And, here comes the anticipated second volume in Mocha's paranormal exploits of the great Sherlock Holmes: "Curious Incidents: More Improbable Adventures."
I was very happy to hear about this one and have eagerly started work on my submission, which is about half written. I did find the idea of putting Holmes into alien realms distant from his familiar Victorian environment a bit of a challenge. The atmosphere of 19th century London in many ways seems part of the appeal and workings of Conan Doyle's immortal sleuth. But, as the saying goes, you can take the man out of the fog but you can't...well, you know.
As a science fiction writer, I have to design characters whose personal qualities, psychology and backstory justify the way they act and react in the hypothetical world in which they exist. But, they're a part of that world, and it a part of them. Transplanting someone else's character into worlds of your own creation is much more of a stretch.
Especially a character like Holmes, who everyone knows, who has familiar characteristics and personal qualities that are well established and must be honored. So, determining how Sherlock (and, Watson, for that matter) would react to being ripped from their familiar surroundings and thrust into not only unfamiliar but largely incomprehensible events and environments requires careful analysis of the characters. Like any characters, they are shaped by the culture and conditions of their native era and once displaced from it would have to adapt not only to alien viewpoints and mindsets, but to knowledge that might upset their self-defining world views.
As the POV character, Watson provides the emotional appeal of confusion and distress, his limited 19th century scientific knowledge and Victorian sensibilities placed hopelessly out of their depth. Holmes is always the anchor point because his defining strength has always lain in his ability to extrapolate the truth through logical deduction based on the available facts. In theory, a truth, no matter how outlandish can so be determined through pure intellect. In practice, of course, it's not usually that easy, since the cultural prejudices and assumptions of the observer can cloud his interpretations of the facts in ways even he doesn't suspect. But, the investigative prowess of Sherlock Holmes has in many ways always depended on his cold, purely detached outlook on life. Since he has little or no visible emotional attachment to the world around him, he can more easily adapt to new and unfamiliar landscapes, since the rules of logical deduction are universal.
The one thing that seems to get Sherlock Holmes fired up is the intellectual challenge of an unusual and intriguing case. For the writer, coming up with appropriate challenges for him in which he can survive worlds of limitless boundaries and yet remain the one and only Sherlock Holmes is the puzzle that needs solving.
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Monday, August 1, 2016
Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines!
One of the hardest parts of being a writer is sticking to the deadlines. And, when they are stretched out before you, several months out, it is easy to ignore them.
"I'll get to that tomorrow...I have time."
Until tomorrow IS the deadline, and you still are no where near the Finish Line.
Procrastination is one of a writer's biggest foes. It is so easy to put things off, and so hard to focus on getting them done now. That is why I am struggling with three books to finish by the end of August...
That old saying "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today" is really good advice. But you can't do everything in one day either. Make a list of everything you need to do and prioritize it to get the big stuff done first. And it is best to write this list down, as checking things off or crossing them out is a great incentive.
Mix in a few quick and easy tasks here and there so you don't get completely discouraged, but keep your eye on the Big Picture so you don't run short of time.
It is okay to focus on one project at a time, but it is equally okay to do something from several projects in a day, as long as they all get completed on time.
Give yourself a workday. "I will write/edit/promote/clean house/etc. from 9 AM to 5PM" (if it is your entire job...) or "I will write two hours a day." (if that is all you have available.) And limit distractions for that time-frame. But don't work straight through on one project for eight hours without a break, because you stop seeing what you are editing, or miss things in your proofreading, etc, if you don't get up and at least circle the living room now and then.
And one of the things of extreme importance is reward yourself for milestones. (Even if it is something as simple as watching a rerun of America's Next Top Model...or catching Pokemon.)
If you can't tell, I am codifying this for myself as much as you, Gentle Reader! ;)
"I'll get to that tomorrow...I have time."
Until tomorrow IS the deadline, and you still are no where near the Finish Line.
Procrastination is one of a writer's biggest foes. It is so easy to put things off, and so hard to focus on getting them done now. That is why I am struggling with three books to finish by the end of August...
That old saying "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today" is really good advice. But you can't do everything in one day either. Make a list of everything you need to do and prioritize it to get the big stuff done first. And it is best to write this list down, as checking things off or crossing them out is a great incentive.
Mix in a few quick and easy tasks here and there so you don't get completely discouraged, but keep your eye on the Big Picture so you don't run short of time.
It is okay to focus on one project at a time, but it is equally okay to do something from several projects in a day, as long as they all get completed on time.
Give yourself a workday. "I will write/edit/promote/clean house/etc. from 9 AM to 5PM" (if it is your entire job...) or "I will write two hours a day." (if that is all you have available.) And limit distractions for that time-frame. But don't work straight through on one project for eight hours without a break, because you stop seeing what you are editing, or miss things in your proofreading, etc, if you don't get up and at least circle the living room now and then.
And one of the things of extreme importance is reward yourself for milestones. (Even if it is something as simple as watching a rerun of America's Next Top Model...or catching Pokemon.)
If you can't tell, I am codifying this for myself as much as you, Gentle Reader! ;)
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
SUBMISSION CALL!!! Curious Incidents: More Improbable Adventures
Mocha Memoirs Press is pleased to announce that they will be publishing another Sherlock Holmes anthology with editor A.C. Thompson! So sharpen those pencils and get ready to write.
“The game is afoot!”
Welcome back to
Baker Street! Holmes and Watson are there to greet you once more with amazing
tales of murder, mayhem, and mystery with a supernatural twist. This time the
great detective and his stalwart companion will venture into alternate
universes, histories, and futures to solve puzzling cases of the paranormal
beyond the bounds of imagination.
In Curious
Incidents: More Improbable Adventures, I am looking for stories that
diverge from the original canon setting of Victorian England. The adventures
should be paranormal in nature, but the universe is completely open. In fact,
stories set in the traditional
Victorian will not be considered.
Some examples of alternate settings might be: steampunk, weird west, distant
future, space, ancient world (ok, so I’d just really like to see if someone
could do it…), dystopian, American noir, or even modern times (BE CAREFUL WITH
THIS. I CAN’T PUBLISH SHERLOCK BBC FANFICTION!).
Word of warning:
Sherlock is a beloved character with a very distinct voice and manner. We
want to be sure that we keep and/ or expand on those attributes that have made him
a literary icon. However, I am very interested in seeing diverse
characters in starring roles (gender, ethnicity, etc.). The entire original
canon is available on Kindle for FREE. Take advantage.
This time, I’m a
little more flexible with genre. I am looking for stories that will fall into
the speculative fiction genre and all
its subspecies (horror, sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk, magical realism, gothic
horror, etc.). I’m even being adventurous this time and allowing for a romantic
element as long as you stay true to the character, but NO EROTICA (it’s not
that kind of book). The important thing is--- it has to have a paranormal
thread. These are CURIOUS INCIDENTS, not everyday occurrences.
Let your
imaginations run wild and give me something I haven’t seen before!
Publication of CURIOUS
INCIDENTS: MORE IMPROBABLE ADVENTURES will again be handled through Mocha
Memoirs Press and therefore, all submissions are subject to their general
guidelines which include, but are not limited to: no bestiality,
glorified rape, necrophilia, hate language, etc. We are not seeking
erotic stories for this anthology.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: October 14, 2016
Minimum word count: 4,000 not to
exceed 8,000
Payment: split royalties + 1
contributor copy.
General Mocha Memoirs Press Submission
Guidelines:
·
Submit your work to animprobabletruth.mmp@gmail.com with “CURIOUS INCIDENTS” Sub: [Your
Story Title]; [Your Name] in the subject line. Attach your story as a DOC or
DOCX file. Submissions sent in the body of the email will not be read.
Stories should be in 12pt, Times New Roman font. Please double space.
Don’t forget to include a title page that includes all contact
information.
·
Include a brief cover letter in the body of
your email stating your name, pen name (if using one), story title with word
count, a brief (1 paragraph) synopsis, and bio.
·
No simultaneous submissions, please. We ask
that you do not submit a story to us and to another market at the same time.
·
Multiple submissions—sending more than one
story for consideration—are okay. If sending more than one story, please send
them in separate emails.
Monday, June 6, 2016
Heroic Inspiration
And, in a time when we sorely need heroes, our nation mourns the passing of one of our most famous: Mohammad Ali.
His story was an inspirational one. His rise from humble beginnings, the skill and courage of a warrior forming in the soul of an angry young man growing up in angry times when the struggle against injustice demanded courage and willingness to sacrifice. And, he displayed both. When he threw his gold medal into the river rather than accept an award from a nation that denied equality to his people. When he discarded an athletic career rather than submit to conscription into a war he did not believe in. When he fought to get that career back, and won. Truly an inspirational figure to all Americans. To the world, perhaps.
And, of course, to writers. Especially writers of dramatic fiction who wish we could create characters formed from the stuff of reality, characters who touch the hearts of our readers and inspire them half as much as the real-life heroes of the real world. It's the real-world heroes who seem larger than life who seem to inspire us the most.
Perhaps even more remarkable is what those heroes reveal of the soul of the nation that embraces them. Mohammad Ali perhaps most of all. Admired for his courage, his spirit and his showmanship (the three things Americans value above all else) he represented the American soul in many ways. The irony...and, the wonder of his rise to iconic fame...was that he embodied many things that Americans have trained themselves to loathe and revile. He defied his government in time of war. "The true enemy of my people is here, not in Vietnam," he dared to say. He embraced Islam and called his Christian name a "slave name." He seemed to brazenly spit in the face of American chauvinism and blind, jingoistic nationalism. In short, he forced Americans to question and analyze the short-comings of our society, of our failure to live up to our national creed of justice. We are not a nation that readily accepts criticism, least of all from our own citizens. We consider ourselves too great, too wonderful for such rebuke. Yet, we embraced a man like Mohammad Ali as a true American icon. He changed our collective way of thinking, shattered our national complacency. At least, he embodied a wave of history that did that. And, that's what a truly inspirational figure does.
As writers, we try to create such larger-than-life characters. Characters our target audience can not only care about, but draw inspiration from. Hopefully in a way that challenges their presumptions instead of reinforcing them. Not easy, but we go on trying. And, we remember those who inspired us along the way.
His story was an inspirational one. His rise from humble beginnings, the skill and courage of a warrior forming in the soul of an angry young man growing up in angry times when the struggle against injustice demanded courage and willingness to sacrifice. And, he displayed both. When he threw his gold medal into the river rather than accept an award from a nation that denied equality to his people. When he discarded an athletic career rather than submit to conscription into a war he did not believe in. When he fought to get that career back, and won. Truly an inspirational figure to all Americans. To the world, perhaps.
And, of course, to writers. Especially writers of dramatic fiction who wish we could create characters formed from the stuff of reality, characters who touch the hearts of our readers and inspire them half as much as the real-life heroes of the real world. It's the real-world heroes who seem larger than life who seem to inspire us the most.
Perhaps even more remarkable is what those heroes reveal of the soul of the nation that embraces them. Mohammad Ali perhaps most of all. Admired for his courage, his spirit and his showmanship (the three things Americans value above all else) he represented the American soul in many ways. The irony...and, the wonder of his rise to iconic fame...was that he embodied many things that Americans have trained themselves to loathe and revile. He defied his government in time of war. "The true enemy of my people is here, not in Vietnam," he dared to say. He embraced Islam and called his Christian name a "slave name." He seemed to brazenly spit in the face of American chauvinism and blind, jingoistic nationalism. In short, he forced Americans to question and analyze the short-comings of our society, of our failure to live up to our national creed of justice. We are not a nation that readily accepts criticism, least of all from our own citizens. We consider ourselves too great, too wonderful for such rebuke. Yet, we embraced a man like Mohammad Ali as a true American icon. He changed our collective way of thinking, shattered our national complacency. At least, he embodied a wave of history that did that. And, that's what a truly inspirational figure does.
As writers, we try to create such larger-than-life characters. Characters our target audience can not only care about, but draw inspiration from. Hopefully in a way that challenges their presumptions instead of reinforcing them. Not easy, but we go on trying. And, we remember those who inspired us along the way.
Steaming Along....
Well, I got so busy I totally forgot to write a May post until far too late to matter. I apologize for that. Especially since I promised the Table of Contents for Ghosts, Gears, and Grimoires. You may recognize many of the pirates from Avast Ye, Airships on the list, but we have some new writers to welcome to MMP as well.
The stories are set in several continents, and various time periods, but they all have elements of Steampunk horror that resonated with me. :)
The order hasn't been finalized, but, in alphabetical order, the stories are as follows:
A Few Days in Kansas 1881 -- Jim Reader
Better Left Dead -- TC Phillips
Death in the Witch House -- John Lance
Engineered Deceit -- Amy Braun
Footloose -- Ross Baxter (Title may change)
Honeymoon in a Jar -- Robert Perret
Here, Where Our Blood Spilt -- Eric Del Carlo*
Last Dance with Mary Jane -- Wynelda Deaver (Title may change)
Light Over Birmingham -- Mattia Ravasi
Muzzle the Monster -- Leigh Ward-Smith
Purchase & Possess -- Steven Blake
Restless Spirit -- Rie Sheridan Rose
Steel and Steam -- Andrew Knighton
The Express -- Jason Gilbert
The Horrors of War -- Stephen Sanders*
Through the Darkness of the Opera House -- DJ Tyrer
*will update with links when I find them. :)
I am very proud of the lineup, and I think that the resulting anthology is going to be awesome.
The stories are set in several continents, and various time periods, but they all have elements of Steampunk horror that resonated with me. :)
The order hasn't been finalized, but, in alphabetical order, the stories are as follows:
A Few Days in Kansas 1881 -- Jim Reader
Better Left Dead -- TC Phillips
Death in the Witch House -- John Lance
Engineered Deceit -- Amy Braun
Footloose -- Ross Baxter (Title may change)
Honeymoon in a Jar -- Robert Perret
Here, Where Our Blood Spilt -- Eric Del Carlo*
Last Dance with Mary Jane -- Wynelda Deaver (Title may change)
Light Over Birmingham -- Mattia Ravasi
Muzzle the Monster -- Leigh Ward-Smith
Purchase & Possess -- Steven Blake
Restless Spirit -- Rie Sheridan Rose
Steel and Steam -- Andrew Knighton
The Express -- Jason Gilbert
The Horrors of War -- Stephen Sanders*
Through the Darkness of the Opera House -- DJ Tyrer
*will update with links when I find them. :)
I am very proud of the lineup, and I think that the resulting anthology is going to be awesome.
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