Be Your Own Editor

To some, this advice may sound intimidating as the job of manuscript editing is a lot of work (and, let's be honest, painful; especially if you've invested a lot of emotional effort into your story). To others, it may be a bit of a relief: the voice of the editor can be your voice instead of that of a stranger. It is worth the effort, believe me, but how to get started?

To both of the groups above, I can say that there is a resource that can help: it's called "Self-Editing For Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print" by Renni Browne and Dave King. This has got to be one of the best books I ever invested in. Click this blog entry's title to check it out on Amazon.

If you ever saw that movie "Finding Forrester" with Sean Connery, and if you're an aspiring writer to boot, then you'll remember the line, "You write your first draft with your heart. You write your second draft with your head." Sound advice, albeit simplistically presented; and you can follow the first sentence's tip no problem. First drafts are indeed an emotional, creative endeavor. The second draft is more methodical and I'll be the first to admit that I was stuck when I had to do it for the first time.

However, the Self-Editing book is full of great stuff to help you write "with your head." For example, did you know that reusing the word "said" in dialog is better than using words like "demanded," "offered," and "inquired?" Like the following:

"Give me the glass right now," she demanded.

Try using the word "said" instead of "demanded." It works just fine and it doesn't insult the reader's intelligence by repeating what they already know. The reader knows that the sentence is a demand (especially if you've built up dialog appropriately), so it isn't necessary to spell out that it's a demand. This is one example of how you can go through your manuscript and change things to make it look more professional.

Or how about this: try to avoid repeating an "effect" too often in a chapter. For example, the book gives a sample paragraph where the author is trying to tell how much a character misses something from his childhood. The word "missed" is repeated about three times and the author tries also to elaborate on the different ways the thing is missed. It's not necessary to do this. Once is enough (hence the title of that particular chapter).

The book is crammed with great stuff like this. Best of all, there are exercises at the end of each chapter to give you practice. By the time you've finished you'll have a good working knowledge of what your own manuscript needs in order to polish it well.

Trust me, you need this book if you're at all serious about writing well, so do yourself a favor and check it out. Best of all, when you've edited your manuscript, you'll love how much better it reads!

Until next time,
Bob

A Tool For Your Belt

While it's definitely true that much of writing is a very creative endeavor, there are also times when you need to sit down and consider carefully how the structure of any story works. Plot pacing, character development, goal-setting, and lots of other things can enter into it. Sometimes, when taken as a whole, the job can look daunting. This is especially true when you consider the fact that your readers will demand a realistically constructed story (even if your story is a fantasy work).

But there's good news (at least it was for me)! Click on the title of this blog entry to go to a site for a software package called Dramatica Pro. This application was a godsend to me, and I'll tell you why.

At its core, Dramatica is a tool that literally interviews you. Through a wizard-like interface, it asks you a series of questions (how many depends on how deep you want to take it). It starts out with fairly simple things like the name of your story, names of characters, and a basic plot summary. But then it starts asking questions that force you to think hard about your characters, their role, their interactions with one another, their goals and overall personality as it relates to the plot...

In fact, it's fair to say that Dramatica is very character-driven. And this is what makes it so nice. By the time you're done, you will know not only how any given character will react in a given situation, but you'll see that the plot drives off of their personalities and goals. This to me makes sense as the conscious decisions of people are the true drivers of drama. You'll find that the story has already begun a life of its own even before you've written the first page.

In the end, Dramatica gives you a long "story treatment," a scene-by-scene account of how your story comes about. This story treatment can be reviewed in Dramatica or printed out. Then you can use some of Dramatica's advanced tools and reporting engines to dig deeper. These tools are optional and I rarely use them myself, but I'm glad that the product can grow with your own creative and professional ability.

Well, enough gushing for now. I just had to promote this product at least once. It's a bit on the expensive side (around $250), but I've found it's worth it to have assistance in crafting a story that makes sense and can grip the readers.

Next time we'll talk about some more writing tools, in this case some books, which I'm truly excited about. See you then!

A Quickie Update - Good News for Fantasy Addicts!

Shows what I know. :)

I continue to show my lack of experience about the print-on-demand industry by neglecting to mention something.

Though my book is coming to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers, it's actually available Right Now from Lulu in case anyone can't wait (that is, if you're like me, a hopeless addict to speculative fiction). Try the following link:

http://www.lulu.com/content/941988

You'll also find a 15-page preview at this linked site in case you'd like to "try before you buy." Enjoy! :D

Ten Thousand Volts to the Brain?

Whenever anybody talks about writing, the question that always seems to jump to the forefront is: "Where do you get your ideas?" If we can answer that question in a way that makes sense, maybe, just maybe, we can spawn some new authors out there.

Great ways to jump-start the brain often include observation. No thought exists in a vaccuum. We humans have lots of memories, stimuli, cherished beliefs, and other things all leaping about in our heads like Mexican jumping beans. The trick is to pick out those things that interest us and see what can make a good story.

Sometimes a single source can be the primary inspiration, other times it's multiple sources. The way the human mind works, one can never tell what's going to give that zap to the ol' gray matter.

But let's talk specifics: what are some of the steps we can take to get that inspiration?

A few things come immediately to mind. First, find the genre you most like to read (or watch) and immerse yourself in it. This could be fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, historical fiction, horror, thriller, romance, or whatever captures your imagination and holds it. And here's something: sometimes, it's not just one genre. Sometimes multiple genres can coalesce.

For example, take the steampunk genre (something you'll find the Forge of Atuma series likes to play with): this type can merge history, sci-fi/fantasy, and just about any other type you can think of. Imagine Sherlock Holmes with a steam-powered computer in place of his written index: that's sci-fi and mystery together. Or how about that old TV show, "Wild, Wild West?" That combined cowboys with James Bond gadgets. Steampunk is a cool way to marry up genres that don't normally mix.

Second, pick a theme you're passionate about; and by "theme" I mean the underlying message of any story. I believe it was Gene Roddenberry who once said that the best fiction centers around people, not technology or "gadgets." In other words every successful story is going to have some sort of truly meaningful content. Take the movie "The Matrix." True, the movie had plenty of cool effects and action sequences. Also present were lots of neat virtual reality stuff, sentient programs and robots, the idea of a grand conspiracy. It had all that and more.

But most importantly the movie was about the nature of reality. What is real? What if everything you thought was true, even your very life, turned out to be a lie? These are interesting questions that the movie tries to address.

To get a story idea from all these things, mix and match them to your taste and then give it your own personal spin. This is not just a way to avoid plagiarism, but it also is a way to fall in love with an idea and take ownership of it. Real life is a handy way to do this, especially when it comes to a story's theme. Human drama is all around us. Newspapers, magazines, broadcasts and just kitchen table talk can be valid sources. As I mentioned before, whatever captures your imagination and holds it.

Here's a tip: carry a scratch pad and pencil around with you. If you get an idea, even a tiny one, write it down before you forget it. Ever been in a Kodak moment without a camera? That's how I felt sometimes when I had a cool epiphany and couldn't remember what it was! Notes really help.

But more on writer's tools in a future post. For now, do some digging in what places you can find and don't be afraid to latch onto some wild ideas, maybe even ones that seem dumb at the time. There's always time to refine them. For now, just write it down.

Until next time,
Bob

So? What's the deal?!

Go on... ask it.

You know you want to. ;)

Everyone asks this question: "What's the book about?"

Well, before you ask the next inevitable question ("What's it look like?"), check out this nifty shot of the front cover (Image copyright 2007 by Nicole Cadet, all rights reserved).



Cool, huh? Nicole's a great artist. As she lives in Australia and I in upstate New York, the wonders of the internet made our working together possible.

On to the story...

"Dark Brand" follows the path of a former master thief by the name of Duncan Runehand. Duncan is a member of the race of the Migans who, as you can tell by the cover, aren't exactly human. These beings resemble humans (known as Atumites in the book), but have a fine coating of fur on their bodies, bright golden eyes like wolves, and other slightly otherworldly features.

Furthermore, Duncan himself is not like most Migans. He has a "gift" that has allowed him to become one of the most feared men in Erin, the dark city where he lives. For years, he arrogantly assumed that he was beyond the law and untouchable, answerable to no one.

Until the day the Migan set his greedy eyes on an ancient relic guarded by a brotherhood of wicked fanatics: a jewel whose origins have been obscured by myth and legend; a mysterious artifact of a long-dead age whose destiny will be forever intertwined with Duncan and with his world.

Duncan stole it. And the horrible Black War followed. Now the land of Aderet, the fantasy world of "Dark Brand," is under the curse of a horror from the past. The skies are forever shadowed and the land broods under a cloud of lurking fear.

What's a thief to do? What would you do if your actions led to the deaths of thousands and the slow, rotting demise of your very world?

Well, to answer that completely you'll need to read the book!

According to Lulu.com, the publisher I'm using to distribute the book, I've got a target release date of late March or early April, 2008. It'll be available from Amazon.com or directly from Lulu (where you can get it in print or PDF format).

Stay tuned for further ramblings,
Bob F. :)

Countdown to Launch

My name is Bob Fountain and I am a man on a mission.

This mission, like many other of its kind, is to bring a work of fiction to you, the reader. Inspired by such writers as Tolkien, Lewis, and Lawhead, I was heartened to see the increase in the level of interest shown toward the fantastical genres, particularly those that had been penned by authors who claimed a heartfelt and informed faith.

For the longest time, I had a particular story in mind that had been haunting the dark corners of my brain, and, though I had a few smaller works that had been published in several obscure arenas, I had always wanted to bring something truly special to the fiction community.

Thus "The Forge of Atuma" was born. And now, Volume 1 of this series, "Dark Brand" is in the final stages of approval. What an amazing journey it's been.

When I set out to write this series of novels, I desired several things: first, I wanted to write a great story that almost anyone could enjoy; a story that could transport you to another, fantastic, world where almost anything could happen. A world where the emotions of wonder, fear, love, and hope could all mingle freely and sweep someone into an experience that both transcended and reflected the human condition. In short, a world that felt like home but magnified through an almost preternatural medium.

Secondly, I desired earnestly to write from the perspective of a person of faith. I believe with all my heart that the world of the material is only part of what we perceive, that the universe is far grander than humanity suspects. I also believe that humanity has an empty, dark place that longs to be filled. My experiences have shown me that the man Jesus Christ is what can fill this void. Stories that show this message (without cramming religion down someone's throat) are the dearest to my heart as they contain the most lasting value.

So why do I write? Why shall I continue to write? In a word, I feel called to express the deepest longings of my heart and of the hearts of my fellow travelers on Spaceship Earth. I welcome comments and questions. My hope is that whoever reads my work will see the passions and desires that drive the characters reflected in one's own heart. Any novel, even at its best, can only serve as a pointer to something beyond itself. My hope is that these stories, while enfolding you in their sometimes bright, sometimes dark, embrace, will point toward a certain someone whom you just might want to get to know a little better.

Until the next post,
Bob