WIP Wednesday: World Building and the Alternate History

So it's not Wednesday. I'm going to be busy tomorrow, though, so I thought I'd post today. Okay, Work in Progress Tuesday...


Ah, world-building. The double-edged sword of the speculative fiction genre.


While some readers are content with well-drawn characters--a necessity in any story--others want more world-building. Particularly in dystopian novels, where the world of the future (or not-too-distant-future) has changed drastically from our own. Some readers want, nay, NEED, to know where things went wrong, why the world got to be the way it is, HOW the world changed. And if it ain't believable, they ain't buying it. Not saying you should write your story with these people in mind, but should you decide that world building comes secondary to plot, I just might call bullshit. And some other readers probably will, too.

For many stories--alternate realities more than any other genre--there is often a defining moment when everything changed, veered from the norm.

(An exception would be Naomi Novik's amazing Temeraire series, which I just had to include since it's one of my all-time favorites. Instead of a defining event, there are, and have always been dragons. I'd say more, but that would ruin the amazing adventures in Novik's books. Read them!)

In novels of the "steampunk" genre (one of my favorites, so I'm glad it's gaining popularity), the inciting "incident" may be the invention of the brass goggles. ;) Seriously, though, at some point in this reality, steam-power technology surpassed steam technology as it developed in our own history. This is obvious in the copious use of steam-powered machines--like Westerfeld's Clanker constructs in Leviathan.

Which brings us to the WIP. Some of you may remember the last WIP I blogged about, which I have mercilessly shoved in a drawer despite being only half-finished writing it. I NEVER do this. Well, almost never. But even though I loved the premise and the characters, I never felt the plot was grand enough, if that makes sense.

So I've ruthlessly cannibalized the premise, gone back in time to the 1800s, and rewritten history. It's the "steampunk-esque" story I've been dying to write, but never had the right plot or premise for before. Instead of setting it in London (as is typical for steampunk) with steam-powered technology (ditto, ditto), I've given it my own American twist and set it in the west. And instead of steam, the denizens of my Western have begun to use a mysterious gas called aether to power their trains. Of course, this is just the tip of the world-building iceberg. I've had to pin down the exact moment when life was irreversibly changed by the development of aether trains, and change history accordingly.

See, the premise of my original WIP, Aether, involved a secret brotherhood of sorcerers who used aether to power their many tools and weapons. Since the Brotherhood had been around since the 16th century, I wondered... What would have happened if they'd traded us normal folk some of their technology?

Of course, knowing my sorcerers, it would have to have been a major cause they were defending, or to stop a war. I figured, why not both? So in my "As-yet-untitled-Aetherpunk-western", the sorcerers in question--who have seen how rich southerners have grown interested in developing the railway system--decide to act to change things for the better. Disguised as a group of inventors, they offer to trade aether-train technology--these trains travel upwards of 150mph, and require NO coal--for nothing less than the emancipation of all slaves. Which would, of course, have all kinds of crazy repercussions. :)

First, all slaves are free by 1840--but still don't have the vote. Which is why Lincoln still decides to run for office, to push the 13th amendment. At the time the story opens, his vice-president, Johnson is president. "Lucky" Lincoln has served two full terms in office, and has survived several assassination attempts. Hence, he's not known for his honesty in this time so much as his luck.

So without the Civil War, and with the Transcontinental Track built decades sooner, westward expansion has changed the nation. The trip across country now takes only six days, and there is no need to call for homesteaders. Overpopulation threatens the east already, particularly the south, since the factories to forge aether into steel plates for the Trans are in Atlanta.

Then there's the fallout of the sorcerers trading this barely developed technology to a developing nation. There are many dangers associated with the mining of this particular type of aether--which is the only type of aether the general public knows exists. Without the safety practices the sorcerers used in place, miners don't last long. But if the government wants to continue to lay new track, they need to mine more aether.

In addition to all this, there are rogue groups of sorcerers who broke away from the Brotherhood. Many of them disagreed with the decision to give aether-tech to the uninitiated, others wish the Brotherhood would take responsibility for the miners, who are dying from over-exposure to aether, or for the land that is being ravaged.

So as you can see, I've got a lot to think about. But I was surprised to find that talking things out about the world with friends immediately helped to clear up some of the obvious plot holes. Never underestimate the input of the non-writers in your life. You may not want them to crit your book, but they may be able to offer logical responses to your problems. Chances are, you're already too close to the mini-world your characters inhabit, and might not see issues with the bigger picture.

Anyone else out there write alternate histories? Love steampunk? What is it about this type of story that draws you in? For me, it's the juxtaposition of the familiar and the strange, and the way history feels more like fantasy.

So far, re-writing history has just been a ton of fun!

What to Expect When You're Expecting... A Crit: Pt 3

So, how's the house buying going? you ask.

Ugh, horrible, I reply. The place looks perfect on the surface, but underneath the house, the foundation is all cobbled together and crazy. The inspector said it was fixable, but it would take some work.

Oddly enough, that's kind of the way my manuscript feels to me right now. Like it looks great after a quick glance: good premise, good characters, but there's something missing that's not immediately identifiable. Nothing on the surface, but something deeper. I've made myself crazy trying to figure out what to do next, where to go. When I'm feeling this way, that's how I know it's time to send my work to a beta.

So now that your work is out getting critiqued, what should you expect when you get the crit back?

Well, first, no matter how open to criticism you may think you are, expect to feel a little stung when readers don't tell you "It's the next Twilight!" or "J.K. Rowling is going to be so jealous!" If this does happen, odds are you need to start looking for a new crit partner.

Expect it to take a few days for the criticism to sink in. To make sense in a way that doesn't make you cringe. For you to remember why you sent your work to them in the first place. To make it better! Also, remember any good crit buddy is working very hard to help you. Remember that they have your best interest at heart.

Maybe I'm some sort of masochist, but I like getting feedback on my work. I get so into my own little world sometimes that it's good to let someone else in, see what they're seeing. 

So what about the house? you ask. Well, we decided not to go for it. Too many surprises covered up by a pretty façade. Unlike Evangeline, this house wasn't worth going the distance for. But it's been a great learning experience and we're ready to keep looking for the house that's right for us.

What about you all? Do you enjoy getting your work critiqued? I'd love to hear about it.

Can't Blog...

...reading Possession. ;)

Don't Get Tagged...

...before next Tuesday, or you'll miss out on the fun! For that is the day Possession will be available in bookstores and for digital download! Yay!

I've already pre-ordered my Nook edition. I haven't been this excited since this little book came out. You should be excited, too, if you haven't been living in a cave on the moon with your eyes closed and your fingers in your ears. Want a chance to win a copy? Don't miss this awesome giveaway event!

I love dystopian books the same way I love alternate histories. It's fun to see just how far a society will go in the pursuit of perfection, and in the world of Possession, that means strict control. What do you like about dystopian novels? I'd love to hear it!

Whatever you're reading—dystopian, paranormal or epic fantasy, YA or adult—I hope it satisfies. Have a great weekend, y'all!

What to Expect When You're Expecting... A Crit: Pt 2

Mmmmmm. Compliment Sandwich...

Last week we talked about how to find crit partners you can trust. I meant to have another post up Wednesday, but guess what?

My husband and I just put in an offer on a house, and it was accepted! It's going to mean some initial belt-tightening, and some busy days between now and closing, but we're very excited! (Pictures to come, whether you want them or not ;D ) It will be so nice to finally have a place of our own, and even nicer to have an office of my own, with a door that shuts, and my desk and everything. Yes! I can't wait until we're all settled in.

Sorry I've been too busy to post in a timely manner, but I promised you another crit-related post, and a crit-related post you shall have!

So what should you expect from a critique partner? First, the two (or three or four, if you want a crit group) of you should lay down some ground rules. Like, how much of a manuscript do you need to have read? What time-frame works for both of you? One of you might need your entire ms read in a few weeks if, say, you're resubmitting revisions to an agent. Time frame is one of the first variables a good crit partner will consider.

Second, a crit partner is not a mind reader. If there are specific areas of concern you'd like them to address, write a little questionnaire for them to work from. In my humble opinion, however, it's usually best to wait until your critter has read your ms to give them said questionnaire, just so their first read of your work is untainted by your concerns. You may discover that one of your concerns doesn't even faze your critter. Or quite the opposite, they may see problems you never anticipated having to change.

Finally, you should expect your critter to be able to explain why a part of your ms is or isn't working for them in a way that's both critical and constructive. Hence, constructive criticism: you've heard of that, right? ;)

When partners are new to one another, some like to go with a technique commonly called the "compliment sandwich", in which the critter begins their critique by praising the parts they enjoyed first. Next they move on to their concerns—explaining why things do or don't work for them, of course. This will typically be the bulk of the crit, but not to worry, as the critter will finish the "sandwich" by ending the crit with more hopeful words.

So yes, courtesy and honest concern for you and your writing are two things you should rightly expect from a critter. Which is one of the reasons I don't promote the use of critique circles, where critters "earn" crits by critting the work of others. These sites don't foster camaraderie and friendship the way open forums do, and you won't always be able to read old critiques if you start to question the motives of one of your critters—who may very well be tossing off a bunch of half-assed crits just to earn themselves new ones. Shame on you. Shame on all of you. :(

I've run into plenty of critters like this in the past, but once I learned about sites like Absolute Write Water Cooler, and the QueryTracker Forum, I ran the other way and never looked back.

I hope I've been able to shed some light on what to expect from a critter. Once you have worked with the same crit partner for a while, you'll start to get tougher on each other, which is a wonderful (and highly necessary) thing. Once you have a crit partner you can trust, you don't question their feedback so much.

You listen, because you know your relationship is built on respect and trust.

To end, I want to give a shout-out to my crit group, Plamena, Jade, and Abby! You rule, ladies!

What to Expect When You're Expecting... A Crit: Pt 1

So I may not be an expert or nuthin', but I have received my fair share of criticism. I finally finished my rewrite of Evangeline (which changed things so much I had to rewrite my blurb and synopsis! :P ) and have sent it out to betas to read.


How did I find said readers? you may ask, as you are wont to do. You really are quite inquisitive, you know. Well, one reader has been with me for a long time, and has read Evangeline in nearly all of its recent incarnations.

We "met" at the most-awesome QueryTracker Forum, which I find to be an excellent place not to only to post your work, but to foster relationships with other writers. (Of course, QueryTracker itself is the perfect tool to keep track of your queries and tidbits about agents, but that's another post. Can't query without getting feedback first. That's rule #1 of querying. Rule #2 is you don't talk about QueryTracker... Wait, that's not right...).

At a forum like QueryTracker's, you can "test-drive" crit partners or betas with a sample of your work before you commit. But, you may be saying—always interrupting, you are—how do I make the leap from getting a single crit from someone to becoming crit partners? The simple answer is: ASK. The worst thing they can say is no. (And I know, from experience, that anyone who has to say no is usually VERY apologetic about it, so it will be a nice no, if you get one)

Too afraid to just shoot off a pm willy-nilly? Take some time to find out a little more about your potential crit partner. Follow their blog. See what they write about revisions. See what they say about crit buddies. Even though they may already have a devoted crit group, that doesn't mean they won't need a fresh eye for a project that their crit buddies have read so many times it makes their head spin. My crit buddy has been reading Evangeline in various forms for well over a year, which means she'll have a different reaction to the manuscript—especially the changes I made—than someone new.

Which brings me to how I found a second reader for the current version of Evangeline, one who had never read any of the novel before. Ever. Since I'm not on QueryTracker enough these days to find a reader I can trust, I turned to the blogosphere, and my "friends" there. Is there anyone whose blog you follow who writes reviews? A blogger who is not only someone that you respect, but someone you are comfortable enough with/have had enough conversations with to ask for help? Just for the record, if someone has just posted like eight straight posts about how busy they are they barely have time to blog, maybe they shouldn't be at the top of your list. ;)

In conclusion, if you have a blog, interact with your peers, and have what you can confidently call "writing buddies" (whether you've actually met them IRL or not), you should have a good-sized pool of critters to draw on for help. No writer is an island, and no writer's spouse/sibling/parent/boyfriend/bff can give enough of the right sort of constructive criticism needed to properly revise a novel. I need at least two people for a decent crit, one of them having never seen the work before. I've been working on Evangeline since November 2008, so it sometimes feels like I'm starting to run out of fresh eyes, lol!

Any other questions about finding crit partners?

Tune in next week for a post on critters, and what you should expect (and not expect) from them.

Thanks, y'all!

The Neverending Story

No, I don't mean the classic fantasy by Michael Ende—though that is one of my favorites—I mean my agented manuscript.

I'm thiiiis close to finally finishing the tenth version—say the nine old versions in my old versions folder—of this manuscript. Some changes have been minor, bits of dialog removed here, pieces of voice added there. Other versions, like the one I just finished, have sweeping plot changes, with characters and settings removed and added. I even have a third person version rattling around in there.

Each version has been a learning lesson, helping me figure out what works, and—through sometimes painful experience—what doesn't.

One thing that's been the same since the very first draft, however, is the ending. Because of a bit of a bloated word-count that fluttered anywhere from 97 to 103,000, I'd written a pretty brisk ending. It was gritty and realistic, even despite the happily-ever-after feel to it.

Now that I've shaved a good 10K off my lowest word-count, I can afford a longer ending, a more satisfying one that the reader can savor. But I don't want to go on too long. Though all of my major plot points are tied up, there are some teeny threads I could pull to unravel a mystery for a second book, but I'm not sure if I want to go there. So I thought I'd put it to the readers.

How do you like your books to end?

One solid happily-ever-after moment? (It is a paranormal romance.)

Do you prefer your books to end? Or do you like the sense of something more to come? I'm not talking about the super-cliffhanger sequels that some books need in order to tell a story. I'm talking about a self-contained story, but one that hints at a story that's yet to occur.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!