The Space Cantina – Words written in blood

Posted by Mike on

SpaceCantina_Header

So I wrote the first draft of The Blood – Part 12. It’s rough and it’s quick but at least it’s there. It was one of the hardest chapters to write, considering it was only 900 words. I aim to have a chapter for The Blood to be about 1,000 words, something that’s easily digestible on a blog. Still this one was like pulling teeth.

Sometimes, chapters are like that. Sometimes the words come so hard you have to drag each and every one of them out of the mud and shove them bodily into place. They hurt and leave you sore and panting but I’ve often found that later, when you look back on it, you can’t tell the difference in the writing from that hard-won victory to the one that “wrote itself.” It’s a fascinating sort of phenomenon that only writers can truly experience.

If you find yourself stuck and uninspired and unsure what to do, don’t worry. We’ve all been there. Almost every story I’ve ever written has one of these chapters/parts/whatever. Usually a longer piece like The Blood has several. So this won’t be the last chapter I write with a chisel.

I wrote this one in blood, but let’s hope it cleans away without too much smearing.

The Space Cantina – Forming Science for Science Fiction

Posted by Mike on

SpaceCantina_Header

Let me preface this with the following horror: I did poorly in my Physics classes.

Yep. I love SciFi but physics, biology and chemistry all gave me the middle finger and went off to sleep with the cooler guys. I tried to woo them, I truly did. I studied all the right lines, treated them like treasures and supported them when things got hairy but in the end, they rejected me. It’s not fair.

Well, mostly it’s not fair. Not having a head for science as a teenager did not keep me from writing science fiction, or what I thought was science fiction. Mostly what I wrote in those days was fantasy with rocket ships. There’s nothing wrong with fantasy with rocket ships, but it was lacking the real science in Science Fiction. Continue reading →

The Space Cantina – Novel writing, progress and sushi (okay, there’s no sushi, sorry)

Posted by Mike on

SpaceCantina_Header

I realize it’s been over a week since my last post, sorry about that. I wish I had a really, really good excuse but I don’t. Really what’s been going on is simply work, work, and more work. 50-60 hours a week kind of work. This is the second time it’s really kept me from posting a story though and thus, my goal keeps getting punched in the face.

The Blood has hit a wall. Not because I don’t really know where to go with it, I do, it’s just that I’m finding myself dividing too much time between other projects and not working on the novel. I get very few hours to sit down and put words on the page, and if I dedicate it to The Blood, I don’t dedicate it to the novel. So which do I concentrate on? Part of me feels awful for putting the novel first, because I think I do in fact have several folks who read this blog. It’s to you folks I’m talking to now. Continue reading →

The Space Cantina – My neurotic issues this week

Posted by Mike on

SpaceCantina_HeaderIt’s been a while since I simply posted my thoughts on my blog, so I think I’ll take the time to do so now.

Lately I’ve been having trouble concentrating, collecting all my thoughts into one cohesive story and putting it down on the page. For this reason “The Blood” will miss a week due to the fact that I simply don’t have Part 12 done. This upsets me because I made a vow to post EVERY week, regardless. Well, I am going to have to break that vow. So for those of you who read my blog, I’m really sorry.

Work has been very busy lately and I’ve been putting in over 50+ hours each week about, including some hours on the weekend (when I’m not traveling). I’d like to say that’s the only reason I haven’t had a lot of chance to write, but it isn’t. The simple fact is I’m having a problem. For over a year now I’ve been trying to create this novel and there are weeks when it just goes and goes… and then it hits a snag that unravels the whole thing. I break it down and break it down and in the end the whole thing is scrapped and redone.

This week has been worse. I’ve been unable to sit and settle myself into any kind of writing mindset. I’ve been nervous and agitated, and I haven’t been able to focus on anything. I try but nothing gets done. I was sick today, though it was mostly just exhaustion. My stomach has been giving me bouts of nausea and my head just won’t give up the headache. No, it’s not some kind of weird illness… I’ve checked. Whatever it is, it’s related to my nerves and my inability to settle down. It’s like I’m having a nervous breakdown for no good reason.

This sounds like a lot of whining, and for that I apologize. I don’t know what’s happening to me or why. I don’t know why this novel just won’t get written. It’s finally split into TWO different stories even! Two different universes too. It’s getting ridiculous.

I wanted to write a story that made me feel the excitement of Battlestar Galactica again. It would be about starfighter pilots at their training academy as the whole universe begins to descend into war. I wanted to write what it was like to sit at school and feel helpless as everything around you turned to fire. I most especially wanted to create characters that you would identify with and cheer and cry with as they overcame their adversities and pushed through the worst of Plebe Year.

So why won’t it just come out?

I’m starting to wonder if I’ve read too much science fiction lately. If that sounds ridiculous it’s because it is. Basically I’ve been thinking too much about what is “realistic” and it’s destroying my fun in this genre. I’m getting too worried about what people will say about my physics and my lack of realistic science. I’m giving myself a bad case of paranoia and I need to stop.

I write fantasy in space. I also write about steampunk for no good reason. I write about fun things that excite me. There, I said it.

Now let’s see if I can just let it go and accept it.

The Blood – Part 11

Posted by Mike on

TheBlood_header

“It’s all right,” Resh said. “They just want to ask you a few questions.”

It took all the calm she had left to step into the room and stand before them. Each of them looked as old as the Governess, if not older. They all regarded her like she had, with suspicion and distrust.

“Young lady,” said the one in the center, a woman with gray hair and a rasping voice. “Tell us who you are.” Continue reading →

The Blood – Part 10

Posted by Mike on

TheBlood_header

In time the trees thinned and gave way to high grass and shrubbery. By then Aderyn was wheezing and her eyes and exposed skin felt red and raw and itchy. She needed to rest often and she drained the bottle of water Resh gave her.

“Your injection is wearing off,” he said, worry coloring his voice. “We need to get you to the tunnels soon or you’ll relapse.” Continue reading →

The Blood – Part 9

Posted by Mike on

TheBlood_header

She slept but did not dream, waking often. Each time she did, she saw the boy with his back to her, crouched or laying and watching the curtained entrance. Eventually a red light crept in and chased away the darkness. In that pale light, they left the shelter, setting out at a careful walk. As they began, she saw him clearly for the first time.

He was probably her own age, perhaps slightly older but not by much. His hair was a dark red, turned almost fiery by the red light of Querra. Almost as thin as she was, he bore an olive complexion and eyes the color of the frozen lakes of Meda. Those eyes looked at her on occasion and he seemed to be on the verge of asking a question but remained silent. It was Aderyn who spoke first. Continue reading →