Copy That

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This week I was preparing for another out-of-town event. As I sorted stock, I realised I was opening my last box of Replicate paperbacks. (Apologies for the terrible post title pun … but, hey, replicate … copy … Ahhh, how about we move on … lol.) For those who aren’t familiar with the Blaine Colton trilogy, I’ll drop a Replicate marketing tile below as a refresher. 🙂

The day was warm, but as I packed books and loaded the car for my trip, it didn’t take long for me to start sweating uncomfortably. While travelling to the city where that event was being held, I watched the external temperature climb on the car thermometer through some regions, hitting the Queensland-typical heights our state is known for during this spring to summer transition season. That’s when we usually see our most spectacular storms, which you’ll also read about in Replicate, given it’s set in the lead up to Christmas and through into the New Year.

In that moment I had a flash back to a day in December, all but ten years ago. It had been a comparable season and I was at the midpoint of the Replicate manuscript, pressing towards a completion deadline. I was sitting in a chair, sweat beading down my body, wetting my clothing and chair seat. The temperature was hovering around 43/44 degrees Celsius (109.4 to 111.2 Fahrenheit for the Americans out there). There was no air-conditioning where I was writing, and barely a breeze. I’d spent some days wrangling with Blaine and Jett, writing out their ‘bromance adventure’ to the Sunshine Coast. Five thousand words later, after letting them lead the related scenes, we were no closer to the pivot point that would catalyse the next part of the story.

I tried many different versions of that scene sequence until, finally, I realised there was only one thing that would back Blaine into such a tight a corner to make him resolved enough to enact the plan critical to hitting the remaining plots points and reaching the story resolution, within my target word count. And it was not an option I really wanted to entertain. (Many of you know what I’m talking about …)

This leads me to an exciting (and considerably more uplifting, for those who have read the trilogy) announcement. As you may remember, I have been chipping away at Jett’s story over the past few years. I refer to it as book 1.5 in relation to the trilogy, as it sits between Integrate (book one) and into the first half of Replicate. Well, that manuscript is completed and I’m finally at a point where I feel like this novella might become a reality in the coming period.

So, keep you ears tuned for more news on this, and like Blaine in Replicate I hope you’re starting to get in a festive spirit leading up to Christmas 2024. It won’t be long before we’re singing carols and stringing up tinsel. Enjoy! 🙂

In The Gaps

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Ever had that moment when you’re breezing through a book and, like screeching tyres, it occurs to you a critical item, character, or event has cropped up in a way that’s either impossible or suggests you must have missed an earlier clue somewhere? Me too.

Photo Credit: Mexico by d_alexander33 (Pixabay)

As a writer, it is highly frowned upon by readers and writing coaches alike to pull your reader out of the story and send them flicking back through the story to play catch-ups—unless, of course, it’s a brilliant plot twist they want to revisit. Worse: what if they cannot find the missing clue BECAUSE YOU FORGOT TO PUT IT IN?! Imagine this as an author. Gulp.

I’ve not had a MAJOR gap in my novels that I’m aware of 😬, but after releasing Immortal Mistake I noticed something right at the end that bugged me. It’s not an error, perse, but it is a bit of a, ‘Hang on, how did they get that back?’ question. (Feel free to try figure it out and let me know what you think this is. 😉) But like every writer, I’ve come across plenty of gaps during manuscript development.

This funny Insta reel depicts well how it feels when you think you’ve done the hard work getting your manuscript in shape and you have all those ends tied up so neat, but then … da-dom—plot hole!!!!!

Have you ever felt like life has thrown up a story gap? Those, ‘How did I get here again?’ or maybe, ‘There’s something I’m missing,’ moments. Maybe it’s not a gap, but a series of little choices leading to what feels like a major deviation from your life “plan” or intended goal. Maybe you took a risk [business, life, relationship etc] and there was a critical piece of information or backstory you didn’t factor in or were not provided, and now you’re at an unsolvable impasse.

As a writer hitting these barriers, it can really put you on your tail as you try and figure out a solution. ‘What now?’ blares in ugly mocking tones. Sometimes it can derail your creative flow or make you want to crawl in a hole for a while to nurse your ‘I thought it was working so well’ lament. But often it isn’t as bad as it first seems.

Photo Credit: Wall by Alexas_Fotos (Pixabay)

Sometimes there may be unforeseen benefits for the story that come from the plot-hole wrestling process. Other times, at the perfect moment, you might be provided information that flips the whole thing on its head in the most brilliant way. Love those type of solutions!

The point is, an ‘impossible’ roadblock or crushing disappointment doesn’t have to result in the entire story being thrown away. Get the life parallel? We might just need a good sleep [a good cry??] and a bit of perspective. As goes the hero’s journey, we might need to rally the troops [call in some help] and start changing those decisions that have led us down that bumpy path of disappointment. I’ve even had situations where change comes through the most impossible solutions, as if hand delivered by divine appointment. And then there is the dawning realisation that, in some circumstances, this is where we needed to be all along.

Photo Credit: Leap by hesalzmanngmailcom (Pixabay)

If you feel like you’ve got some story gaps, are facing unexpected roadblocks, or other disappointment, take heart. No part of a story is wasted. With a little help or purposeful adjustment, a new path can be forged, even in unexpected ways—because the story to come is so worth pressing through those moments.

A Matter of Trust

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A Book by Yuri_B, Pixabay

I recently read a book by an author new to me—something I regularly do. About a third into the novel, I was struggling to invest in the hero. It wasn’t due to poor writing or a lack of interest in the storyline. The setting and description was adept and colourful, the struggles real and the villainous threat compelling. And yet, I felt next-to-nothing for the hero and was perplexed, instead of intrigued, by a parallel narrative that I wasn’t 100% certain the author could (or would) link back to the dominant plot.

As a persistent reader it takes a lot for me to hit a DNF (did not finish, for the uninitiated). I wasn’t at risk of that with this story, but found this disconnect unsettling. Fact was, it was making reading hard work—and it was not the first time I’d encountered this. Reflecting, there have been other new authors, highly decorated authors, whose heroes I’ve struggled to invest in. But then I had an “Aha” moment, as Lisa Cron would put it.

It’s a matter of trust.

As an emerging author there is much talk of building one’s platform and readership connection, but this moment was enlightening. I’ll explain why.

Trust by Lisa Caroselli, Pixabay

When a reader picks up one of my books for the first time, or a first time read of any other writer, they are engaging in an investment of time and emotions—and if they really like it, sleep debt! 😜😴 Like any “relationship”, we as readers take a risk. And with relationships, history is a significant factor. When there is no history [insert “never read this author before”], the level of trust is … well … non-existent.

I’ve seen this in reviews on my novels—readers saying they would have no patience for unrealistic “instant solutions”, and gratitude when they discover a hard-fought, satisfying resolution. But first-time readers don’t know if you can pull this off. There’s no history; no trust. Subconsciously they’re asking, “Is it worth investing time, energy and emotions into this story?” That’s why, on the rare occasions I have an opportunity to watch a movie, I’ll sometimes select a low-end romantic comedy—it’s minimal investment so I can pull out at any time, without any compulsion to return.

That’s what I was experiencing. Could the author really pull the story threads together? Were these increasingly insurmountable odds and, frankly, repeat dumb choices by the hero, able to be redeemed such that they could culminate into a heart-stopping, hero driven, but ultimately satisfying end?

I’m happy to report the author did pull this off, and next time I read one of their books I will be less wary, but it was a valuable learning experience for me as a writer. How about you? Have you ever found yourself doubting your first-time reading of an author, only to read to the end and discover a life-time favourite? Feel free to drop a comment below. I’d love to hear about your experiences. 😊

Questions of Faith and Science Fiction

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The very first review of Signal Erased was reasonably generous, but the reviewer questioned “… a religious tone that may be unexpected for some readers …”

Is there a place for God in science fiction?

The reviewer’s tone made it clear they found “godly rhetoric” in the story uncomfortable, highlighting a scene when the heroine, Anna, asks her potential rescuer, Rennie, whether he’s ever asked God about healing for his long-term health condition. The lead to this highlight was “unfortunately”. And that’s fair, given that is the reviewer’s opinion, but clearly they find the idea of supernatural healing and intervention peculiar.

I actually welcome discussions with readers about my stories, including questions of why certain elements or incidents have been included. That said, I admit when writing Signal Erased, I hesitated depicting Anna’s worldview as being openly Jesus-centred, given how this might be received by some of my readers.

Given I write near-science fiction, my stories encompass futuristic technologies threaded around contemporary scenarios. I suppose I could be more allegorical and nuanced, but I allow my characters to wrestle with big life-questions we all encounter. These questions include faith, identity, self-worth, loss, relationship breakdown, health crises and more. To me, these are fundamental questions we all must answer for ourselves.  However, my past heroes have come from a sceptical position when it comes to faith and “God questions”.

Anna is the first character I’ve written who has settled her spirituality. Yet, she has also misconstrued her beliefs to cover a gaping wound of denied grief, instead, constantly striving to be the ultra-good girl. But why include the “Jesus love stuff” (as Rennie calls it), knowing it may raise brows and maybe even lose me some readers?

Whether we know it or not, we all have beliefs, faith and a worldview we live by. I understand not every person’s religious experiences are positive—some are crushingly detrimental. It makes me sad, even angry, when I learn of a searching heart who has been taken advantage of in what has become termed spiritual abuse. So why broach spirituality in my stories?

The fact is we are spiritual beings—whether people ration this as a survival mechanism, supernatural, or otherwise. It is my experience we are heard, seen and known; purposed in this moment of time by a higher power, who delights in spending time with us and sharing his heart in a very personal way. But, I believe, often our God-image gets distorted by our human filters and put in a box of regulations and restrictions we are comfortable with. Like Anna’s “always play it safe” perspective.

To purposely exclude this from a story would be to me, well, unnatural. And yet, we often do. In Anna’s case, it is very much a part of who she is and she simply wouldn’t have been the same character without this.

Something I find curious is readers seldom question or experience discomfort when an author includes spirituality from a non-Christian or even occultic angle. Although this is still embracing the supernatural and depicting faith (in powers of darkness), I personally find these stories difficult, having heard accounts of people who have suffered through devastating ritual abuse. And yet, the fact there is such acceptance of these stories reiterates our acceptance of the supernatural and spirituality as an intrinsic part of our make-up.

Let’s be honest—no one likes “preachy”. If I’m writing a scene where a character is wrestling with spiritual questions, I try letting it flow in a way that is natural and accessible, whilst consistent with the character. I don’t always get this balance right, but I am comfortable letting my characters explore these issues, even if they remain unresolved. After all, they’re still figuring out life for themselves.

That said, I’ve seen too much to not believe there is more to life than the physical world around us. What about you? I’d love to hear your thoughts

Shorts Award

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An exciting announcement today saw Immortal Mistake short-listed for the young adult published fiction category of the CALEB prize. Surprising and thrilling, it is always humbling to have one’s work recognised alongside other quality stories crafted by skilled wordsmiths, especially fellow YA short listed, Jenny Glazebrook, and Rosanne Hawke. These are two talented writers and you should seriously check out their work, if you haven’t already.

I’m grateful to Omega Writers for this opportunity and congratulate all authors who made submissions, and applaud those who have been short-listed across the different divisions. It will be an exciting moment when category winners are announced in September. Stay tuned! 😊