…Ran Red

Last week, or was it this week? (time is an enigma sometimes) I decided that it was time to put my head down and, to put it politely, get the fuck on with it. I had been tired of not writing anything substantial, making up excuses and basically just feeling guilty that I wasn’t doing anything, which of course just sent me into a descending spiral and left my in no better a place.

Well, now I am writing. I have racked up a good chunk of words and although it might not be a novel a week in, I’m making no apologies – this is my current speed, but I know I can go faster. Call it testing the waters and loving my sentences too much. In time I will remember, and condition my brain to realise that as long as it’s down, it doesn’t matter how perfectly edited it is.

The story in question is one of my old loves: And The Stars Ran Red. It’s a story about survival, isolation and hope at the end of the universe, and although you could call it epic, you would be wrong. This is not a story about warring factions and two opposing armies, nor is it about repugnant demi-gods and their reign over the end of time. It’s just a story about humanity at the core. Well… that’s what I have in mind anyway.

You can keep more current updates with it’s progress here (though I will mention it on ze weblog obviously) and I’m going to be updating the site a little over the next few days too.

As I am talking about Ran Red, I might as well mention Nick Enlowe’s Novel Push Initiative which I have decided to take part in. It is nothing huge, or major, but a nice calm – structured – setting in which to keep on track with putting words on the page. Hit and publicly record 250 words per day, March 1st through the 31st, or you are out: simple. You don’t win or loose anything, but it is an opportunity to ride along with others and push my own novel writing.

I will be continuing with Ran Red, so it fits perfect… oh and it’s my birthday on March 31st, so I will win no matter what (but I will be writing 250 words per day!)

Outpost Publication

So yeah… I got published, not bad eh?

Seriously though, the publication of my flash fiction piece Outpost in the February / March online issue of AlienSkin Magazine is a huge boost to my morale and, considering I have recently re-discovered my commitment to writing, could not have come at a better time (and did I mention it’s a paid publication?)

Outpost is basically a character study, identifying the experiences of the everyday life of someone who has become isolated, and somewhat disjointed from the reality of their situation. I think I first wrote it back in 2003, honed it a couple of times but then left it on the back-burner. It’s funny that now, after all this time, it is the first piece of mine to be published.

AlienSkin Magazine is primarily a publisher of flash fiction and micro fiction, though they do dabble in Fibonacci poetry, blogs and articles for writers. You can visit my page on the site here.

Thank you to those who have kept reading this here weblog, been supportive, and continue to do so. Here’s to the beginning of my actual future as a writer.

The Day Man Cometh

It lived at night – lay heavy foot to stone, and wandered.

Sealed eyes gone blind, and mind to match, and wandered.

Born breath by sun, but now by moon; cold whispers and wandered.

Light palm lent aid, closed fist turned down. It wondered.

A chance to change: turn coal to fire, it pondered.

It took the hand, to walk not stumble,

…and with that light, the Day Man cometh.

(That about sums that up. I feel ready to really write again.)

A Dragon Named Voyager

I started this post with a foundation – an approach to what brought me to the question: Science Fiction vs. Fantasy – what makes me pick one? But then I thought; ‘fuck it, I can’t be bothered to waffle on indulgently about why I asked myself this deep, almost existential question’ (sarcasm), and so lets just get on with it shall we..?

So, some love the dragon, love the knight, love the wizard and every goblin, orc and magical crystal in-between. Why? I’m not denying they are cool little inventions for the fantastical story, but what makes them more approachable – or rather, pliable – than their futuristic/alternative sci-fi brethren?

On that note, what makes science fiction so engaging? Where one could indulge and explain the heroic deeds of their protagonist; be it a Sir, a rascal… a farm boy with a mysterious heritage (here’s looking at you, Cir), another could opt for the mercenary, the space soldier or the mutated super-human farm boy with a mysterious heritage.

Indeed, for every heavy-weight in either corner there is an equal and opportune basis in the other: The space ship vs. the dragon, the laser vs. the sword and shield, the buxom, vulnerable princess vs. the buxom, strong female soldier with something to prove… well don’t the clichés just go on and on.

So what makes me pick one over the other? I’ve tried both, and to be honest the one I had the most success with in the past was a fantasy novel. I managed to reach a good few chapters before I felt it becoming a tired cliché. The language, the style of the personalities, the names of locations, the very charge my hero was conducting. It all became a little too familiar, and by that I don’t mean I had read it somewhere specific – it was original – but it didn’t feel like me, it didn’t feel… true. It was like wearing a glove that, although fitting, had someone else’s name on the tag.

Science Fiction though, I thoroughly enjoy playing with. I enjoy space battles – though not as much as one would expect, I enjoy the… alien aspect, if that’s the way to put it. Not the green scaly kind, or the Fox Mulder, ‘Greys’, but the idea of turning humankind into something else, something altogether more, yes… ‘alien’. Another way I imagine I can explain what I mean is the general fact that we are who we are, we know our neighbour, we know what’s down the street etc. With science fiction, I enjoy the idea of ripping all of that familiarity away and projecting what could happen to us – good, or bad.

Another thing that works for me is humour. I like to rack out a line that delivers some light, comic relief (no clowns, please) whilst also maintaining a semblance of maturity. I find that, within a science fiction orientated context, I can do that easier and still feel comfortable. When I try it with fantasy, I feel like I’m making an old-hat joke that’s been done; something about what a wizard keeps under his robes… there’s no answer to that. What, his ‘magic staff’? I told you I can’t do it.

I touched on character and I touched on reasoning, or rather the projection of what I’m attempting to investigate, but what about setting? That’s another one isn’t it..? The idea of a post-apocalyptic world, or a high-tech civilisation, or something in-between is much more approachable for me. Those hold intricate foundations for my imaginative machinations (tongue twister anyone?). Even on one of the most basic of levels; the sexual one, I find science fiction more enticing. The addition of a femme-fatale clad in a silver spacesuit, or running around with bright red hair and a sleazy demeanour is much more intoxicating to my vision than one wrapped up in a dead animal carcass or wearing a fancy, magical tiara atop a bed of cascading blonde curls.

Personally, I’m not sure what pushes me more towards one than the other. Sure I have my reasons, but they are based of of examples and trials and errors. Before that though, who knows? Maybe I just happened to watch more space operas in lands far, far away than I did middle-earth dilemmas.