Lack of Trust Isn't the Issue

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This week at the SFF Seven, we're asking: how do you know who to trust with your writing, especially early drafts and idea bouncing.

It’s not a question of trust for me, it’s a question of the way I work, which is that I never share a work in progress with anyone, ever. I’m not afraid of ideas being stolen but rather that whatever story I’m telling is MY story, with my characters and I’m not interested in how anyone else might think the story should go. Ooh, you might be saying, crochety much? No, just stubborn and confident in my story telling abilities. Not trying to sound arrogant but I don’t need or want other opinions when it comes to exercising my creativity and telling my version of a story at the ancestral campfire. (For sure no one beta read or critiqued those first story tellers LOL!)

 I brainstorm with myself if I encounter plot challenges along the way- I actually use a couple of techniques I was taught when I led teams and did process improvement, although in a much scaled down way since it’s only me in the room now, thinking through the alternatives and the ‘If this, then what?’ and the ‘Why?' questions, with the occasional Venn diagram thrown in.

 I also don’t feel any need to share my writing until the point where I regard it as being a complete and finished work. When it’s done, I’m thrilled to put the book out into the world, let it receive reviews from readers as to their experience with the story, and move on to writing my next novel.

Part of this attitude of mine may be that since I’m not a person who plots in advance, the story unspools for me as I write it and therefore it’d be pointless to show the manuscript to anyone else prior to the work being complete because even I don’t always know all the ins and outs of the plot ahead. I do always know the ending, however.

Writing is kind of a fragile thing to me and the finished story is a strong enough edifice to withstand reader reviews and the opinions of others, whereas a story in progress doesn’t yet have that strength and if I got feedback that derailed or distracted me, I’d probably never finish the thing.

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Maybe I’m missing out on a whole set of wonderful, rich experiences by not gathering with other authors and exchanging ideas on WIP’s…but I can only do me and my Muse doesn’t think writing is a group activity. She shuts down and goes into silent running mode. I'm happy for people who flourish in that collaborative group environment and find writing partners who share and enhance each other's creative sparks but I know my own limits.

(Pretty much Rule One of Writing to me is that there's no one perfect or right way that everyone MUST write...thank goodness!)

I do give the book to my developmental editor once it’s complete and has gone through several edits by me. She provides very useful feedback and I have made changes or added or deleted things in response at times…but I’ve also chosen to ignore the inputs completely at other times where I’m happy with the story as it was. Having the dev editor’s comments certainly enables me to grow as a writer and to avoid repeating some mistakes as I go forward with more books.

I don’t do beta reading or critiquing for anyone else either with very rare exceptions that had unique circumstances. I can probably count those instances on one hand. Normally I refuse requests to beta read as kindly as I can.

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I’m a solitary person up there in my cold garret, writing away and telling my stories! (Well, okay sitting here in my cozy and warm apartment if you must know…)

Happy reading to everyone!

Who to Trust With Your Work - The Junior High Dance Edition

How do you know who to trust with your writing, especially early drafts and idea bouncing.

Yikes. This is such a process of trial and error. It's like those middle school and junior high dances where everyone's awkwardly hugging the edges of the room afraid to ask anyone to dance for fear of rejection or ridicule. Figuring out who you can trust with your well being as well as your heart is part of growing up as a human being. Figuring out who to trust with your writing is part of growing as a writer. And yes. The process is about as painful.

There's so much to learn.What's acceptable behavior. What isn't. What builds you up. What tears you down. That last is really hard because what's soul-killing to one writer will be nourishing for another. I will say this, though. When you find someone you can trust to give you the unvarnished truth about your work in a kind, constructive way, that person will be worth their weight in gold. It took me three dysfunctional groups before I fell by accident into one that taught me not only how to critique, it taught me how to take critique. The authors who welcomed me into that group had hundreds (not kidding) of books pubbed between them. I had zero, and I was still several years away from selling anything. These ladies ripped my manuscript to shreds. It would have been demoralizing except for the fact that they also painstakingly explained what was wrong and how I could fix it. Fantastic learning experience. Still, I could see where it might have been crushing had it come any earlier in my development.

I'll own up to mistakes made along the way, too. There were groups I joined simply because I could. They weren't a good match. Like trying to figure out dating, there's just no way to get out of it without hurting someone else or being hurt yourself. It's part of learning who your matches are. All you can do is try. And then try again. I'm lucky. Persistence paid off in spades. I have so many great critique and beta reading options - people writing and reading in my genre who know the market I'm writing for. Not a one of them is afraid to pull a punch because I'm tougher now. As my confidence has grown and as my trust in my crit readers has likewise grown, I want the bandages ripped off my story wounds. No candy coating. I know these people have my back and want my story to be the best it can be. So I want to get on with making my story better.

It took years to get here. It took some tears. I wish there was a formula for instantly detecting trustworthiness I could offer you. But I'm afraid this is all one grand experiment. Pretty much like the rest of life.

Need a CP you can trust, but don't know where to start?

There is nothing more frightful than handing off what you’ve written to someone else for critique. 

*insert cringing, nail-biting, hiding under a blanket*

As a writer, critique is absolutely what you need. Why? Well, there’s only so much you can do for your manuscript, only so many typos you’ll be able to catch, and only so many errors/plot holes you’ll be able to see.

Trust me, I know it’s tempting as soon as you type The End to send that book baby off to agents/publishers/format it for Amazon. But don’t. You need another set, or sets, of eyes on it.

*side note* Another set of eyes, not your mother (sorry Mom, and all moms out there, but you’re biased because you love us and will always believe what we do is amazing, therefore you’re not a good sounding board).

My fellow SFF Seven have shared insight on how they decide who to trust. Personally, I believe it all comes down to following your gut. But what if you don’t know where to start to find a critique partner? Or maybe the thought of handing your words over to someone you know, and have have to see IRL, terrifies you. If that’s you, then I have some options for you:

Absolute Write Water Cooler. This is a very active community for all types of writing. You’ll find a lot of articles about publishing and their online writer community forum is loaded with discussion a variety of discussion topics and writing prompts. 

NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month takes place in November, but their community is active year round. #NaNoWriMo makes it easy to find people who are participating, and NaNo’s website allows you to search for people and ‘buddy’ up. I know many authors that’ve found writing buddies to cheer for them and critique for them this way. 

Discord is a way to interact with a large group and chat with like-minded individuals. Yes, there’s a ton of groups for gaming, minecraft, manga, etc. on Discord, but they also have BetaMe for writers who want to give and receive feedback on their work!

writing.com. This online community is a great place to post your writing for member feedback. Once your words are up all members can read and leave comments, so if that’s too broad for you…

Inked Voices may be a good option. This space is set up for writing groups, usually 5-15 members. They do have lectures and can connect you with professional editors if that’s intriguing to you. 

Since this is the SFF Seven blog, you may be interested in: SFFChronicles.com. This sci-fi fantasy community has a lot of forums, feel free to join and geek out, and they have a robust writing forum with a Critiques section. Note, you must have done 30 posts before you can post your own for critique. 

Reddit is huge, but did you know how many subreddits there are? I don’t, sorry if you were getting excited over getting an actual number. But they have some very popular writing subreddits if you’re looking for a particular niche!

r/writing

r/fantasywriters

r/writerchat

r/selfpublish

And last, not that this list is even the least for writing communities by far, but I’ve got to wrap this up before I lose your attention, are the social medias.

Twitter has become home to one of the largest #writingcommunity groups. Search by the hashtags, a few are #amwriting, #writerslife, #writersnetwork and #5amwritersclub. Twitter can turn into a negative cess pool at times, so if that gets to you…

Instagram uses the same hashtags and has a more positive vibe to it. Facebook, is Facebook, and can also be searched. 

It’s petrifying to share your work. But you can do it! Prepare yourself for feedback, buy some wine or bourbon, and settle in. The more you do/participate, the quicker you’re gut will learn to spot the hatters and those who aren’t a good critique-partner fit. Plus, your writing will get stronger and you’ll likely end up making some great friends! 

Have you tried any of these communities? Do you have a writing community that I didn't mention? 

When to ask for crit, and when not to

I have a great critique-partner team: four writers who read my stuff at various points in development and have applicable skills. These people have helped me a whole lot with the three books I've put out into the world, and I can never thank them enough.

But I haven't sent the stuff I'm working on right now to any of them. And I'm not sure I'm able to say why.

It's not like I've never gotten crit before.

It's not like seeing "Eeeeew!" in the margin deflated my writerly balloon.

It's not like I just want to write my own thing, how I want to write it, and goldarnit people are going to adore my genius, just you wait.

It's not like my CPs aren't craft geniuses. (See above.)

It's more like... see, I don't know. Maybe I was more confident back when I was sending folks pages? I'm not entirely sure what I fear would happen if I shared my current story with them. They wouldn't be mean, and I know their insights could help me create a better story, but ... dunno. I'm still nervous.

So that's my advice, I guess: share when it doesn't scare you. Share when you can handle the eeew in the margin. Share with people you trust because they are seriously skilled writers and/or marketers, and you know they have your best interests at heart.

And this especially: definitely share that manuscript with someone skilled in craft BEFORE you publish. Never, under any circumstances, write a book and then self-publish it before you have someone -- many someones, ideally -- read it. The last thing you want is some reviewer to be your harshest critic when it's too late to fix the book in any appreciable way.

In the mean time, if you're cringing in the corner and hugging your book to your chest, please know I get you. You aren't alone.

Feedback: When is it DNGAF vs Useful

How do I know who to trust with my work, at which stages, and how much weight do I give their input?

~rubs neck~

This is sort of a work-backward topic for me. First question is: do I have a legal obligation to someone? E.g, a publishing contract. If yes, then they get to have input in concept, completed draft, and final edits. There's a legal document that says who gets to have a say, in what, and what the consequence are for ignoring them. Easy answers there.

If I don't have a contract, but I have an agent, I am likely to seek their input on "what's next." Eg. I'm tossing around three concepts, which is the one they feel most able to sell?  To me, an agent is there to help me plan my career short and long term as well as sell my manuscript(s) to publishers. Some people have agents who also provide editorial feedback in addition to career planning and mss sales. If edits are part of the established relationship, then value your agent's opinion or get a different agent.

If I have neither a contract nor an agent and all decisions are mine, then I default to my gut. I'm not a sharer of concepts or incomplete works. I'm the Critique Partner who will hand over a completed draft before I solicit feedback. In reverse, I'm the Critique Partner who is most effective when I have your completed draft. My editorial strengths are in the development of plot and character. If I don't know where your character is headed, I can't really tell you if an explosive action response is the best next step. I have had potential CPs who worked best exchanging chapters so they were receiving near-constant feedback. I wasn't the right fit for them. I didn't like them any less as people, we simply weren't compatible as CPs.

Beyond the CP stage, I trust the professional editors I've paid. I've had one crappy dev editor, and the rest have been amazing. I've learned that I need to tell my editors if I have specific questions or perceived story issues, so they know--that in addition to whatever they find--they need to also acknowledge whether my issues are legit or "just me."

That's my process. While I don't like brainstorming my concepts with other people, I love brainstorming other people's ideas. Yes, it's a double standard.

Dear Readers, if you're questing for sources of feedback, the first question you must ask yourself is "what do I want from the people with whom I'm sharing my ideas/work?" Be honest; otherwise, you're in for a boatload of butthurt on both sides. Some authors need adulation, encouragement, and positive feedback only. They're not emotionally prepared for someone to respond with constructive criticism. Similarly, the "constructive" part of criticism is a skill that requires practice. Tact and tone are hard to convey in "track changes." If you're open to critique, great, but everyone has different thresholds and tolerances for how much and how phrased. Communication is key to fine-tuning any relationship. It's okay to say, "Hey, this [specific example] is a little harsh for me. Next time, it'd be easier for me to hear the feedback couched like [specific example]."

So, the short bitchy answer to this week's question is: I trust people who've proven their value. Everything else is DNGAF.

Who Do You Trust with Your Work?

This week at the SFF Seven, we're asking: how do you know who to trust with your writing, especially early drafts and idea bouncing.

This is similar to a question I get all the time, which is how to pick critique partners and how many I use, including beta readers, etc.

The short answer is that this has changed quite a bit over the course of my career. I've been a member of two different critique groups that met IRL, and I've been part of various clusters of critique partners and beta readers online.

Another short answer is that who I discuss my ideas with or share work with at various stages changes all the time, and varies depending on the type of story and what I need help with. I'm blessed with a number of writer friends at this point who can read for me, and give me what I need, usually blazingly fast, too.

I can also say that I've grown extraordinarily picky about who I bounce ideas with and who I ask to look at early drafts. This is because - and I've used this analogy before - stories in their earliest stages are like infants. Their skulls are still soft and they are fragile beings that must be carefully tended. Just as you'd never hand your newborn child to just any person on the street, you don't want just anyone giving your fragile new idea a good, hard shake.

There is a time and necessary function to the good, hard shake - but that's akin to the college years, when you figure they've got to get drunk and pass out on the couch at the fraternity house at least once and learn some lessons from it.

But not the baby story. The baby story needs love and nurturing. It needs someone who can see the potential and not that dreadfully bulging forehead. I even left one IRL critique group because I felt they were having a negative impact on my work, instead of a positive one.

That's not the topic question, though, right? The question is how do you know who to trust?

There are no easy or short answers to that one, though I'm very much looking forward to hearing what advice my fellow SFFers have to offer. It took me a long time to decide to leave the crit group that wasn't working for me. It can be difficult to separate the very real reaction most humans have to criticism from the intuition that something is having a very real negative impact.

None of us like to have our work criticized, even if we are privately pissed that they passed out on the fraternity house couch. Learning to receive criticism and use it effectively is a huge part of learning to be a professional author.

But not all criticism is useful, and it's not always kindly meant.

So, that's how I decide: I consider the source and their intentions. If feedback from someone feels negative or unkindly meant, I pay attention to where they are with their own work. Are they feeling good about the work they're doing? How do they critique other people's work? Are they otherwise supportive of me and seem genuinely pleased for my successes?

That last question is key, and helped me to decide to leave that group. When I mentioned a success, these same people were sour and unsupportive. I knew then that their criticism of my writing felt negative because it was.

When you figure that out, walk away. Don't trust them with anything fragile again.

A Very Few Thoughts on Podcasts and Blogs

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Our topic this week is favorite podcasts and blogs we’d recommend.

I’m not a huge podcast person. I don’t get my information that way – I get restless and start feeling guilty that I should be doing something and before I know it, I’m off somewhere else while the podcaster talks to empty space where I was. Shrug. Even in school I had to take copious, detailed notes to make myself pay attention and not go off daydreaming. If there’s information I desperately need to retain, I do better consuming it in a written format.

I do listen to Jeffe’s First Cup of Coffee podcast on occasion. She and I are friends and I can sit still and listen to her and sip my tea while she drinks her coffee. She keeps my attention!

I used to like the one author Lindsay Buroker co-hosted, focused more on the business aspects of writing, but which is apparently no longer occurring. Shows you how up to date I am (not)!

When it comes to blogs, I think the world of blogging has slowed down and lost many contributors. I wouldn’t say I follow any blog regularly – except for SFF7 of course! – but I do like the Whiskey With My Book Blog.  Riley Moreland reviews a wide variety of books in my favorite genres (and others) and I’ve enjoyed many of her ’finds’.

I visit John Scalzi’s blog on occasion, Chuck Wendig’s, Gail Carriger’s, Pauline B. Jones’s…usually it’ll be an author I follow on social media who may have posted (or has a guest poster) on a topic that interests or intrigues me. I go and do a one-time read.  The Passive Voice is another place I visit occasionally, to read up on issues in publishing, but again, in response to seeing a post mentioned on social media.

I’m going to add a plug for one specific weekly post on my own blog – the curated roundup of New Releases I do for scifi romance, fantasy and fantasy romance, and paranormal. I also add in some time travel, cozy paranormal mysteries and other related genres. I usually have between 50-90+ books spanning these genres and it is – to my knowledge – the only place to find a weekly list of new releases in those genres only. I make a big effort to include indie authors and am committed to diversity and inclusion in my listings.

Here was the most recent post: https://veronicascott.wordpress.com/2020/02/26/new-releases-in-scifi-fantasy-and-paranormal-romance-for-wednesday-feb-26/

Each week I pick eight scifi romance covers to feature and eight fantasy/PNR/Other covers to feature in my social media.

Happy listening or reading or however you consume words!

Blogs, Podcasts, and Writers, Oh My.

Blogs used to be a thing for me. I followed several of the heralds of the indie writing revolution and tried hard (from within my limitations) to comprehend what was being presented. These days, I don't follow blogs so much as drop in to visit once in awhile, mainly because the internet is a rabbit hole into which I all too willingly fall and then no books get written. I have to manage the addiction. Therefore, few I visit from time to time:

• Terrible Minds by Chuck Wendig 
• Whatever by John Scalzi 

I drop into their posts because the language is awesome and the subject of writing is generally talked about in connection to the broader context of the world we live in. They also share my politics. So yeah. Bubble. I'm surprisingly comfortable with that. Also, they make me laugh.

When it comes to podcasts, though, I'm usually not looking for craft info or discussions. I'm looking for inspiration and ideas. I want the weird, the eccentric, and the unexplained. I want to know what novels other readers are losing their minds over so I can go read the books and deconstruct those myself. It isn't that I won't try some other podcasts. Among those mentioned this week are a few really intriguing sounding ones. The podcasts I turn to with the intent of stirring my gray matter are:

• Stuff They Don't Want You to Know (Yes. Still.) I give you the Apple link to the podcast here, but you can also follow this podcast on Youtube if you prefer.
• Fated Mates - This podcast was originated for the PNR audience, but has branched out to cover all kinds of romance. It's longer episodes, so I rarely get to listen all in one go, but I find so many fun reads through this podcast.
• University of Arizona Science Lecture Series - This is hard science and you can search all over the podcast verse and find any science that lights you up and listen in on the lectures for free. When I listen to these things, I don't expect to always understand what's going on. I straight up do not have the math chops for quantum mechanics or other advanced physics. But what I do have is the ear to listen for a lecturer to say, "What we *don't* know . . ." and then the imagination to take that into a story somewhere. It's a lot of listening, and maybe learning something, for the maybe of a gem I can use somewhere. Whatever. It makes me feel like maybe I'm keeping brain cells alive. Humor me.

 

Alexia's top blogs and podcasts!

With so many social media options out there it can feel like you're searching for a needling in a haystack to find an entertaining, informational account, blog, or podcast. But have no fear, dear reader! This week we've got you covered!

I regularly stop by these blogs. And as a result, my TBR pile continues to grow at an alarming rate. Click on their buttons to visit with caution:

    The Fantasy Inn

During my lunch break I like to tune into these podcasts:

     First Cup of Coffee  My Imaginary Friends The Manuscript  Writing Excuses

     by Jeffe Kennedy       by L. Penelope          Academy

                                             

The Manuscript Academy and Pub Crawl were two podcasts that I listened to early on. They were very helpful when I began querying for an agent, so if you're at this stage I recommend them! Pub Crawl hasn't done a new podcast for a year, but their website is fabulous and their authors and publishing professionals put up some great blog posts.      

And then there's all the book bloggers and publishers in Instagram. So many pretty covers and so little time to crack them all open. 

Who did I mis? Any blogs or podcasts you've found helpful or ones that are simply fun?                                                                           

Podcast recs for spec fic writers

I still read some blogs, especially review blogs (my favorites are Love in Panels and Whiskey With My Book), but life moves fast these days and, let's face it, most of that movement is either in cars or on workout equipment. In those two situations, podcasts are my way to go. I especially dig these:

• Myths and Legends: These guys take folk tales, retell them in a relatable way, give them context, and almost always put a surprising spin on things. This podcast is a treasure trove for story tropes and themes.
  
• Strong Female Characters: More of a fandom resource than a writing one, this podcast helps me connect with my people on a shared-coolness level, plus it's fun. It's run by SyFy Wire and "celebrate[s] the countless badass women in geek culture through funny, witty, and unfiltered deep dives into the nerdverse."
  
  
• Writing Excuses: Some folks have already mentioned this podcast, but it can be mentioned again. It is the definitive writing craft show, best one out there, and if you haven't listened to it and think of yourself as a writer of any sort, get thee to some earbuds.
  
• World Building for Masochists: This is a newer podcast, but it is specifically aimed at writers who like to deep-dive into their world building. One of its hosts is former SFF Seven blogger and writer of all things Maradaine, Marshall Ryan Maresca, and if you've read his blog posts in the past, you know he is  a very meticulous world builder.
  
  

Also, because I typically season my stories with a lot of romance, I also really enjoy a couple of romance-leaning podcasts that give good insight into writing craft and the publishing biz:

• All The Kissing: The ATK group arose out of PitchWars and offers some great craft discussion. If you can deal with some mention of fictional smooching -- and honestly, even if it makes you cringe, you should do it anyway, because romance is human -- you might want to check this one out. The guests are all super accomplished writers.
  
• Wicked Wallflowers: This podcast is purely about romance fiction, but it features not only high-profile (think, NYT bestsellers) writers but also industry professionals, like agents and editors. So if you've ever wondered what those sorts of people think about the current state of publishing and its future, this podcast might be interesting.

Currently I'm looking for a what-if, futurist, or even conspiracy theory podcast. I used to love listening to Art Bell-type black-helicopter radio late at night, but it's become unpleasant in recent years and I haven't really found a replacement for it. So if you know of a good our-alien-lizard-overlords sort of podcast, give it a shout in the comments. Thx in advance.

KAK Favorite Blogs/Websites

I haven't quite got into podcasts; it's no snub to the casters and fans out there. It's just a struggle for me to pay attention. Remember those Learning Styles from grade school? I wasn't the Auditory kid.

There are blogs I read somewhat regularly, or maybe they started out as blogs and are now fully fleshed websites.

• Fantasy Faction: Reviews and interviews for the latest in fantasy books. Supporters of Indie/Self-Published fantasy authors. Regular judges in Mark Lawerence's Self Published Fantasy Blog Off (#SPFBO).
• The Fantasy Inn:  Reviews and interviews for the latest in fantasy books. Supporters of Indie/Self-Published fantasy authors. 

Of course, there is the jewel of all must-read blogs if you're an author, and it's Writer Beware. Yes, I know it's been rolled under SFWA now. Still, it's available to members and non-members. What A.C. Crispin (RIP) and Victoria Strauss started more than 20 years ago is perhaps one of the most valuable resources to authors of all kinds calling out predatory publishers and those affiliated with the publishing industry. It's a pre-Con must-read so you can spot the scum, and a submission prerequisite to save yourself the heartache and financial losses of querying, signing with, or retaining the services of people and businesses out to exploit authors. 

Jeffe's Favorite Podcasts

Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is our favorite blogs and podcasts.

I must be a child of my era - or current fashion - because I don't really have any blogs I follow regularly. The only times I read blog posts are when I read the daily (mostly) posts here at the SFF Seven, or if I see something go by that looks interesting.

I do listen to a number of podcasts regularly. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my own podcast, First Cup of Coffee. You can also see all episodes here, along with the various podcast services. I post four days/week - on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings - and chat over my first cup of coffee of the day. I try to give a real-world glimpse of what it's like to be a career author. That naturally leads into thoughts on writing, publishing, living, coping with the world, and wrangling cats.

I was inspired to do this by Nathan Lowell's Talking on My Morning Walk. Nathan is CFO of SFWA and an amazing author of SFF, particularly known for space opera. He takes a 20-minute walk every morning and talks about, well, writing, publishing, living, and coping with the world.

Another podcast I enjoy is L. Penelope's My Imaginary Friends. She was, in turn, inspired by my podcast (so flattered!), though she's been a successful vlogger from way back. She posts weekly about her writing, process, etc. I very much enjoy her short (key for me!) and engaging podcasts.

Leslye also turned me onto Writing Excuses. Notably, these podcasts are also brief - 15 minutes - and feature a number of guests along with the standard team of regular hosts: Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, Brandon Sanderson, and Howard Tayler. They've been going since 2008, so have a pretty established and polished presentation. They also delve deeply into craft discussions, which can be very interesting for writers.

Finally, I should also mention that both my podcast and My Imaginary Friends are part of the Frolic Podcast Network, which is a network of romance-themed podcasts. I've listened to them all and it's a great round-up of discussions on books, sex, love, and associated topics.

What about you all? I'm looking forward to getting some great recs this week!

Galactic Civilization Hums Away in the Background in My Novels

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This week at the SFF Seven, we're asking:  How do you decide your world's structure of authority and/or governance?

The first thing to remember about me is that I imprinted on Andre Norton at a very young age and when it comes to the kind of science fiction I wanted to write, that was very much the flavor. I’m always at the micro level, the personal level, the man and woman (and maybe some comrades) battling the odds, respecting each other as they move through the adversity and falling in love as the adventure gets resolved. That’s what I enjoy reading (Ms. Norton didn’t have enough romance for me but she wasn’t trying to write romance either.) It’s what my Muse or my creative mind or whatever you call it has served up since I started writing at the age of 7.

I’m not wildly interested in the macro level – the interstellar civilizations and the intricacies of governments, etc. I’ve read grand sweeping books which explore these themes…but it’s not me. And if there’s not a couple to care about (M/F, M/M/ F/F or any other love is love duo…on occasion a trio) I’m usually gone at hyperspeed.

I liked how Ms. Norton’s science fiction novels occurred in a galactic civilization that was never defined in too much detail but which seemed vaguely familiar to me.

To tie back to my blog post title, the government of the civilization hums away in the background and doesn't insert itselt into the stories in much detail.

When I established the Sectors in my world building, I very much went for that model. It’s like the science in my novels – I don’t bother explaining how the blasters work and I don’t bother explaining how the government of the Sectors operates. Any more than I deliver a mini lecture on how the State of California governs itself when I talk about living here and some cute thing my cat did. It just is and let’s get on with the adventure and the romance.

I guess if pressed, I’d tell you the Sectors is democratic (no, don’t ask me how that works across the galaxy) more or less, with bureaucracy and a functioning, ethical top notch military and an interstellar crime syndicate and all kinds of corporations of varying influence, Non Goverment Organizations; rich people (“Socialites” are usually their children), poor people and people in between…there’s also the Outlier Empire, which is sort of Tsarist Russian in the way it operates; the Hinterlands; the frontier; unaffiliated worlds and systems…lots of room for yours truly to play. 

And we haven’t even discussed the other influences at work, like the Red Lady of D’nvannae, an ancient alien goddess who runs an order of assassins who can be bodyguards at her whim. Or her sister, the White Lady. Or the mysterious Mellureans…

(Waves hands although reader can’t see her.) It’s PEOPLE. Doing human things.

And some aliens and Others….

My characters may visit a world ruled by an emperor, as with Mission to Mahjundar, or be an undercover cop in the Sectors Criminal Investigation Agency (nope, not doing a spoiler and telling you who in which novel – sorry). It’s whatever the story needs, in the general worldbuilding of the Sectors, which frames it all for me.

But I think it’s all heavily influenced by the world in which I live.

My mind doesn’t run to outlining all the details of a government, whether it’s led by a king or a president or something/someone else. I build what I need for my story, or build out what’s already been done for the Sectors in earlier stories and thinking. I do stay consistent with myself.

I’m playing with a world ruled by an Alpha in my Badari Warriors. As I described it in the most recent release, the power to rule over all other Badari is buried in his DNA – these soldiers are genetically engineered but there’s a LOT of plot to this series. If/when these soldiers and their mates and allies manage to defeat the aliens who created them, and take the planet for themselves, he’ll be the unquestioned ruler. I’m enjoying playing within these boundaries and have already introduced some issues with the humans, who like to rule themselves, or at least to feel they could come to power someday. And unless you’re a Badari, it isn’t going to happen, not on this planet. So I’m having fun with all of it but this is on one specific planet, and they do hope to join the Sectors someday.

Now the ancient Egyptian books are a piece of cake, comparatively speaking because their civilization was so detailed. I have a Pharaoh and he has various officials to do his bidding, plus generals and high priests and priestesses…and the gods keep a mostly benevolent eye on all of it.

My fantasy world of Claddare has many parts and some are classic ‘kingdoms’ but others are clans or packs…I’m in a medieval mindset when I write those stories.

My new release HONEYMOON FOR THE ALPHA: A BADARI WARRIORS NOVELLA:

The blurb: Thrown together as helpless prisoners in the punishing conditions of a Khagrish lab, Jill and Aydarr fell in love. Claiming each other as mates despite only having one night alone in a cell, they formed a deep, loving mate bond. 

Now, a planetary year later, after escaping the lab and leading the ongoing rebellion against the enemy together, Aydarr longs for more. He wants a chance to show Jill how much she means to him.

He decides to risk everything to take his mate away from it all for a few days. But will the Khagrish, the threats lurking in the planet’s unexplored wilderness and the Badari goddess allow them to complete A Honeymoon for the Alpha?

Amazon      Apple Books      Nook      Kobo      GooglePlay

Political World Building

Political world building, next on Nov. . .no. Wait. I'm not PBS. Sorry. Still. We are examining the merits and deficits of governmental bodies in our world building.

The original question was president or monarch - I'd like to think that from a SF standpoint there are more options than that, but you wouldn't know it based on my work. My answer to the question is: Both. At the very least. Because in my main SFR series, I have at least four separate populations vying for territory and resources, I have more than one option for structuring governments.

Confession time. Never, ever in my life did I aspire to write political stories. At. All. Yet here I am, having painted myself into a corner because you can't write military-ish SFR without talking about the governments that send people into battle in the first place and the philosophies for which they're fighting. Whether for good or for ill.

Tagreth Federated Council - this is a presidential government and several chamber council system that knits a group of planets together into a pooled resource. It has draw backs because the seat of government shifts world every few years so that no one world gets all the economic advantage or becomes the seat of power. Until a ruthless, power-hungry man who thinks he's the only one with all the right answers gets hold of the reins. Things go bad fast. My heroes and heroines have to claw their way back up from the debris pile before they can do anything like damage control.

The Claugh nib Dovyyth Empire - this is a monarchy. The queen has her nobles council and her elected council of the people to which she's beholden, but she has very broad latitude, especially when it comes to serving the people. So you don't often see her cowering in a corner while the bad guys are attacking. She's usually out there on the front lines. She's more than a figurehead, less than a living god. If that makes any sense. She's young and open-minded about how a royal ought to go about ending a war. So she's willing to make alliances no one else would consider. It's earned her a few enemies. Some of them roost close to home.

The other three governments that I can think of in the books all operate based on councils. There may be a single leader at the front of that council. Or a trio. Or some number. But the point is that in SFR having just one person standing up in front saying, "This is how it's gonna be just because I say so." is only going to last as long as someone showing up with a laser pistol and really good aim. But give a population the feeling that they're represented and at least partially heard? They'll wait for someone else to rise against the government.

The only thing I wonder is whether the people in my made up worlds avoid answering the phone during election cycles the same way that I do.

Presidential or Kingly worldbuilding?

It’s no secret that my heart…or rather, my head, belongs in the clouds. Particularly clouds shaped like dragons and castles. So, it stands to reason that my fantasy books are centered around monarchies. 

Kings and queens, heirs to the thrones, lords and ladies, some of whom have magical powers or may be wizards. It’s all dramatic, and oh so much fun to read and write. 

What makes it fun? Honor. Honor goes hand in hand with knights and royalty. They’re supposed to be stuffed full of honor, right? Except when they’re human like us and make mistakes, or succumb to the lure of the wrong side of magic such as the True Father in the Earthsinger Chronicles by L. Penelope.

Honestly, the honor concept is also how I formulate my science fiction governments. They're all based on honor or the lack thereof. You can have space royalty, Jessie Mihalik’s Consortium Rebellion series is a great example of ruling families in space. There can also be galactic governments, has anyone heard of Star Wars? So many varieties of government, but they have a common thread.

Presidential or kingly, it all comes down to honor and how you build the rules around it. Then you’ll know if your spells, or blasters, will be pointed at the castle, or outwards, at the invaders. Even if the focus of your story isn’t centered on political upheaval, the laws of the land, the honor code, it still has to be there.

If you’re world building right now, are you wearing a crown or holding a gavel?

Worldbuilding is the ultimate regime change

[Content warning: Politics. If you don't wanna hear it, don't read on, please.]

Political debate tonight + SFF Seven topic on worldbuilding governments = a fortuitous mix for my possibly overbaked brain. In a national election year (in the U.S.), I think most folks around here are low-grade thinking of how we'd make this world a better place if only we were in charge. Not gonna lie: I have plenty of "when I am queen" plans. Be honest. You do, too.

Which makes writing SFF so incredibly satisfying. It is not a coincidence that in 2017 I wrote a book about a woman senator who brings down a corrupt, hate-mongering, anti-migrant government and imprisons its self-serving president. (Too on the nose? Maybe. Don't care.) 

Psychologists say that PTSD forms most often in trauma victims who are captive to the traumatic episode and unable to end it or gain a sense of control in the moment. In a very real way, other than periodic voting opportunities and mostly ineffective protest and legal remedies, most citizens in a large government are powerless. In fiction, though, we are able to rewrite our reality My world in the book was obviously not the real world, but I could use it as a tool to vent my frustrations and gain a feeling of power over my reality, at least in a "this is how it ought to be" sort of way. So I guess you could say that worldbuilding fictional governments can be therapeutic.

Making up other worlds and systems of government can also be aspirational or cautionary. Right now, I'm writing a world run by benevolent computers. When Terminator did that, it was bleak and horrible, but what if computers are not after all just like us (violent, power-mad, etc)? What if they don't rule with emotion, anger, grudges, or acquisitiveness? Could their reliance on logic and rule sets instead make them more stable than human overlords? Asimov explored similar questions in his I, Robot stories and essays, of course, as have dozens of SFF writers before and since. I suspect my conclusions will be similar to theirs. In the mean time, what a fun game to play with myself. Not sure readers are going to love it, but I am digging the ride.

And that's ... kind of what writers do, right? Entertain ourselves, write the books we want to read? So when we're building worlds and governments, we are also, ultimately, creating the worlds we want to either change or inhabit.

We are all the benevolent dictators of our own imperfect minds.

Ruling Your Fantasy World

Presidential or Kingly? Democracy or Monarchy? How do I decide what sort of authority rules my worlds?

Mostly it's decided by who and how my protagonist is oppressed. Is there a single shot-caller who can be toppled or is it a complex network established by need/skill? Is the society established and entrenched, or is it developing?  Am I building a fantasy world on top of a real one?

That last question might seem silly, but I write Urban Fantasy where the local tattoo parlor is a front for a battalion of Berserkers and a leather-daddy at the gay bar is an archangel. If I want the reader to believe the story is happening in the USA then I have to use the existing government of our republic; unless I explain the authority relevant to my protagonist is not the human government but a representative body of superpowers in which there are committees and a chairperson. Human governments of all varieties are a minor subset of the greater authority...which is what I did in my Immortal Spy UF series. In short, if writing contemporary fantasy using the real world as the backdrop, you can either leverage existing authority or you need to offer a reason for why/how your characters are bypassing it.

My High Fantasy works are more diverse in that the societies being changed vary in population, environment, history, traditions, and internal vs external strife. A semi-isolated civilization where there are rumors and vagaries of hostile neighbors yet everything within the society is strictly controlled lends itself to a monarchy. However, a nomadic society struggling to survive extreme scarcity where the nomads are not the top of the food chain is more suited to tribal democracies where leadership is decided by those who are led.

Messing with authority is crucial to my stories, so I like to use different types of government for my protagonists to rebel against.

Worldbuilding: Picking a Government

This week at the SFF Seven, we're asking: Presidential or Kingly - How do you decide your world's structure of authority and/or governance?

It's funny... as a staunch believer in democracy, I've never considered making one of my fantasy worlds have a government elected by the people. Why is that???

I mean, the easy answer is that it never occurred to me, but then I need to examine my underlying assumptions.

• Fantasy means monarchies with cool castles
• Crowns and the trappings of royalty are pretty awesome
• It's an alternate world, which means not the one I live in

There's also the aspect of creating a political system where a government could be chosen by the people, which assumes a certain level of tech - or a very small population. Still, I could do it. I probably should - and now it's in my head, so that will probably brew up at at some point into something...

All that said, I do love writing about people born to the throne, taking up the noble cause and trying to do the right thing by their people. Interestingly enough, I take this to another level in my Forgotten Empires trilogy, amping up the theme in book #2, THE FIERY CROWN, where the nobility is magically tied to the land. It's an old, even pagan concept, and fun to explore.

Next up: a magical democracy? Hmm....

Salute to My Cover Artist Fiona Jayde

Our theme this week is a shout out to the non-author creatives we collaborate with, or who enrich our lives. I'm going to keep my focus on the author sphere of my life and mention the wonderful Fiona Jayde.

She's always done my scifi romance covers and in the last year or so has also given me my fantasy covers and new Egyptian paranormal covers. Getting my new cover from her is a treat for myself, an encouragement to keep working on the book in question and FUN!

I highly value her professional opinion on the various genres and what's in, what's out, as well as her creativity...and her patience! I'm not a patient person but I admire the quality in others. Fiona has always been so patient with me when I pick stock photos that totally don't work (Me: "This one is great if we could airbrush out these three things, change the background, add a supernova and give her red hair..." Fiona: O_o, followed by a patient explanation of why we can't do any of that to the photo in question, followed by specific suggestions to achieve what I'm going for in a different manner, or alternate stock photos or...)

I think Fiona is really REALLY good at capturing the 'flavor' of the book in question from just my few notes and any inspiration photos I may send along.

I'll always remember the thrill of getting my first cover from her, for my first scifi romance to be published,Wreck of the Nebula Dream ("Titanic in space..." as one reviewer called it). That cover established what was to become my 'look' or brand for the books set in this universe.

My first REALLY huge seller was Star Cruise: Marooned and I've always thought the fabulous eye catching cover from Fiona was a key factor in getting readers to give the book a second look and maybe even a third one.

When it was time to start my Badari Warriors scifi romance series, she developed the series branding, with the ominous alien lab in the background and the sexy genetically engineered soldier in the foreground. Here's the entire series (including one we did under the In the Stars Romance logo, which frankly doesn't work as well for a book in a series.  Sigh. I confused everyone by writing that book outside the series! Never again! It's a perfectly fine logo for books written for that imprint and I might just be writing a few more for them....but not Badari Warriors.)

For my fledgling fantasy series, I asked her to have fun and sort of surprise me. Usually when we're doing the SFR I've at least tried to select the cover model or models and sent her anywhere from 3-10 possibilities. (I'm still not too good at not falling in love with photos that just don't work for a romance cover.) But I had no idea where to begin in fantasy romance.

I'm very happy with my two sparkly fantasy covers (and I have a third one already, for the next book, which I just have to write LOL.)

My original ancient Egyptian covers were mostly done by the amazing Frauke Spanuth of Croco Designs. I love her work and she did my first ever published book cover, for Priestess of the Nile, which I believe I may have cried when I saw it - so perfect.  But when the rights for the first book reverted to me, Harlequin kept the rights to the cover art.

Fiona and I had been working toward that day by designing a 'brand' image for these paranormals going forward.  Here's are the three recent covers she's created for me in the loosely connected series:

I have 38 books published, so it's tempting to give you all 38 pieces of eye candy but I'll restrain myself. (Book #39 coming soon...)

For more about Fiona and her services you can visit https://fionajaydemedia.com/

Note: Background graphics behind the multiple cover displays are from DepositPhoto

Contributing Artists

Which artists move me varies by the day. Sometimes by the hour. Music is the most obvious and the easiest because I can pipe it directly into my skull from just about anywhere. Right now, Spotify's Nine Inch Nails play list (built for me based on my listening habits - well trained AI is all that, lemme tell you) is keeping me going.

I have no idea what it is about driving beats and angry lyrics that work for me. But here I am. Maybe because the pace is fast and I get pushed to keep up. I don't have as much room to stop and overthink.

On the other hand, I have an app called Calm. It is a meditation app at core, but for me, the greatest utility is the sleep function. The app commissions a bunch of different artists to create content for the app - all centered around focus and relaxation. My two favorite are Liminal Sleep by Sigur Rós and System Sounds: Song of the Night Sky. The last one assigns a musical note to the stars in the night sky based on color and brightness then plays the results based on the stars rising at the eastern horizon. So you know that's right up my alley.

The other artists in my life are the felines. After all. It was Leonardo da Vinci who said The smallest feline is a masterpiece. Cuillean agrees.

Introducing...Wyoming Axe Works! (with a GIVEAWAY!)

(WY Axe Works' photo)

This week we get to give a shout-out to one of our favorite creatives! For me, the pick was easy because we have a lot of his hand-crafted items in our house. And I know he’s got something you can’t live without, so let me introduce you to: Josh from Wyoming Axe Works! 

Ravven: Queen of the Cover Artists

Our assignment this week at the SFF Seven is to give a shout-out to the non-author creatives who enrich our lives: illustrators, musicians, jewelers, painters, poets, voice-actors, etc.

This one is an easy pick for me because I just released THE FATE OF THE TALA, which means I've been posting the cover everywhere.

Fortunately, it's so freaking gorgeous that no one gets tired of seeing it over and over. That's because it's the work of Ravven, Queen of the Cover Artists. 


THE ARROWS OF THE HEART


Ravven and I have been working together for several years now, and every cover she's done for me has been amazing.


THE SNOWS OF WINDROVEN


I can't say enough about her. Not only does she create stunning images, she does such an incredible job of nailing my characters that I end up using the covers for inspiration as I write the stories.

THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE


Ravven is also a consummate professional, always responsive and delivering right on schedule.


SEASONS OF SORCERY


She's super fun to work with, and often comes up with visual elements that I incorporate into the stories because they're so perfectly congruent.



THE DRAGONS OF SUMMER


Ravven creates covers to order, and she also has an amazing set of premade covers she can customize for you. So check out her website! But I get first dibs on her schedule ;-)

Also, as a super fun thing with the release of  THE FATE OF THE TALA - if you subscribe to Pikko's House Book Lovers Box this month, a limited number of subscribers will get the first book that started it all, THE MARK OF THE TALA, for free!!

THE FATE OF THE TALA, the  exciting conclusion of the story begun in The Mark of the Tala!

An Uneasy Marriage,

An Unholy Alliance.

The tales tell of three sisters, daughters of the high king. The eldest, a valiant warrior-woman, conquered her inner demons to become the high queen. The youngest, and most beautiful outlived her Prince Charming and found a strength beyond surface loveliness.

And the other one, Andi? The introverted, awkward middle princess is now the Sorceress Queen Andromeda—and she stands at the precipice of a devastating war.

As the undead powers of Deyrr gather their forces, their High Priestess focuses on Andi, undermining her at every turn. At the magical barrier that protects the Thirteen Kingdoms from annihilation, the massive Dasnarian navy assembles, ready to pounce the moment Andi’s strength fails. And, though her sisters and friends gather around her, Andi finds that her husband, Rayfe, plagued with fears over her pregnancy, has withdrawn, growing ever more distant.

Fighting battles on too many fronts, Andi can’t afford to weaken, as she’s all that stands between all that’s good in the world and purest evil.

For Andi, the time to grow into her true power has come. . .

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