New contract!

Wow. It's been quite a while since I posted here, hasn't it? I've been over on Facebook, in case you didn't know.

That aside, I have exciting news!

I recently signed a contract with Torquere Press for a short story titled All 'Ships May Sail to be included in their upcoming anthology Theory of Love. It's due for release in mid-May, so it's going to be a quick turn-around!

Here's a little bit about the story.


Lori is new in town and looking to make friends, and maybe more. She attends a local sci-fi/fantasy convention in the hopes of meeting new people who share her interest in cosplay. Kara is a cosplayer who enjoys moderating costuming panels and hooking up for a con-weekend fling with a sexy fellow geek. They connect in their fandoms and in bed, but do the two share enough chemistry to take their relationship into real life?

You read that right: Lori and Kara. Yes, my friends, this is one for the girls! I hope you'll check it out. I'll keep you posted as I work toward the release date.

Steampunk + Kismet

Random things keep entering my sphere of reality lately that are peripherally steampunky. I think the universe is telling me it likes what I'm writing at the moment. ;-) Here are a couple of links that connect to the early 1900s as examples.

85-year-old steam engine ready to roll again in Lewis County
16 Edwardian Colour Photos That Will Make You Feel Like A Time Traveller

There are links to more photos off that second one that I could spend hours happily perusing. But, alas, my m/m steampunk novel isn't going to write itself. Although every now and then I hit a scene that seems to do just that. If only it were always so easy. ::sigh::

Writers Write About Writing (Blog Hop)

Greetings! If you’re here reading this, you probably found your way from the blog of the lovely and talented Raina James. Or if you arrived here along another path, well, that means you still have the fun of reading her post on the topic of the Writing Process ahead of you. This is a cool blog hop that I’m delighted to take part in. I’m also finding other authors’ posts on the subject fascinating. Seeing what’s similar and different between their processes and mine, and also seeing what they’re all working on right now so that I can make up my To-Read List.

That said, here is my hop along the blogosphere.

1) What are you working on?
I have three things in various stages right now. I’ll start with the one closest to finished. That one is an f/f erotic fantasy romance that is in the final stages of polishing before submission to publishers. This is a novel set in the same world as my other fantasy works, but this time I’ve moved to a tropical archipelago with a matriarchal society where family and business are deeply entwined. I love world-building, and this one world has given me many opportunities to invent different cultures. I love it!

Second is a YA novel that I would classify as light urban fantasy. It’s in the present day, in our world, and in first person. Three things I never write. LOL! This one is close to ready and I will probably self-publish it since it’s not anything like what I’ve released through my publishers, and they wouldn’t want it anyway.

Third is a North American steampunk m/m novel that is currently under construction. There’s a bit of mystery, a bit of romance, and a bit of I-haven’t-a-clue-what’s-coming-next. Ah, the joys of being a pantser!

2) How does your work differ from others in the genre?
This is a tricky question. I know that my choices of sub-genres put my work in a niche within a niche within a niche (Is that enough niches? *counts* Yes, I think that’s right.), but I don’t think that’s what we’re talking about here. I like to think my stories are a little less predictable than most. Yes, they still have to fall into the designated “acceptable endings” (HEA or HFN), but within that framework, I want to believe that there are moments in my stories where readers say, “Oh! I didn’t expect that!” or even, “Really? That was an odd choice.” Because, honestly, I’m okay with readers thinking my brain is a little odd.

3) Why do you write what you write?
World-building! For me, the most important part of my long list of sub-genres is the Sci-Fi/Fantasy label. You can take the girl out of Middle Earth but... You know the rest. SF/Fan gives me the perfect medium to create new worlds and new cultures. I’ve read science-fiction and fantasy my whole life. From Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, which my mom first read to us before I could read chapter books on my own; to Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy, which I seriously ought to re-read because, let’s face it, I did not really understand it when I read it in middle school; to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, which I re-read yearly through high school (at least) after first reading them in the fourth grade. Each of these is a unique example of world-building at its best. I might layer all sorts of other genres into my stories, but for me they are all secondary to this one.

4) How does your writing process work?
In fits and starts. ;-) At its simplest, I work character => world => story. Characters make themselves known in my head before anything else comes along. When they’re ready, they start talking to me, giving me an idea of where they belong, in what universe or country or culture. That gives me context so that I can construct the right world around them. Once I have that established, they start telling me their stories--if I’m lucky. Sometimes I have to drag it out of them. Sometimes they lie to me and I have to go back and dig out the truth. Sometimes I have to get them drunk so they will reveal all their secrets.

Also, I am a dedicated pantser. I’m the kid who used to write her school report first and then write the outline. I actively dislike plotting out a story. If I know how it ends, I find no joy in the journey. This is why the urban fantasy crime novel I started will likely never be completed: I know how it has to end, and where’s the fun in that? Although I’m a little sad about it because I really like the characters.

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed this peek into my writing process. Hopefully I'll find someone to tag so you can continue the blog hopping. In the meantime, there are already many out there. Just follow the link back to Raina, and she'll take you on a branch of your journey. :)

That moment when...

That moment when your characters first meet and sparks fly.
That moment when they begin to reveal secrets that you, even as the author, didn't know they had.
That moment when you discover a third voice is necessary to tell the story.
That moment when your "short story" passes 31K with no signs of slowing down.

I love that moment. :-D

Building a Steampunk World

It feels like ages since I've done any proper world building. I did so much of it for several years running, and then poof! Nadda. Just last month, that began to change. I love to read steampunk stories. I attended Steamcon V last October. These days, it is my favourite costuming genre to peruse online and find excuses to build. For a couple of years now, I've wanted to write my own steampunk story in my own steampunk world. My first attempts were with potential co-authors, but for varying reasons we simply couldn't get on the same page. (No pun intended.) Then I tried for months to work on an idea of my own, but the damned thing wants to come out as a movie script and that is just not something I can deal with right now. Plus, it has too many ambiguities even for me, and I am a classic example of a pantser. Now, at last, I'm in a groove. A writing groove, a world-building groove, a steampunky groove.

I've built the framework of the world and the general mores of two societies. I've done research that was more than just a string of increasingly unrelated distractions. I've presented a number of hurdles to my characters, and they are working hard to leap each of them in their arduous journey towards their HEA.

Now, if you'll excuse me, the two fine gentlemen talking at me inside my head would really appreciate having their story written down. I oughtn't keep them waiting.

New Worlds, Old Worlds, and Things In Between

As a primarily fantasy author, it should go without saying that I love world-building. In case it needs to be stated, well, I just did. Right now, I'm working out a story that's not quite fantasy/sci-fi, but neither is it historical. Can you guess? It's steampunk. (Natch.) I'm finding the creation of an historical-yet-fantastical world particularly challenging. How much do you stick to reality vs. how much do you fabricate? How plausible does your "science" have to be? How detailed do you have to get? Is it better if you just stick to general, broad descriptions of the tech? How historically accurate do you need to be, or should you veer away from historical events completely? I've read a fair amount of steampunk at this point by a variety of authors, and each finds his or her own balance, some with more success than others. I'm convinced that a solid knowledge of events of the time is the cornerstone of good steampunk. After all, when you know the rules, you can then choose how and when to break them. Of course, that means I wish I remembered more of my local and national history classes. Time to hit the books!

Good night, NaNoWriMo.

I wouldn't say it's been a blast this time around, but it hasn't sucked like last year, so I'll take that as another win for 2011.

My novel isn't done yet, but it is over 50K...for the moment. Somehow I think it's going to end up under that once it's finished and then edited. But that's okay. I'll probably like it better that way.

Anyway, see you next year! (Because I am a glutton for punishment--and meaningless, arbitrary, self-imposed deadlines, apparently.)

Victories

NaNoWriMo is a series of victories. Committing to do it is the first one. Sticking with it for 30 days is another. Reaching 50K is yet another. Actually finishing a manuscript is another still. In six years of NaNoing (and six years of winning, ;-D ), I have only finished a full manuscript first draft on one occasion within the 30 days, and that was the first year I participated (2006). That book's been published: The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing. My second NaNovel (drafted in 2007) has at last found a home and a publisher and will be coming out around the New Year: Rose & Thorn. Those are two more victories.

Last year, the greatest victory for me was making 50K. It was like pulling teeth! It was a misery! Not that I don't love the book and its characters. Don't get me wrong on that. It was just that I think I had a combination of burn-out (It was the third book in that particular universe, three NaNoWriMos in a row.), and some sort of fifth-year slump. A friend experienced the latter this year, so there may be something to that theory.

This year, the challenge was that, while I love the idea behind this year's story, I don't feel like I'm telling it very well. It's tough to stay motivated when you feel like your book is clunky and awkward. I had to remind myself that the goal was to get it out there, not make it The Next Great Novel (TM) right off the bat. So that's what I've done. I've gotten it out there. It's not done yet, and it won't be done by midnight on Wednesday. But it is getting there. And I think, once I am finished, and I've literally cut and pasted it into a better order of events, and then edited the hell out of it, that it's going to be a pretty damn fine book. Whether the final products is still over 50K words... Well, that remains to be seen.

Has anyone else been NaNoing this year (or in past years) and want to share your experiences? I'd love to hear it in the comments!

When Pantsers Plot

This is a topic that's been heavy on me of late. I am a pantser. Always have been. But this year for NaNoWriMo, I had a plot before I had anything else. I didn't know any characters' names or much about the world itself when I started. I only knew that it was sort of like the present, only not; and that there had to be a psychic working with the police. To me, this is utterly backwards. My usual m.o. is characters=>world=>plot. This whole plot=>world + characters thing is downright freaky and wrong. As a result, my writing this NaNo has been sporadic. I'm still reaching my daily goal averaged over the month, but it's coming as 3K or 5K one day, and <1K other days. Why? Simple. It's because I know how the book ends and as a result, I'm bored. Nothing is as fun when you know how it ends! I've never been one to skip to the end of a book to see how it comes out, so writing as if I had done just that is incredibly challenging.

I'm finding that the days when I'm getting the most verbiage written, the days that are at times almost easy, are the days when I'm writing character-based scenes that I didn't plan ahead in any way. I'm making new discoveries and digging into these characters whose names I didn't even know until less than a month ago. At the same time, they are giving me insight into the world they live in, which is incredibly helpful because, dude, what is this world, you know? I still don't even have a name for the city! It's downright nuts. They're letting me in on the technology, the legal structure, the society—because like I said, it's here and now, only it's not quite. It's a little bit left of here and a little more ahead of now.  Think Max Headroom, only less prophetic. (Seriously, that show got way too many things right, and they're not the good things.) What did they say on that show's credits? A week from next Sunday? Something like that.

So I keep plugging away. I have every expectation that I'll reach 50K before the end of the month. I suspect, though, that this manuscript will need more rewriting and editing than any of my previous NaNovels because I can already see where I'm missing including details that would make the world richer and more complete. But that's not what this month is about. This month is about getting words and story out onto the page. Finesse is not part of the equation. That's what December is for. Or January. Or February... Oh, hell. I'll see you in the spring. Maybe.

Collaboration

I really enjoy collaborative writing, although I don't get to do it very often these days. Whether that collaboration means crafting a story from beginning to end with a co-author or trading it back and forth round-robin style without a communal clue as to where it's going, I like it. I started doing it back in grade school, in fact. Of course, then it took the form of "I wrote myself into a corner. Here. Write me out of it" along with the handing over of pencil-scribble-covered pages. Usually, it worked. Fresh eyes and a fresh imagination can always see something new. And I would naturally return the favour upon request. That's what partners are for. Writing is so often a solo gig, and sometimes it can get lonely. Sure, all those voices in your head can keep you hopping, but sometimes they clam up, and sometimes you need a break from those fictional people. Having a co-author to turn to, whether it's a means of getting you unstuck when you can't figure out how to get out of the mess you've gotten your characters into, or it's someone to bounce ideas around with until you collectively decide what happens next, can be an invaluable thing. I'm hoping I have the chance to do a bit of co-writing soon. It's going to take an alignment of the stars to make it happen, I fear, but I've got this really big magnet I've been dying to try out, so I'll see if I can't do something about that and the laws of physics be damned.

Getting to "The End"

One of the hardest parts of writing, for me, is finishing a book. It's not so bad with short stories, but novels and novellas? That's another story (so to speak). Starting a story, staring at a blank screen and wondering what to write, is not my problem. Getting through the middle to the climax of a book can be challenging, but is rarely insurmountable. Finishing a manuscript, writing that wrap-up that comes after you've had so much fun writing the climax, which is (let's be honest) the fun part, is the tough bit for me. Sure there are things that need to be tied up, sorted out, and whatnot, but *sigh* I was having so much fun before. The only thing that keeps me pressing forward in that moment where I just want to revert to my lazy nature and say in the words of Maxine the Scottish Tart "Och, I can't be bothered" is knowing that once it's done, I can walk away for a while and do my superiority dance. It looks something like this [dancing] I finished! I finished! I finished! [/dancing] That's what I was doing late last week when I completed the first draft of last year's NaNoWriMo novel. (Don't judge me. It's not November yet. ;-P ) I know I still need to do serious work on the last chapter before I even go back to the beginning to edit it into draft #2, but IT'S DONE, and this makes me happy.

How about you? Whether you write professionally, or you write fanfic on LiveJournal, or you write for yourself and don't share it with anyone else, what's the toughest part of the writing process for you?


Hey! I almost forgot! Thank you to those who've "Liked" my Facebook Page, Maia Strong, Author. If you haven't yet, please pop over, take a look, and if you like it, "Like" it!

That was interesting...

I finished the manuscript I mentioned recently. It's not quite a novel (~900 words short, d'oh!). It's gone to beta (on which I've asked for a ridiculously quick turn-around). And it's a prime example of what you can accomplish when you get out of your own way. (It also helps to have an arbitrary, semi-self-imposed deadline, but that's another post.) See, I started this particular story in the spring of 2008. I know, I know. No need to tell me how lame I am; I am fully aware. But you see, I was trying to make the story something it wasn't, and so every time I revisited it, I kept getting stuck at roughly the same place.

Cue the arbitrary, semi-self-imposed deadline...

I looked at what I had--and promptly cut 3200 words off the end of it because THEY JUST DIDN'T MATTER. And roughly three weeks later I have a completed almost-novel. (I tried to tip it over the 50K mark, I really did. But the story was having none of it.) I also have a nifty (IMO) new culture and some seriously steamy (IMO) f/f goodness. Now to see what my beleaguered betas have to say. Which reminds me, another friend offered to beta this one. I should see if she was serious. The more the merrier, right?

Oh no she isn't!

Oh no! She is! She's writing about women! *gasp* What can I say? When characters finally start talking to me, I have to listen, and this time the characters are women. Don't worry, though. There are a couple of fellows in my head who have started to chat a bit, too. They're just a lot less forthcoming than the ladies, so I'm afraid they have to wait a little while. Frankly, I'm glad the two pairs aren't fighting for my attention. The gents are being just that, gentlemen, and waiting patiently on the back burner in my brain. It makes for a much saner me. Or should I say much less insane me? That's probably more accurate.

So here's a question for you. Presumably you're here because you love to read m/m stories. But do you dabble in other romantic pairings (or groupings), or are you strictly "Boys Only"?

A Matter of Tense

I've been experiencing an odd phenomenon. Characters are talking to me in first person and (get this) present tense. Think about that. First person. Okay, not so very strange. But present tense? Who does that? I have noticed it's a trend in YA literature, and indeed the 13-year-old girl in my brain told me her story that way. (Note to self, start shopping that manuscript.) But those are stories told from the POV of teens, and there's a large enough part of me that still remembers middle and high schools (gods help me) that this makes sense to me. Show me a teen who isn't living in the moment, and I'll show you a teen who has deeper issues than getting their homework done or whether or not to go to the dance. But adults? That's a different animal all together. Of course that's how we experience life, but fictional characters don't have to. They can have the luxury of having their end, or their destination, or what have you be a known quantity from the beginning. In fact, a lot of times that's preferable from the writer's point of view. This whole present tense thing has got me utterly puzzled.

On the other hand, at least one of the voices in my head is finally talking and making sense, so I guess I should be glad for small favours, right? Let's hope he gets chatty today at the coffee shop because I have two hours to fill there and it'll be awfully lonely if he clams up on me.

NaNoWriMo Winner!

I've managed to do it again. For the fifth year in a row, I've won NaNoWriMo! Of course, as was the case in all the previous years, the book isn't actually done yet. If the previous two in this series are any indication, I have about another 30 - 35K before the end. But, hey, that's fine by me! I'll be taking today off and picking up again on Friday. We'll see how close I can get to finished by the 30th.

I hope everyone one in the U.S. is enjoying their Thanksgiving! And for those in other locales, you can be thankful that it's almost the weekend, right? ;-D

iPod as Prophet?

x-posted from Slash & Burn

I had my iPod on shuffle the other day. You know shuffle. That setting that supposedly randomizes all the music on your iPod and plays whateverthehell randomness that the algorithms choose? Yeah, that. Well, this past weekend, my iPod "randomly" shuffled between Blue Öyster Cult's "Club Ninja" in order and a witchy-themed playlist I have, with the occasional smattering of tunes by my favorite Scottish rock band, Runrig. The conclusion reached by me and the friend riding in the car with me at the time? Either it was telling me to go back to my old m/m Star Trek fanfiction, or I need to write some short stories in the universe where my GLBT paranormal novels are set. On one hand, I love that fanfiction, but I have a very hard time convincing myself to write anything these days that couldn't potentially be published. On the other hand, considering that the aforementioned paranormal novels aren't yet contracted, let alone published, and that I only submitted the first one to a publisher a couple of weeks ago, this short story collection idea seems a little...what's the word? Ambitious? Optimistic? Nuts? Maybe all of the above and then some. And yet this is precisely what I did. I wrote the first short story (and I do mean short – only 4200 words, give or take) that was uppermost in my mind. I have solid ideas for two more, and thoughts of two more after that. All of which makes me wonder: Just how random is the iPod shuffle function? Was it just a wacky algorithm or was it tuned into something greater? The world may never know... [cue Twilight Zone theme...] ;-)

Writers' Day Out

I spent yesterday riding the rails to Portland and back with some writer friends. We secured ourselves a table both southbound and northbound, and so were able to spend the better part of 6+ hours just writing, writing, writing while the train whisked us to our destinations.

Once in Portland, first thing to do was have brunch/lunch, so we made our way to Mother's Bistro where the wait was long but the food was oh so good! When a place is jam packed with locals, you know it must be good.

No trip to the City of Roses would be complete without stopping at VooDoo Doughnut for a bacon maple bar. Fortunately, we happened to hit there between rushes, so our wait was not too long and the bacon maple bars were still ample. (They often run out as it is a particularly popular item, and rightly so!)

Then it was time for our pilgrimage to Mecca, i.e. Powell's Books. Set four avid readers/writers loose in Powell's and just get out of the way. It's the only safe choice. ;) After checking our computer bags and our donuts, we set to work scouring the city-block-sized building for all the best bookish treasures one could hope for.

Then we stopped for a pint in a quiet, lovely pub--I believe it was called The Fox and Hounds--near the train station, and back we went northbound, computers out, fingers flying over the keyboards as the train took us home once more.

Even more than being a wonderful chance to buckle down and write like a fiend with very few distractions, it was wonderful to have a day out with great friends in a fun city. It's hard to beat that sort of weekend adventure. :)

Proofing Process and Friday Fun!

Hey there! Long time no blog, eh? Well, at last I have an update on my current manuscript, Client Privileges. Having completed round one of edits with my awesome editor, Kate, at Torquere Press (Not to be confused with my friend and critique partner, Kate Davies. :) ), the manuscript has gone through one round of proofreading and is soon to be headed into the second round of proofreading. That means everything is, I believe, on schedule for a September release. Woo-hoo!

Oh, and just because it's amusing, here's my robot name, decoded:

MAIA, Your robot name is : M.A.I.A.: Mechanical Artificial Infiltration Android Source : http://cyborg.namedecoder.com

Happy Friday and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Does that make me lazy?

I don't believe in writer's block. If that sounds like high-and-mighty-bullshit, so be it. I used to have a muse, but she went on holiday to Fiji sometime in the late 80s or early 90s. I haven't heard from her since and I've not opened the position to new-hires. I'm a practical person in a lot of ways and writing is one of them. Right now, I am expressing that practicality by owning my uninspired uncreativity. I don't have writer's block. I'm not missing a muse. I am simply feeling completely unmotivated. I'm waiting on a lot of things that are currently out of my computer and control. That's no excuse for my incredible lack o' motivation. I'm just not feeling the love. Fortunately I'm leaving town on Tuesday for nearly a week. I find that a major geographical shift will often kick me back into literary motion. Here's hoping it works again this time.