tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post115527027980257073..comments2023-10-11T09:22:33.136-04:00Comments on Paperback Writer: Friday 20Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155390244467094512006-08-12T09:44:00.000-04:002006-08-12T09:44:00.000-04:00You've got an unusual trio here, too. Blame it on ...<I>You've got an unusual trio here, too. </I><BR/><BR/>Blame it on my plotbunnies. They're friggin' <I>mutants</I>. :)<BR/><BR/>Thank you. Using the historical background may be the best way indeed. <BR/><BR/>The books are not so much about Rome Rules, lol, but about <I>Endangered Frontiers</I>, an increasing unstability in some provinces (Britannia, Gaul) that leads to a restructuring of the Western Empire; Burgundians and Visigoths developing <I>foederati</I> kingdoms, Britain leaving the Empire, Rome itself being besieged ... The whole mess is too complex for one book, but I never wanted to send <I>one</I> MC to all these places because that would have stressed plausibility a bit much since the parallel timeframe is so tight (and I have more than one interesting MC *grin*).Gabriele Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17205770868139083575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155350496676891682006-08-11T22:41:00.000-04:002006-08-11T22:41:00.000-04:00Amie wrote: ...as usual you're a font of fabulous ...Amie wrote: <I>...as usual you're a font of fabulous info!</I> <BR/><BR/>Lol, thank you, ma'am. Reading that, I formed an immediate image of a me-shaped fountain spitting out little how-to books instead of water -- and kids trying to throw pennies in my always-open mouth. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155350201723039502006-08-11T22:36:00.000-04:002006-08-11T22:36:00.000-04:00Jess wrote: I had a question for you as I was read...Jess wrote: <I>I had a question for you as I was reading... but I forgot it.</I><BR/><BR/>Hey, it's terrific to (virtually) see you again, Jess -- hope you had a great summer. And don't be depressed about missing the VWs, we'll be doing more of those in the near future. It's day two of going back to school here, so I'm still trying to get into the swing of things. I don't remember packing lunches taking this much time in the morning...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155349822424409072006-08-11T22:30:00.000-04:002006-08-11T22:30:00.000-04:00Dawn wrote: Haven't got a question, just wanted to...Dawn wrote: <I>Haven't got a question, just wanted to say I'm glad the trip to Europe hlped you feel better. And thanks for not deleting the blog! *Hugs*</I><BR/><BR/>Hugs back, and thanks. You guys are the best.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155349736852484312006-08-11T22:28:00.000-04:002006-08-11T22:28:00.000-04:00Gabriele wrote: It's not a trilogy like LOTR, it's...Gabriele wrote: <I>It's not a trilogy like LOTR, it's not a series like Stardoc; the books may work as standalones but I see them as belonging together and forming one super-story. <BR/><BR/>No idea what to call this 'parallel trilogy' and how to market it once I've finished the three books.</I> <BR/><BR/>I'm sorry I missed this one during the series VW thread, Gabriele. :)<BR/><BR/>You've got an unusual trio here, too. If I was pitching it, I would simply call it a historical trilogy. All of the books are set in the same world and time period, and that to me is the connection I would emphasize. <BR/><BR/>If you feel you need a secondary connection, I'd mention how the protagonists relate to each other or to each other's stories.<BR/><BR/>As for marketing, you might consider focusing again on the strongest common connection between the books: the world and time period. Something along the lines of "Go back in time to the battlefields and intrigues of ancient Rome with author Gabriele Campbell's new historic trilogy, "Rome Rules!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155333743040782622006-08-11T18:02:00.000-04:002006-08-11T18:02:00.000-04:00Hey PBW!It's Jess, who you helped with on that com...Hey PBW!<BR/><BR/>It's Jess, who you helped with on that communications proj. a few months ago. I lacked the Internet for the summer, but rest assured I've managed to periodically read the blog. I'll return to commenting once school starts in a few weeks. :)<BR/><BR/>I'm SO bummed I missed the Workshops! <BR/><BR/>I had a question for you as I was reading... but I forgot it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155322453735400852006-08-11T14:54:00.000-04:002006-08-11T14:54:00.000-04:00Haven't got a question, just wanted to say I'm gla...Haven't got a question, just wanted to say I'm glad the trip to Europe hlped you feel better. And thanks for not deleting the blog! *Hugs*eihposhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00313211805933994883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155320010374128142006-08-11T14:13:00.000-04:002006-08-11T14:13:00.000-04:00Erin wrote: I read Red Branch recently and LOVED i...Erin wrote: <I>I read Red Branch recently and LOVED it. Any chance of a standalone or series in the future?</I><BR/><BR/>Thank you for the kind words, ma'am. I've done a couple of stories set on Ravelin, the fantasy world of <I>Red Branch</I>, but I don't think I've e-booked more than one (<I>Throw</I> was the title of the one I think that I did put out there for my readers on the old site.) <BR/><BR/><I>...do you do the same amount of worldbuilding for shorts as you do for novels?</I><BR/><BR/>Sometimes, and in a few cases, even more than a novel. Each story is a little different -- <I>Red Branch</I> was one that I spent a lot of time with because the protagonist was such a joy (in the unreasonable, demanding bitch sense of the word.) I also deliberately set out to make Ravelin Not Your Standard Dragons, Magic, Orcs and Trolls world o' fantasy. <BR/><BR/>Sometimes lack of personal knowledge demands it, too. When I came up with the idea for <I>Dark Side</I>, a very looooooong story about a future incarnation of SETI and the first radio telescope being built on the dark side of the moon, I knew absolutely nothing about electromagnetic transmissions, radio telescope arrays or astrobiology. I spent a couple of months researching the necessary info and world building off it before I committed a single word to paper.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155319979418820502006-08-11T14:12:00.000-04:002006-08-11T14:12:00.000-04:00I had a question in the Series workshop which I ma...I had a question in the Series workshop which I managed to hide among the rest of my comment. Here it's again:<BR/><BR/>I have a hybrid that's three books taking place in the same world, that is, historical time and place (Western Roman Empire from Britain to Gaul, Germany and Italy about 406-415 AD). They have different main characters and different story arcs, but the same historio-political background and thus an element of connecting story arcs, share some minor characters, and supblots - the latter is a mess I'm just trying to sort out (what goes into which book and thus which overall POV). It's not a trilogy like LOTR, it's not a series like Stardoc; the books may work as standalones but I see them as belonging together and forming one super-story. <BR/><BR/>No idea what to call this 'parallel trilogy' and how to market it once I've finished the three books.Gabriele Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17205770868139083575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155319018464082672006-08-11T13:56:00.000-04:002006-08-11T13:56:00.000-04:00Peggy wrote: Do you ask/answer your three question...Peggy wrote: <I>Do you ask/answer your three questions for every character, or just the main(s)?</I><BR/><BR/>I always ask the big three for the protagonist(s), often for the strong secondary character(s) or antagonist (s), and rarely for support cast. <BR/><BR/><I>And if you do the questions for more than one, do you consciously look for ways that the answers can cross over between characters (create conflict)?</I><BR/><BR/>As long as they're logical to the character, and the relationship between the character and the protagonist or other characters, yes. The dangerous thing about setting up characters to be or act in conflict with your protag is that they can end up being very two-dimensional, or sound like Abbott to your protagonist's Costello. You can't develop every character to the nth degree (otherwise, you have a novel filled with nothing but protagonists) but I always look for ways to give the rest of the cast the same realism and individuality as the protagonist.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155318004573127882006-08-11T13:40:00.000-04:002006-08-11T13:40:00.000-04:00Simon wrote: I was just trying to sell a truckloa...Simon wrote: <I> I was just trying to sell a truckload of your books to driveby visitors of your blog before they all emailed to ask you for a cover blurb</I><BR/><BR/>Shhhh! Simon, you weren't supposed to tell anyone about our evil plan....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155317910824520232006-08-11T13:38:00.000-04:002006-08-11T13:38:00.000-04:00Eva wrote: Do you plot in key suspense points?I fi...Eva wrote: <I>Do you plot in key suspense points?</I><BR/><BR/>I first plot what I think of as the five main events of each novel. They can be twists, revelations, disasters, what romance writers call dark or black moments, or simply VIP moments in the story for my protagonist. The protagonist is always the center of my plots, the "hearth square" in my story patchwork, so I build everything around the protag.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155312650330337442006-08-11T12:10:00.000-04:002006-08-11T12:10:00.000-04:00I read Red Branch recently and LOVED it. Any chan...I read Red Branch recently and LOVED it. Any chance of a standalone or series in the future?<BR/><BR/>Also the worldbuilding took my breath away. You've probably answered this, but I'll ask anyway:<BR/>do you do the same amount of worldbuilding for shorts as you do for novels?<BR/><BR/>Thanks,<BR/>Erin K.vamp_writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09419145832788705647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155311189453609502006-08-11T11:46:00.001-04:002006-08-11T11:46:00.001-04:00Duh, I meant Dark Lover. Time to make another pot ...Duh, I meant Dark Lover. Time to make another pot of coffee.Eva Galehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08834856467514439544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155311164084539372006-08-11T11:46:00.000-04:002006-08-11T11:46:00.000-04:00I'm sure you've answered this before, but I am not...I'm sure you've answered this before, but I am not remembering and my search-fu seems to have failed.<BR/><BR/>Do you ask/answer your three questions for every character, or just the main(s)? And if you do the questions for more than one, do you consciously look for ways that the answers can cross over between characters (create conflict)?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155309195042912542006-08-11T11:13:00.000-04:002006-08-11T11:13:00.000-04:00Seriously, though, anyone who asks me doesn't have...<I>Seriously, though, anyone who asks me doesn't have to invest in my backlist.</I><BR/><BR/>Well, you wouldn't know anyway ;-) I was just trying to sell a truckload of your books to driveby visitors of your blog before they all emailed to ask you for a cover blurb :-><BR/><BR/>And what kind of word verification is cfsfsfbv? Whoever they're paying to make them up is getting bored.Simon Hayneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02660767551431793439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155305691607832102006-08-11T10:14:00.000-04:002006-08-11T10:14:00.000-04:00I picked up Lover Eternal because of your quote. I...I picked up Lover Eternal because of your quote. I knew you were selective and I wasn't disappointed. With other authors I was very disappointed. Sad, that. <BR/>So, thanks for adding to my TBR pile!<BR/> <BR/>My question: Do you plot in key suspense points?Eva Galehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08834856467514439544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155305314417348062006-08-11T10:08:00.000-04:002006-08-11T10:08:00.000-04:00>>I do suggest that writers read something written...>>I do suggest that writers read something written by the author before asking for a quote<BR/><BR/>Good advice all the way around--as usual you're a font of fabulous info!Amie Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14145328243563702260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155298723123893802006-08-11T08:18:00.000-04:002006-08-11T08:18:00.000-04:00Simon wrote: Someone was asking for SF with strong...Simon wrote: <I>Someone was asking for SF with strong female characters on a forum, so I suggested Stardoc. That's what I meant by not being cynical about it and recommending everything.</I><BR/><BR/>Thank you, kind sir. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155298638011318172006-08-11T08:17:00.000-04:002006-08-11T08:17:00.000-04:00Mary wrote: How are you doing? Is everything going...Mary wrote: <I>How are you doing? Is everything going ok in life? And, did Murphy's Law finally decide your house wasn't as comfortable as it thought it was?</I><BR/><BR/>I'm doing better. I had a tough month, but everything unsnarled while I was over in Europe. Sometimes getting away to visit the places you love best but for whatever reason can't live there resets your internal contentment meter.<BR/><BR/>After a year of working on the house, I'm almost 75% happy with the furniture, rooms and wall colors. I tend to be a snail when it comes to feathering the nest, so I think I've got another six months to go before it's perfectly comfortable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155298343101226902006-08-11T08:12:00.000-04:002006-08-11T08:12:00.000-04:00Simon wrote: That's the other thing - you shouldn'...Simon wrote: <I>That's the other thing - you shouldn't ask ANY author for a blurb unless you've purchased copies of all their books and read every one cover to cover. In the industrious PBW's case that means selling one of my kids to fund my bookstore addiction, but hey, we all have to make sacrifices.</I><BR/><BR/>Good Lord, really? Lisa Jackson is going to kick my butt.<BR/><BR/>Seriously, though, anyone who asks me doesn't have to invest in my backlist. I know authors who have asked me for quotes solely because their editors put them up to it.<BR/><BR/>I do suggest that writers read something written by the author before asking for a quote -- if for no other reason than to determine if you even <I>want</I> that author's name on your books.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155297805240254122006-08-11T08:03:00.000-04:002006-08-11T08:03:00.000-04:00Rob wrote: It's tough on both sides.For authors gi...Rob wrote: <I>It's tough on both sides.</I><BR/><BR/>For authors giving quotes, you find yourself becoming like one of the characters from Pride & Prejudice. You have to resist the urge to be nice and approve of everyone's work (Bingley or Jane), but you don't want to nitpick and hate everything that crosses your desk (Darcy or Caroline.)<BR/><BR/>I shoot for being Aunt Gardner, myself. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155287721036488252006-08-11T05:15:00.000-04:002006-08-11T05:15:00.000-04:00Someone was asking for SF with strong female chara...Someone was asking for SF with strong female characters on a forum, so I suggested Stardoc. That's what I meant by not being cynical about it and recommending everything.Simon Hayneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02660767551431793439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155279390249623212006-08-11T02:56:00.000-04:002006-08-11T02:56:00.000-04:00Paying it forward. Good advice.My questions for yo...Paying it forward. Good advice.<BR/>My questions for you are:<BR/>How are you doing? Is everything going ok in life? And, did Murphy's Law finally decide your house wasn't as comfortable as it thought it was?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1155279201390734202006-08-11T02:53:00.000-04:002006-08-11T02:53:00.000-04:00I'm not at the stage where I have people asking me...I'm not at the stage where I have people asking me for blurbs yet, but one well-known UK writer did give me a blurb for my own book. I was nervous about approaching him, but luckily we once had short fiction published in the same edition of an SF magazine, so that was a bit of an ice-breaker. (And another reason why short fiction can be a useful in to the industry.)<BR/>Of course, my overriding goal is to get a copy of Hal into PBW's hands, but that'll happen one day ;-)<BR/>And I promise Stardoc is moving ever closer to the top of my TBR pile. Promise!<BR/>That's the other thing - you shouldn't ask ANY author for a blurb unless you've purchased copies of all their books and read every one cover to cover. In the industrious PBW's case that means selling one of my kids to fund my bookstore addiction, but hey, we all have to make sacrifices.<BR/>You should also promote other authors at every opportunity, blurb or no blurb. It costs nothing to join in a recommended books thread and mention a few of your faves. (I don't mean in a cynical way, just books you genuinely enjoyed.) Far better that than always pushing your own barrow.Simon Hayneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02660767551431793439noreply@blogger.com