the puzzle box

Writing is a puzzle, but a three-dimensional puzzle, like a puzzle box.

A well-crafted story has a conflict and actions that lead to a resolution at its most basic plot. But there are layers, extra dimensions, and also subplots that deepen a story and draw readers in. The trick is to give away just enough to spark questions in the readers' minds without giving away the idea, then lead the readers on the journey.

Every step of the story should inspire readers with questions of what COULD happen next.

That can be one of the most difficult parts of the craft of writing. But what happens when the puzzle pieces don't fit? I don't usually focus on the technical until something isn't working and I can't quite put my finger on it. That's when it's time to walk away and do something else for a while.

Think of it this way--corn starch and water aka oobleck. Put pressure on it, and it solidifies, becomes impenetrable. Release the pressure and it flows.

Sometimes creativity is like an oobleck. We push and push and it's like our creativity freezes. Then, we put it aside and at some point--poof!--the answer comes without effort.

I finally resolved an issue with Vault of the Celestials that had been bothering me throughout writing it and then after finishing. I knew there was something missing but could not put my finger on it and was getting frustrated. I took a break, did some editing on The Rule of Yonder (available for pre-order), and then needed a long drive. The best ideas always come during mundane tasks, like long drives, showers, and walking. Sure enough, the idea struck.

When I finally sat down to write, it all came together, FINALLY! Now, it all makes sense, and those extra layers of the story all tie together the way they were meant to. And what is resolved at the end is sparked early on in a way that will create the right questions to lead readers to what comes next.

Persistence pays off, but so too does knowing when to step back and take a break.

the rules of writing

I don't participate in online discussions as much as I used to even five years ago. Life has changed.

However, I was interested in a post that someone shared a link to in a new group I joined. It interested me because I use side stories tied to the main story in my Starfire Angels books. Since the Starfire has been through many experiences, they share these to teach. The discussion shared was about flashbacks and time jumping.

It got me thinking, because the OP had questioned using such devices. I remember early in learning to write that the advice was not to use flashbacks because they slow the action of the story. I disagree.

Anything goes in writing, if you can do it well and it makes sense to the story. A skilled writer makes it work for the story. What is that line from Pirates of the Caribbean--something like "Hang the code, and hang the rules! They're more like guidelines anyway." That's how I think about the "rules" of writing.

Every rule can be broken in a way that works, but that takes skill.

The only rules I follow are 1) finish the first draft, 2) editing can improve anything, and 3) if you don't like it, neither will anyone else. I guess those are more like guidelines.

Writing life

Writing a story is quite the adventure in itself, and not only in what happens to the characters. Rather, the process of writing each book is quite an adventure.

That process begins with the pre-writing: noting ideas, maybe even making a full outline, creating character bios (for new characters), synopsizing scenes, etc.

Then, we move on to drafting. That involves the nuts and bolts of what we consider a story: writing out scenes, action, descriptions, dialogue, etc. Basically, telling the story.

Then the rewriting happens. Adjusting dialogue, changing details, adding/taking out lines of dialogue/scenes, sometimes even removing whole scenes and chapters and completely rewriting them from scratch. This is a long process with lots of sulking and contemplation.

Then the editing happens. There are different stages to editing. Rewriting and editing go hand-in-hand. I consider rewriting to be far more than editing, however. To me, editing is the refining work that happens after the major rewrites. Editing is broken down from the content edits at the most extreme, beginning end of the process to copyediting, which is simply the grammar, punctuation, and word usage. By the time that's done, the book should be finished.

The real adventure happens before the editing, when we're sweating blood to make the story work. Vault of the Celestials has been quite the adventure since the beginning. It hasn't been easy, but it's not simply action. This one is more in depth in the characters' psyches. I have some personal issues to resolve for them before they can move into the next stage of their journey. Figuring out how to do that hasn't been easy.

I've completely rewritten the first chapter to give it a literal "Bang!" ... More like a "Crash!" as I mentioned previously. And the second chapter worked much better from a different character point of view than I had originally written it. By the time I got into the third chapter, I had a better idea of how to make this story work, but I still hit a bump in the road a couple chapters later. That's when I realized that I had it all wrong.

Once I took out what I thought needed to be done and followed where the story was leading me, everything flowed again... like a mountain stream! It poured through my fingers to the keyboard. Yesterday, I wrote a whole 2,500 word chapter in one sitting! It was a wonderful feeling. And later, I picked up and could have written another chapter, except that it was late and I needed to get to bed.

Today, I'll pick up where I left off, but each day brings a new mindset. Today, I was in the mind to change one little detail on a different book, a detail that has been bothering me since it could be misconstrued as a symbol of our modern politics, even though the story is set in a parallel world with totally different politics. All the updates are uploaded now, so that detail will be gone. No one said anything, but I didn't want anyone making judgments one way or the other, especially those I agree with! I write about made up worlds and just do whatever works in the story. What I had works, but my audience lives in this world, and that needs to be taken into consideration. It wasn't an issue when I first published the story, but it's become a symbol of politics since then.

With that done and the weight off my mind, I am focused again on this story. I've been making notes about Vault of the Celestials and figuring out what needs to happen to make the story interesting and give it the ending that satisfies the issues presented to the characters at this stage of their journeys. I love problem solving in this way; it's what keeps me excited. I never really know what might happen until the time is right that it's revealed to me.

This is the joy of writing for me--not only the adventure I share with the characters, the personalities on the page, but also the adventure of bringing an idea to life in a way that means something to readers.

Next month, I'll reveal the cover for The Rule of Yonder when pre-orders become available. Look for that book in June.

a break in the polar vortex

Horses
After the deep subzero temps brought to us this past week compliments of Canada, we had a break in our weather the past two days. More frigid air is expected, this time bringing with it a winter storm beginning tomorrow.

I took the chance offered by the mini-break in the winter weather to visit Buddy and found the horses enjoying their hay in more ways than eating it, as you can see here. Buddy was smart and laid in the straw that was also provided for a place to sleep rather than the snow or hay, but his friend Bucket isn't so smart.

(I don't know why the gray is named Bucket, but he's my sister's favorite horse and a dork.)

I was holding Buddy next to me when I took this with the other big horse on his other side, so they're not in this pic.

Writing
The long drives out to the farm are great for my creativity too--I can't do anything but drive and think. I usually focus on my writing. The time on boring interstate and quiet state highways always unlocks any issues I might be having and jumpstarts the writing. And today, that not only meant fixing something in Book 2 of Forgotten Worlds that might have conflicted with a later book, but it also let my mind work on some other ideas.

I came home and pretty much have planned out Books 4 and 5 while editing Book 1 and writing Book 3. Sometimes this series really gets me excited and then I see that I have SO MANY ideas that I feel like I will never finish it. I'm finally letting myself be free to develop any idea that comes my way, because I can fit it into this series in some shape or form. The possibilities are almost limitless, so I can go hog-wild with my imagination on this (within the rules of the universe I've established).

It was a nice break from the cold, although not nearly as nice as yesterday, when I finally shoveled the walkway to the front door. I've been paying for that all day with sore muscles, especially my back.

That's all I have for now. Don't forget to check out my books listed in the sidebar of this blog.

Thanks for reading!

A nice winter day?!

If you can call 10 F that "feels like" -6 F nice, then, yeah, it was a nice day.

After a brief morning snowfall, the sun came out. Although the morning temperature and breeze were higher, the afternoon turned sunny and calm. It's the wind that gets you!

I hadn't seen my Buddy in two weeks and was overdue for a horse fix. I also missed visiting with my family. I thought I could try going out earlier in the day, but the interstate was slippery and I started fish-tailing before getting too far, so I turned back disappointed.

But after the sun was out for a while and I'd eaten lunch, I was feeling more confident and suspected that the roads might be better. They were. The sun had helped melt away the ice and I drove out to the farm on this cold but nice winter day. All bundled up, I stayed warm on my walk out in the pasture to bring my boy up to the barn. Inside the old barn, I gave him his supplements and the little bit of sweet feed that helps the medicine go down. Vitamin E is invaluable for him, especially for muscle recovery when he's out in the cold weather. A little SmartGut Ultra doesn't hurt either.

Nature has certainly upped the ante on the weather tolerance. My boy has finally become a fluffball:

He could get fluffier, but I'm glad to see that he has this much. He and his herd were playing when I walked out to catch him, so that was good to see also, as was the belly he's keeping through this time, the coldest period of our winters--January and February. He's doing well, but I still feel guilty when I don't get out to check on him.  Spring is going to be a pain, though--a lot of that hair ends up on me.

But for now, I'm happy because Buddy is happy, even if he's "roughing it". I've learned that the best care for a horse physically and mentally is what is natural to them. He has a pretty good life!

Writing the next book

I'm back to writing mode. Editing on Books 1 and 2 of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds is done for the latest rounds. They're getting more refined with each pass and as I consider the future of the series.

In writing this series, I've had SO MANY ideas for future books and scenes and setting that I've had to go back to the first two and change a few things so that, while there are hints of what's to come, what direction the series will take, and what the purpose is, it's not specific enough to create a contradiction later. I tend to want to give away what I know now. That may be different to what develops later. I am adjusting for that also in my editing.

Things change as a series grows and develops, which is why I am waiting with releasing the first two books of this series until after I have at least the third written. I've learned that much over the years of writing, and I believe that experience will make this series that much better.

Just as my current horse, Buddy, has benefitted from all my my cumulative years of learning and refining my use of various horse training disciplines and techniques and adjusting to different types of horses and my knowledge of horse healthcare, nutrition, hoofcare, etc., so too does my writing presently benefit from all of my cumulative knowledge of character development, worldbuilding, points of view, series development, working with different lengths of stories, etc. from many years of dedication to the craft. I love a challenge. I've done many different types of stories, just as I've worked with a variety of horse breeds and personalities. Every variation improves my knowledge and hones my skills. What keeps me going is challenging myself and working through problems to find the right solution.

Now, getting older and dealing with life changes presents a set of other challenges that makes everything more difficult, but I'm determined to keep going and to do what it takes.

And as far as this series goes, I am writing it because it is what I want. I've said before that this series was developed to be what the old science fiction television programs were back in the 90's and early 2000's--fun, light, adventurous, and thought-provoking without the graphic sex and gore and grimness of current program styles. I'm writing what I would want to watch as a series, which is why they are shorter books (episodes) than the typical long novel series, one of which could produce a whole season's worth of television (ie Game of Thrones).

I think you'll like what I have to offer in this. The first book, A New Beginning is now available for pre-order from all the major retailers, including Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo for the first-in-series price of only $0.99 (USD).

I'll reveal the cover of Book 2, The Rule of Yonder, when that goes up for pre-order. I expect that to be revealed around the end of February with a release date in mid-late May.

Cows? What cows?

Yesterday was a beautiful winter day to check on Buddy. The weaned calves were crowded around the water tank, and then Buddy gave me the perfect look with them in the background when I tried to get him to pose for a pic.

He's doing well this winter on the farm. I wish he'd grow a heavier coat, but it's appropriate for this winter. I've seen a heavier coat on him, but apparently his body is giving him just what he needs. He's in good condition, not underweight or in any hardship. Nature is amazing.

Spring will soon be here. Riding season. Then we'll start working the cattle from the saddle. That will be interesting. He will be a working cowhorse yet!

Happy New Year!

2019 is here!

The last year went fast for me with all the changes in my life, particularly in my health. Better health also brought more writing.

The results of that will come to fruition in this year. As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I have three books ready for the beginning of this year--a boxed set of the Legend of the White Dragon: The Complete Series and the first two books of the new series, Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds.

Throughout 2019, I hope to release three more Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds books, provided my writing pace on these holds out.

I also have the third book outlined. That came to me on a drive out to my parents to check on Buddy.

About Buddy--He's huddling with his little herd out in the pasture around a bale. I took some free-feeding supplement tubs out for the herd, mostly so that Buddy gets the nutrients he's lacking, which I've been trying to supplement (but can only give once a week). However, my family is not a horse family. They are a cattle family who understands little about horses. I'm amazed that none of the horses in my lifetime have ever colicked with the winter situation in the pasture. Yet I know of very nice boarding barns where they get colic cases and have all the amenities a person could want for their horse. I guess it goes to prove that horses in a natural state fare much better. We also never had any cases of RAO or COPD in our horses while horses in boarding situations always seem to have issues, and Buddy's hooves are much healthier out at the farm too. I'm the one who dislikes the lack of amenities (insulated barn with high ceiling and wide aisles, wash area, etc.), and the distance. (ps--yes, I'm complaining but trying to make the most of my current horsekeeping situation, but only because I know better than I did when I was younger.)

Although I have a drive to the farm (100 miles roundtrip), I get a lot accomplished while doing nothing. It gives me a LOT of time to just think. I clear my head of nonsense and focus on my writing. On this latest visit, I worked on the third SA:FW book. By the time I arrived at my destination, I had to make some notes. Then, I took the kids out to the snowy pasture with their sleds. While they burned off energy, I sat in the pickup and opened a document on my phone. The creativity soared, and in the hour that the kids exhausted themselves physically, I exhausted myself creatively with a full outline for book 3, tentatively titled Vault of the Celestials.

This year, I will be working exclusively on Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds. It's a fun series that takes my love of science fiction to where I always wanted to go. I've set up a world in which I can take all my unpublished ideas and incorporate them. This is very satisfying for me. I feel like I am fulfilling my dream with this series. And writing, for me, is about the pleasure of story-telling and challenging myself first and foremost. If other people enjoy going into my imagination as much as I do, that's icing on the cake.

I plan to enjoy 2019 with new adventures in real life and in my imagination. I hope you'll stay with me through it all and HAVE A GREAT YEAR!

Book 2 is drafted

The Rule of Yonder has a first draft that came in around 39,000 words. That's just the first draft, which will need some major rewriting, especially in the second half. Something feels off in the second part, but it wasn't off enough to cause writer's block. That means there are good things there but not written with the clarity I needed to really keep it on track. From my experience with this issue, I will likely add another 500-1,000 words. (Also from my experience with writer's block, it only comes when I've taken a completely wrong turn. This "off" feeling isn't quite that extreme but means some work to correct.)

At least I have a first draft. I have something to work from rather than simply notes or, worse, nothing.

Now that the first draft of Book 2 in the Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds is finished, I will do some rewriting on that and Book 1, A New Beginning, before starting the first draft of Book 3.

I'll get around to publishing these, but I want the wrinkles thoroughly ironed out, especially since this is a new branch of an old series. I have established rules that I have to be sure are consistent as well as new characters, settings, technologies, etc. that have been molded and need to harden. I'll be playing in this universe for a while, so keeping it fresh will be a challenge but I think I can manage that with the format of this series

Establishing a series is a daunting task, but after a few series, I've learned that there are certain things that always work best. Rule number one is always get the first two books written before publishing anything. The first book is a lot of inspiration and world-building. After that, keeping up an interesting storyline may mean tweaking facts established in book one, and that means going back and tweaking the world-building, so it's best to finish the second book before releasing the first. By the end of a second book, I generally have things pretty well established and feel comfortable with the universe I've created. Rule two is to make each book have its own three-part story, even if it is just a cog in a larger machine. I haven't really thought of any other rules to follow. Most everything else is fluid, but I may be missing something.

When I'm comfortable with the rewriting of the first two books, I'll start cover announcements and set up pre-orders. Watch for those in the next month.

I have a title

I have been writing lately with a passion that I haven't felt in a very long time. Some books just flow like a torrent, and this latest series is doing just that. It. Feels. AWESOME!

Okay, so that's how I feel after writing all that I can in a session. I give ideas a chance to stew for most of each day. By the time I sit down, I can't not write and end up with a lot written with a sense that I could do more, which leaves me with a sort of writing high.

By the way, that book is almost done. The second in the Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds series will be titled The Rule of Yonder. I have a cover for it done but I can't reveal that yet.

And I now have pieces of many books for this series. It's epic in short episodes. I think that's why it's so much fun--it's easier than one big long epic. I can focus on pieces. I like this length-- around 40,000 words. So far, the first book was only 38,000 words, technically a novella. The second book looks like it will be between 35-40K also. I'm purposely keeping them short, because that's all these stories need. They're meant to be episodic, but there are hints at the overarching plot tying everything together. All my epic long stories with the occasional shorter stories has set me up with exactly the skills I need to make this work.

Of course, I have to keep a bible of sorts because it will span such a long series. This helps me keep track of alien species (too many to keep straight!), cultures, world environments, technologies, government systems, religious beliefs, etc. I'd be lost if I didn't have a quick reference that I could look up rather than having to search through the story narrative to find the answers. The latter takes too much time and can take me out of writing.

I'm working to finish this first draft of The Rule of Yonder by the last day of this month/year. I will then read through the first two books for consistencies, but I feel that I've ironed out the rules and setting of this new old universe. Then I'll feel more comfortable starting the third book. I'm pretty sure of the title for that one, but just in case something unexpected happens to turn the story into something else, I will hold off on revealing that.

Before I publish these books (hopefully the first in April 2019), I will be releasing another, a boxed set. The artist who made the covers for the Legend of the White Dragon is currently working on both 2D and 3D boxed set covers for that five book series. I hope to release the boxed set next month. It's too long overdue.

I have decided that all of these books will be released widely. I'll update purchase links on this blog and also at www.melanienilles.com when they become available.

COVER REVEALS COMING IN JANUARY 2019!

Upcoming 2019 titles known at this time (3):

LEGEND OF THE WHITE DRAGON: THE COMPLETE SERIES (Prophecy, Legends, Fireblood, Legacies, Destiny)

A NEW BEGINNING (Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds 1)
THE RULE OF YONDER (Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds 2)

More to come in 2019!