But does it work?

Sometimes it is had to know if a piece of writing works or not. Did the tone come across the way you wanted it to? Will what you say be interpreted the way you intend by the audience to whom it was said? And when you are uncertain, it is wonderfully gratifying that it worked even better than you had hoped.

The Gang of Nine

Two nights ago I started reading The Planets by Dava Sobel, and so far (about a third of the way through) it's excellent. It is a wonderful, liberal arts sort of approach to the Solar System we inhabit. There is a bit of physics, a bit of history, a bit of astronomy, a bit of mythology, a bit of geology, a bit of personal memoir. The author's tone is easy and conversational, blending diverse subjects together. Some of the more technical scientific information seems out of place because you have to slow down and concentrate more to process the information, but the effort is well spent.

Further bulletins as events warrant.

A bit of writing advice

As previously mentioned, I thoroughly enjoy reading Jonathan Carroll's blog. Today's entry is a discussion of the importance of characters being likeable. Even the bad guys need some redeeming qualities to make the story really work. On more than one occasion I have stopped reading a book--sometimes I just put it down for a while and go read something else, and sometimes I never go back to it--because I dislike a character so much. Well-written characters are much more important in my world than an intricate plot. If a character's only purpose is a plot device and can't stand on his or her own as a person (or fairy or gnome or god or cockroach), then I am likely to lose interst. If the bad guy is just there to cause trouble and has no redeeming qualities, then the conflict lacks complexity. Carroll uses Hannibal Lector as an example. While Lector would certainly not have been my choice for a likable or even seductive bad guy because I find serial killers to be too creepy to be interesting, I understand what he means.

Jean-Claude the vampire is supposed to be evil and irresistible all at the same time, resulting in Anita Blake's crisis of belief. Sometimes it works better than others. When it works, the complexity of their interaction and the conflict it generates in Anita make the series worth reading. When it doesn't work, he's just another overbearing, manipulative jerk pressuring a woman into a relationship that she doesn't want. There may not be any blood flowing through his veins, but there is plenty of testoserone. It's not sexy. It's not attractive. And the story suffers because of it. (At some point, I should devote an entire post to the Anita Blake series, but this is not that point.)

Another bad guy who benefits greatly from acquiring depth is Darth Vader. In the original Star Wars movie, he's pretty much just a bad guy, and even kind of a secondary bad guy at that. Once we find out that Darth Vader *is* Anakin Skywalker, his character takes on a new dimension with his connection to Luke and Leia and with the potential for his redemption. Were he just a nemesis, the story wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

At the end of the entry, Carroll asks the following questions: "Whatever you are writing, who in your story would you want to dine with? Spend a weekend with? Take to bed?"

Try to answer those questions as you write and revise (and go read the whole blog entry while you're at it).

Charles de Lint

It probably should have occurred to me before now, but I think that I am finally beginning to understand how the writings of Charles de Lint work, at least the writings of Newford..."work" might not be the right word, but it is all I can come up with at the moment. The short stories and the novels work together to paint the whole picture (or perhaps draw the whole map might be a better metaphor) of Newford. The novels can be read in pretty much any order, and the short stories flesh out the characters and background.

Today I discovered a short story entitled "Saskia." It is the first story in the collection Moonlight & Vines and is about one of the protagonists of Spirits in the Wires. The short story was published about four years before the novel, but the timing within the stories seems to be about the same (although I haven't finished reading the short story yet).

There is a fairly comprehensive list, description and chronology of the Newford novels and stories at amazon.com. If you want to learn more, check it out here. Charles de Lint's web site provides a more complete (and complicated) bibliography which includes Newford and non-Newford stories, fiction, non-fiction, introductions, articles, etc.

His work has been called "urban fantasy" and "mythic fiction." He blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. The stories are set in a contemporary, modern city where fantastic, magical things can happen and not everyone is as he or she seems. Suspend your disbelief, and allow yourself to be transported to Newford, a familiar, welcoming place where the realm of magic is just a little closer than most people think.

Dangerous Places

It doesn't come as any great surprise that I simply shouldn't be allowed in bookstores, not even online bookstores.

One of the books that has been on my Books I Ought to Get around to Reading list for some time is In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Now, it is quite possible that I already possess a copy, but it occurred to me this morning to do a quick search at Powell's to see if a used copy were available and if so for how much.

Logging on, I was almost immediately distracted by an offering of New Favorites priced at 30% off. I behaved myself and made no purchases, but I have added no fewer than five books to my wish list.

The fiction New Favorites list suggested Gentlemen & Players by Joanne Harris and The World to Come by Dara Horn while the nonfiction list has me all excited about The Judgment of Paris by Ross King. Then I remembered an interesting reference to Kafka which ended up bringing The Diaries of Kafka and Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami to my attention.

Gentlemen & Players is a suspenseful thriller set at an exclusive, traditional boarding school. I once attended a similar such school, so my interest is piqued.

The World to Come is a mystery involving the theft of a Chagall painting.

I am perhaps most excited about The Judgment of Paris, the story of the Impressionist "revolution."

I prefer to read journals, letters and diaries rather than traditional biographies, so if I want to learn more about Kafka, I thought that a volume of his diaries would be the way to go.

I have yet to read a book by Haruki Murakami, so perhaps it is time that I do.

Given my addiction to the printed word, it would be wise to patronize my local library, but if I enjoy a book, I tend not to want to return it. I also have a habit of annotating my books, a habit on which librarians tend to frown. And so I continue to save my pennies and add to my library.

Random NaNoWriMo "What if?" Thought

Illness sidelined my plans to write a novel in January, so I have put that adventure off until at least February, although I may continue to procrastinate until March because February only has twenty-eight days instead of thirty or thirty-one.

One of the blogs I check on a regular basis is that of William Gibson. In September he noted that he found it difficult, if not impossible, to blog while writing a novel. While part of me was sad to hear that the blog would not be updated as frequently, I did a little anticipatory happy dance at the prospect of a new William Gibson novel.

But it got me to thinking, "What if famous authors decided to participate in National Novel Writing Month?" Especially those famous authors who do not manufacture an annual offering. What if Thomas Pynchon only had thirty days to write a novel? or Robert Jordan? or Jean Auel? or Margaret Atwood? or Joyce Carol Oates? And what if you limited Stephen King or Tom Clancy to fifty thousand words?

Would they have fun with it? Would the project drive them mad? Would they worry too much about damaging their established reputations?

Just wondering.

Taming the Wild Library

My library has become unruly, to put it nicely. Bookshelves are filled to capacity and beyond. There are stacks of books piled on most available surfaces, next to and under most pieces of furniture, nevermind the floor. Needless to say, I don't always remember whether or not I have a particular volume.

There have been several attempts at cataloguing this beast, but all of them have been abandoned because of the labor intensive nature of the project. I have discovered a wonderful, realitvely inexpensive, software program that does most of the labor for you. All you need to provide is an ISBN or LCCN, and Readerware reaches out into the World Wide Web and collects the associated information--title, author, format, page count, etc. The ISBNs and LCCNs can be input by hand, or you can invest in a bar code scanner, which need not be fancy or expensive. Entries can be modified once Readerware has assembled the information in a user friendly database. There are also versions for cataloguing CDs and DVDs or VHS. Visit www.readerware.com to download a thirty-day free trial.

Ta Da! Finished!

I have finished reading my first book of the year, The Fabulous Girl's Guide to Decorum by Kim Izzo. Yes, I started reading it last year, and I probably purchased it the year before, but I have at last finished.

Basic principles with a bit of flair. Many of the topics of discussion really ought to be common sense, but sadly they are not. Forget The Rules (that awful book about manipulating a man into marriage), ladies, and take a step back from the fabulous lives of the women of Sex and the City or even the Sweet Potato Queens. The Fabulous Girl's Guide to Decorum is a worthwhile, lighthearted refresher course in manners, and you might learn a thing or two along the way. I know I did.

My next adventure is into the fashion world in the form of Alligators, Old Mink and New Money: One Woman's Adventures in Vintage Clothing by Alison and Melissa Houtte. One chapter in, and I am most amused by observations on the effect that the style and shopping habits of a mother can have on her daughter. I'll keep you posted.