Creating Hopeful Futures

I’ve made no secret in the past that I prefer my futures to be hopeful and absolutely abhor anything that is Dystopian.

Dystopia is the polar opposite of Utopia in that while utopian worlds are perfect, dystopian worlds are full of bad bad things that make you weep and cry. I don’t like that because I want to lift people up, not give them more reasons to be angry and upset. Or worse.

Don’t misunderstand me, perfect worlds exist about as realistically as worlds where everything has completely gone to crap. Yet, we all (myself included) find ourselves drawn to those dark places where daily living is a struggle for survival and death lurks around every corner. I’m just glad that I have my warm surroundings and don’t have to kill for my dinner…hehe.

A story without hope somewhere in it is a story that I feel will ultimately go nowhere. Why? Because I believe that even the most jaded of readers want to see a good old-fashioned story where the Hero/Heroine beats the Bad Guy/Girl and turns things around for the better. It’s ingrained in our nature to root for the good ones and boo the bad ones. Now, before you bring up “The Market”, let me state that attitudes and tastes change so if you’re using that a barometer, good luck because by the time you get that argument past your lips a change has probably already taken place.

As I have stated many times in the past, I’m not here to tell you how to write your stories. I merely share my opinions and experiences for whatever value they may bring to the table.

I like fictional worlds that have a few festering issues lingering just out of sight. It makes them interesting to me. Thanks for your time. 🙂

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Lights and Shadows: Progress Update

I haven’t updated you all on where I am with Lights and Shadows in almost a month, what with all the articles I’ve been writing about Parallax of late. Hopefully, this will make up for that. There’s no excerpt because I don’t feel that I’ve made enough progress to allow for it at the present time. Soon, my darlings, soon. 😉

1. The Writing: Getting through Chapter 9 (yes, still) has been something of an arduous task, mostly because I keep finding new and innovative ways to distract me from devoting the full force of my creative abilities to move it forward. Don’t fret though, I’ll get it together and on time for my December deadline. Did I mention that I don’t like deadlines? Of course I have…hehe.

2. The Budget: I’m planning on purchasing a pre-made cover for Lights and Shadows once I get the funding in place to do so. I’ve seen some nice ones out there. I’ll still do my own editing (can’t afford an outsider) but that’s a conversation for another day. When you use your personal funds, you have to settle on a certain level of quality that may not be at your personal standard. I suppose the trick is to find some middle ground that doesn’t make you cringe too much once you apply your name to the front cover.

3. The Series?: I plan every book to have the potential to be expanded to a regular series. However, I have a LOT of writing projects (28 to be exact) that I want to write so I have to be extremely selective about which ones go to Series and which ones end up as standalone stories. Of course, in the end, the determining factors will be audience interest and plot expansion. Like putting Spandex on a whale (the ocean one), you can only cram so much material into one casing before things get a little distorted.

4. My Sanity: Writing my books tend to take a lot out of me and this year I have been writing my butt off with little regard for luxuries like sleep and whatnot. Add a day job to the mix and promoting Parallax and it’s a recipe for pure unadulterated fun with plenty of time for muttering at the keyboard while I write. Of course I’m crazy; I sit at a laptop and make up stuff. It doesn’t get crazier than that, but at least I’m having fun while I do it…hehe. Writing these articles go a long way toward keeping perspective and getting in some important writing practice.

Anyway, that’s where I stand. Moreau and Finch are still hanging out in a research facility with the dead crew stacked up like cord wood while an unknown danger prowls the lower levels. Isn’t that just cheerful? 😉