Regarding Embassy Fanfiction

So the question was finally asked by someone outside of my writing group: "Would you ever read Embassy fanfiction??"

From Tumblr

In the past, my answer used to be, "No. I don't want anyone touching my characters or universe."

But alas, time goes on, and views change. Over the months I've definitely thought some more about how I would react to fanfiction, and I've come to the conclusion, as you'll see in my direct response to the above asker, that yes, I'd love to see fanfiction of my work.

Here's what I had to say:

"Hmmm… Thats a good question, because I’ve always been very back and forth about fanfiction of my own work. But…yes, I would. And here’s why:

 The obvious reason is that I wanna see what people do with the characters and story world. Of course, I’d encourage people to hold out from fanfiction until at least after Resonance is published, because the world opens up a ton and you get a lot more history and setting and information about the world of my series, and I’d imagine people could use that to the advantage of writing fanfiction for it.

Another reason I would is because of the reason I wrote/am writing Embassy and Resonance (along with Books 3 and 4 of the immediate series, both of which have titles, neither of which I’m giving away yet :P). This story, this world isn’t just about Arman, or the other characters. It’s about humanity as a whole. We all have our individual stories, we all experience the world in a different way, and thus, fanfiction of different characters could totally help to add depth to that world and make ever-the-more realistic. I’d love to see how other characters I didn’t even know about react to the events of the series, or what they think of the characters I’m writing about, or what other adventures are out there.

I can tell you right now there's a MASSIVE history behind the Embassy Universe, and I plan to write a few spin offs in the future, most notably “We Cannot Be Content,” which I’ve discussed before and can be found in my blog. It basically surrounds why humanity left Earth for good (and you learn about pieces of it in Resonance). I already began writing WCBC, though it probably won't be done for a few years (but trust me, I can’t wait to get that out because it’s very, VERY relevant to issues in today’s world).

So, yes, I’d be fascinated to see what people come up, and I hope that as the series goes on, more fanfiction will come out because let’s face it: it’s inevitable so there’s no point in resisting and it just adds to the World of the story, which, as I always say, is my vision of humanity’s future, so fanfiction would help diversify it :)"

There's one point I want to expand upon: I would greatly encourage anyone who writes fanfiction to have an impressive understanding the history and physics of the Embassy Universe. If you're writing fanfic and aren't quite sure about how certain physical laws apply in this universe, or need clarification on a piece of the universe's history, please consult me. Send me an email. Shoot me a tweet. Comment on my blog. Whatever. I can tell you literally anything you need to know about the history, about the planets, about the Embassy Program, etc etc, and it would help you maintain your credibility as a fanfic author if you stuck to the same "story universe laws" I use. This is also why I'd suggest waiting until at least Resonance is published in January 2016, because you'll learn sooooo much more about the story world.

Trust me.

One last thing, and I want to make this clear: if you do write Embassy Universe fanfiction: as I stated above, consult me for any questions you may have or help you may need. More importantly, please, do not attempt to make income off it without my explicit permission. People, chances are I'm going to approve, but if you want to make money off it, at least tell me. You'd really have to screw it up for me to not approve. But I stand by my statement: just tell me first.

What better way to get it out in the world than with the Seal of Approval from the author of the original universe? I'm open to that kind of collaboration, where I can run through and check for accuracy and consistency before you release it.

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5 Creative Ways to Enhance Your Story

Today I'm going to talk about the 2nd-most crucial part of the whole writing process: Editing. (The first is actually finishing the first draft of the story.)

Now, when you think of editing, you probably just think of taking everything you wrote and searching for grammar and spelling mistakes, words that don't work, and maybe deleting scenes that don't seem to fit. But there is a lot more that goes into the process. I'm going to focus on the CREATIVE side of editing, ways to enhance and move the plot in new ways.

5 Creative Things You Should Do While Editing Your Story

#1. FIND EACH CHARACTER'S VOICE AND DEEPEN IT

Well, not literally (or maybe literally if that's what has to happen, who knows?) But what I mean is strengthen characterization. There are several ways to do this, and the easiest is to focus on the dialogue.

Your characters respond to events in different ways. They all come from different backgrounds, so use that. Do they talk nervously about something? Do they get excited easily? Are they strict?

Find language that shows this. Someone who is outgoing won't use the same words as an introvert. Their moods will be different. Show that when they speak.

I did say deepen their voice...

#2. SHOW YOUR CHARACTERS MOVING DURING DIALOGUE

This is by far something crucial you should practice doing. Time and time again, while editing dialogue and trying to deepen characterization, I find myself making odd facial expressions and gestures with my hands, strumming my fingers or tapping my feet. Really anything.

Funny enough, I do this in Starbucks and get looks sometimes. But I'm a regular and people have asked what I'm doing, and pretend to understand that this is a necessary element. Because honestly, it is.

Pay attention when you talk to people. Your hands move, face changes, you lick your lips, tap your cup, twirl your thumbs....whatever. Pay attention: You do these kinds of things and don't even realize it. Show that in writing between different characters and you'll convey their mood through words AND gestures, making it seem more natural -- thus more relatable and engaging.

"Heyyyyyyyyyyyyy, sexy lady."

#3. CONDENSE SCENES

You're going to hate doing this once you see your word-count drop. Trust me. Embassy began as a 151,653-word novel, and in the first eight chapters, I took out almost 16,000 words. It's painful to watch 32 MS Word pages disappear like that. It is.

Now the book is 77,000 words long, as you'll know if you read The Most In-Depth Query Letter Advice on the Internet.

Condensing is important. Nobody wants to read long, extravagant paragraphs about the soft-fibered carpet the wealthy owners bought from India that completely complimented the sparkling chandelier hanging in the study. Unless you’re Ernest Hemingway, all readers need to know is that it was a red oriental rug and the owners were wealthy.

Move on.

More importantly, describe through ACTION as often as possible. Strike fear into hearts, or make us cry. But for crying out loud, don't say, "how sad it was because he meant so much to me." If readers can feel the pain, they'll read the book.

Errrr...when I said, "condensed,"that's not what I had in mind.

#4. CREATE EASTER EGGS

I'm going to say this again because I love it so much. Editing a first completed draft is about one of the best experiences any writer can have. So, if you want to make an impact, create a surprise, or something like an Easter Egg.

What's an Easter Egg? There are a few types. One can be a hidden reference to something in the real world, like another book, movie, TV show, or even something personal to the author. Another type is a hidden meaning or puzzle within the book.

Take the Mirror of Erised from Harry Potter. The inscription reads: "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi." Read that forwards: "I show not your face but your heart's desire."

Cool, huh?

That's just one example of dozens in Harry Potter. Google some others, they are AWESOME.

In my book, Embassy, I have Easter Eggs for Doctor Who, Harry Potter, stuff from my life, etc. The possibilities are endless.

  

Yes, this quote is an Easter Egg.

#5. CREATE NEW SCENES OUT OF THIN AIR

Okay. You've written the story and you're editing it now. You come across a scene and tidy it up a bit. But take a closer look and let your imagination pour onto the paper: What can you write that will deepen characterization, push the plot forward, and bring excitement/suspense, while still fitting cleanly into the plot?

WRITE IT.

Just do it. Go. Start writing and create something new. For example: the Hologis Tournament in my book, Embassy. What'd I do? I took a scene where Glacia Haverns was throwing a holographic ball against a wall, and somewhere inside my brain, my imagination clicked. I made one of the characters comment on how Glacia had practically turned the Records Room into a Hologis arena, and then I rewrote the previous chapters over and over to accommodate this new sport.

Then I took it a step further: I sat down and wrote a RULE BOOK. I detailed how the game is played, the scoring systems, purging systems, stadium layout, team setups, and more. Finally, I went back to the laptop and typed a 20-page chapter where they play this game.

Doing this significantly increased the action and excitement of the book at a point where it was just beginning to drag. Boom, problem solved. And it was a blast to write. You don’t have to believe me, but people have told me they like Hologis more than Quidditch.

Your move, Ms. Rowling. And happy belated birthday!

(Click Here to watch a short 30-second CGI video about Hologis)

Give this a try. Create something that wasn't in the original draft and see where it takes you.

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Also be sure to check out my Get it Write Tonight ebooks, Characters and Edit! That! Book!

While you're at it, check out my New Adult Science-fiction novel, Embassy.

EMBASSY adopted into a high school's English curriculum!

On Tuesday morning I received confirmation from a high school in Kansas that the school board approved Embassy to be part of their English curriculum!

It started when my friend Heather (the same who wrote Swept to Sea, which I just reviewed HERE) gave her teacher a copy of Embassy.

Her teacher proposed it to her director, and this-led-to-that and now Embassy is officially part of a high school curriculum and it's just about the coolest thing in the world.

So that was the highlight of my week! :D

You can buy your own copy of Embassy as a Kindle or a paperback. Enjoy!

Officially required reading at a high school

5 Editing Tips that will Save Your Story

#1.  WATCH FOR CONTINUITY.

Writing a novel is a huge task to undertake. You can't only focus on the novel, you have other things to worry about in your life, too. It's easy to become muddled and confused. When writing your story, maybe you accidentally change a character's name, or say one thing happened and then make something else happen. You'll find these sorts of mistakes in your first draft.

Trust me, I did. It's not easy to remember every little detail you put in. That's why you revise and edit multiple times.

But go back through your story and check to make sure everything lines up as they should. One little shift can make or break a reader's trust.

#2.  MAKE SURE YOU TELL THE RIGHT SCENE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

While writing the first draft of Embassy, I threw down every little thing that popped into my head. In the first draft, it's important you keep every idea. You don't know which ones you might use or trash.

In the second and third drafts, I found that there were some scenes which didn't quite fit into their places. I had to shift some scens whole days or weeks into the past (or future) of the story. Maybe a character feels more emotion here, or less there. Maybe a scene might just work better somewhere else.

And nothing unexpected...ever happened.

Change things up, experiment. I rewrote the first chapter of Embassy 47 times. I was constantly shifting things around to make them fit better and adding/deleting things to make it flow better. Same with the other chapters.

#3.  DEEPEN CHARACTERS AND GIVE THEM UNIQUE VOICES ASAP.

In the second draft of Embassy, several of my characters completely flipped personalities because their original forms JUST DIDN'T WORK. The story was bogged down by these oh-so-perfect people and very little was happening.

In draft two, one guy became a jerk, the MC became depressed and lonely, and another character went from being sweet and shy to stuck-up and clingy.

Everyone's favorite trio!

Characters will do that naturally. I'm not in control of what my characters do, they are. I can only express them.

#4. FIND THE MEANING OF YOUR STORY.

How many of you were ever interested in a book that didn't teach you something? The people kind of just moved around, things just happened, and at the end, you didn't quite care who lived and who died.

Not very interesting, huh? So create a story with a lesson. Present a scenario that the reader can relate to. Change the original draft of your story and rework it in a way that readers will attach themselves to the characters.

#5. LET OTHER PEOPLE READ WHAT YOU WRITE.

I'm working on the fourth draft of Embassy. Here is my process: I read one chapter at a time in order. I edit that chapter, working it out until I see fit. Then I post in my writing group and people volunteer to critique for me. They come back to me with comments, I look at everything, revise and edit with those comments in mind, and send out the draft again. Usually they'll offer one or two more suggestions.

Then I moved on to the next chapter and repeated the process. Each chapter took 3-4 days.

Letting other people read your work gives you a feel for how the General Public will like it. That's what you want, right? You're here because eventually, you want to be published. If you want the public to read your book when you're finished, let a small portion of the public read what you've written now, because the feedback will usually be honest, and can save your writing from disaster.

What other editing tips do you have?

Comment below!

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20 Annoying Things People Say to Writers

This list has been a fan favorite. How many of these can you relate to? Or are you guilty?

#1. "Oh you're writing a book?! When can I read it?"

How about you ask when I'm actually done writing and editing and not wanting to burn it to ashes.

A typical day for any writer.

  

#2. "How many sequels are you going to write?"

Why does there HAVE to be a sequel? And if so, I will write until the story is finished or abandoned.

#3. "How did you possibly think of THAT??? Like, nobody thinks about that."

Well obviously somebody did or else you wouldn't have to ask that question.

I used this. 

#4. "Can you sign my book when I get one?"

If you can get it to me, I'll sign every page if you so desire.

Sadly, we won't meet here.

  

#5. "How do you find any time to write books?"

How do you find time to work? Or eat? Or ask me these questions?

Well, no. Well, it really depends. Um. Yeah.
Allons-y!

  

#6. "You should write a book about..."

*chuckles*

#7. "Am I in your book?"

Would you like me to reveal your darkest secrets? If not, then don't ask. Even so, I might have put you in the book, so if I did, don't get angry if you don't like what you see.

I guess that concludes negotiations.

#8. "Is there any romance?"

#9. "Is it action-packed?"

#10. "How many characters die?"

Why should I tell you? The point is to be surprised.

#11. "Do you have a life?"

#12. "Do you just sit in your room all day?"

Am I in my room now? No. I actually prefer to be in the middle of a crowded place while I write, like Starbucks or Market Square in Pittsburgh.

#13. "It can't be THAT hard."

When's the last time you wrote a book and edited it through several drafts? Never?

Thought so.

#14. "Ah, thought I'd find you here."

Yes, you found me at the same spot that I'm always sitting during this period of time, since it's the same spot and time that I always choose to write.

#15. "You WROTE that?"

No, the magical book elves had typed the entire book on my computer while I was sleeping.

Neil Gaiman, everybody.

 

#16. "So when is it getting published?"

I think it's fair to say you'll KNOW when it's getting published because I will TELL you.

#17. "How long did it take you to write that?"

Not overnight, that's for sure.

#18. "I write, too! My friends all gave me positive reviews and said I should submit it to a publisher!"

You should either get some new friends or pick your favorite place to cry alone.

#19. "I wrote some stuff, too! Since you wrote a book, can I send my story to you for you to look over and tell me how it is?"

Unless you're in my writing critique group, I genuinely just do not have the time. Even if I say yes, I'm secretly hoping you won't, because I just don't have the time. The order goes: me, critique group.........................you. I have other people who need me to review their books AND I'm trying to edit mine. Come back when you're done a few drafts, have analyzed the story, and have joined a critique group. Then I'll consider it since you showed you care.

Don't get angry. It's the truth.

#20. "Writers don't make money."

There are several types of writers. The two biggest ones are those who write to live and those who live to write. The first group barely pays the bills and probably has a job on the side. They write a book a month and get it published, and it's generally not very good nor successful. They do it for a quick buck.

The second group cares about their book like it's their child and once they get it published, they can be way more successful in a shorter period of time. They take everything they've got and dump it into their book. Their stories are from their hearts.

*This list represents only my (very) sarcastic responses. You know, the internal kind.

Do you have anything to add? Share it in the comments!

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