Saturday, July 30, 2011

Jazz Memorial for my Dad

I mentioned that my Dad died a couple of weeks ago. The leader of a jazz band sent me a note saying they mentioned his passing at a gig and then played "Oh, didn't he ramble," to the audience. A perfect memorial for my jazz-musician Dad. It starts as a dirge, then gets fun. Here's a great version by a Swedish jazz band. Check out the amazing gal on trombone--the band leader.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtjIe0TyjF8

Friday, July 29, 2011

Piercings (Advice from Dr. Mike)

I saw a girl with an inflamed nostril piercing yesterday. It reminded me of my daughter having same problem about age 19. Her M.D. uncle told her that he'd had cases of young people whose infections had destroyed the cartridge in their noses, so their noses became loose flaps on their face (Google 'proboscis monkey' for collapsed-nose look).

Same with ears. Lobes aren't a real problem, it's the upper ear where the cartilage is. If that is destroyed by a piercing infection, you have floppy ears. So if one must pierce, get out the peroxide or alcohol and keep those piercing holes clean! :-)

(Altho Pierce in "Zits" seems to have no problem. Hmmm.)

Thursday, July 28, 2011

WRITING FIRST DRAFTS

I usually shoot myself in the foot with a first draft of a book by constantly trying to go back to the previous paragraph or chapter and try to get it 'better.' That's a great way to get nowhere. I find that if I spend half my time revising as I go, that time is probably wasted because when/if I get to type THE END, that means its time to go back and revise--and sure as shootin', my prior revisions are probably now meaningless because the story has taken a different path than I expected.

A novel isn't like the termpaper outline you turned into your high school teacher with all the steps and substeps and themes perfectly ordered. Fiction (at least for me) starts to shape itself as it goes along. Sure, you need most of the pieces to start, and a fairly clear idea of how to get to the end. However, the ending may change as obstacles arise or you decide to drop/add a character. So don't take the first draft that seriously and don't bother messing with spellcheck. Just grind through and get that draft done.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Different Kinds of Dystopias

A Goodreads comment said "Tomorrow, the Day the World Ended" didn't seem to have the elements of a dystopia--at least not the ones he is used to. Okay, Let's compare "Tomorrow" to "The Hunger Games." Both are very different dystopias.

"Tomorrow" is set in the near future in a city we know--not many years from now. "Hunger Games" is more like Star Wars--a long, long time from now in a world we hardly recognize. "Tomorrow" shows our world messed up by a natural catastrophe and how young people cope in the mess. "Hunger" has a lot of glitz and gadgets that make neat special effects--almost like magic or a fantasy. The one thing the books have in common is a hero(ine) struggling in the world in which she is given.

I must admit that my "Blending Time" and sequels lean toward "Tomorrow" because they don't ask the reader to suspend scientific belief. All the stuff in the books seem possible. "Hunger," as fabulous as it is, has near-fantasy elements that defy belief. But you let that disbelief go and enjoy the ride. To each his/her own. Personally, I enjoy most dystopias.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Why I collect old stuff



Ever since I was a little kid I collected stuff... rocks, bottle caps, marbles, even the matchbooks from weird restaurants and taverns my parents would go. I still collect things, but now OLD things--very old. I have an Egyptian ushabti from about 3000 yrs old; fossil shrimp that are 400 million years old (plus a heap of gorgeous ammonites, trilobites, etc. from dinosaur and pre-dinosaur time). I also have some ancient Greek and Roman coins, plus a few Medieval manuscript pages written by monks in the 1200s.

Why? Because the times these things existed come alive when I touch a Roman coin handled by real people 2000 yrs go. And to heft the weight of an agatized ammonite larger than my handspan, I can visualize this amazing thing zipping through long-vanished oceans next to sea-going reptiles the size of my house. Handling a manuscript inked and embellished 800 years ago in some freezing monastery makes the history of a time and place breath again.

Besides the history, these things are breathtaking in their own right. Some are gems--such as tiny ammonites replaced entirely by pyrite. They look like gold spirals. The coins are hand stamped little pieces of art. And the manuscripts are crafted with devotion and near-impossible precision. Maybe I'm nuts, but I really like my 'old stuff.'

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Dystopias and Religion?

A book-review blogger recently remarked YA dystopias seem to stay away from religion. I'm not sure he's right. Margaret Atwood's HANDMAID'S TALE (not really YA tho) takes place where a fundamentalists have taken over the government, executing priests and nuns, and making women little more than servants. My own BLENDING TIME, and it's forthcoming sequels, bring in the discussion of the role of God in the devastation of climate change and wars. I think most people (including YAs) must either think all the pain and trouble they are going thru is either "God's Will," or they wonder if God is punishing them for something. As a YA I used to wonder why the Old Testament God could smite whole cities like Thor, killing women and children, then drowning the world in The Flood. But then you constantly hear that God loves us. Love/Anger/Hate?

So, how could a dystopia not have it's "heroes" think/discuss those religious mixed messages? I think it's a loss not to probe such thoughts of people going thru dark times.

Friday, July 8, 2011

My misspent youth as a reader

I wasn't a great reader... of books. No iPods back then, but there were lots of cheap comic books. My cousin Norma and I would squirrel away in her attic and spend half the day with her stacks and stacks of comic books--probably worth a gazillion today. We devoured everything from horror to Donald Duck. It's surprising how wonderfully gross those horror comics were. Lots of zombies losing body parts; guys' flesh melting off their bones; you name it. The drawing wasn't as slick as today's graphic novels, but our imagination filled in whatever was left out.

Which leads me to say... a good author gives you a chance to fill in the book's world and allows you to sculpt the characters. The author should lead you, but not describe every facet of the plot nor of the characters. Teens are smart enough to 'get it' and flesh out plot and character. Sometimes I finding myself hitting the reader over head to be sure they get the point. That's okay in a first draft, but toss that garbage out in the revision. I think that's one of the hardest things for an author to catch--the overwriting (which I'm probably doing right now. So better quit while I'm ahead!)

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Q&A about BLENDING TIME and FIRES OF NEW SUN

Here's some Q&A about my books, THE BLENDING TIME (2010) and its sequel, THE FIRES OF NEW SUN (Jan. 2012), [Book-3 of the series is due out end of 2012].

Q: How did I choose the future world in the books?
A: I started with the premise of climate change. Glaciers and icecaps are melting so seas will rise and ocean currents will change to produce new weather patterns. Lowlands will be inundated; some regions will have increased rains and floods; some will become dustbowls. By 2050 countries will go to war for basic resources. Governments break down. Basic infrastructures (electricity and communications) fail.

Q: What's it like in 2069 when our 'heroes' turn 17--the age for their govt assignments?
A: The are from the Pacific Northwest which is drying up. California and Mexico are now vast deserts. The great battles and plagues are over, but many people are forced to emigrate from this wasteland of North America.

Q: Why do they go to Africa?
A: Atlantic currents have changed and Africa is getting more rainfall. Even the great Sahara is shrinking. Africa has lost millions due to the wars and plagues. To top it off, radiation from a giant sunflare has bombarded Africa and parts of the Indian subcontinent. Chromosome damage has caused sterility. Jaym, Reya, and D'Shay are being transported with hundreds of others to help rebuild infrastructure and marry into the population in hopes of reversing the recessive chromosomal damage (sterile African + non-affected "Blender" = children) .

Q: What is THE FIRES OF NEW SUN about?
A: Our Blenders must overcome bands of mercenaries (Renegades or 'Gades) run by warlords who lingered in Africa after the Pan-Af Wars. Africans and Blenders (including Reya, Jaym, and D'Shay) have joined to form a fighting force called New SUN. New SUN has 3 bases in the Blue Mts of Chewena, E. Africa and must take on the 'gades to survive. The 'gades are determined to wipe out the smaller forces of New SUN. The fate of Africa hinges on the success or failure of New SUN.