How much is enough?

I'd like to discuss the concept of story length.  As a little background, my current WIP is a sword & sorcery yarn in the vein of some old school works by Lin Carter, John Jakes and Gardner F. Fox.  I'm going for the kind of story you get where the hero is a brawny warrior, somewhat outside of societal norms, if not a downright outsider or outcast, and the adventure is straight-foreword, without a lot of esoteric exposition and social commentary.  It will be a rousing adventure with plenty of action, some intrigue and more than a little supernatural danger, all set in an original, mythical world.  I currently have ideas for about three books about this character right now.  I'll give more details about him later.

But today's topic is about length.  How long should this work be?  Using the works of the above-mentioned authors as a guide, I have determined that these stories will probably be relatively short, running the equivalent of 165 pages (41,250 words) or so.  Information presented on the Wiki page on Length of a Novel places that firmly in the "novel" category, according to Locus Magazine.  However, as also noted on that page, conventional publishing wisdom makes that just shy of a novel, and only a novella.

The question is, is this distinction even a concern?  And more importantly, is it even relevant in the ePub view of things?  For that's where my market is.  This book, and any sequels, are planned as self-published eBooks, most likely through Amazon for the Kindle.

Of course, this could all be academic.  The story could very well end up being much longer (or even shorter) than planned.

This cover by the late Jeffrey Jones
is similar to what I will be attempting.

As a side note, this whole thing has me pretty excited.  This is the type of story I like to read, so I think it will come more easily to me.  I'm also doing it the right way and focusing on a lot of planning elements, such as character sketches, story plotting, and a chapter-by-chapter summary, before I even start writing the actual story.  I'm also going to dust off my art skills and attempt to do a cover in the style of those 70's-era S&S books.  I think I can pull that off well.

So, stay tuned for more information on Gorus the Gray!

Memorial Day - From Scott Oden

Rather than try to re-invent the wheel, I will direct you to the Memorial Day post by Scott Oden.  Finer words there may never be.

Something old, something new

Yesterday I had a six-hour class on the purchasing procedures for my job.  Most of the information was not new to me, and what was new was provided in a detailed PowerPoint presentation that I can read at my leisure.  Basically it was a mind-numbing experience.  I was fully capable of learning what I needed to know while only half paying attention.  So, what did I do with the other half of my brain?  Why, I wrote, of course!

But, since I didn't have a computer in front of me, I had to change things up.  I am a computer composer.  I rarely pick up a pen or pencil for anything, preferring to brainstorm ideas and compose notes in MS Word.  However, all I had in front of me was a notepad and a pen.  And this proved to be plenty.

I have recently been interested in seeing if the "Clonan" I mentioned in my last blog post is truly dead.  I am convinced that in commercial circles, it is.  Publishers probably won't touch such simple, straight-forward action yarns anymore.  And that's fine.  They're in the business of making money, so they have to go with what sells.  And let's face it, hulking barbarians in literature probably won't sell much these days.  But, there's a relative handful of holdouts like me who sometimes prefer these simpler tales to the angst-ridden, verbose and detail-heavy fantasy tales of today.  Don't get me wrong, I like those too.  But sometimes I just want to crack open a short book filled with action, danger, and maybe a little sex, all brought to life through the exploits of a huge warrior who has the power to carve his destiny with the keen edge of a broadsword.  And since it doesn't seem that I will get any of that beyond forays into used book stores, I thought I would produce some short novels of my own for the eBook market.

To that end, I took up my pen, and began to scribble notes about a character that I had recently envisioned.  As I said, I usually do this on the computer.  So it was with some amazement that I found details flowing from pen to paper.  Admittedly, it was slow at first.  I find that I rarely have to write anything by hand these days, so the muscles involved, which are different than the muscles involved in typing, were a little stiff.  My penmanship looked like a ninth-graders.  But, it's legible, and understandable.  In the end I had two, hand-written pages consisting of notes about the character, his background, and a rough outline for his first book.

The whole experience reminded me of when I was about 14 years old.  At the time, I was huge into Mack Bolan, and my friend and I would write stories about our own Men's Adventure characters (mine was Darryl Knox, as portrayed in my mind by Marc Singer).  I still have the notebook that contains my efforts in that regard.  Handwritten, with paragraphs and passages scratched out and re-written.  It's an interesting way to write, to say the least.

This also illustrated a point that I have read from authors and writers a lot.  That change will often be what is needed to get past a rut or writer's block.  In this instance, a simple change in how I write seemed to provide a good creative spark.

Old School S&S

I recently went to a local used book store, and managed to score some really good stuff in the S&S genre. Based on some recommendations from the Swords & Sorcery League Facebook page, I picked up a couple of books by Gardner F. Fox, one by Lin Carter, and one by John Jakes, as well as a collector’s hardback Conan book. One thing all of these have in common (aside from the Conan book, for obvious reasons) is that the main characters all fit into what I call the “Clonan Mold” – basically, muscular, barbaric warriors who battle dark magics with cold steel and iron will.
These books were all part of a trend that was very popular in the 60’s and 70’s. With a resurgence in the popularity of Conan thanks to the Ace/Lancer paperbacks, as well as the long-running comics from Marvel, publishers were looking to capitalize on the readers’ need for more of Conan’s ilk.

This got me to thinking; is this trend truly dead? Are simple, straight-forward characters like these out of vogue now? Have we, as discerning fantasy readers, evolved beyond the hulking barbarian cutting a swath of death and destruction through his enemies? It seems that most fantasy characters, even those who profess to be “Sword & Sorcery” ones, are layered with complexities and “depth” that was previously understated, or non-existent.

And if that is true, and these characters have indeed becomes relics of a bygone era in the publishing industry, then why are there so many people haunting used book stores and snatching up these out of print books? Is it perhaps that readers just don’t have the confidence in today’s writers to deliver a good, old-fashioned action yarn? Perhaps it’s because new authors don’t want to be pigeon-holed into being a “Howard-pretender.”

Personally, I think it boils down to “literary snobbery.” The Pulp Era is derided by the literary community, thus why it is never covered in English classes, or included in scholarly studies of literature, aside from being a footnote. Sort of a “literary Dark Age” so to speak. And those who do know of the treasures brought to life back then are relegated to the “fringes” of society. They’re looked at the same way comic books are often looked at. Cheap entertainment for the masses, with little to no literary or intellectual value.

Ok, I think I am getting off-track here.

The point is, those of us who do enjoy this genre of stories, are often forced to seek facsimiles of the tried and true tropes. Modern barbarians are really just angry savages with personal issues that create drama and depth. There are no more unapologetic barbarians, proud of their heritage, who deride “civilized” weaklings.

So, the question is, is this a result of readers? Or publishers?

And if someone wrote S&S in the old-school vein, how would it be received now?

Note: Most of the opinion expressed here is based on, admittedly, limited exposure to modern writers. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time or money to invest in a lot of reading. So, I find myself spending most of my resources on used books. And because I tend to get bored with books if they are too long (I get limited reading time), I tend to like shorter works, which is also a thing of the past. You’re hard-pressed to find a new book of less than 250 pages these days. That may seem like a small amount. But to me, it can be big when I can only snatch a few minutes here and there to read.

Learning my lessons

Last week I learned an important lesson for writers:  Deadlines are good.

I worked feverishly to finish the story I was planning to submit for an anthology.  I had a schedule in my head, and had given myself an entire work-week (five days) to complete it.  Lo and behold, life interfered and two of those days were shot.  However, in the past I would have said "Oh, well" and given up on it.  But this time I was determined to sprint for the finish line.  And amazingly, after a good chunk of writing (about 2,000 words in four hours) I did it!  And even though the story was promptly rejected, it didn't matter.  What mattered was that I set myself a deadline and stuck with it.  This is a huge step for me.

The rejection was a blow, to be sure.  I was really hoping to get accepted.  The letter (email) was short and sweet.  The editor stated that the story was "perfectly good" and encouraged me to submit it elsewhere.  Now, my cynical side says "canned response."  But my optimist side (which is stronger) says that it was an honest, albeit brief, assessment.  And I am choosing to go with that.  I know the story isn't perfect.  It is a first draft, and I'm sure there are areas that could use improvement.  So, I am going to step away from it, work on something else, and then go back and polish it up.  Once that's done, I will begin the process of shopping it around.  Or, I may set it aside and save it for the anthology eBook my friends are working on, since it takes place in that world.

So, taking that lesson, I am imposing a deadline for my Orc story of next Friday, 5/27.  I was going to say tomorrow, but my daughter is coming home for the Summer after being away for almost a year.  So, I may be a little too distracted to write coherently for a couple of days.  However, I do plan to put some effort into the story today, during my downtime.  And since it's already 2/3 done, I expect to come close.

Ok, deadlines are one lesson I have to learn.  I know there are several others (outlining, "show don't tell", and working schedules come to mind).  But I figure if I can get one lesson learned at a time, eventually it will all come together and I can live the dream.

Stay on target...ooooo, shiney!

As I often do, I plugged my flash drive in this morning, and opened up Word.  If I'm not already inspired, I will usually browse the titles I have in my various projects folders until something catches my interest (which goes a long way towards explaining why I am the King of Unfinished Writing Projects).  The last couple of days my brain has been slowly shifting gears from fantasy to more reality-based interests.  I'm currently reading The Gods of Mars by Burroughs on my iPhone, but I have been eyeing some Mack Bolan books I found used a while back.  Something about modern-day action is pulling me in.

So, with that in mind, I opened a file I haven't looked at in a few months.  Last November I attempted once more to do NaNoWriMo.  I managed to get about 5,000+ words into it before life just overwhelmed me (school, a court battle, adjusting to a new job, etc...).  So, I put it away.  But now I am dusting it off and giving it another go.

The premise I have is based on a City of Heroes MMO character I had been playing.  Basically it can be described as "What if the Punisher didn't use guns?"  With that as a springboard, I created a character, a suitably tragic event, and planned his journey into darkness, as this former IT professional transforms into a adrenaline junkie, hell-bent on testing his new found martial prowess against the darker side of humanity, with the ultimate goal of finding justice at the ends of his fists.  The book will have a lot of martial arts action, dark exposition, and probably some disturbing imagery.  I envision it being something akin to Fight Club but with less blatant psychosis and more technical detail.

Following the stars

My horoscope on my Yahoo! page today:

Just like money, fresh ideas can burn a whole in your pocket -- urging you to take them out and spend them! A new inclination to do something unexpected may hit you like a ton of bricks this morning, so pay attention and consider revising the plans you had for today. When lightning strikes, you need to pay attention and get some momentum going. Try not to delay acting on your newest, craziest ideas -- whatever you start today has a huge chance for success.

Oddly enough, I am thinking today about a character I thought up on Saturday.  Malachi Sampson is a an old-west gunfighter who hunts supernatural evils.  I have ideas for a few stories already.

This is new territory for me.  I have never written a western before, though I have flirted with the idea on several occasions (even started one at one point).  And I've never done horror either.  Again, I have flirted with idea as well, and actually started a few projects, but nothing ever came of them.  So, now I am thinking of combining the two.  Inspired by Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane stories, I decided to set Sampson in the frontiers of the 1870's.  He's a Civil war veteran, as many gunfighters of the time were.  But he fought for the South.  As a southern gentleman he is well-versed in sabre-fencing, as well as pistols.  And, I see him being pretty handy in good old-fashioned fisticuffs as well.

Here's a teaser:

The worst thing about my life is that I can recall my death.

It was fairly inglorious, all things considered. As an officer in General Lee’s Confederate Army, I was leading a charge from horseback against the Northern Aggressors. I can’t recall the exact date, nor where the battle took place. I can only recall the impact of the bullet that tore me from my saddle, and dumped me in the bloody muck. I remember wondering what had hit me, and then panicking when I couldn’t move. A coldness had crept over me, and I tried to scream. I don’t reckon anything came out, since I was already dead. After that, nothing but black.

I woke up with a gasp and a purpose. I knew I had died, but something had brought me back. Was is God? As a Southern Gentleman, raised on the Word, I like to think so. And most days, that’s the only thing that keeps me going.

One might ask what purpose a man might have in being brought back from death’s dark clutches. Why would I be denied the everlasting paradise? Well, to put it shortly, I weren’t always a good man. In fact, one might say I was downright bad. So, maybe I had some things to atone for. Maybe. I don’t rightly know. I just know that there are worse things in this world than I ever was, and I am compelled by the Power to put an end to such evil.

Mission Accomplished!

I did it!  I finished my story.  Most of my writer friends are probably thinking "Big deal, dude."  Well, for me, it is!  I am the King of Unfinished Writing Projects.  So, when I can actually finish a story, it feels like a real accomplishment.

Next up:  getting something published.  To that end, I submitted this story today.  It's for the Sword & Sorceress Anthology #26.  I rather like the story.  It may need some polish, but it reads well as it is.

I'll probably dive right into something else now.  Possibly the Orc story.  Though I think I will watch Treasure Planet again before I do so.

Or maybe I will peck away at Age of the Sword and Life of Rage.

Or how about the Conn Project?

Then again, yesterday, during my (unplanned) day off I came up with a new character that might have some promise.  I've never written a western nor a horror story, so I thought about combining them.  Thus was born Malachi Sampson.  Imagine a cross between Jonah Hex and Solomon Kane...

Hmmmm...

Sorcery and Magic Difficulties

I left my flash drive at home again today.  So, in lieu of working on the story due Friday, I have been looking at dormant projects that I have on my hard-drive.  One of which is Life of Rage.  After some consideration, I have decided to forgo the idea of rewriting the whole thing in first person.  I put a lot of work into its previous incarnation (called Being Green), and it seems a waste to just toss all of that text.  However, some of the elements created for LoR will be finding their way into the new BG.

Anyways, in reading through it today, I noticed something.  I don't like magic.  Perhaps it is because I read too much Conan as a teen, or because I almost always play a warrior of some kind when I game.  Whatever the reason, magic just does not come naturally to me.  Especially when writing about the mechanics of it.  In both Age of the Sword and Life of Rage the sections on player-used magic is devoid of detail (in AotS it hasn't even been started yet).

This is largely due to the genres these games fall into.  AotS is a Sword & Sorcery game in the vein of Conan and his ilk.  Magic is evil, mysterious, and often entails sacrifices and other diabolical actions.  Life of Rage is about Orcs.  The characters are Orcs.  Orcs generally distrust magic at best, and usually avoid it all together.  In both games, it makes sense (to me) to restrict magic to NPC's.  But I know that there will always be players who ask "Why can't I (go outside your rules)?", and wish to make magic using characters.  My first instinct is to tell them to just play D&D and leave my game alone.  Which is what I am leaning towards doing anyways.

Of course, another reason may be because magic in an RPG tends to be the most complex section of a rulebook.  Look at the D&D Player's Handbook.  Literally half of the book is dedicated to magic and spell lists.  And that goes for every edition of that game.  Frankly, I just don't want to put that much effort into it.  Maybe if I was working on these games with a team of writers and creators.  But I'm not.  It's just me.

So, there you go.  No magic using characters in my games.  Anyone think that will detract from the playability?  Will I lose a significant number of players (you know, maybe 25 out of the 100 people who might like the games)?

Hammering away!

Yep, saw THOR this weekend.  Kicked all kinds of ass!  Was it perfect?  Maybe not.  But it hit all of the right points, and I thought it brought the character and his cast to life admirably.  But, I'm not here to talk about that movie.  I'm here to talk about writing.  Because that's what I do.

First and foremost, the deadline for the Sword & Sorceress anthology is this Friday.  The story I am doing for it is about half-way done (maybe a bit more than that), so I am confident that I will be able to submit it on time.

Next up is the Orcs story.  I had jumped head first into writing that, but kind of petered out on it.  Especially after finding out that most of the people involved in the anthology haven't even started writing yet, but are merely ironing out rough ideas at this point.  So, I figured I would step back and take some time with it.

In other writing news, I hope you saw that I have added a lot of stuff to the Age of the Sword RPG.  It's getting much closer to being finished, and I expect that, barring any rules revisions, I will only be polishing up the setting, adding rules for Sorcery, and commissioning/drawing original artwork for it.  In the meantime, I'd really like some feedback.  Even if it's to tell me how much is sucks and how you think I should stop wasting my time on it.  So far, no one has responded with anything resembling a critique.

Other works in progress: Life of Rage ( an Orc RPG written in first person), the Conn Project (Conan pastiche that may be modified for an original setting), and various other minor projects.  Oh, and I'll try to get the final part of the Thomas Magni serial done.  Though that one seems to not have caught on much, as I get no feedback or followers on that page.  So, if I do manage to finish the first story arc, that may be it.

The dangers of Free Comics

I have been a comic book fan since I was a kid, and really got into them in high school.  Between my friend and I, we managed to be reading every Marvel title available in 1986.  Because of that, I have always been a Marvel fan.  I like some of the DC characters.  Batman has always been cool, and Superman has grown on me a lot lately (though Nightwing is still my favorite).  But nothing beats Captain America, Spider-Man and Moon Knight.  Those are probably my top three Marvel characters, with the top five being rounded out by Colossus and Hercules (they so need to make an animated movie about the Prince of Power).  So, you can imagine my giddiness with all of these kick-ass Marvel movies (THOR was effing AWESOME, btw).

But, all that being said, I don't really read comics much anymore.  Every once in a while I'll get on a kick and collect a handful of titles for a few months.  But, invariably I get burned out and stop.  However, Free Comic Book Day (the first Saturday in May) always manages to rope me back in, even if for just a short while.  I'm sitting here staring at the cover for the free issue of The Amazing Spider-Man.  Having browsed through it real quick, I am very intrigued.  Not to mention that the Elric comic from BOOM! is pretty amazing.  And of course, there's my FCBD stand-by, Atomic Robo.  They do a free issue of his every year and it never fails to entertain.

So, what does this mean?  It means that the local comic shop will most likely get some business from the Doolan household (Michele found one she likes too) for the next few months.  After that, who knows?

Age of the Sword ver. 1.1

So I did some work on Age of the Sword.  You can access it here:

Age of the Sword - Play Test ver 1.1

Changes include:

• Added blank pages to seperate sections
• Edited some text
• Removed Skill "Specialties"
• Added some images
• Added a large amount of information about The World
• Modified the Character Sheet

Quick question for anyone who has actually looked at it; do you like the page borders?  I'm iffy on them right now.

As always, comments, criticisms or requests can be directed here, or emailed to me.

Slacker!

Ok, so lately I appear to be slacking in my writing. And for the most part, that’s true. I mean, I am working on a story for my shared world that I am hoping to have done in time to submit to an anthology. And I do seem to be blogging with some frequency. And today I even tried my hand at a 5-minute fiction (wasn’t selected as a finalist, but it was an interesting exercise).

But, the fact of the matter is, I have yet to make the commitment to writing that I really need to. When I’m at home, I almost never write. I spend most of my time in front of the computer on Facebook or playing WoW. I know both are a detriment, but I can’t help it. I enjoy both so much. And if I’m not doing that, I’m watching something on NetFlix (Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is freaking awesome!).

I need to write more. I need to set aside a scheduled time and make it a habit. I need to set myself a goal, and see it through. I need to plot out a story, develop the characters, and write the first draft. I need push aside distractions and resistance. I need to do the work.

Ok, so maybe that’s all very easy to say. But, for me (and I suspect a LOT of writers, both professional and not), it’s a lot harder to do. I’ve never been one for self-motivation. I’m inherently lazy sometimes, and cannot stay focused long enough to do anything all the way. I blame my second stepfather. Because of him, I have been battling a crippling fear of failure. I have adopted the “If I don’t try, I can’t fail” attitude so often that it has become second-nature. I hate him for that. Everything else I ever got from him that was good is wiped out because of this.

Eh, now I’m just starting to complain.

Ok, so focus on writing. Set a schedule. Write a plot summary. Sketch the characters. But most importantly…

WRITE!