A Brief Look at Now Write! Science Fiction, Fantasy, And Horror

As promised a few Wednesday Weigh-ins ago, here is a brief synopsis of the most recent writing book I've read - "Now Write! Science Fiction, Fantasy, And Horror".

This is a collection of articles on various areas of the writing process, along with a recommended writing exercise, each written by a different author, screenwriter or teacher of Speculative Genre fiction.  Most of the articles are only a few pages long, so it's easy to just pick one that deals with a writing topic you're interested in and read it along with the accompanying exercise, if you don't have time to attempt to read the book from cover to cover.

(As a side note, one of the group writing exercises we did at last year's Preptober Workshop was adapted from an exercise in this book.)

The book is divided into the following sections:

• Understand Your Speculative Genre
• Ideas and Inspiration
• Story Development and Plotting
• High Stakes and Terror
• Building Worlds
• Theme and Meaning
• Memorable Heroes, Villains and Monsters
• Communication and Relationships
• Scene Construction and Style
• Practicing Your Craft

There are also a few pages at the back of the book listing websites or the main online presence for each of the contributing authors or teachers, in case you'd like to learn more about them (or from them, I suppose).

Not a writer of Fantasy, Sci-Fi or Horror?

Well, it would seem this is part of a series of Now Write books:

Now Write! Fiction Writing Exercises from Today's Best Writers and Teachers

Now Write! Nonfiction - Memoir, Journalism, and Creative Nonfiction from Today's Best Writers and Teachers

Now Write! Screenwriting - Screenwriting Exercises from Today's Best Writers and Teachers

Now Write! Mysteries - Suspense, Crime, Thriller, and other Mystery Fiction Exercises from Today's Best Writers and Teachers

But, I think you could learn a number of general writing tips from the articles and exercises in this edition as well.

So, Sockmonkeys, tell me, have you read any good writing craft books recently?  Do you have a favorite book of writing exercises you like to refer to when you're stuck (or just for fun)?

Please, tell us about it in the comments.  Feel free to link to it elsewhere for other Sockmonkeys to look at.  If you're willing, please, submit an email to pcsockmonkeywriters@gmail.com with your summary of the book (it doesn't have to be formal or very long) along with a link to it or a picture of the cover and what name you'd like credited in the post and it can be posted on the blog and shared with other local writers in the future.

Open Mic Poetry Reading Night at the Library Looking for Poets!

Hello Sockmonkeys!

I was contacted by one of the librarians at the Puyallup Public Library about an Open Mic Poetry Reading they are hoping to hold in April.  They wondered if I knew any writers in our area who might like to come and read some of their poetry at an event that would be attended by any at the library who were interested in listening.  This is part of National Poetry Month, which happens every April.

Since I only meet our writers during NaNoWriMo, when people are writing novels, I don't know how many of you also write poetry, but I let her know I would get the word out and see what sort of response I received.  Do you write poems?  Would you be willing to share them?  Wondering what's planned for this evening?

The details I currently have are as follows:

They are hoping to hold it Open Mic style.  There will be a maximum of 15 participants reading during the event.  The only requirements are that participants be at least 12 years old and that your content be kept PG (aka no obscene language, violence or other content that may not be appropriate for a library setting as there may be minors in attendance).  Each participant will be allotted 3 minutes to share their work.

They are planning to hold the reading on Tuesday, April 28th from 6 - 7 p.m.

If you're interested in participating as a volunteer reader and want to read some of your poetry, please contact me at PCsockmonkeywriters@gmail.com or use the Questions? Ideas? box in the sidebar (as long as you include a valid email where I can get back to you with the information).  I will send you the sign up information.

Whether you're sharing your poetry or not, I'm sure writers are also welcome to attend this night of local poetry, if they'd like to do so as part of National Poetry Month.

Any questions, please leave them in the comments, send them via the sidebar or email them to our gmail account.

How many Sockmonkey poets are there?  Let us hear from you, either way!

The Pirates of the Asteroids

This is the fourth and final (for now) post featuring Therese (Terry) Martin's books for Self-promotion Saturday (until she releases her next book!).  Thank you, Terry, for letting us feature your work to start things off!

The Pirates of the Asteroids is a middle to high school grade pirate action adventure novel set in space.  It is book 2 in the Chronicles of Alpha series.

"The Lloyd family is back in the midst of an interplanetary crisis. Pirates have been plaguing the space ways in the Sol system for decades, selling captives into slavery, and now they've begun to attack Alpha shipping. After a passenger liner is raided and the passengers kidnapped, Lieutenant Jonathan Lloyd is given a top secret assignment, to search for information in the Asteroid Belt about the pirate gangs. As cover, his brother David and his friends are along for what is supposed to look like a vacation trip. But things get more interesting when he discovers two annoying stowaways and a frightened fugitive slave. Will this "vacation trip" prove to be too dangerous for the Lloyds?"

Therese (Terry) Martin moved to Pierce County, Washington from Colorado in 2016.  She is a retired middle school teacher, but continues to teach karate to all ages.  She is currently working on the third Alpha Colony novel and has started a mystery series set in the 1950's with characters from In the Presence of My Enemies and The Uncivil Engineer.

You can buy the Kindle version or the Paperback version , as well as read a sample of the novel on Amazon.

The Rustlers of Alpha Colony

This third installment of our Self-promotion Saturday posts takes us out of WW2 historical fiction and into book one of the Chronicles of Alpha series, Book 1, The Rustlers of Alpha Colony by Terry Martin.

"There’s a crisis on Alpha Colony, the first of Earth’s colonies outside the solar system. The planet Alpha, located in the Centauri System, is a perfect agricultural world. That’s why Earth wants to keep it and exploit its resources for its own benefit. The contract that established the colony is due to expire, and one of the conditions for granting Alpha Colony its independence is not as simple as it seems. The planet’s farms and ranches must meet a strict quota of grain and livestock to be shipped to Earth over the term of the contract. If that quota isn’t met, Alpha Colony will remain under Earth’s heavy-handed rule for many more years—or perhaps forever.

  There’s just one problem. Large amounts of cattle have gone missing. Could there be rustlers on Alpha Colony? It seems unthinkable, but a trio of middle school students has stumbled across evidence that has them convinced someone is stealing cattle. Without the missing cattle, the colony can’t make its quota. But will anyone believe these three boys? Will they be able to find evidence to convince the planetary leaders before it’s too late?

This first book in the Chronicles of Alpha introduces David Lloyd, his family, and his best friends, Coby Steinberg and Joshua Bateman. Are these three intrepid young detectives involved in a challenge far beyond their abilities? Or will they be able to meet the challenge and save their home world? "

The Rustlers of Alpha Colony is a middle to high school grade historical fiction about events during the founding of the United States told with a science fiction twist.

Therese (Terry) Martin moved to Pierce County, Washington from Colorado in 2016.  She is a retired middle school teacher, but continues to teach karate to all ages.  She is currently working on the third Alpha Colony novel and has started a mystery series set in the 1950's with characters from In the Presence of My Enemies and The Uncivil Engineer.

You can buy the Kindle version or the Paperback version, as well as read a sample of the novel on Amazon.

Author Swizzle, what is an Author Swizzle?

It is a new event being held by A Good Book Bookstore in Sumner on Thursday, August 8, 2019 from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

To quote the details on their Events page:

"Author Swizzle will be a quarterly evening for local authors to share and sell books.  There will be mingling.  There will be snacks.  There will be a Swizzle drink.  There will be laughter and congratulations.

Readers come swizzle with authors.  Writers, let us know you are coming.  Invite your friends and family, bring yourself, some books to sell, and a snack to share."

I remember a post in the group on the book of faces (I'm not going to type its actual name) a few months ago where a few of our authors were thinking of splitting the cost for setting up a table to sell their books in the Huckster's Room at Norwescon, so this event caught my eye.  I believe we have a number of both traditionally published and self-published authors in the group who are probably looking for ways to get the word out about their books - and hopefully sell a few in the process.  Am I right?

If you fit in either of those categories and have a work or two (or more) that you have copies of you would like to sell, this may be the event for you.  If you are in the area and have time in your schedule, I suggest you contact the bookstore as requested and let them know you are coming (information at the end of this post).  Since this is something they plan to hold quarterly, if you cannot set up at a table this time, perhaps a future Swizzle will make its way onto your calendar.

Don't have anything ready to sell?  That's okay.  Stop in as a reader.  Support a local author or two.  Get your purchases signed on the spot.  Have fun talking with writers and readers!  Bring a reader friend or two.

This promises to be a fun night and if any Sockmonkey Writers plan on setting up a table or attending as readers, please, comment and let us know!

A Good Book Bookstore is located at 1014 Main St., Sumner, WA 98390.  Their phone number is (253) 891-9692 and their website can be found here.

Post Images - A Good Book Sumner

The Uncivil Engineer

This is the next post continuing the Self-promotion Saturday posts started by this blog's creators.  A page with information about how to submit your own writing to be highlighted in a future post like this will be created soon.  In the meantime, thank you, once again, to Therese (Terry) Martin for agreeing to be highlighted first!

The Uncivil Engineer is a high school to college age (New Adult) historical fiction novel set during World War II.  It is a companion to In the Presence of My Enemies and explores the same historical events from a different perspective.

"December 8, 1941. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was followed by conquest and occupation of the Philippine Islands. James Harper, an American engineer working in Manila, is caught up in the turmoil. His experiences in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s have given him some insights that could help him survive being imprisoned. Will that be enough? Will he survive the war, keep his family together, and find his place in the postwar world? Or will he meet his end in the violence of war? Follow James' story from the speakeasies of New Orleans to the economic worries of the Great Depression and the tough decisions he has to make. Share his worry for his family, the perils of being a prisoner of war, and his growing hopes for the future. This sweeping story, inspired by the real-life wartime experiences of the author's family, is a compelling vehicle for people of all ages, spanning four decades. Readers will experience the Pacific war through the eyes of characters who find themselves in the middle of terrifying circumstances. Not a dry textbook, this exciting story with fascinating characters will make the Greatest Generation come alive for their great-grandchildren. Written for "new adults" of high school and college age, it is accessible for middle school readers as well as more experienced adults of all cultures."

Therese (Terry) Martin moved to Pierce County, Washington from Colorado in 2016.  She is a retired middle school teacher, but continues to teach karate to all ages.  She is currently working on the third Alpha Colony novel and has started a mystery series set in the 1950's with characters from In the Presence of My Enemies and The Uncivil Engineer.

You can buy the Kindle version or the Paperback version , as well as read a sample of the novel on Amazon.

In the Presence of My Enemies

This is the first new post continuing the series started by this blog's creators in order to let any Sockmonkey Writers who would like to promote their books or stories to do so.  Thank you to Therese (Terry) Martin for agreeing to be the first!
 

  In the Presence of My Enemies is a middle to high school grade historical fiction novel set during World War II.

"Emily Coates lived a life many Americans would envy. She grew up in the Philippine Islands in a diplomatic family, and reached adulthood when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was in the White House and Glenn Miller's band was all the rage. Her job with the Army Air Corps in Manila was exciting until the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, rapidly followed by air and sea attacks on Manila. At twenty-two, invading Japanese took her, her mother, and her sisters as captives. They ended up in an internment camp, where for nearly four years they experienced deprivation to an almost unimaginable degree. Will this pampered American princess collapse under pressure? Or, will she show the courage that will lead future generations to call hers the Greatest Generation?"

Therese (Terry) Martin moved to Pierce County, Washington from Colorado in 2016.  She is a retired middle school teacher, but continues to teach karate to all ages.  She is currently working on the third Alpha Colony novel and has started a mystery series set in the 1950's with the characters from In the Presence of My Enemies and her other WW2 novel.

You can buy the Kindle version or the Paperback version , as well as read a sample of the novel on Amazon.