Sat, May. 23rd, 2009, 09:59 am
Back On Track
For once I am taking off all three days of a three day weekend. Since I started in my current position with the Spokane Club, I don't recall that I've ever had a real three day weekend. And so you'll know, I've been doing the same job at the Valley or 4th Ave. location for nearly five years. It's usually ended up that someone else has had plans for the Monday Holiday, or we were filling in on the weekends anyway. I might have had the Monday off, but seemed to end up working either Saturday or Sunday. So for me, this Memorial Day weekend is a mini-vacation!
I know that a lot of people travel, go camping, picnicing, and the like, but I think we'll just stay home, relax and unwind a bit from all that is going on. I certainly have enough to do, what with Jessica's graduation approaching, the upcoming Econo-Run Northwest 2009, and a bunch of writerly stuff as well.
Among my list for things to do over the next three days are: Finish rebuilding and install the carbs on my '62 Corvair Rampside pick up. I'll probably have to have the battery recharged as well, and then it'll be time to see if it's going to run. (New spark plugs probably won't hurt,either.) I also need to update the Spokane Authors web-site (www.spokaneauthors.org) and work on my entry for the contest at Author! Author! (www.annemini.com) I'm sure glad she extended the deadline for that. I had something ready to go and was looking for the e-address to send it to when I noticed the extension of time. While I would have sent what I had in order to meet the original deadline, I realize that it needed a great deal of work to really convey the message that I want it to send. I've pretty much left it alone since discovering the "reprieve." When I get back to it in the next day or so, it won't be so fresh in my mind and I should be able to look at it with a more critical eye.
I think I mentioned Tuesday that I had completed reading Barbara Cagle's 16 X Mom: A Mastery of Motherhood. (www.barbaracagle.com) Since then I've been reading a short story anthology called The Pen and The Key. It was published a few years ago in honor of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association's (www.pnwa.org) Fiftieth Anniversary. It features short stories and articles on writing by several well know Pacific Northwest writers. Everyone at the first PNWA Conference I went to a few years ago got a copy of it in their participants' packet. It's been lying around the house and I've finally decided that it is time I read it. I'm not sure what I'll read once I finish that, but I'm thinking of looking for something in the piles of older books we have in the basement. I'm toying with the idea of trying Moby Dick again. I've always wanted to read it, but for some reason Melville has always been one of the few authors I have had difficulty reading. I don't know if it is a particular way he constructs his sentences or not, but I remember having to read and reread everything several time to be able to understand it. But the last time I tried I was a lot younger, and I'm hoping that my increased age will equate to an increased ability to read his works. My current reading "method" may help as well. If I've not mentioned it before, I read on my lunch break for about a half hour a day. I don't rush and I don't try to get through what I'm reading in any set period of time. And as I enjoy the half hour as a time to be off my feet and relax, I will put up with a bit of difficulty in reading. I'll let you know how it goes.
Dave
Mon, Jul. 21st, 2008, 11:26 am
FINALLY!
I'm getting around to posting after what seems a very long time. But I'm back, and hopefully my little Live Journal visits will occur with greater regularity in the future.
I returned from the Pacific Northwest Writers Association's (www.pnwa.org) Summer Conference late yesterday afternoon. It was my third year in a row to attend, and as always, I found it to be a fun, educational, and over all rewarding experience. From my own angle, it was successful as I did have an agent ask for pages. And with the savvy I've gained over the past few years, I'm not going to rush and get them in the mail before my rig's engine has cooled from the drive home. No, I'll wait a few days, print them out and go over them one more time. I'm sure I'll find a few things to tweak and improve before sending them to her.
I also had a bit of a revelation while discussing my work with an acquisition editor. During our meeting (along with four or five other aspiring writers), I began telling about my work, saying that I wrote Naval Adventure with a Fantasy twist. Almost immediately, the editor in question suggested that I wrote Alternative History. While I've always kind of realized that, I hadn't wanted to categorize my writing as such. Probably because in my view of things, the traditional alternate history does away with history as it actually was. I'd be more inclined to say that my work is an additional history that takes place on an additional world. I want the characters in my books to exist here on this world, perhaps contribute to the history of this world as it was in their time, but yet not change it. When they are in the other world, then they are free (in my mind) to influence and cause history to be as it will be. And I want to continue to keep the path between the real/this world and the fantasy/that world open. Perhaps I'm suggesting that our actual history has been influenced by things from beyond our known boundaries of the universe.
One of the things I enjoy most at the PNWA conferences is the on-site Barnes and Noble bookstore. Most of the books available are by authors who attend, at least attend the book signing/autograph party. I usually try to get copies (signed copies) of work by the main speakers and presenters. This year was no different and I ended up with another good collection of autographed works. It looks as if I shall have plenty to read over the next few months. I still have to finish Victory Of Eagles, by ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) naominovik, as well as resume reading the two remaining Throne books by jpsorrow. In addition, I have plenty of other books about the house, that I doubt I will run out of reading material in the next few years. I've got today and tomorrow available to me before I go back to work. I do know that I need to more the yard and catch up on some watering. If I'm ambitious enough, I also need to begin work on my Corvair Rampside pick-up. I think I mentioned a post or so ago that I'd like to have one of my Corvairs running for an Inland Northwest Corvair Club function on the 3rd of August. As far as I know, getting the "truck" back in to running condition will be a lot easier than doing so with the car. Maybe now that I'm, for all practical purposes, healed from my surgery, and that this summer's PNWA Conference is history, I'll be able to get into more of a routine and find time to do a little bit of automotive tinkering. Of course I need to keep up with the writing end of things as well. It's been quite a little while now since I've worked on Darnahsian Pirates. And I'm thinking that it might be time to go back through Beyond the Ocean's Edge once more. As a result of the recent conference, I've (hopefully) learned some things that might need to be tweaked a bit more.
I'm spending a portion of today, catching up on my e-mail correspondence, internet surfing, and blog connectivity. It dawned on me that I shall have to get a lap-top one of these days. Such a device would be handy when going to things like the just concluded conference. At least I would be able to keep up with e-mail and the like. And I always seem to have time here and there, that it would be nice to do a little work on whatever my current project might be. (This year I spent most of the time available to me for such things, working and re-working my PITCH. I probably had it down better this year than I had ever before, but when I got into my "agent appointment," it seems that I tossed all that careful preparation out the window and "winged" it. Doing so wasn't a problem, however, as the meeting was successful anyway. I did mention that she asked for pages at the beginning of this post, didn't I?)
Anyway, this should bring me up to date. Ideally I'll get back to posting every week, probably on Sundays again. Depending upon how things go, I may try to post during the week every once in a while.
Happy writing,
Happy reading,
Happy...any other pursuits you may enjoy,
Dave
P. S. As her cumulating senior project, my daughter is working on developing me a web-site. I'm sure I'll mention it here from time to time, as well as providing a link to it. It is also my intention to provide a link from it to this Live Journal Page. I'll (we'll) keep you "posted!"
At least I seem to be slowing down with regards to the frequency of my posts. My last was more or less a bonus entry, done on the FOURTH of JULY. I really and truly did mean to post as per my original schedule last Sunday. Yes, I know today is Saturday, but I post today, because I have a lot going on tomorrow and may not get the chance. (It sure was nice last month when I didn't have to go to work. Think about it! An eight hour work day, plus lunch time, plus transit time to and from work eats up a big chunk of the day. That of course means that there is much less time left for writing, posting, commenting, as well as other mundane chores like mowing the yard, watering it, or sleeping!)
So, what do I have going on at the moment? Well, as soon as I finish my trip through the internet, I've got to finalize and print the next issue of the Inland Northwest Corvair Club's newsletter, the REAR ENGINE REVIEW. I've also got to do some polishing on my pitch, as I'll be going to the PNWA's (www.pnwa.org) Summer Conference this next weekend. Luckily my editor and agent appointments are both next Saturday, so I have a little time. If any of you also happen to be in the agent search mode and might be attending a conference with a chance to pitch your work, might I once again refer you to Anne Mini's AUTHOR! AUTHOR! blog at www.annemini.com ? Her entries for the past three weeks or so have dealt exclusively with constructing and presenting a pitch.
Besides that, I hope to get the lawn mowed today, as well as getting it watered really good. We don't have that spectacular of a yard, and it needs watering nearly every day in the hotter weather. Missed a couple of days of the past week and it shows. Need to get it well watered and green before going to Seattle, as I know those remaining behind won't think to water regularly.
I volunteered to work tomorrow (Sunday) as I appreciate the others filling in for me while I was out. I figure the only thing I could do would be to work a few of the extra days for them. In the afternoon we have an employee picnic, and my daughter and I will be going to that.
Anyway, that doesn't seem to leave much time for writing. I guess it's sort of on hold for write right now. Still have delusions of getting the garage cleaned later this month and my 1962 Corvair Rampside Pickup running again. The club has an event on 3 August that I would like to attend with a drivable Corvair.
I do have some updates concerning my ongoing reading. Yesterday I finished THE SKEWED THRONE by jpsorrow. Monday and Tuesday at work, I intend to get a start on VICTORY OF EAGLES by naominovik. which I bought this past Tuesday, the day of it's official release. My reading will then probably take a little hiatus while I go to the conference, but it should resume when I go back to work on the following Wednesday.
I'm not really sure if I'll get anything posted before going, although if time permits, I might try for a fairly short one this Wednesday morning before I go. If I don't it might be a week from Monday or Tuesday before I get around to it.
Dave
Fri, Jul. 4th, 2008, 11:34 am
I worked a little over five hours today. As it is a holiday and I get time and a half, it's basically the same as having worked a full shift, money wise. Got home fairly early in the morning, and so I have some extra time to spend on the computer. I figure my afternoon will probably be taken up in watching a Mariner's game on TV. (We just got hooked up for HD, so now we can utilize that capability of the TV we bought a couple of years ago.) Later in the evening, I'll probably watch the Rainiers (Tacoma, Seattle's AAA farm team) play the Portland Beavers. I just wish "they" would broadcast more minor league (especially AAA) ball games. That's what I started watching years ago, and what got me interested in baseball. I guess the first team that I followed was the old Seattle Rainiers. I also used to drink Rainier Beer, but that's a different story.
Gosh, I'm sort of rambling, ain't I? Anyway, to get back to my original thought, when I posted last time, I figured I was back to the old routine of posting on Sundays only. The fact that today is INDEPENDENCE DAY, and that I have a little extra time allows me the chance at an extra post this week, even if I do end up working a little extra over the weekend. (As mentioned, I worked today, and I'll work Sunday morning as well.) I did take off early yesterday to go to the monthly SASP meeting.
Usually at the SASP (Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers) meetings, we try to have some sort of formal presentation dealing with various aspects of writing or publishing. Normally we don't even meet for the summer months, but this year we decided to go ahead with meetings throughout the year. Last month I spoke briefly and passed along what little knowledge I have about agents, and a new member with a recently self-published book introduced his editor who continued the conversation even further. This time we did not have anyone, even from the group actually scheduled. Instead we invited members to talk for a little while about their books, or things they have learned over the years.
One of our members gave an interesting little presentation comparing breweries and winemakers with writing and publishing. He likened one who writes and publishes a book for a small select group of family and friends to a home brewer. In that context, a micro brewery then corresponds to a self-publisher whose book is intended for a particular, perhaps regional group of readerss. Quite naturally, the giant mega breweries, with their produces being distributed over a vast range, match up with the large NYC (and other cities) publishing industry. We all found it a neat comparison and entertaining as well. A potentional new member also spoke about her research in writing a book about an order of German Nuns that had established a convent in the Spokane area decades ago. (We had a couple of other members speak briefly, but as those presentations do not factor in to where I'm going with this, I won't say much about them. They were both interesting and informative, however.)
Anyway, upon awakening this morning, I found myself in that condition where I'm connecting seemingly unrelated topics in a stream of thought that goes beyond any of the original ideas. Without really trying to do so, I intertwined the comparisons of brewing and publishing with that of research, and managed to fit it all together with regards to myself and my writing.
First of all, I've concluded that there at least two kinds of research. I'm sure a more competent analyst would find more, but two will suffice for what I'm trying to put across. The first is the research needed for a specific subject or project. This might be a book one is writing, or a report upon a certain subject. The writer may not have any personal interest in the matter, other than as a means of completing the task. One does the research, utilizes the information discovered and the promptly forgets it. On the othe hand, whether an actual project is involved. one can do research or learn about varions matters, simply for one's own clarification, or to further one's knowledge regarding something of personal interest. In a way, I suppose that angle is what lead me to try and draw the plans of HMS Island Expedition, the vessel featured in my story. The ability to do so was also the result of "research" over the years concerning ships and vessels of that era, as well as information obtained regarding such drawings. I obtained, read, and still refer to Chapelle's HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN SAILING NAVY, not because I have to, but because I want to...I want to know as much about ships of that era as I can. It's where my interest lies.
To bring this along a little more, when our speaker spoke of various alcaholic beverages, it brought to mind my decisions to try certain kinds of wine a few years ago. (So that you may know, I primarily drink beer, and over the Christmas Holidays,a little rum, brandy, and assorted other liquors and liquers.) However, having read in several books, and including in my own, scenes in which characters happen to drink certain types of wine, I figured that "research" demanded that I try some of those. So I did! And as it turns out, I rather like them, even though I don't buy the more expensive varieties, I now find that I can better sense what characters in a book experience when they happen to drink the same thing. I also realized that my thought process on this matter seemed to parallel that show that was on TLC a few years ago. I think it was called CONNECTIONS, hosted by a James Burke. But I digress again!
To change the topic just slightly, I did go back to work this past Monday. No problems at all with the area in which surgery had been recently performed, so the doctor's estimate of when I would be healed was quite accurate. However, as I had spend the previous month recouperating and not doing much physically, every thing else hurt something awful by the time I finished up my first day back. It's gotten a little better each day, and hopefully I'll be a little better as I progress through next week.
I suppose that's about enough for today. Hopefully I'll get something posted on Sunday as well. Just a note to jpsorrow, I'm a little over halfways done reading THE SKEWED THRONE. Gotta say, I'm enjoying it!
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, EVERYBODY! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Dave
A couple of entries ago, I mentioned that I had finally had that day of writing, where the words seemed to flow effortlessly from my fingers to the keyboard, and where the pages in my current WIP increased noticeably. Amazingly, the day after I posted that bit of exuberant information, the same thing occurred. As it now stands, I'm roughly on page 50, and about half way through the fourth chapter of DARNAHSIAN PIRATES. Unfortunately, I've not kept the pace up each and everyday, else I'd have the darn thing half done by now, rather than being at the one eighth point as I am. The day after the last big writing spurt, I spent most of my writing time revising what I had just written the day before, and the next day went ahead of that spot by a page or two. Today, I've not yet even opened the documents concerning any of my stories. Depending upon a multitude of things, I may or may not get around to doing anything with it. If not, there is always tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, it will be the last Monday that I will have off. When I had my surgery, the doctor told me that it would take a month to the day to be adequately healed. Since I had the procedure done on the 28th of May, come next Saturday the 28th of June, I should be fully recuperated and ready to go. As that is a Saturday, I will then go back to work on the following Monday. Even now, I'm feeling great, and everyday it is more of a struggle to keep myself from attempting those things that I should perhaps not do. And some, I'm sure, I could do with no harm. In the long run, however, I just want to be sure and not mess things up. While the time off has been great, I'd much rather have it without suffering through recovery from a medical or surgical procedure.
Earlier this morning, as I was watching the Mariners/Braves game, I started putting some final touches on my drawing of a dragon transport vessel, as mentioned in naominovik 's TEMERAIRE series of books. Again, it may not be what she has in mind as she writes the stories, but it is what I can realistically believe such a vessel would have looked like. When I finish, I'll try to include it in a post some time. With it, I am opting not to present a psuedo-plan or line drawing as I did for Island Expedition. I'm going to end up with a color profile, much as I did for the colored version of the schooner. However, this time I will have the fore and aft view, and the overhead view colored as well. The next step will be to draw it showing the masts, sails and rigging. The tophamper strays a little from the bounds of normalcy as well, and it might be advantagous to show it as well.
That should do it for today. I think we will be going to get a feeder mouse to feed to my daughter's corn snake. (I like to go in order to check out the pups that might be in the store! Our dogs have both passed away over the past few years, and I do miss them. I don't miss picking up after them, but I do miss their companionship!)
Hopefully I'll be able to report significant writing process the next time I post, and as well in the near future to post my interpretation of a dragon transport and the "plans" of the vessel from my own stories.
Dave
P. S. I've finished reading The Queen Street Kids by Bill Ferguson, and have added it to my "What I've read list!" As he is now a member of Spokane Authors, I suppose I should write a review for it that can be posted on the group's website. (www.spokaneauthors.org)
Fri, Jun. 13th, 2008, 11:58 am
I hope it shows up well enough, but I'm using the plan drawing of Island Expedition to accompany this post. If it's clear enough, along the righthand side, there is a profile or sheer plan of the vessel. To the left is a top (or bottom) view or one side. Not shown is the cross sectional view, or what it would look like when seen from ahead or astern. Again, I really don't know how a vessel built to this plan would perform. I suppose that my main reason in drawing it was to establish it's layout and characteristics more firmly in my mind. Secondly, I wanted to see if I could actually do the drawing and produce details of a three dimensional shape. Honestly, I think it came out pretty good, considering that I have only a limited amount of drawing/drafting equipment. I'm also pretty much self-taught in this regard. (Most if not all I've learned about this comes from THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN SAILING NAVY by Howard I. Chappelle.)
Having now finished two stories in the STONE ISLAND SEA STORY series, I keep wondering about a particular aspect of my writing. Everytime Anne Mini ( www.annemini.com) posts about passive characters, I wonder if mine, especially Edward Pierce, exhibit too much of that quality. Yet, upon review, I tend not to find much if any of it. I guess, that as a reader, I tend to tire of the protagonist who goes through the entire story without stopping to eat, sleep, relax, or to consider his options when faced with any challenge. In the same vein, I am turned off by those characters who never seem to realize the consequences of their previous actions.
So, where does that leave me? I suppose that I'm caught between wanting to write and create the story and characters that I want, and the idea of writing something that is marketable. My personal belief is that to begin with, I should write the story that I want to write. However, I'm mallable enough to realize that it may not be what every once else wants, so as time goes on, I will attempt to modify or change it to where it will appeal to the greatest number of readers.
Like most of today's writers, I've heard the axioms of "conflict on every page," or "show, don't tell." But I wonder if we sometimes try to read to much into those writing directives. "Conflict" doesn't necessarily mean a fist fight or a verbal argument. "Conflict" doesn't always refer to violence, whether physical or mental. From a writers stand point, "conflict" can simply be the interaction between two characters. In addition, it can be the thought process of a single character, especially when he is weighing his options or debating is conscience. To be sure, if such internal conflict made up the bulk of the book, it would undoubtedly be a slow and boring read. Such introspection naturally should be spaced (and paced) with person to person interaction (conflict) and real action and derring do by the principal character. My belief is that writing should have a rhythm to it, going from moments of intense activity to those times of less driven involvement. Just as the characters need to eat, sleep, and reflect, I believe the reader needs to get a break from the intensity at times. Probably the most difficult thing as a writer is to make sure that there are not too many of these quieter times in the story. I also think that what takes place in those more relaxed times should somehow lead to the more dramatic and active scenes.
I hope no one minds my thinking "aloud," here on my LJ. It just seems that everytime Anne starts blogging on this particular subject, that I start to wonder about my own writing. As I write in an organic and instinctive manner, perhaps I'm more succeptable to this problem in my work.
If I didn't mention it, I finished reading HINTERLAND by James Clemens a couple of days ago. Since then I've read the preview copy of chapter one of naominovik 's VICTORY OF EAGLES. If anyone is interested in the further adventures of Temeraire the dragon and William Laurence, she has it posted on her website at www.temeraire.org Besides that, I've read a few more chapters in a manuscript by one of the other members in the little writing group I belong to. While I certainly am enjoying the story, it's one with a lot of "alone time" and self-reflection in it. I wonder if that might be why he has not yet found an agent or publisher willing to take it on. In addition, at the Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers meeting last week, I bought a copy of one of our newest members works. It's basically a collection of short stories and poetry dealing with the author's growing up in Spokane's Hillyard neighborhood. I suppose one reason I was interested in it is because it's entitled THE QUEEN STREET KIDS... The title specifically refers to East Queen Street, but my mom and sister lived for decades on West Queen. Anyway, I'll probably read that next, and if I'm lucky and get what I've hinted for for Father's Day, I'll have something of jpsorrowto read in the near future as well.
Lastly, I'm hoping that today will see me completing chapter two of DARNAHIAN PIRATES.
Until next time...
Dave
I think I could get used to this idea of being off from work every day. It's nice to work at the computer until I get tired of it and want to move on to something else. If finances were in a cooperative mood, you could bet your bottom dollar that I would not go back to work once the healing process ends. Of course, that is unlikely, so in another three and a half weeks or so, it'll be back to the "salt mines."
Probably the biggest glitch in all of that, is that I can't do what I'd like to do if I'm not at the keyboard. My ideal day, if I didn't have to work, would be to spend my mornings, say until noon or 1 pm at the computer, and the rest of my day in the yard or working on the cars. Unfortunately, the nature of my condition and it's healing progress/process prohibit me from doing that.
Under the current circumstances, however, I think I'm being as productive as I can. Last Friday I wrote a five and a half page outline presenting what I know about Literary Agents. I've printed off about thirty copies and will take it to tomorrow's Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers (www.spokaneauthors.org) meeting. I'll use the copies as hand-outs, and also as a guide. We did a little member poll or survey a couple of months ago, and one member asked for information about agents. While I certainly don't claim to be any sort of expert, I've been in the agent search mode for quite some time. I certainly know a lot more than I did two or three years ago. I figure I can at least pass along what I know and bring the entire membership to the same level.
As SASP president, I'm also endeavoring to have a "real live literary agent" come and talk to the group. No matter how much expertise a non-agent might have (or not) with regards to agents and their roll, a true inside look might prove very valuable to all. SASP will also be blessed in December to have Anne Mini (www.annemini.com) join us once again to delve into the art of writing that all important query letter. While I think mine has been refined and revised to the point that it works, I would not want to claim any hidden knowledge or abilities along that line. Therefore, in my little presentation on literary agents tomorrow, I will certainly mention query letters, but I won't get into the process of actually writing one. I'll leave that to the above named expert.
And with the time that I now have on my hands, I've actually made a little more progress on my third novel. Right now I've got nearly twelve full pages, which means that I'm nearing completion of the first chapter. My chapters tend to run any where from twelve to twenty pages. I suppose I shoot for fourteen to sixteen as the ideal. Sometime it just doesn't work that way, however, and editing and revision can also change the length of them. I've also been know to just end one, if the length is appropriate, and if the story has reached a sort of "cliffhanger" ending point. Then of course, the next chapter simply picks up in the middle of what's currently going on. And, I may have mentioned that I have done that with the end of book 2 and the beginning of book 3. At least that is how it is at the present time. Anyway, I'll hopefully get a little writing ambition later today and continue on with that first chapter. I'm in one of those situations where I have more ideas and things to write about. I'm not starved for ideas and plot trails. Rather, if I have a problem, it is in deciding which trail to follow.
Since I'm not at work for the next month, where I do the majority of my reading, I'm also reading a little bit each day. I think I mentioned a few posts ago that I was reading NELSON'S TRAFALGAR by Roy Adkins. I brought that home, finished it, and now I'm reading HINTERLAND by James Clemens. Alas, it is not an autographed copy as this one I received as a gift for Christmas. I picked up GODSLAYER at last year's PNWA conference had had the opportunity to have him sign it. I've also hinted to my wife and daughter, that if they are in a quandry as to what to get "Dear Old Dad" for Father's Day, that I wouldn't mind a copy of something written by fellow LJ er jpsorrow. Therefore, one of his "Throne" series will likely be my next read.
Now I suppose I should end this, perhaps find a bite to eat and get on to the real writing for the day.
Dave
At this point in time I have only two more chapters to correct and print out. Then SAILING DANGEROUS WATERS will be at the point that I can let others start to look at it. Of course, once they do, I'm sure to have other changes to incorporate as well. No matter how perfect I may think it is, other readers are sure to find and point out the many flaws that no doubt still exist in it. Sometimes I wish I would have waited a while before letting folks look at BEYOND THE OCEAN'S EDGE. It was at a much earlier stage of completeness when I first let people look at it. The writing group I'm in has been critiquing it now and then, and even now, points are made wherein I find I need to make a correction here and there.
While I seem to have been making excellent progress on finishing up and smoothing out my second novel, querying efforts on behalf of the first have fallen by the wayside. I just haven't done much at all in that regard over the past month or so. Hopefully I'll get back to it in the near future. There's not much of a change I'll find and sign with an agent if I don't get back on track. Lately it just seems that everything else I have going on seems to occupy all of my time. But as I'll be on forced vacation next month, due to recovery from upcoming surgery to repair a hernia, I may have a chance to get back to it.
I might even find the time and ambition to get a start on the third book. I don't have a title figured out yet, but I do know that Pierce will return to that other world and Stone Island. He'll become involved in a conflict with a group of pirate nations, similar to the Barbary States. Actually, a lot of that was supposed to have happened in the second, but by the time I filled in most of the gap that originally existed between the first and second, the second was complete. In fact, what ended up as the final, 26th chapter was the 7th to begin with.
Since I finished reading and correcting SAILING DANGEROUS WATERS at work, what am I reading now? It's a rare non-fiction work, entitled NELSON'S TRAFALGAR. While it is interesting in its own right, for me it is research. I may have mentioned that SDW ends at the same time, and that in fact Island Expedition is overtaken by HMS Pickle as she races to England with news of Nelson's victory. As well, Island Expedition is anchored at Portsmouth, when HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship returns, bearing his remains.
Well, my daughter just put in her bid to use the computer, and at the same time I'm completely out of things to say today. I suppose I should go out and do a little watering...we've had some extremely warm weather as of late and the grass is no doubt thirsty again. Who knows, I might get to daydreaming a little and come up with some ideas for the third book.
Dave
And yes, I've made some progress on SAILING DANGEROUS WATERS. When I left work Friday, I had only one more chapter to read/edit/revise. As I didn't especially want to cart it back to work for one more lunch hour's work on it, I went through that last chapter last night. Gave me something to do, and a way to take my mind off the Mariner's losing again! I've also done quite well at getting the changes incorporated into the book as well. I finished up on chapter 15 yesterday, and hopefully I'll get a couple more done today. (The story has 26 chapters, so I'm well over half way there.) Then I need to write up a synopsis, so that when I start querying this particular work, I'll have it ready to send out, should any agents decide to ask for it. Better, I suppose to have a synopsis ready before hand, than to scramble because somebody has asked for one.
Recently, somewhere in the LJ world, someone asked about all the writers who post word count and writing progress, and whether or not others are suitably impressed with it. I don't know that I have any real opinion on that or not. For many, I believe the journal and the recording of writing progress is really for their own use. That us LJ users are willing to share that progress with others is simply a manifestation of the blogging/journalling phenom. I do enjoy seeing the progress that other writers are making, and when I mention my own, I hope that a few of you find it interesting as well.
I guess that when someone does post a current word count, we can get an idea of just how far along they are. I've always understood that 100,000 words is good for the average novel, although specific genre works are often at a different expected count. And does this word count reflect what one's word processor actually says, or is it based on a set number, an average number of words per page. If one writes in standard format, using Time New Roman 12 pt font, then the standard 250 words per page works out to 400 pages for a 100,000 word manuscript. It is my understanding that most in the publishing industry work with this concept, although I've seen a few sources that would rather one give a more detailed count. The final version of BEYOND THE OCEAN'S EDGE, ended up with 396 pages or 99.000 words. Yet it I go through and check word count via the computer for each chapter and add them up, it's just over 120,000 words. From my view point, I'll submit it as 99,000 words, unless the place I'm submitting to specifically asks for the more detailed word count.
One other thing I've noticed in my own writing, is that as I revise, my word count seems to go down. When I first finished BEYOND THE OCEAN'S EDGE and finally got it into standard format, it was nearly 550 pages long. Each time I went thru it, I shortened it a little more, and after a concerted effort to get it close to the 400 page goal, it ended up at around 420 pages. I ended up dropping the last two chapters and moving them to become the second and third chapters of SAILING DANGEROUS WATERS, which left me with 396 in the first book. I suppose I "self-edited" a little closer in writing the second one. The first draft came out to 403, and after I incorporated the first round of edits, it was also at 396. In incorporating the second round, I find that it's being shortened even more. When I start on the revisions for Chapter 16 (hopefully later today) it'll start four pages sooner than it did in the earlier version...which started four pages sooner than the original version. At the same time, I do have a couple of places where I will be adding a bit of dialogue or narration, so I may gain back a page or two.
It's not that I'm cutting all that much. Sometimes the final page of a chapter has only a line or two on it. If I shorten up just a little, all the way through the chapter, it's easy to lose that last page. While my goal is to come up with 400 pages for a story, I'm not going to quibble about 390 to 410 or so. I do know that the "industry" gets a little worried about stuff much over 400 pages/100,000 words. Printing costs, I guess! And once I do get it beyond the point of searching for an agent, there will be revisions and changes (by request) that may shorten it further. The idea is to write and present an interesting and compelling story. Whether it is done in 300 pages or 749, doesn't really matter.
Dave
Sat, Mar. 15th, 2008, 03:27 pm
Querying Again!
Yeah, after several months, I'm back to sending query letters, trying to land a literary agent to represent me and my work. Actually I have only sent a single letter on this latest go-round, but it is a start and should get me back on the path.
If you wonder why I stopped in the first place, it was because I had been advised by experts that the publishing industry basically shuts down from Thanksgiving through the Christmas and New Years Holidays. I was also advised that as many writers make New Year's resolutions and flood the agencies with queries immediately after the beginning of January, that one should wait until after the celebration of Martin Luthor King Day before resuming to query. The fact that I've ended up waiting an additional two months is strictly on me. It's always seemed that I've had something else going on and just never got around to it.
I think I mentioned queries and pitches a couple of posts ago. What I said then was that both serve as a way to get an agent's attention so that hopefully they will respond and ask to see a sample (or even the complete manuscript) of your work. If you receive a request for a sample submission, then the query letter (or verbal pitch) has done its job. Just remember, when it comes to query letters, different agents and agencies operate in different fashions. Many want just the query letter. Based on that alone, they will send a request for sample material or decline and send along a rejection notice. Others will ask for a sample submission to accompany the query letter. A rather well-known writer who I heard speak a time or two at a particular writer's conference suggested that one should always send that sample submission along with the query letter. That way, if the letter grabs the agent's attention and he/she is interested, the sample material is right there. It makes sense, I guess, but it also has a couple of drawbacks. First of all, agents often screen querying writers for the ability to follow directions. If told to send a query letter only, and you send a fifty page sample, what impression does the agent (or the agency screener) gain of your ability to follow guidelines. If I've learned anything about this writing and publishing business, it is that it pays to follow directions exactly.
Thus, the query I sent today was simply the one page letter, sent via e-mail, because that is how this particular agent has requested that queries be sent to her. Before I sent it, I did print out a copy and filed it with the other queries I've sent out. This way I can monitor those that bring responses. If I don't hear from a particular agent or agency after a fair amount of time, I can always update the letter and resubmit.
The last time I talked about query letters I mentioned that I have a generic one on file. What do I change when I get ready to send it. First of all, I want to make sure it's dated appropriately. The last time I had revised and sent it, it was the 17th of November, 2007. Wisely I changed that to today's date. Then as it is a business letter, I include the address of the agent and agency I'm sending it to. Since the letter as saved in my files has the address of the last agency I sent it to, that get's changed as well. Just as importantly, the salutation, the "Dear Mr. Jones:" gets changed as well. It doesn't win you any favors to greet Mr. Jones when you are sending the letter to Ms. Smith. (I've done this a time or two, and it is really a downer to realize it, especially when it comes back with a terse, "we are not interested in your work," rejection.)
I often slightly revise the first paragraph of the letter and tailor it to the specific agent or agency. This is where I mention how I discovered that particular agent or agency, and why I feel they might be interested in my work. The part of the first paragraph that stays the same is a very brief first mention of that work. I mention its category, word count, and title, and hope that the agent will find it interesting enough to consider offering representation.
The second paragraph remains pretty much the same from query to query. It is a really brief explanation of what the story is about. This can be compared to the blurb that is often found on the back of a book's cover...something to gain a reader's (and an agent's) interest.
In the third paragraph I try to offer a little information about me and explain how I came to write the story. It too remains the same from query to query. Some people might include the next part in this same paragraph, but I make fourth one and briefly describe my current writing projects and membership in various writers associations and groups.
Finally I close with a final paragraph, thanking the agent for taking his/her valuable time to consider my work. I also confirm that I am sending any requested materials, including the prerequisite SASE, and mention that I hope to hear from him/her soon. As different agents request different things to accompany the query letter, this paragraph often needs to be revised. It also needs to be revised if one is sending the query via e-mail, rather than as a hard copy in the regular mail.
From time to time, I do reread the entire letter, and occasionally I'll make a small change here and there, hopefully for the better.
Depending upon your source of expertise, you might be told different things regarding the overall appearance or format of a query letter. Some say that it should be in the same format as is this LJ page...no identations and skip a line between paragraphs, with everything left justified. However, my source of expertise, Anne Mini, of the AUTHOR! AUTHOR! blog at www.annemini.com strongly suggests that it should more closely resemble manuscript standard format, the primary difference being single instead of double line spacing. There should be no extra space between paragraphs, and the first line of each should be indented. Additionally, the writer's address, contact information, closing and signature should be to the right of the vertical center line. In other words, it should look like the older, more traditional business letter.
Finally, unless told not to send one, every query letter should be accompanied by a self addressed, stamped envelope. A standard business sized envelope allows the agency to easily send a reply. Often they will simply scribble a note on your letter and send it back to you. Or they will include their own form letter, either sending along yet another rejection or requesting a sample submission. If a sample submission is sent with the query letter, it is standard practice to send a SASE large enough (and with enough postage) so they can return the pages to you. (For insight into the "whys" of returning submissions, see Anne's blog and the entry for, I believe it is the twelve or March. It is the one with a picture of her mom and the head of the Philip K. Dick ("dickheads") fan club.
Speaking of PKD, I finished reading THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE at work yesterday. As it is the first of four novels in the volume I have, I've debated as to whether or not I'd read them all together or spread them out a little. I've decided to spread them out. Now as I near the finish of SAILING DANGEROUS WATERS, I think I'll be taking that to work and start going through it with a mind toward revision and editing.
As it has turned out, I haven't gotten any more done on it since the last time I posted. However, I've gotten the newsletter for the Corvair Club out of the way, some of my stuff for Spokane Authors done, so the next week should be wide open for work on the book.
(Speaking of Spokane Authors, a couple of posts ago, I listed the website, but did so incorrectly, mentioning it as a "dotcom" instead of a "dotorg." I corrected the entry, but I've noticed that it still tries to go to a "dotcom." Anyway, for those that might be interested, the correct web address is: http://www.spokaneauthors.org
Until next time, then
Dave
to do those things I want to do. Probably the best thing is to be able to sleep in for two days in a row. And since I don't have any commitments either Saturday or Sunday, I should be able to make some progress on the writing. Besides adding another post to my LJ page, I might even get something done on the final chapters of SAILING DANGEROUS WATERS. I would really like to have the first draft finished by the end of the month.
Last week I did get my part of the Inland Northwest Corvair Club's REAR ENGINE REVIEW done and sent off to our club president. Even though I am officially the editor, he adds his input and acts as editor for my contributions. Now, I'm just waiting for him to send it back so I can print and mail it out. And as it seems that I've been a little bit behind on producing that monthly "tabloid," I hope to start on the next issue in a week or two. Hopefully during that intervening time I'll get back to working on the book.
Thursday marked my third time presiding over the Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers meeting. All in all it went pretty well. Still have to write my "President's Page" piece to put in the group's website. (www.spokaneauthors.org) It just seems that there are so many little things that tend to distract me from actually writing.
One other thing I need to get back to, is my former practice of sending out a query letter or two every week. Quite naturally, and in accordance with advice from many in the publishing industry, I did not send any over the holidays, or indeed through Martin Luther King Day. My plan was to resume sending letters out near the end of January, but with all else I have going on, I just haven't done it. (But I did get my entry put together and sent in for the Pacific Northwest Writers Association's Literary Contest. Now, the best I can do is to forget about it, because winners are not announced until the Writer's Conference in July. That's a long time to be wondering and worrying. Better to not even think about it. By the way, PNWA is at www.pnwa.org )
I keep thinking that in one of these posts, I'll get back to discussing the writing and publishing industry a little. Again I warn you that I'm not an expert. I'm still not published, and I'm still in the search for an agent. But over the past few years I have learned a great deal, and I'm willing to pass along what little I know. That being the case, I'll mention just a little about query letters and pitching.
In my mind, query letters and pitching both serve the same purpose. The goal of each is to arouse the interest of an agent (or other industry professional) to the point that he or she asks to see a sample of your work. The difference, of course, is that the query letter is written and the pitch is delivered orally and in person. I must be somewhat successful in both forms, as I have had requests for sample submissions as a result of either. At the same time I have a large and growing collection of rejections slips. I even have a rejection slip from a particular agency that mentioned the query letter as being very well written!
When I first embarked on my writer's journey, I felt that what I put down as I wrote was etched in stone and would never change. But even as I wrote the original draft of BEYOND THE OCEAN'S EDGE, I realized that that just couldn't be. I found (heaven forbid) typos and other things that needed changing. The story needed a lot of fine tuning to get to the point it is at now. And I'm aware that after I do land an agent, that other changes, corrections, and even finer, final polishings will be needed.
My query letters have gone through much the same evolution. When I first heard of such a thing and was told (shown) what they should be, I sat and wrote one. I sent it out a number of times with nothing but form rejection letters in return. While the aspiring writer might often get the impression that agents delight in sending rejection slips and laughing at our struggles to understand and break in to the publishing world, most really do want us to succeed. After all, they make their living because of our success. I was fortunate, early in the querying process to have contacted Nadia Cornier of Firebrand Literary. As had happened with previous early queries, she rejected it. In an effort to be polite, which I understand goes a long way in the industry, I replied and thanked her for her time. She responded most graciously by pointing out some flaws and areas of concern in my query letter that may have caused her to reject it more readily.
I took the information to heart, made the changes as best I could and continued to send query letters on a regular basis. As time goes on, the letter constantly evolves, as I attempt to make it the best that there is. It is obviously getting better as now I get the occasional request to submit the first fifty pages or first three chapters...depending upon that agent's preference.
Like a lot of querying writers do, I believe, I have a standard query letter in my computer files. The majority of it stays the same, regardless of who I am sending it to. What changes on a regular basis is of course, the date and where (and to whom) it is going. I was quite chagrined a year or so ago to realize that in a couple of cases I had correctly changed the "inside" address of the agent and agency I was sending it to, but somehow had neglected to change the salutation. I don't believe it helped my cause when agent "B" opened a letter that said, "Dear Agent 'A!'" Just one of those things that happens when we get in a hurry, I guess. My first thought was to re contact the agent(s), apologize profusely, beg for a second chance, and implore the agent(s) to reconsider the previous rejection. That would not have helped my cause. It would have made my error(s) stand out that much more. In this case it was (and is) probably best to just "lay low." Agents receive so many queries that after a few days, while they may well have remembered the gaffe, they had probably forgotten the name of the poor fool who committed it. Chances are that now I could query these particular agents again with absolutely no worry that my previous goof would be remembered.
The other part of my query letter that changes regularly is the opening line in which I briefly mention how I came to be writing to this particular agent/agency. Depending upon what the agent/agency requests with the query letter, the last part of the letter may vary as well. If the last letter I sent was to an agent requesting a synopsis and the first fifty pages to accompany the query letter, and I've mentioned that I've enclosed those materials, I should not mention it in the next query to an agent that wants only the letter and an SASE.
The body, the middle, or the "meat" of the letter stays pretty much the same. I do find that when I get ready to send it again, that I might find that a small change is needed to further improve it. So while this portion is basically fixed, it does change little by little, hopefully evolving into an ever better query letter.
Next time I'll delve a little in to that aspect of the query letter.
As for what I'm reading, I'm still with Philip K. Dick's THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE. Hopefully by the time I finish that I'll have finished my second book and will spend some time going over it for my daily reading exercise.
Take care,
Dave
Well, if you must know, the small triumph of which I speak is that yesterday I completed Chapter 24 of SAILING DANGEROUS WATERS! (You may have noticed that I've dropped the "Always" from the beginning of the title. I originally did that to fit it on to my business card layout. Decided it was better as it is now and changed it.) The delay is that I went to post about that and a few sundry other things yesterday. I was nearly done and ready to post when I evidently got a case of fumble fingers and somehow deleted it. Since I had been on the computer just about all day, I decided that I wasn't going to try and redo it. I'd just wait until today.
Now that Chapter twenty-four is done, I can say I'm getting pretty close to the end of this particular book. I'm thinking there will be one or perhaps two more chapters. Then it'll be time to set the writing aside for a little while and get some work done on my cars. (I'd at least like to devote the weekends to the wrench turning, and write after work on weekdays.)
If I haven't mentioned it, I have two Corvairs. One is a '62 Rampside pickup. I had it running again last summer and fall. I think that it needs a good tune up to be back on the road. That and some body and structural work, which I hope to get done as well. The other is a '65 "Spyderized" Monza coupe. About four or five years ago I started a "two week" project on it. I'm maybe a third of the way done. Primarily I'm rebuilding the "homemade dash and instrument panel that's in it. I plan to get to that as well this spring and summer.
Do any of you, especially those of you with older cars name them? I do. The '65 is "Ralph" for Ralph Nader, whose book, DANGEROUS AT ANY SPEED had a chapter about the Corvair, and in many folks' opinion led to it's demise. The '62 is "Tim" for Tim Allen/Tim Taylor, because when I first bought it, it needed more power! My current daily driver is a '98 Suzuki Sidekick. Living in the Pacific Northwest and being a Mariners fan, is it any wonder that we refer to it as "Ichi?"
This will no doubt be a fairly short post. As I end, I'll continue with the list of what I've read as of late.
BLACK ORDER(autographed)
James Rollins
AMERICAN KNEES(autographed)
Shawn Wong
SHADOWFALL(autographed)
James Clemens
THE END OF BARBARY TERROR(non-fiction)
Frederick C. Leiner
DEPTHS OF MADNESS(autographed)
Eric Scott de Bie
HAND OF EVIL
J. A. Jance
EMPIRE OF IVORY
Naomi Novik
THE JURYMASTER(autographed)
Robert Dugoni (I should finish this on my lunch break tomorrow.)
It seems that I was posting fairly regularly on either Saturday or Sunday, each week. I'm thinking now that I will try for Mondays and Fridays, and unless I really get deep into something, the posts will be a little shorter. I do want to thank those of you who have commented. That's one of the more enjoyable parts of doing this LJ page. It lets me know that someone is reading it, and I like the dialogue and discussions that often ensue.
Dave
Fri, Feb. 22nd, 2008, 04:43 pm
OOPS!
Wouldn't ya know it! I start of my last post, basically promising not to be one of those folks who go for long periods of not posting. And while it hasn't been all that long, it's still been a considerable amount of time beyond what I normally allow between entries. If I was to offer any sort of excuse, I suppose it would have to be simply, that I've been busy. I've been dealing with stuff for Spokane Authors, the Inland Northwest Corvair Club, an entry for the Pacific Northwest Writers Association's Literary Contest, as well as everyday life, and nearly everyday work. (I'm speaking of the work that puts $ in the checking account, as opposed to work on literary pursuits.)
As it turned out, last Sunday when I normally would have posted, I ended up on the job for nearly a full day. It's usually a short day if I work on a normal day off. As it was, I worked late enough that I missed a meeting for the Corvair Club, and was just tired enough once I got home that I didn't do much of anything. I find it very hard to post if I'm tired!
I guess that's enough time spent offering excuses. My entry is in, I can wait a week or so to start the next Corvair Club Newsletter. Maybe I can actually get some work done on my second book over the next week or so. I still have the very last chapter or two to finish up. I know what is supposed to happen, and now I just need to get it down on "paper." I'm hoping to get a little done on it this weekend. Hopefully I'll also get something posted on Sunday and be back on schedule with that.
Other than that, I don't have a whole lot for today. Perhaps I'll continue a little with the list of what I've read. So here goes:
The Commodore by Patrick O'Brian
Outerbridge Reach by Robert Stone
The Yellow Admiral by Patrick O'Brian
Owlflight (Autographed) by Mercedes Lackey and Tom Dixon
The Hundred Days by Patrick O'Brian
Blue at the Mizzen by Patrick O'Brian
Dead Wrong (Autographed) by J. A. Jance
Dr. Futurity by Philip K. Dick
We are getting pretty close to the end of the list, as it now stands. If I include another eight books, it'll bring us up to what I am currently reading. If anyone wonders about the titles marked "autographed," the majority were signed by the authors at the last two Pacific Northwest Writers Association's Conferences. Many of the authors were presenters or keynote speakers at these conferences. In addition on one night, all of the attending authors hold an autograph party or mass book signing. I bought the books and had them signed. Simple as that. Actually the only one that wasn't signed that way was Stillpoint. The author is a member of Spokane Authors, and a copy of her book was a door prize that I won at the second meeting I attended. Doesn't make reading them any different, but it is a neat way to impress family, friends, and co-workers!
See ya Sunday, unless I get side tracked somehow. Will really feel good to sleep in for a couple of days. Getting up at 0245 hrs (2:45 am for the non-military types) isn't my favorite thing to do.
As always, if you have anything to say in response, rebuttal, or just want to say, "hi!" please feel free to comment.
Dave
Sun, Feb. 10th, 2008, 11:49 am
MEANDERINGS
Now that I've started this journal, I don't want to be one of those individuals who post once in the proverbial "blue moon." That's why I try to do something once a week or so. More, and I feel I'm cutting into my time for writing, or producing the Inland Northwest Corvair Club's newsletter...the REAR ENGINE REVIEW. (And it seems that the time for those tasks is limited enough as it is!) After all, I see this as a supplement to my other writing activities, not as a substitute for them. I do envy those who can seemingly find the time to post nearly everyday, and still have the time to do their other work. At the same time, it's somewhat disappointing to check a particular blog or journal, only to find that it hasn't been updated in several weeks. But as I understand the dilemma of balancing posting with other work, and as most of those particular blogs are by people far busier than I am, I understand.
Thursday I conducted my second meeting as president of Spokane Authors and Self Publishers (www.spokaneauthors.org). It went better in many respects, possibly because it was not my first time at doing it. At least I did not feel quite as apprehensive as I had a month earlier. We did have a bit of a problem in that due to the weather and road conditions, our scheduled speaker could not make it. The last minute cancellation and again road and weather conditions prevented our substitute/fill-in speaker from making it as well. I tried to alert as many members as possible the night before, and I planned to have various people read some excerpts from their work. As it turned out, I volunteered and read the first chapter (A FRENCH SURPRISE) from BEYOND THE OCEAN'S EDGE, my first novel. Another member did read a couple of poems, and our secretary read a short essay that he had written.
This coming week my writing projects will be to finalize and print this month's edition of the REAR ENGINE REVIEW. (I'm waiting for it to come back from the club president who always adds some inputs to what I write before it's printed and sent out.) I also want to freshen up my entry for the Pacific Northwest Writers Association's Literary Contest. (www.pnwa.org) It's due in about two weeks. I'll probably end up entering my first novel again, but I am thinking of entering the second one instead. I'm so close to having it finished, that for all practical purposes, it is. However, I still have to write a synopsis for it, and with the way time has been messing with me as of late, I don't know that I'd be able to get one done in time. And if I ever do find the time, I need to work on actually finishing that second story.
That's about all I've got for today. In closing, I'll add a little more to the list of what I've read over the past few years.
THE THIRTEEN GUN SALUTE
by Patrick O'Brian
THE NUTMEG OF CONSOLATION
by Patrick O'Brian
THRONE OF JADE
by Naomi Novik
THE TRUELOVE
by Patrick O'Brian
THE PROTECTOR
(autographed) by David Morrell
HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON
by Naomi Novik
BLACK POWDER WAR
by Naomi Novik
THE WINE DARK SEA
by Patrick O'Brian
AMAZONIA
(autographed) by James Rollins
BEYOND THE OCEAN'S EDGE
by D. Andrew McChesney (yeah, I actually read my own book. It was another attempt to perfect it. My goal was to be able to read it without finding mistakes and making changes. I didn't quite succeed at that, but it did give me a chance to catch typos and other problems that still existed in it.) Until next week! Dave
Hello again! I'm posting a day or so earlier than I normally would. I'm scheduled to work for about a half day tomorrow, and then it is also Superbowl Sunday, so my time to do this might be a little compromised. The solution then is to do what has come to be my weekly posting, today. (The weather in the Inland Northwest is currently not conducive to any outside or away from home activities, so I plan to spend it at the computer. catching up on stuff.)
As of late, I've been talking about how a writer of historical fiction can seemlessly blend his/her fictional character and fictional story line into the facts and reality of history. To narrow the discussion a little further, I'm applying it specifically to that branch of historical fiction known as Naval Adventure. In any case, what you as a writer permit or forbid yourself to do is strictly your choice. Some may not want to tamper at all with the known facts and events of history, but rather prefer to have their characters actions support or supplement what really happened. Others have no qualms at all about substituting their fictional characters for those who were actually there. Even so, I suppose there is a limit for these folks a well. While Patrick O'Brian may have allowed Jack Aubrey to fill in for Captain Hammond as commander of HMS Lively, I seriously doubt he would have allowed him to command the British fleet at Trafalgar in place of Lord Nelson.
Many writers of Naval Adventure do pattern there fictional characters and their exploits after real individuals and their recorded and real adventures. A great deal of Aubrey's career approximates that of Lord Cochrane, including the improbable capture of the Spanish xebec frigate Cacafuego by His Majesty's Brig Sophie. In reality, Lord Cochrane's Speedy performed the deed against the larger El Gato. Even so, O'Brian changed the dates of the event (or of a larger battle of nearly the same time) to allow Aubrey to participate in both.
Further, some writers tend to disregard the time line and cram a dozen years worth of adventure into a year or two. I don't mean to be critical of Mr. O'Brian, but he does this to a great extent as well. FORTUNE OF WAR finds Aubrey and Maturin as passengers aboard HMS Java when it is destroyed by USS Constitution. As prisoners they spend the winter and spring of 1813 in Boston and eventually escape to sea and the blockading HMS Shannon. Quite naturally they are aboard when Shannon scores a long awaited British victory against USS Chesapeake. Following their return to England, Aubrey and Maturin undertake a voyage to the Baltic, deploy to the Mediterranean, sail to the Pacific in pursuit of an American raider, return to a financial scandal resulting in Aubrey's temporary dismissal from the service, undertake a period of privateering, sail once again to the Pacific and the East Indies, try to foment revolution in South America, combat the slave trade off the coast of Africa, and are available to be of service when Napoleon escapes from Elba. Additionally, Dr. Maturin marrys, has a daughter, and by the time these two years or so have gone by, and as Napoleon tries to reclaim his French Empire, this child is active well beyond what one would expect of one aged less than two years.
(I should point out that Patrick O'Brian was well aware of these little oddities and adjustments to the time line. He often mentioned such changes and variation in his "author's notes" that began many of the stories. In those he also often noted that a lot of what happens with Jack Aubrey was indeed based on the life, exploits, and adventures of Lord Cochrane. That period in Jack's and Stephen Maturin's careers, roughly from June 1813 until the end of 1814 is often referred to, and I believe by O'Brian himself, simply as "the long year.")
It should not be seen that I am criticizing Mr. O'Brian for writing the Aubrey/Maturin tales in this fashion. I've read and have enjoyed them tremendously over the past couple of years. I do think he allowed himself more latitude with historical facts and time spans than many other writers would have done. And in regards to the famous movie based upon these books, MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD, is a compilation of the various stories that become, on the screen a completely different story, with incidents and events culled from many of the books. Title wise it combines those of the first and tenth book. To me, even if it does deviate so much from the written pages, it is still a very good and exciting movie and certainly captures the characters and personalities of those depicted in the books.
Maybe I'm getting of track a little, so let's look at a little more subtle way of inserting a fictional character into historical situations. In the beginning of HORNBLOWER AND THE ATROPOS,
Nelson has just died at Trafalgar. Someone has to arrange and coordinate his funeral procession along the Thames. As a newly commissioned (and very junior) captain, Horatio Hornblower is saddled with this responsibility. Perhaps if one dug deeply enough into the records, one could find who actually did arrange and coordinate the event. But as that name eludes us in general, we could say without to much a stretch of the imagination, "why couldn't it have been Hornblower?"
In my writing I tend to set rules for myself, closer to what I believe C. S. Forester set for himself. I don't want to tamper with history as it really occurred. I will allow my characters and their actions to add to, supplement, and complement what actually happened some 200 years ago. However, I will not allow them to replace, change, divert, or confuse the events of the past. It is for that very reason that my writing as diverged slightly into a fantasy or alternate world mode. There, I can be more manipulative of events and place my characters and their actions directly in the middle of it all. Yet, I have kept them tied to the world as we know (knew?) it, and when they are "here," I do not allow them the freedom to ride roughshod over historical fact.
Hopefully this might help explain how or why my Naval Adventure series has that Fantasy or Alternate World aspect to it.
To progress a little with my reading list:
TREASON'S HARBOUR
by Patrick O'Brian
MAP OF BONES
(autographed) by James Rollins
AMERICA
by Stephen Coontz
THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
by Patrick O'Brian
GHOSTWALKER
(autographed) by Eric Scott de Bie
THE REVERSE OF THE MEDAL
by Patrick O'Brian
STILL POINT
(autographed) by Patricia Campbell Kowal (a fellow member of Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers)
THE LETTER OF MARQUE
by Patrick O'Brian
Until the next time, have a wonderful week and enjoy the Superbowl!
Dave
Perhaps I should say, "hiding a character's fictional existance." Or, in other words, how do we eliminate that huge red letter "FICTIONAL" stamp from across the foreheads of those we create in our writing, that we and our readers know never existed.
The last time I dwelled on this at any length, I mentioned that perhaps that is why so many writers of Naval Adventure place their primary characters in the British Navy. I suggested that it is easier to hide an imaginary naval hero amongst the many hundreds that really existed, as opposed to trying to hide him amongst the relatively few that were actually in the U. S. Navy at that time.
There are a few other things that one can do to lesson the "un real" impact of such an individual. First and foremost, he can serve aboard ships and with individuals that actually existed at that time. C. S. Forester does this with Hornblower in Mr. Midshipman Hornblower. For a good portion of that book, Hornblower is a midshipman aboard HMS Indefatigable, an actual British Navy razee that existed at that time. In the story, her captain, as in real life was Sir Edward Pellew...later Lord Exmouth. Honestly, I'm not sure if the events and exploits that take place aboard as described by Forester actually occurred or not. But by placing Hornblower aboard an actual ship, commanded by her actual captain, Forester makes Hornblower seem a little more real. One could probably research Admiralty records and find out exactly who the midshipmen assigned during that period were. The main thing is that without research, we don't know. With a little use of our imagination, a Horatio Hornblower very well could have served aboard.
It's quite easy to do this with the more junior individuals aboard ship. Without a lot of digging, almost nobody knows who the less senior lieutenants, the warrant officers, or midshipmen were. As a writer, it is quite easy to substitute one or more of our characters into those positions. Depending upon the author's personal choices (and that's what we are really talking about, here) that fictional character can be made to fulfill a more important role, even assume command of an actual historical vessel during an historical event or era. In Post Captain, Patrick O'Brian has Jack Aubrey temporarily in command of HMS Lively during the time she was actually under the command of a Captain Hammond. (As the story goes, Hammond was also a member of Parliment and had taken leave in order to attend there and Aubrey fills in for min.) So it would seem that it is easier to place a fictional individual into a real crew aboard a real ship if he is less senior. Without a great deal of digging, no one is going to notice. But if one places his created character in a more senior position, where perhaps the actual individuals are known to a good many people, the substitution will be that much more noticeable.
Certainly, whether a writer does insert his character into a high profile slot or not depends on the writer and his or her personal rules regarding such substitutions. My personal preference is to let the higher visibility positions remain as they actually were. I mention a time or two that Pierce served as fifth lieutenant in HMS Orion under Sir James Saumarez at the Battle of the Nile. I don't think the identity of the actual fifth lieutenant is common knowledge. I would not have him as captain or first lieutenant of the ship, as the identities of those individuals are too well known or are rather easily determined. In another way of saying it, my goal is to leave what is recorded in history as it was. I believe my characters and their actions should compliment and supplement what really took place. They should not replace or change what actually occurred.
Other writers are not as restrictive in this matter as I apparently am, and I can illustrate this with two different writers' approaches to an actual event.
The event is this: In the late summer of 1804, England is at war with France once again. Spain is neutral but appears ready to enter the conflict as a French ally. At the same time, the annual Spanish treasure fleet is enroute to Spain from the New World. England suspects that these monies will go to finance the French war machine, regardless of Spain's participation in the war. She would rather fight both an impoverished France and Spain as opposed to a well supplied and well equipped France. A small squadron of British frigates patrols the approaches to Cadiz, intercepts the Treasure Fleet, sinks one, captures the remaining three and diverts the treasure to London.
In O'Brian's telling of this event, Jack Aubrey has command of HMS Lively as noted above. Quite naturally, it's the actions of Lucky Jack that carry the day and make the operation the success that it was.
C. S. Forester also relates the incident in Hornblower and the Hotspur. Master and Commander Horatio Hornblower, commanding His Majesty's Sloop-of-War Hotspur is assigned as a fifth vessel to the intercepting squadron. En route to join the group, he is ordered into Cadiz, at that time a neutral port to gain the latest intelligence information. While there, he notices that a large and powerful French frigate, the Felicite is also in port. When Hotspur sails, the laws of neutrality require the French to wait twenty-four hours before sailing themselves. Hornblower joins the four ships already on patrol. When the Spanish treasure ships are spotted at the opposite end of the line from the Hotspur, Hornblower starts to reinforce the seizure attempt, but notices the French frigate approaching. It had evidently came to warn or aid the Spanish Treasure Fleet. Instead of hastening to the scene of the primary and historically real battle, Hotspur takes on Felicite, fighting at great odds and allows the actual operation to succeed just as history recorded it.
Can you guess what version I prefer? And for any Patrick O'Brian fans, do not think that I am not one myself. In the incident mentioned above, I just happen to prefer Forester's approach to including his fictional character in it.
That should about be it for this time. I'll leave you with a few more entries of what I have read over the past few years.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Author's Court
by Mark Twain
Desolation Island
by Patrick O'Brian
Sea of Grey
by Dewey Lambdin
The Fortune of War
by Patrick O'Brian
People of the Raven
by Lathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear
The Surgeon's Mate
by Patrick O'Brian
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen
The Ionian Mission
by Patrick O'Brian
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
by Thomas Hardy
Hey, if you agree or disagree with anything that I write in this Live Journal, do feel free to leave a comment!
Dave
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