Tag Archives: Ace Jordyn

Many stories, from mystery to science fiction and fantasy have inspired and awed me. But my road to writing has been a tough and painful one. It wasn’t so much inspiration I needed as the courage to overcome an environment that discouraged reading, let alone writing for a living. One author gave me that courage.

Imagine growing up in a family where reading was never encouraged and was viewed as being lazy. Where farm chores and homework were the priorities. My father occasionally read westerns and Archie comics and then only after we were in bed. My mother just read recipes. Now, imagine the frustrations of a child whose imagination is so taken by the rich worlds in books that she wants to write but must suppress that desire and limit it only to school assignments.

What did I love to read? I still remember Dick and Jane’s antics in the grade one picture books – “See Dick run. Run Dick run!’ – those first words excited my tiny heart and showed me the power of words on paper. Then came rhyming and Dr. Seuss filled my world – “One fish two fish, red fish blue fish’. By grades five and six, I was sneak reading the mysteries of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys on the bus ride home – a book a day. Somewhere in junior high school, I discovered science fiction, fell in love with it and then got into trouble with teachers because my imagination and verbosity were greater than assignments demanded. When I took a degree in English and drama, I had relatives who shunned me for years.

Perhaps I should have quit then and for a few years life took over and I almost did. But I always dabbled and always loved reading. So, what changed? What gave me the courage to write and to overcome all the discouraging influences? Where did I find the confidence to achieve my goal of mastering and communicating in my second language? Oh yes, English isn’t my first language and throughout my life, I’ve had a desire to master it and rarely feel I have. Yet, one book, one writer gave me the courage to pursue my dream wholly – to throw myself into it with a modicum of hope to succeed. I owe my courage to J.K. Rowling.

When I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, I thought that if she could do it, so could I!”. Her life story, her courage to write and her perseverance to find a publisher were the inspiration I needed. Since then, I’ve written many wild tales. I can write! My childhood desire to engage in worlds so far removed from reality, to master their voices and breathe life into them in words not my own has blossomed!

Which authors inspire me today? They all do as do the readers who buy their books. Everyone who has the courage to pen their imaginations, to give life to new worlds and voices, and to all our readers who encourage us, I give you my heartfelt thanks.

Cheers and happy writing (and reading too)!

Quotable Moments, Part Two

April 3, 2013

Ace Jordyn

Ace Jordyn Craft & Skills Writing Tools 2 Comments

The parade of quotes continues! If you enjoyed your cup o’ tea or genre cookie in Part One, check out the following snippets from more of our very best guest posts. Once again, we’ve got some great authors who have shared not only their insights, but an awkward moment or two-even hate mail! I cringe at the thought.

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow, when we’ll be talking about the exciting recent fiction releases from our very own regular Fictorian contributors. Until then, click a few links!

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Because I DIDN’T say yes to what seemed a sure thing and reasonably easy money, I had to find another way to raise funds… The struggle turned into prosperity, because my choices never wavered. That’s how my synchronicity works. There’s no elusive pattern that creates success; it’s the benefit of following a straight line. (James A. Owen: How Synchronicity Works (for Me))

Yes, I said it. We experienced old-timers have a huge advantage. We have taken the years and decades to learn how to write better stories and we are all still working to learn… That’s right. Shocking as it may seem, writing better novels and stories-stories that fans want to read-makes us better known. It is not promotion or some silly trick. We sell more because we write better stories. It really is that simple. (Dean Wesley Smith: Stop Being in a Hurry)

With a series, your backlist stays in print, your readers are loyal; they will forgive you a book that they don’t particularly care for and look forward eagerly to the next book. People are drawn to a protagonist and they become loyal to him or her. (Gail Bowen, The Elements of a Good Mystery)

All fantasy readers, I would say, expect and desire the extraordinary in their fiction. They want not only the well-drawn characters, coherent plots, strong emotions, vivid descriptions, and insight into the human condition they could get from non-fantastic literature, they also want a “sense of wonder”-an experience of something outside the mundane world. (David D. Levine, The Wonder of Fantasy)

Rhythm may be obvious in a poem and not so obvious when it comes to fiction. How do you hear the rhythm when writing fiction? The same way one does when writing poetry. Read the piece out loud. Get into the habit of doing this. Look for the ebb and flow. If you do, it will help to carry the reader away on your words. (Bob Stallworthy, What Can a Poet Say to a Fiction Writer About Writing?)

Jump. Stop staring at the blank page, stop taking in the dizzying height and jump. When you first open the blank page, jump into writing as fast as you can. When I first start writing in the morning, I put my hands on the keyboard and start typing whatever comes into my head, (Rebecca Shelley: Facing the Blank Page)

There’s a lot of difference between traditional publishing, electronic publishing, and self-publishing… So in order to avoid trouble down the line, it’s important for an author to self-represent correctly-and, more importantly, to use the different avenues in publishing wisely, to build a foundation for a writing career. (Celina Summers: Different Paths to Publishing)

Today’s readers would be horrified at “real” history-its filth, superstition, disease, and cost in terms of human suffering… genre fiction, set in brutal times or places may not be popular unless filtered through modern sensibilities and made more palatable. (Barbara Galler-Smith, A History Lover’s Thoughts on Historical Research)

An agent must be organized, intelligent, multi-tasking, a good negotiator, have excellent time management skills, love books, know marketing and sales and be well versed in the mechanics of writing/storytelling/character development/plot/pacing and social media. He or she must also be relentless in keeping up with developments in publishing contracts, editorial taste and digital publishing. (Laurie McLean: Literary Agents in the New Publishing Era)

There is a perception among writers that tie-in books-that is to say books that are based in a universe created by someone other than the writer-are of low quality and reside in a kind of literary ghetto, … But these books can often add depth to a beloved universe… (Jordan Ellinger: Coming Up in the Trenches)

Build relationships so people begin to recognize your name. If the first post I see from you is promoting your book, all I will remember when I see your name again is that you only care about promoting yourself. (Mignon Fogarty: Social Media Mistakes That Make You Look Like a Newbie)

I think if people are looking to appeal to the widest YA audience, they need to be careful. You want your readers to be able to carry your books around like their latest obsession, which will grow your audience, instead of hiding it in a backpack where new readers will never see it. It think that’s where BEAUTIFUL CREATURES got it right. Those books were show-off-gorgeous… (L.L. Muir, YA Romance: Niche Within a Genre)

You may or may not have seen this piece of advice floating around: those who can be encouraged to quit writing, should be encouraged to quit. (Brad R. Torgersen: On Not Quitting)

You only need to post what you want people to see, but if you post nothing personal, then people may not engage you. Today, people want to know who they are talking to. If you are interesting and engaging there’s a good chance your social media profile will be checked out. If you post nothing about what you do or how to reach you, people will move on to the next person. (Brian Hades: Are You in the Business of Being YOU?)

While the past was historic, the present is amazing, and the future? Well, the future is anything you can imagine. So, don’t be afraid to leap into a unique setting. A line from one of mine, “Every time the old grey cat meowed, Matilda T. Bartholomew was transported fifty five seconds into the future. It wasn’t until he purred that she could restore her missing time, and PG Grey tips was a very crabby cat.” (Julie Ann Avila, Once Upon a Fairy Tale)

Quotable Moments, Part One

April 2, 2013

Evan Braun

Ace Jordyn Craft & Skills Evan Braun Guest Posts Writing Tools 2 Comments

From the very beginning of our site, we have been inspired by professionals. If you want to be a success, after all, start by hanging around successful people. In that vein, we have worked hard over the past two years to find a broad range of professional guest bloggers. Some are other writers like us, at the beginning of their careers. Others are bestselling authors who have hit the New York Times bestseller lists many times. We have mystery writers, romance writers, fantasy writers, science fiction writers… you name it, we’ve had it (or we’re still trying to get it!).

If you’re new to the Fictorians, you may have missed many of these guest posts, which is why Ace Jordyn tirelessly combed through our archives, assembling a list of some of our greatest hits. It wasn’t an easy task! So grab a cup o’ tea, share a genre cookie with Sarah A. Hoyt, and follow the links.

As always, you’re welcome to leave a comment, share your experiences, and let us know which of our many guest bloggers speak to you. And there’s a lot more where this came from! Come back tomorrow for a whole second round of quotable moments. Cheers, and happy reading!

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In a mad dash I edited, edited, rewrote, and then uploaded Weight of Blood for 99 cents. I basically tried to outrun my doubt and fear, because I knew if I delayed I would eventually wimp out. So on sale at Amazon went my first book. I figured fifty sales a month would be fantastic. Heck, on the first day that I sold five copies, I called and told my brother, all ecstatic. (David Dalglish: The Triumph of the Dalglish: How I Sold 200k Novels While Not Knowing Squat)

It’s an illusion, you see. The phrase we use is historical accuracy, and it is as important to the genre as the willing suspension of disbelief is to fantasy. The world must appear real, torn from the pages of a text book, and the more real it seems the more latitude the writer has in introducing anachronisms. And ancient historicals require anachronisms; they require a touch of inaccuracy in order for the writer to translate the attitudes and mores of so remote a time into modern vernacular. (Scott Oden: Weaving a Tapestry of Words: the Art of the Ancient Historical)

Traditional publishing means you have gatekeepers. Are they always right? Of course not. Are they right a lot? Absolutely. And the checks and balances of traditional publishing mean that you’ll have a professional product when you’re done, and that really does matter, especially when you’re starting out. (Gini Koch: Why I Like Traditional Publishing)

Steampunk is the cheeky tendon that connects a cynical present to an equally flawed, yet more colourful and idealistic past. (Billie Milholland, The Maker Spirit of Steampunk)

So before you write cross-genre, you need to be aware of what readers of each genre expect. This is best achieved by reading both (all three?) genres you’re crossing, so you’re aware of what the readers expect from each. And hey, once you’re aware of it, you can give the readers special “genre cookies” which will make each of them very happy. (Sarah A. Hoyt, What’s in a Genre?)

Science fiction relies on the laws and principles of science both for world building and for problem solving. That means cause and effect, the conservation of matter and energy, measurability and certainty. The laws of physics can’t be broken on a whim and mysterious and mystical “forces’ can’t be called on to save the day. Star Trek (“I kenna break the laws o’ physics, Captain”) is science fiction; Star Wars (“May the Force be with you, Luke”) is fantasy. (Hayden Trenholm, Science Fiction: Our Conversation with the Future)

In fact, with horror, getting the basic story elements right is even more vital because the horror element may be so fantastic it requires a greater suspension of disbelief and therefore a higher degree of grounding… the greater the story, the greater the horror. (Craig DiLouie, What Makes Good Horror?)

That’s a balance authors have had to work with for decades, if not centuries-the idea being that promoting your book keeps it in people’s minds. Right now you can do that through engaging blog posts, being on Twitter, going to conventions, doing book signings, and all of these things. They take time. If they take so much time that you’re not writing your next book, then the question becomes are they worth it? (Brandon Sanderson, Brandon Sanderson Dishes on Publishing)

I started my self-publishing experiment last August when I published The Demigod Proving. In November I followed up with Keep Mama Dead… But there is one thing I have learned, that I’m qualified to talk about, and that might be useful to you: you should give up your unreasonable hope, and maintain your reasonable hope. (S. James Nelson: Abandon All (Unreasonable) Hope)

Writing tie-in fiction isn’t for people who think writing is an art, it’s for the folks who know it’s a business. You have to be able to work under pressure, absorb a lot of information quickly, change gears on a dime, and abide by strict rules, like non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). If that doesn’t sound like fun to you, chances are good that writing tie-in fiction would just leave you frustrated and with only half a head of hair. If, on the other hand, it does sound like fun, I’d suggest a visit to your doctor-they have medication for that now, heh. (Marsheila Rockwell: Tie-in Fiction)

I regularly write, and publish, an average of 300,000-500,000 words each year. To me the word “office” is only a loose term for the place where I get my writing done. I can sit in a bustling coffee shop with headphones on, and disappear into my story. I can take notes on the paper tablecloth in an Italian restaurant. I can write anywhere. (Kevin J. Anderson: Outside, In the Office)

Like the Romans, we turtle up, trying to buy ourselves the time for intel to catch up to the environment and give us a good look at what we’re dealing with. There really wasn’t a lot of difference between goblin clans and the Jaysh al-Mehdi in this case. Both were totally alien to us. Both were potentially deadly. (Myke Cole: Capturing that Military Feeling)

When you put yourself out there, you lose all control of how people perceive you. They see through their own lens. Try not to take it personally (yeah, right)… (Mercedes M. Yardley: Your First Hate Mail: How Life Can Change After Working for a Magazine)

Sometimes publishers don’t take books that are perfectly good because the books don’t stand out. Sometimes the books have major flaws. Sometimes, though, the world’s just not ready for the author. (David Farland: The Future of Publishing Is Self-Publishing)

Choosing A Genre or Mashing-Up Genres ““ What’s it All About?

March 1, 2013

Ace Jordyn

Ace Jordyn Craft & Skills Genres Ideas & Plotting Storyline The Writing Process World-building Writing Tools 3 Comments

I read three well written novels novels recently and wasn’t sure what genre they belonged in. They were set in the future – one was set in a dystopian Calgary with some really cool cyborg people, another was set on Mars where people had the option of having their consciousness transferred into android bodies, and the third was set in another solar system with interstellar travel and neat technologies and alien beings. Science fiction seemed logical as they were all in the future, but their telling and basic elements were much more traditional.

If mystery had a future-crime sub-genre, all would fit that category beautifully. Rob Sawyer’s Red Planet Blues has a delightful, laid back gum shoe detective. Defining Diana by Hayden Trenholm (see his blog on writing science fiction later this month) is a solid crime novel that’s gritty, hard and gruesome when it needs to be. K.A. Bedford’s Hydrogen Steel has a retired homicide inspector struggling to save humanity while she struggles to accept her own physical reality. These are three well-executed detective stories marketed as science fiction.

The fact is, when we write, we use elements from several genres in our stories. Mystery in science fiction. Thriller in fantasy. Romance in steampunk. The mash ups are as varied as the imagination! And yet, some work better than others. Why? The magic happens when the author understands the elements that make each genre unique. For example, a cozy mystery like Rex Stout’s adventures with Nero Wolfe, could have easily fallen into the annals of “literature’ as Stout deftly captures the voice of the time by using strong characters and a well-defined milieu. Yet, his stories are, first and foremost, mysteries and his novels are marketed as such.

In all four examples, it is each author’s ability to understand the genres they are mashing that gives their work depth and memorable voice. Most importantly, their writing is a joy to read as it pleases the intellect on many levels. Making it fun for the reader, transporting him to worlds he never dreamed of – that’s the true test of knowing your genre well and choosing mash-ups wisely. I recently had the privilege to edit Shanghai Steam , an anthology with a unique mash-up of steampunk and wuxia. Reading the submissions and editing the selected stories was fun because authors who understood the subtleties of both genres created distinct worlds, plots and characters. Fun, gripping, mind-blowing – that’s what it’s all about for writers and readers.

Do you choose to write in one specific genre or do you use a mash-up? Every novel has elements of several genres and the question is one of degree and desired market placement. Is it science fiction or mystery? That’s determined when you decide the character of your novel – what its unique voice will be. It’s no different than creating well-rounded, deep characters as was discussed in many of February’s posts. Frank Morin, in his post Complex Characters reminded us of Shrek thinking he is like an onion – layered. In his post Platonic Male-Female Relationships in Fiction (a.k.a. “The Glue”), Evan Braun compared the complexities of romance against friendship as he discussed how each creates a different dynamic in character interaction. What is your story’s dynamic? How will the genres you choose relate to one another? Is your story more mystery or science fiction? Which genre will have the stronger voice? Like Shrek’s onion, how many layers deep will you go into each genre? What blend provides the best milieu for telling your story? How will your characters and your readers react? What will you choose?

March’s posts will help you better understand how each genre can give your story its unique voice and character. We’ll also have posts comparing genre writing to literature, choosing which genres to mash and how to market them, and there’ll also be a case for not worrying about any of it. There will be posts on specific genres including horror, steampunk, fantasy, romance, science fiction and many others. What makes each genre unique? What makes it work?

Choose your story’s voice and character and have fun writing as you peel back the layers!

Let’s see now … Miss Marple in dystopian 2081? A western horror? Steampunk space opera? Romantic military SF? Historical fantasy thriller? Urban fantasy folktale? So many to choose from…