednesday, and I may add the occasional rambling post on some other topic. One thing I will add is to post more frequently in the Pangalactic Sojourners Blog. This is the time in which the stories theoretically take place, and the blog will be a great bonus-feature to the books someday.

I haven’t officially jumped into this Round of Words in 80 Days. I’m still not sure what my tangible goals are going to be. Check back next Wednesday… I’ll let you know.

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Following Directions

Posted on April 28, 2013 by AmyBeth Inverness

Colorado Springs 016During the Pikes Peak Writers Conference last week we were presented with a challenge in the form of a contest. The theme was to concentrate on getting it done and submitted as opposed to getting it perfect. The deadline was the Wednesday after the conference, which was especially tight for me because I was flying home on Tuesday. I spent Wednesday with my girls (after not seeing them for almost a week) and by Wednesday night I’d decided I would just have to let the contest go.

Then I read a blog post by the contest sponsor DeAnna Knippling about not entering her own contest. She did, however, write a story for it, and found a venue.

The venue was one of the parts that I was sure would take me hours and hours to find. Seeing that she’d found one, I looked at it and decided that I would attempt the contest after all, even though I only had five hours left. (Three, if I wanted to get to bed by midnight. I took four and a half.) I copied the contest’s guidelines and the venue’s submission guidelines into a new document, and started writing.

I enjoy flash fiction, and I know that sometimes what comes out is crap, but every once in a while what comes out is positively inspired. This story felt like flash fiction, with such a short time to write it. What came out was pretty good. Not my best, not something I’d get excited about, but cute in a way that almost tempted me to dig out my children’s book pseudonym for submittal (I didn’t. I stuck with Inverness.) I read it out loud once and fixed a few little things, then checked the submission guidelines again so I knew exactly what font and formatting and information the publisher wanted.

This is where I apparently excel. In fact, I often stress far more over whether I did everything in the submission process just right than I do over the story itself. Yet I do hear stories from agents and publishers alike about scores of submissions being discarded simply because the writer didn’t follow directions. Sometimes this is nit-picking, such as using Ariel font instead of Times New Roman. However it is often some more important detail, such as sending to an agent who does not represent the genre written. Missing a deadline is also a big problem. It’s bad enough to miss a deadline when you already have a relationship or even a contract with a publisher, but to miss a deadline when it is your first introduction to the publisher is unprofessional at least. Far better to simply tell oneself “Oops, I missed that opportunity,” and not submit at all instead of having one’s initial contact with the publisher be so rude.

I submitted my story Something Borrowed, Something Blue to both the publisher and to the contest. A few days later, I found out that I’d won!

I was curious as to how many writers had entered. It was, after all, a tight deadline. You can read DeAnna’s breakdown of how many entries there were (ten) and how many of those entries failed to meet the guidelines in some way (seven) leaving only three.

I was surprised… not at the small numbers of entrants, but at the overwhelming percentage (more than half?) that missed some aspect of the instructions. Granted, DeAnna herself mentioned that she should have been clearer. I was confused the first time I read them, and so I asked her to clarify. Also, some entrants probably sent something just for fun, not really intended to compete or to submit to an actual publisher.

I asked around, and it seems that I’m safe in saying that well over half of submissions in general don’t follow 100% of the instructions. The actual number may be closer to 70% or 80% or more that don’t get it exactly right. Sure, some writers might not be as conscientious as they should about making sure they’ve done everything exactly as instructed, but there are also problems with instructions being outdated or unclear. Some authors miss some detail on purpose because they are hoping the agent or publisher will make an exception for them, such as submitting something slightly over or under the word count.

This is encouraging to me. One thing I learned at the conference is that I should be submitting much more than I have. Although I still intend to get my novels polished and ready for that just-right venue, I can do more short stories. I’ve learned that there are more than enough calls for submissions out there. I simply need to pick the right ones and stay organized about what I’ve sent and to whom. Oh…that reminds me… DeAnna also suggested a submission tracking website for authors. I think I’ll look into that too!

So now… time to go look at Deserae, and send her off to Book Lovers, then I’ll check Inkstained Succubus and see if there’s a call or two that fits what stories I have in the back of my mind.

Wish me luck.

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PPWC 2013

Posted on April 25, 2013 by AmyBeth Inverness

GG BannerI am overwhelmed in the best possible way. My first writers’ conference was everything I could have hoped for and more.

My husband and I chose the Pikes Peak Writers Conference in Colorado Springs for several reasons. I grew up in Colorado, and we hope to return there someday. I use the tagline “A writer by birth, a redhead by choice, and an outcast of Colorado by temporary necessity.” I’ve lived in Vermont for 16 years now. It’s been 23 years since I’ve lived in Colorado, and we’re years away from being able to move back.

Another reason for choosing PPWC was that it is an all-genre conference, not just Romance or Science Fiction. I didn’t have to leave half my work behind; I found interesting sessions that apply to all aspects of my writing. And the people…this was an incredible group! So encouraging and friendly and silly at all the right times.

Overwhelming was the theme of the weekend. OK… actually it was “Writing From the Ashes.” But my theme was overwhelmed.

First of all, I was very conscious of the fact that there were a lot of people there who were fabulous or important in one way or another and I wouldn’t recognize most of them. It’s a big world, and I’m still relatively new to it. I learned so much from so many people, even other writers who, like me, only have a couple of shorts out and are still working on the first published novel.

Secondly, after each and every session I felt like I had learned so very much, and I could have written a long blog post out of each and every one. But after each session was another session and another… more insights and inspiration at every turn.

I took the advice to heart that my first conference should concentrate on learning and networking. I did not pitch. I signed up for a read-and-critque where I read my first page (only 16 lines) out loud and the expert (in this case, agent Hannah Bowman) gave instant feedback. I was amazed at how good she was at giving all of us very real and helpful comments on those 16 lines!

I knew I couldn’t take in everything. I even skipped a couple sessions completely so I could rest and recover in between. I attended sessions on genre, comedy, word-smithing, as well as a few on the business of writing such as the author-agent relationship. There was some disagreement on various topics, most notably the self-publishing vs. traditional publishing debate.

The first two pics turned out blurry, so in this one I'm holding my breath.

The first two pics turned out blurry, so in this one I’m holding my breath.

My favorite session was in Rockrimmon on Saturday afternoon with DeAnna Knippling. Rockrimmon was set up as a more informal, interactive session, and by luck there were just a few of us there. I was able to get into some very nitty-gritty details with DeAnna, such as when to use the term “Science Fiction,” when to use “SciFi” and when to use “SF.” I won’t bore you with the details. I’m not sure I understand them myself…

Now that I’m home again, I have a good idea of where I need to go next. That will be another blog post. There will also be a blog post about my biggest regret from the conference. My first day back I didn’t get to think about writing very much since I spent the day with my daughters. Next week is final exams, so my attention needs to be there for a few more days. The good news is that after next week I’ll be done teaching for the semester, and will have more time to write!

And to submit. It’s about damn time.

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Hiatus

Posted on April 15, 2013 by AmyBeth Inverness
I'm not done covering her tail in beads yet, but I like the way the corset turned out.

I’m not done covering her tail in beads yet, but I like the way the corset turned out.

Wow.

After two years of regular blogging, it is really weird not doing any interviews, SciFi Q of the day, or ROW80 posts for a month.

But it’s good. I’ve been doing a little bit of crafty stuff, like making a mermaid and a nessie to clip onto my tote bag at the PPW conference this weekend. My brain really needed that break.

This will be my first professional conference. I’m taking the advice of many who’ve gone before me and using it to learn, network, and improve my own writing skills. I am not going to pitch. In fact, I don’t have anything ready to pitch at the moment. I have my steampunk mermaid story Give Me Your Answer Do back from Shelton with a TON of great comments and suggestions. I’m going to polish it and use it for my critique/feedback work at the conference.

Another thing I’m hoping to glean from the conference is how to balance the blogging with the writing. I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been able to keep up with regular posts for two years now. I’m disappointed in myself that I do not yet have one good polished novel ready to query. I need to remain flexible though; the path I’m on is different than the path I’d planned, but it’s a good path. I just have to make sure it still leads where I want to go.

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Interview with Roxanne Price

Posted on March 28, 2013 by AmyBeth Inverness

roxheadshotoneRoxanne Price is an author of Women’s Fiction and Young Adult Fiction, most recently with her YA Urban Fantasy novel, The Queen of All Fates, which is slated for release later this year. With a Master’s degree in Education, Roxanne is an English teacher and lives with her wonderfully supportive husband, two rambunctious children, an over-weight cat and a partridge in a pear tree.

1.  How much writing did you do before being published?

I’ve been writing for about five years. The early years looked a lot more like a hobby and a lot less disciplined, but with a one year old and a full time job, just sleeping through the night was an accomplishment. Since then, I’ve written two full novels, with The Queen of All Fates my third, and if all goes well, my first published book.

2.  What was the path to publication for The Queen of All Fates?

To be fair, I’m not published—yet. I had decided to self-publish my current manuscript after watching several of my dear writer friends go down the self-publishing path and experience immense success. Seeing them take their passion and turn it into a livable income was inspiring. But I’ve also been fortunate enough to meet with some incredible agents who have expressed some interest. Now I’m trying to weigh it all and make the decision that will work best both for the novel and for my career, long-term. It’s all super confusing but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Okay, that’s a lie. I’d totally trade it for a bidding war that earns me a six-figure advance. A girl can dream, can’t she?

3.  What is Urban Fantasy?

Technically, Urban Fantasy is defined as a sub-genre of Fantasy that is set in an urban location. But to me, Urban Fantasy is more than that. It is the place where the life we lead meets the one we often wish for, the one filled with magic and myth. It’s the struggle between right and wrong with the added element of fantasy in locations that look like the ones we live in, that take place in the times we’re living.

4.  What other genres do you write?

I currently write YA Urban Fantasy and Women’s Contemporary Fiction. I’ve got a hankering to write a Middle Grades Fantasy, because quite frankly, it’s that age where you still *really* want to believe in magic. And magic is cool. Very cool.

5.  Do you ever struggle with categorizing a particular manuscript into a particular genre?

Absolutely. I had this issue with my Women’s Contemporary Fiction, All the Broken Pieces. It’s has a very strong Magical Realism streak, but trying to explain Magical Realism to people often gets you funny looks. What I try to do is find other books that I think are similar to mine, and then see what they’ve been marketed as. And I’m a big believe that it really doesn’t matter what genre your book is; a strong pitch will get you in the door and a great story is what sells.

6.  What do you hope will be the path to publication for All the Broken Pieces?

I’m not sure right now. I’m really doing a lot of work with The Queen of All Fates, so All the Broken Pieces is kind of my step-child right now. I loved it, and I still do, but I can only handle one diva manuscript at a time. And The Queen of All Fates is a demanding thing.

7.  How did you find your agent?

Since I’m still searching, this question is timely. I feel like it’s this online dating thing, where you put all your pretty pictures up and write witty things and pray that some amazingly great person will pick you out of the thousands of other profiles with perfect pictures and witty repartee. But I’ve had some wonderful opportunities with some fabulous agents, most of whom I’m met at conferences. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done the query letter route (a painful road at that), but I find that conferences give you an amazing opportunity to talk with people. It’s much more difficult to get rid of someone sitting in front of you than it is to hit the delete button on your email.

8.  I’ve often wondered how a music teacher, who obviously loves music, can stand to listen to the screeching that comes out of certain instruments when a beginner is learning. As a writer, what is it like to teach English?

It’s amazing and frustrating and inspiring all at once. I work at a very socio-economically challenged school, and many of my students are impoverished. This alone is a challenge; how do you get a kid to want to learn when they don’t know if they’re going to eat that day. But this also means that when you break through, when they “get it,” it’s this amazing moment where you get to share in the joy they feel in learning something that will stay with them always. It’s a privilege, really, one that I’m thankful for all the time.

9. What is your favorite electronic or digital writing tool?

I will now solidify my status of being super lame; Microsoft Word. I know, I know, with all the technology in the writing world, you would think I would have something sexier than MS Word. But I don’t.

Oh, wait. If you’re a masochist, or ever thought you might like to try it, go check out www.writeordie.com. It will solve your writer’s block.

10. What is your favorite non-electronic writing tool?

Pen and paper. Old fashion, always available, doesn’t suffer from battery or memory failure. It works every time.

11. What is the most persistent distraction from writing?

Facebook. Seriously, if Mark Zuckerberg were a drug dealer, he’d be the Pablo Escobar of the internet. Minus the fatal gunshot wound.

12. What is your ideal writing environment? Have you ever been able to create it?

I need silence when I write, which usually means I have to stay up late at night or wake up early in the morning. Otherwise I’m stuck trying to convince my almost-six year old that she’s not too big for naps. What I’d love is an office where I can close my door, write for most of the morning, and finish by lunch. Four hours a day of quiet production. But until then, it’s me and the kitchen table at 2 a.m.

13. Many writers go through a stage when they hate what they’re writing. Do you ever feel this way?

Every single time. This is my constant struggle. I’m a voracious reader and I know good writing, which is a blessing and a curse. It means I can never live up to my own standards. Ira Glass, from “This American Life” said it perfectly;

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

14. What is your revision process?

I cannot stand to edit, so I tend to write at a slower pace, but I take time to reread and rewrite along the way. I frontload my work so that I can avoid as much revision as possible. My critique partner recently shared some revision advice; one scene a day. I’m think I’m going to try that with my next manuscript.

15. Has an editor ever insisted on changes you were reluctant to make?

I’ve written a memoir-ish piece that I’m reading on stage in May. The producers of the show mentioned that they have some suggestions for changes they’d like to see. I’m dreading it, for the simple fact that it’s personal and I know that whatever gets cut is gonna be something that meant something to me. But so goes the life of a writer.

16. What social media do you use? Do you use them solely for promotion, or do you have fun?

I’m a facebook and blog fan. I tried twitter, but I’m not a good tweeter (that sounds wrong. On another note, I did get sorted into Ravenclaw on Pottermore…but I digress). I use them for promotional and entertainment purposes, but I’d say my blog is probably where I share my most honest moments. I’m a wordy chick, and it gives me the space to explain the hot mess of my mind.

17. I’m about to go to my first writers’ conference. What advice do you have for me?

Network, network, network. Conferences are an amazing opportunity to connect with people who know people. And if there is anything I’ve learned about the publishing community, it’s more about who you know than you’d expect. Also, if they’ve got a pitch session, do it. You’ll most likely be scared and need to pee several times leading up to it, but it’s such a great chance for writers to get their story out there.

18. If you’ve never seen a Star Wars movie all the way through, just how much of a Star Wars movie have you seen?

Although I haven’t sat in front of a screen and watched a movie from beginning to end, I’d argue that collectively, my exposure to Star Wars is equivalent to having watched all six episodes several times. I’m married to a big fan, so it’s one of those movies that’s constantly on…while I’m sitting at the table writing, because I was too tired to wake up early, the kids didn’t want to nap, and quite frankly, if I’m up late one more night, I’m going to be a zombie.

19. What about Star Trek?

Do I win something if I say yes? I grew up watching Star Trek: The Original Series re-runs, and was a big fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

20. Who shot first, Han or Greedo?

Much to my dear husband’s chagrin, I am devoid of the correct answer as I have yet to a) watch it all the way through, and b) watch both versions. But, I’m aware that this is a great debate, and one in which I cannot offer a solid opinion. Instead I will proclaim my love for Princess Leia’s bun rolls and the fact that Hans Solo is definitely the hottest guy in tights I’ve seen.

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SciFi Q of the Day: Canines

Posted on March 26, 2013 by AmyBeth Inverness

Usually I choose which of the SciFi Q’s to turn into a blog post based on the quality and quantity of comments across the board. But I have to admit that this time, although there are some great answers, I chose this one based primarily on David Collins-Rivera in the Google Plus Speculative Fiction Writers Community.

I’m going on hiatus for the month of April! I’ll still be asking questions, but this will be the last one I turn into a blog post until May.

K9SciFi Question of the Day: Switch any two canines (live or robotic) from two different SciFi shows. What happens?

Facebook Answers:

  Sarah Barnard K9 takes over the first Enterprise, Porthos piddles all over the Tardis. 

  Barry Gavin K9 gets galactic a to earth faster  

  Cee Wu Daggit Muffit from original Battlestar Galactic w/ Astro from the Jetsons…Electro-Barking Muffitt vs Astro’s futuristic Scooby-Doo speak…”who’s caught in the (gravity) well boy?”  

  Barry Gavin Krypto the wonder dog on the tardis, the cyber men wouldn’t stand a chance, k9 zaps luthor in the ass

Google Plus, Public Post:

  Ben Rodick  Woof Woof to Arf Arf and vice verse?  
  Franklin Ross  Ruh roh!
  Jonathan Dalar  Is Alf a canine?  
  Ben Rodick  +Jonathan Dalar  Nope Alien Life Form
  Jonathan Dalar  No doggie aliens?  Could be…

Google Plus, Sci-Fi Community:

  Vicky Gallardo  I switch Mouse from the Dresden Files with Hagrid’s dog Fang from Harry Potter. Harry Dresden gets beat up a lot more (hard to imagine), and Harry Potter gets beat up a lot less.
Fluffy, on the other hand…
  Dalt Wisney  i don’t think boxee did very well. bidi-bidi-bidi….  
  Ergodic Mage  George Jetson gets a great workout every day, but the Doctor fails to stop the Sontarans from invading Gallifrey.  
THEY learn how to adapt in new environment and become smarter.
  Eddie McGarrity  Battlestar Galactica defeat the Cylons in one bite, while Dagget breaks down in Metropolis Main Street
  

Overzealous K9 murders the entire crew of the Galactica with its forehead laser.

Google Plus, Speculative Fiction Writers Community:

LASSIE
.
RUSTY:  What is it boy?  Has Bobby fallen down the well?!
.
K9:  Negative, master.  Sensors indicate the domesticated farm animal domicile is exceeding optimum temperatures for all known species upon this planet.
.
RUSTY:  Is the barn on fire, boy?!
.
K9:  Affirmative.RUSTY:  Go on, boy!  Go warn Pa!(K9 turns to warn Pa, and takes off at top speed.)
.
RUSTY:  Faster boy!  (Pause)  Go on boy!  (Pause, then walks slowly, keeping up with him easily)  You really have to run home, boy, it’s an emergency!
.
K9:  I am conveying myself at top speed already, master.
.
RUSTY:  (Pauses again, then picks up K9 and runs off with him)  It’s okay, boy!  We’ll go together!
.
==========
.
DOCTOR WHO
.
DOCTOR:  A directed burst of arrollian energy might have produced this kind of damage.  (Thinks a moment.)  But that could only mean…
.
SARAH JANE:  It could only mean what, Doctor? (He does not answer, and instead, turns to Lassie)
.
DOCTOR:  What do your sensors tell you, canine? (Lassie sniffs the air, then barks.  She trots over to a hidden door panel in the wall, and paws at it, whining.)
.
DOCTOR:  Good dog!  You’ve found the lair of the Soggas!  Come along, Sarah Jane!
.
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Assistant Wanted

Posted on March 24, 2013 by AmyBeth Inverness

By original data: Sebastien D’ARCO, animate: Koba-chan [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Assistant Wanted: Must be able to insinuate yourself between my brain and the keyboard.

Just about everyone who has a task of any kind to accomplish could do with an assistant, whether that person picks up the other end of the couch to carry it down three flights of stairs, or whether that person simply refills your coffee (of sweet tea in my case) as you concentrate on your work.

Yes, I’d love to have someone do the housekeeping and cooking for me while I write. Let’s put that one on the bucket list, shall we?

What I need more right now is someone to help me get the story out of my brain in some kind of cohesive manner. It doesn’t have to be overly organized at first… we can fix that later. It just has to get out into a tangible form that I can manipulate and store.

The story in my brain is a complex landscape being worked over by a benevolent storm. Parts of it will be rained on and washed away. The wind will certainly whip some trees around and take down a few branches. The grit will be disturbed, insinuating itself into all kinds of uncomfortable places.

In the end, there will be a resolution. The storm will break, and there will be peace in the valley again.

But if this stormy landscape does nothing but sit in my brain, I can’t do anything with it. Sure, it’s my story. I can enjoy revisiting it. But human memory is faulty; I will forget it. I’ve learned that several times over, either when I’ve lost something that never reached paper, or when it’s reached paper then been shoved in a drawer. Have you ever read something you know you wrote, and yet you don’t remember what happens?

I’m a writer. I was born to it. I can’t help myself. The stories will come whether I like it or not. Most of the time they make it out of me in some form or another.

…or most of it gets out. That’s why I need that assistant. They need to help pull those final vestiges of resolution out of my brain while staunching the oncoming storm over the next shiny new landscape.

I don’t like unfinished stories. I don’t like unfinished work of any kind. This is something I’ve struggled with all my life. It’s a fault I know caused my father a lot of grief in his own life. It’s a fault of my own that I may never overcome; like alcoholism…

Hello. I’m AmyBeth, and I’m a chronic unfinisher.

But there is light. Last night I finished the rough draft of the story I want to submit to this year’s Precipice. The theme is LUCK. Originally, I’d thought of my SciFi Questions of the Day, and how that started out as a whim, and yet it turned out to be one of my most popular social media interactions. I have over six thousand followers on Google Plus, and it’s mostly due to those questions. I have a Klout score in the high sixties, which is due mostly to the fact that so many people comment on these posts. I was going to turn this into a story about a woman in the old west starting a business of her own like a bakery, but no one wants to buy her bread. However she has some ingredient, some exotic spice that she brought with her or perhaps simply a large supply of sugar, and people do want to buy that. She succeeds as a business woman not because she did what she set out to do, but because of some stroke of luck that took her in a totally different direction. Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.

That story sucked. It had too many issues, and I gave up on it. Meanwhile, the submission deadline loomed closer.

Last night lightning struck. I wrote a completely different story, and sent it off to the beta readers. I love the story. I’m proud of it. I hope the editors like it too…but since they do sometimes read my blog that’s all the detail I’ll leave here! 😉 It means a lot to me that the stories are judged on their own merit, with author names removed.

Now it’s back to my stormy landscape. This one’s a Steampunk.

And this one’s gonna get finished.

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Interview with Mayor MacCheese, Feline Companion to Nicole Wolverton

Posted on March 21, 2013 by AmyBeth Inverness

mayormcccheeseNicole Wolverton fears many things, chief amongst them that something lurks in the dark. From ghosts to stalkers, her adult and young adult fiction plays on the mundane and not-so-mundane things that frighten us all. Her debut novel, The Trajectory of Dreams, is an adult psychological thriller from Bitingduck Press. Her short stories and flash fiction have appeared in Black Heart Magazine, The Molotov Cocktail, and Penduline, among others (see a full listing of publications here).

Nicole headshotWhen Nicole isn’t writing, you can find her on the Schuylkill River paddling with the Philadelphia Flying Phoenix women’s dragon boat team or digging around in her gardens. She is founder and Editor-in-Chief of Farm to Philly, a website focused on eating locally grown foods and sustainable living. Wolverton has been featured for her work with Farm to Philly in GRID Magazine, Slashfood, Philly Homegrown, and various other food-related websites. She offers freelance editing and writing services.

She attends Temple University and earned a certificate in grantwriting from The Grantsmanship Center. She is represented by Michelle Witte of Mansion Street Literary Management.

1.    How do you prefer to be addressed? Can I call you Cheesy, or do you prefer Your Honor?

Your Honor is acceptable. Nicole and her husband are allowed to call me Mayor, but the rest of the riff-raff –a bumbling dog and a maddeningly irritating cat–are not to address me directly.

Nicole 022.       How long has Nicole been working on The Trajectory of Dreams?

That woman is single-minded; she’s always got her head bent over that infernal laptop computer. Not that I would ever lower myself to type, but I’ve often thought about head-butting her out out of the way and writing my own manifesto. But this isn’t about me. It should be, but it isn’t. You asked about this book of Nicole’s. She wrote the first draft in a few months and spent another several months tweaking and editing. After Bitingduck Press made an offer on the novel, she worked on it even more with the editor. It angered me, I tell you–Nicole has fingernails that make for a nice scratching post, but she’s notoriously hard to distract when she’s working.

3.       Has she changed as a cat-caretaker in that time?

Cat caretaker? Excuse my scoffing, but Nicole is not my care-taker. She and her husband are the help. I allow them to live with me, bring me food, change my water, and change out the litter in my toilet. Her husband mostly does the menial labor for me, and Nicole is more for my entertainment. As I said, she does shirk her responsibilities while she’s writing, which is often. However, her husband is amusing, and the food is quite good.

4.       When she writes, how do you help her? Do you peep over the screen or drape your body over the keyboard?

When Nicole has been a good employee (her belly rubs are divine), I assist her writing process by nestling next to her leg. The contact with my genius gives her a boost. She’s not very smart, you know?

5.       How many other felines are in the house? What are their jobs?

Ah. The topic of other cats comes around again. Yes, there is a black and brown tortoiseshell cat, three years my junior. Smithers. He’s so common. Unable to groom himself correctly. Over-enthusiastic about everything. Very young. I offered myself as a mentor, but he thinks he knows it all. I can’t just let him run around unkempt, though, so I like to hold him down and condition his fur. Of course, it’s a thankless job. That’s what I get for giving to the less fortunate. His job? I consider him the house jester.

6.       Are you aware that you were the inspiration for the cat, Nike, in the novel?

Yes. Who do you think gave Nicole the idea? She’s not creative enough to dream that up herself.

7.       Do you see similarities between yourself and Nike?

Don’t be silly. I’m royalty, for Pete’s sake. This Nike is in league with a human, which is beneath someone of my stature.

8.       Do you see similarities between Lela (the main character in The Trajectory of Dreams) and Nicole?

She does like poetry and reading, but those are the only similarities I see. Lela White is much more practical. I daresay I’d probably like Lela more than I like Nicole. Well, if Lela has fingernails.

9.       Why do you think Lela named her cat Nike?

Surely you’re familiar with the myth of Nike. She was the Greek goddess of strength and victory, and Lela White considers Nike one of her many good luck charms. It’s also a not-very-clever inside joke on Nicole’s part: her name is derived from Nike.

10.   Lela listens to Nike and even heeds his advice. Do you advise Nicole?

Communicate with the help? I don’t think so. The only thing Nicole is smart enough to understand is when I want more food. I shouldn’t complain about her so vehemently–she’s been quite a good pet for the last eight years.

11.   What’s a Nystagmus?

I do believe that’s an eye problem. One of my cousin’s let an optometrist live with him for a time.

12.   Is sleep important to you?

Of course. I can’t function without a solid twenty-three hours of sleep each day.

13.   Is Nicole a good sleeper?

Most of the time. She needs her strength and rest to see to my needs, but sometimes she goes to bed and just stares at the ceiling. From what I can tell she’s either in a fugue state or thinking quite hard. It’s difficult to tell with her.

14.   Does she ever take you to book signings?

I’m much too busy to get involved with her petty business. However, I have rubbed all over her supply of pens and bookmarks to warn off other animals. Good help is hard to find, and I want others to know she’s spoken for.

15.   Has she ever taken you out in the dragon boat?

I’m strictly housebound. I don’t suffer from agoraphobia, you understand. It’s just that I have such tender feet. If I had any interest in investigation the out-of-doors, I’d have Nicole carry me. But the dragon boat, as I understand it, glides over water. I’m afraid I can’t appreciate that sort of thing. I enjoy playing in the bath tub, but too much water is undignified.

16.   How about skydiving?

And speaking of undignified. I’ve seen videos of people skydiving, and they look so silly. I will admit that catching birds might be amusing in that manner. Still, I have no interest, and Nicole must sense my apathy.

17.   Does she at least let you putter in the garden with her?

As I said, I’m not keen on leaving the house. I do watch her from the dining room window, though. God knows someone has to supervise her.

18.   Have you ever met a biting duck?

I have not. I’d have the rogue arrested if I did.

19.   What’s Nicole working on next?

She’s been working on some tweaks to a manuscript at her agent’s behest. To be quite honest, I haven’t any notion what the story is about, but I’ve seen the Pinterest board. It’s involves creepy horses and nuns, the seashore, black birds, and ghosts. It doesn’t look at all like something I’d be interested in. Now add in a mouse, perhaps some catnip…

20.   Who shot first, Han or Greedo?

I really wouldn’t know. I don’t concern myself in your silly human matters. I must go; it’s time for my nap.

Nicole 01

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SciFi Question of the Day: Touch Telepathy vs Regional Empathy

Posted on March 18, 2013 by AmyBeth Inverness

TT vs RESciFi Question of the Day: Which would be a greater benefit to humanity as a whole? For all humans to have touch telepathy, or for all humans to have regional empathy?

(Let’s say TT means if you have skin/skin contact with another human, you can both hear each other’s surface thoughts. For RE, all humans have a general sense of the emotional state of everyone in their general vicinity, like 10m.)

Facebook Answers:

  Barry Gavin I just want to be able to read women’s minds so that I can leave the room without having to be glared at first o.0  

  Jessi Shakarian Regional empathy. Having touch telepathy could cause a lot more problems than fixing them.  

  Geri Bressler TT – regional empathy would be overwhelming and full to too many conflicting emotions  

  John Vipperman  If you could lie via TT, I’d say Regional Empathy. The most earth-shattering element would simply be knowing you can trust (or distrust) someone. That alone, without anything else, would change a whole lot.  

  William J. Teegarden TT. Can you imagine RE in a Walmart? Instant insanity!    Rich Gedney touch. you would go wonky like with regional.  

  Perry Willis I say neither. Regional empathy could lead to a sort of reverse mind control, where the group can influence the individual. Kind of like when individuals join into a mob mentality. And touch telepathy unless people are able to filter, would lead to too much animosity as the white lie would no longer be possible if you can come in contact. And if people were able to filter, then what would be the point anyway. What would be better to have would be a telepathic concience, where you can feel when anyone is in pain. The worse the pain, the worse the feeling, also augmented by proximity. Would be the closest thing able to eliminate wars, crime, cruelty and maybe even greed.  

  Dale Thelander TT. RE would be maddening.

Google Plus Answers, Speculative Fiction Writers Community:

  Matt L.T. Smith  …I think touch telepathy. It puts a bigger emphasis on human intimacy and would help bring individuals closer together. Even without an empathetic side to the power, it still has great potential to create incredibly deep and emotional experiences. Regional empathy could have varying effects however, because people can be emotionally confusing or frightening. To be able to feel anger, hate, fear, sadness, happiness etc, from the people around you all at once, I feel would become overwhelming, even if it is just a general sense within a ten metre distance. Not to mention the invasion of privacy the regional empathy entails, you don’t necessarily want everyone to know how you are feeling, some people mask emotions for a reason.

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  J. Michael Schmidt  …Lol, would any of you believe I have something like regional empathy. Don’t ask me how. I just can feel, in a vague, but rather reliable way, what the emotional state people are in around me. Sometimes it is true for strangers, depending. I think it also has to do with unconsciously reading body language clues.But, my point is, it depends on the level, the depth, of these powers I think. Imagine someone who could touch people, and be consumed by even their surface thoughts; they might be terrified to touch someone else. Or, imagine someone has regional empathy, and they are constantly bombarded by emotions completely foreign to them; they would have grown up getting depressed for no reason, or scares. The more people they were around, the worst it’d be; or the stronger the emotions of someone, the more they’d feel it. They’d be scared to be around anyone.

It all depends on how the person handles it. That’s the important part.That’s what I focus on, in my story Vanguard. They may have this great power, but how do they handle the stress, mentally emotionally, and how that affects there ability to even control their power/magic..

  Matt L.T. Smith  …The implication for this however was just surface thoughts, so presumably you’d have some control over what the person touching you can hear. On that level I think it could be something constructive.

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  J. Michael Schmidt  …But, if you can’t control hearing the other persons thoughts, its a game changer, lol. How bout, if two people are intimate they might lose control over their thoughts.

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  Matt L.T. Smith  …We’ll just have to put a sticker on it ‘Warning: Use at own risk. Could cause you to lose control and trip out’. haha  

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Lol!
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  Edrei Zahari  …Isn’t empathy about feeling what the other person is feeling?Personally it’s go with regional empathy rather than touch telepathy. Given than all that you touch screws up what you see, rather than controlling what you feel around you. It’s easier to build a society that cares for the emotional wellbeing of one another through empathy rather than a society that fears touching everything else because of what they may feel.

Of course the dark side of this kind of empathy is that the society might outlaw certain emotions (or all, like in Equilibruim) and have emotion police to weed out people breaking the law.Then again, I specialise in building dystopias so it’s normal for me to look at the best circumstance that the world can offer and find ways for humanity to screw it to hell. You know…for sake of a good story..
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I think regional empathy would have the greatest benefit to humanity.  I think about all the dark moods people can be in when they’re alone in a crowd, and all the pain that we could halt if only someone else in that crowd knew what the loner in the corner was going through.  Plus, it’s hard to hate someone when you know their feelings.  They cease to be “other”, and it’s hard to summon up harsh feelings for them when you see the same hurts and insecurities in them.
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  Abby Goldsmith  …I think people constantly underestimate the negative effects of telepathy. Say goodbye to personal privacy. Governments and businesses could make use of that power, to the detriment of their rivals or underlings. It would change the world, but not in a good way.I’m gonna go with empathy.

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empathy – if you grow up with all those feelings “alien” to you, they will not scare you; just like being able to hear sounds. Only if the come on too strong – that impact might scare you. But the other person will instantly feel that and (unless a “bad” person) will level down their out-send emotions.

Google Plus Answers, Sci-Fi Community:

I Farley  …
We cannot agree which way the toilet paper should hang, thus regional. ..
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I would say TT because one could still be isolated. With RE it’d like being at an AA or office meeting.
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la parte regional pudiera parecer interesante …. pero si yo se lo que piensa el otro puedo tener todo lo de todos y habría el mismo nivel para todos, en todos sentidos,….   no habría nunca nada oculto ni forma de usarlo de mala manera …    creo finalmente en la telepatía táctil ,,,, que en principio serviría de manera regional ….
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Empathy can lead to more compassion. Compassion leads to taking time for understanding. Understanding leads to listening to what someone says. Listening to what someone says leads to not needing telepathy.
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Paul West  …
Empathy, by a long shot. If anything, telepathy could cause as many problems as it solved….
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well, the protheans had TT. not the most charming empire.
besides that, empathy all the way.
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How about common sense. That’s a rapidly depleting resource.
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common sense?  i think that’s the fantasy g+ community.
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Niether. Telepathy would result in horrible levels of honesty and probably a drop in creativity, not to mention strained (at best) international relations. Regional level empathy would bring about the acceptance of the abhorrent.
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I agree with +Graeme Barber , neither, unless there is a way to block it. I don’t want anyone to know what I am thinking or feeling at some times, and no matter how altruistic and peaceful you are, everyone has those moments.

Google Plus Answers, Science Fiction Community:

Empathy. One of the greatest barriers that perpetuates ills within our society is our failure to empathize with, or relate to, those on the other side. Would a bully continue to bully if they could understand the pain it causes in their victims? What of apposing sides in war? It would have its downsides, certainly, but I think if we were given Telepathy it would be abused – mental blackmail comes to mind.
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Do I want to know what the person next to me is thinking or do I want to know what the person a thousand miles away is thinking? If I just talk to AND listen to the person next to me then I will know what they are thinking and feeling. The only way, now, I can know what a person a thousand miles away is thinking is through interpretation by news broadcast stations. I’ll take the regional empathy. +1 Corinne Elletson-Kilgore
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  Jack OShyte  …Telepathy of any kind would be a disaster. For one, we don’t even know what we ourselves are thinking. Adding the thoughts of others would not be constructive. For another, people around us harbor some surprisingly dark thoughts. It would likely depress us or worse. We would need to wear protective clothing.  For similar reasons, empathy would not be beneficial.  We would need a way to block it.  The exception to both of these would be sensing the thoughts and feelings of an enlightened individual. Of course, this would be very expensive.

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  Gustavo Campanelli  …I don’t want anybody to know what I think, so I don’t like telepathy. Empathy, on the other hand, would make things better for a lot of people.

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  Stephanie Chaptal  …Empathy. Would be more difficult to have local conflicts this way.

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  Mike Rees  …Telepathy. There are a lot of feelings that I don’t like, so the idea of other people making me feel them horrifies me.

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  Kirsten Corby  …I would definitely say empathy.  It would make the actual practice of warfare damn near impossible.

 

Google Plus Answers, Public Post:

  Jonathan Black  …Touch would lead to a very distant society that fragments all over. Regional would be better, but I think it would tribalize the world.

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  Thomas Sanjurjo  …The latter is coming soon, with the advent of google glass and the enhancement of sensors, we’re going to be able to see people’s moods with fairly reliable accuracy.I don’t think being able to read surface thoughts would be any good, very often people aren’t aware of their own surface thoughts and so it would likely be more confusing than helpful.

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  Laura Klein  RE could be rough, actually. Come to think of it, so would touch telepathy.  Really.  At least with the touch telepathy, I could maybe wear gloves and a body suit to keep private.  I worked a long time to keep all my sarcastic comments inside.I would much rather be able to interface with machines telepathically (driving, looking up information online, etc).

Or start fires.  That would be cool too, although, maybe a little dangerous..
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  AmyBeth Inverness  …Eep!.

  Eoghann Irving  …Empathy is pretty much always more beneficial to society than telepathy.

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  Jonathan Black  …Any kind of mass telepathy would lead towards a near catastrophic, if not a complete catastrophic break down of society.

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  Gregory Lynn  …Touch telepathy might eliminate prostitution.

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  Jonathan Black  …Or enhance it if she’s good enough.

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  Kimberly Unger  …I think TT, simply because if it requires skin to skin, you can still find a way to keep your thoughts private.

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  Mince Walsh  …If people grew up with a regional telepathy, they would be acclimated to it. It would do absolutely amazing things to productivity. Working together would take on a whole new meaning regarding efficiency. Initially though, it would cause complete and utter chaos once implemented. If people were brought into it as children and grew up with it, I’m sure they would have very little trouble with it.

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  Miaka Kirino   …This question immediately brings to mind my husband’s story ParaNormal and its sequel _ParaNormal: Second Story_. (links: http://www.fictionpress.com/s/593068/1/ParaNormaland http://www.fictionpress.com/s/3011868/1/ParaNormal-Second-Story )

I think I’d like to have the kind of telepathy that Torkio possesses.

  Jonathan Black  …Eventually, a more peaceful or totalitarian society would evolve out of the addition of mass telepathy to humankind.

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  Kerry Amburgy-Dickson  …Or +Jonathan Black humanity would not be able to deal with the new stimuli and would have a psychotic break and our society would catastrophically implode.

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  Ezra Strong  …Empathy. I think, longterm, empathy would force humanity to deal with some of its problems. Less substance abuse, less violence.

.SciFi Q of the Day plus comment

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Interview with Cynthia Racette

Posted on March 14, 2013 by AmyBeth Inverness

Racette CynthiaCynthia Racette has been writing all her life, as a newspaper reporter, editor and novelist. She even asked for (and received) a play typewriter for Christmas when she was about ten.

To be near her children and granddaughters, she and her newly retired hubby, moved to the Buffalo, NY area. Through her daughter, who is also a writer, she got hooked up with RWA (Romance Writers of America) and good things started to happen.

She is now writing more novels, taking lots of trips and relaxing by the pool on gorgeous summer days in Western, NY.

1.       I’m 42 and still feel squeamish when I think that my mother might read one of my stories that (GASP!) contains sexual content. Has this ever been an issue between you and your daughter?

A: To a certain extent. I do feel a little uncomfortable when I read her sex scenes. I did so especially at the beginning but I got used to it. Her father refuses to read one because she’s, well, his little girl. But I want to read everything she writes because she’s an excellent writer and I’m so proud of her. I influenced her to love writing and I love to see how that paid off. She’s very ambitious and she’s going places, that girl.

2.       What about the novels with BDSM?

A: Admittedly, that was a little harder to take but she does it so well I enjoy it anyway and try not to think about how she used to throw fits or stomp around when she was little.

3.       Do you find the phrase “BDSM holiday-themed novella” as funny as I do? Seriously. I laughed. I was tweeting that all over the place.

A: Absolutely! I asked her outright how a BDSM could be a Christmas novella and she said there was mention of some Christmas-related things. I shook my head and said, “Whatever.”

4.       Have you ever taken one of Cassandra’s writing workshops?

A: Yes. She gave her lesson on marketing and branding to our RWA group a while back. I think the reception she got for that was her impetus for making it into a regular course to offer on the net. It was the first one she did. She’s very good at that one because she was a marketing person before she started writing full time.

5.       What is your favorite novel of Cassandra’s?

A: I think Caught was my favorite. One thing Cassandra always does that sets her apart from many other erotic romance writers, is that she concentrates on the romance aspects and the sex comes from that. The romance often gets short shrift in other authors’ book, but not in Cassandra’s. She’s a romantic at heart.

Racette Windswept_8506.       What is Cassandra’s favorite novel of yours?

A: I think probably the one releasing late this spring, Uncharted Fate. It’s about a woman whose life goes into a tailspin when her husband is killed suddenly in a car wreck. I know she liked Windswept, my debut, too, but I don’t think I ever asked her if she had a preference.

7.       In my September 2011 interview with Cassandra, her debut novel Talk to Me was only a few months old. How many books have there been since then?

A: Oh, I lose track. She’s such a prolific writer– she writes fast (and types fast) and works long hours. I think it’s somewhere like ten but she also has some short stories added on to that. I have one novel and two short stories and soon will have two novels and three ss.

Cassandra Carr's Buckin' Bull Riders series

Cassandra Carr’s Buckin’ Bull Riders series

8.       Have you ever mistakenly called your daughter by her pseudonym when she’s around family or called her by her real name when she’s at a book event?

A: I’ve never called her by her pen name anywhere else but I have caught myself almost calling her by her real name in book events and on FB. I used to do it more often but she called and “reminded” me a few times. It still feels weird though.

9.       Did you consider using a pseudonym?

A: No, my books are contemporary romance and women’s fiction so there was no need. The short story I wrote for the anthology we both did I used Cindy Carr because the sex was a little more erotic and we wanted both our names on there to match.

Racette Carr LI books montage10.   How do you think your experience as a newspaper reporter influenced your daughter to become a writer?

A: She saw me writing stories and she wanted to as well. But that was later. I’ve been writing novels since she was little, even though nothing ever sold and that’s what she liked– stories. I was always writing stories and she wanted to write her own stories. I’d help her make them better and she was proud of them.

11.   How did your daughter’s success as a writer influence you to write fiction?

A: See above. LOL  I wrote the fiction first. I know that’s probably not evident in my bio, but she copied me, not vice versa. But she has far surpassed me as a writer now.

12.   Would you and Cassandra consider collaborating on a novel?

A: I’ve asked her but she’s so busy at the moment she doesn’t have time. That would be my dream after our shared history but not yet. The closest we’ve gotten is an anthology called Close Contact where she and I both wrote short stories.

Racette and Carr13.   Where did Cassandra get her love for hockey?

A: Our family has always loved hockey and we used to have season’s tickets to the AHL affiliate in Binghamton, NY.

14.   Isn’t Buffalo awfully darn cold?

A: It is, but not as bad as it’s reputation would lead you to believe. Many of our friends couldn’t believe we were retiring to Buffalo instead of FL. But family is very important to us and our two daughters and young grandchildren were there. We do spend March in FL to get some sun but spring, summer, and fall are beautiful in Buffalo.

15.   Do you often tweet in French?

A: Say what?

16.   Would you wear a corset if the party theme called for it?

A: If someone held a gun to my head. I’m a little old for corsets. Cassandra looks good in one though.

17.   Cassandra refers to her daughter as “Too Cute for Words.” Is this accurate, or is she biased?

A: Oh, totally accurate! She’s a sweet little dark blond imp with sparkling eyes and a smile on her lips. Smart as the dickens and she asks the most amazing questions– questions that make you wonder why on earth a four year old is even thinking about that! She loves her grandma and papa, especially papa because he babysits her Fridays so Mom and Grandma can go write at the cafe for the day. I love those sessions and we both get a lot done.

18.   What’s your favorite digital or electronic writing tool?

A: My laptop, exclusively. I don’t go anywhere without it and even have it down here in FL with me so I can do some writing.

19.   What’s your favorite non-electronic writing tool?

A: I wrote my first book, longhand, in a large notebook I bought for the purpose and then we bought a Commodore 64. I had to get used to the keyboard but now use it exclusively.

20.   Who shot first, Han or Greedo?

A: My daughter said to say Han. Is this a Star Wars thing or what? If so, Han Solo was a dude and a half.

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