In preparation for the release of ‘Meniscus: Reckoning,’ the next book in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series, I have finished the painting for the cover.
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The painting is based on the pencil drawing ‘Travelling the Lip.’ It shows six travellers as they cross the treacherous El’ban Elevations, on their way to rescue James, imprisoned in El’ban. The group, in order, are Kotildi (the wild alien ‘wolf’), Belnar (one of the Slain), Odymn (heroine of many of the stories), Daniel (also a Slain), carrying Danny (Odymn and Daniel’s baby), and Don’est (the Dock-winder child, with her long neck).
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To be consistent with other covers, I need a distant view of the Meniscus moons (Cardoth roe and Cardoth grill’en), a mid-range view of the travellers, and a nearer scene from the book. Campfires are a common theme in the story and who better to sleep by the fire than wolf-like Kotildi?
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I was pleased with the painting. For a couple of days, I showed the travellers as black silhouettes against the Elevations. In the end, I gave them some colour, to suggest clothing and hair. I love the browns, blues and yellows in the painting.
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To make the painting fit the space on the book cover, I made some alterations in GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). I brought the moons closer to the mountain silhouette and moved the fire and sleeping Kotildi closer to the travellers. In the end, the image fit well with the cover design. Here is a sneak peek at the final cover.
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I am now re-reading Meniscus: Reckoning for the last time, making a few revisions as I go. I have also sent the proof to my beta-reader for her reactions.
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I plan to release Meniscus: Reckoning in early May. I am looking forward to my reader response!
Today, after many hours of editing and formatting, I sent for a proof of my new book in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series. Meniscus: Reckoning will be out in early May. This will be the story of a perilous journey to a distant city, over difficult alien landscape, to rescue a member of the Human Resistance. The book is set in the El’ban District of Meniscus, a city mentioned but not visited in other books in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series.
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map showing the landscape of the El’ban District and the path the people of Themble Hill must follow (dotted line)
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Preparing for independent publishing of a book involves many steps. After finishing the final draft of a book, there is still a lot of work to do.
incorporate the editorial comments of my editor Lee Thompson. He has been with me since Meniscus: Crossing The Churn and through the next twelve books in the Series. He understands what I am trying to accomplish with these stories and has taught me to write my alien characters without using words that feel too Human. For example, when one of my aliens is hungry, he should not want ‘his supper’ but ‘his evening meal,’ his athlan-doe. Lee has also taught my characters to frown less;
read through the entire draft, making minor changes to small words and phrases, looking for inconsistencies;
do a final revision of the Meniscus map and make sure location names match those in the text. I also check the east, west, north and south references to make certain they sync with the map;
add page numbers — very challenging for me. I have learned how to remove page numbers from blank pages and pages with illustrations. However, starting the numbering on the correct page and separate numbering of the front matter (the first section of any book) always gives me trouble. Some of the last edits – to make certain all illustrations are on an even-numbered page (the left side of an open book) and all Chapters begin on an odd-numbered page (the right side of an open book);
position illustrations consistently on the pages;
create a pdf version of the manuscript and follow the steps to download the book to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing where I self-publish my books);
create the main cover in GIMP and download to KDP. For the proof, I am using a black and white drawing. This week I will create a painted version of the chosen drawing in acrylics for the final book cover;
use the KDP tools to merge the cover and pdf document into a print-ready virtual book. This virtual version of the book shows me what the paperback book will look like. In spite of its usefulness, I still need a proof, in real book form, to be sure everything is the way it should be;
fix any final edits;
send for the proof!!!!
the adventurers rest by the fire
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Here is a first glimpse at what the final book will look like:
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When the proof arrives I will have another chance to scout out any problems before I finally push ‘Publish’ !
I haven’t posted here in a while and lots has been going on. Since I introduced Meniscus: Rosetta Stone, I have finished two more books in the trilogy: Meniscus: The Struggle and Meniscus: Return to Sintha.
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Meniscus: Rosetta Stone … On Meniscus, Humans live under the rule of the cruel Dock-winders, and are unable to have families or Human communities. Abra, an historian, wants to change all that. She finds, by accident, a kind of Rosetta Stone, a mysterious document in the unknown Dock-winder language and the better-known Gel-speak. She hopes the manuscript will provide a clue to the downfall of the Dock-winders and sets out for the hamlet of Hath’men, the centre of the Resistance movement. But the way through the woodlands of Meniscus is not easy for a Human travelling alone.
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Meniscus: The Struggle … In the rebel village of Hath’men, on the alien planet Meniscus, expectations are stirring. Abra, historian, has found a secret document that may prove the downfall of the evil Dock-winders. Abra is stalled in her efforts, but her hope is renewed. when her husband Trath, thought dead, arrives in the village. Then, some of the Humans of Themble Hill come to help. As an incredible truth about the Dock-winders is about to be revealed, the loyalty of the Don’est, the Dock-winder child, is tested and the valuable manuscript goes missing.
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Meniscus: Return to Sintha … After translating a secret Dock-winder document, Abra discovers a hidden truth that could mean the end of the evil Dock-winder rule. With a plan to tell all Prell-nan District the secret, Abra and Drag-on, and Rist and Tagret, set out in opposite directions to spread the word to all the major cities. On their way, they encounter the various members of The Resistance and discover that all friends cannot be trusted. And, in the end, what changes will knowledge of the secret mean to the lives of the inhabitants of Meniscus?
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The next book in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series will be released later this spring.
Meniscus: The Reckoning is in final format with all the illustrations complete. I have to incorporate my editor’s comments and paint the cover art before it is published. In this book, several of the characters introduced in the previous novels take a perilous journey to rescue the leader of the Human Resistance.
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In order to begin a new Meniscus project, I have been re-reading the series. You would think that, as author, I remember every word, but reading them after some time away, I found them new and a little mysterious. I loved meeting each new character and was able to see the gradual development of Don’est from story to story. I had forgotten that the Humans of Themble Hill had started a school to help Don’est learn good behaviour!!
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Next post, I’ll tell you about that new Meniscus project.
The next book in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series will be released in October. Meniscus: The Knife is ready to go, except for my two scheduled beta-reads and format of the final cover.
The theme for the cover comes from a drawing I did for Meniscus: Oral Traditions. The drawing shows a trio of Dock-winders and a lone Hooplore travelling towards the mountains known as The Flames and The Knife. A lot of my new book takes place on the road to Nebul-nan.
The temporary cover for Meniscus: The Knife shows this drawing.
Today, I finished the painting based on the drawing. It still needs the touch of a professional photographer but this is a poor photo of the finished painting.
And here is what it will look like on the final cover.
Meniscus: The Knife tells the story of Tagret’s quest to find Rist and rescue him from the Brotherhood. Lots of action, twists and turns. The book also includes the story of Don’est (a Dock-winder child) and her quest to fit in with the Humans of Themble Hill.
Soon I’ll post the release date for Meniscus: The Knife.
The next book in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series is in production. Meniscus: The Knife has been written and edited and is in the process of illustration. The book will be available by October 1, 2020.
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Meniscus: The Knife continues the story of Tagret and Rist. Tagret sets off on a dangerous and deadly mission to rescue Rist who she knows is in trouble. Only her skills as a chemist will make Tagret’s journey possible. And if she finds Rist, can she save him from the terrible justice of the Fraternity?
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Keep checking, as I will be publishing some of the illustrations for the story here at offplanet.
My optimism in February set the date for the release of my next book in the Meniscus Series at March 31. But as the month of March unfolded, I realized I had much more work to do on Meniscus: Oral Traditions:
completion of the cover painting
completion of the pencil drawings to illustrate the story
final edit of the story
final design of the book
time for my beta readers to read and comment on the story
I have completed some of the work. But there is still some distance to go. The new publication date is much more realistic: May 15, 2019.
In that time I will be able to complete the above steps and feel confident I have done my best work.
Setting goals is a good idea, since it gives an author something to work towards. But sometimes it is easy to set unrealistic goals and very hard to meet them.
This will give you a look at some of the drawings I have done for Meniscus: Oral Traditions:
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‘Rist and Tagret’
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Rist’s tattoo – Rist has a secret and reason for the tattoo!
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Dagger-drip, a poisonous plant featured in the story
I love the night sky. A lot of the scenes in my Meniscus stories happen at night, so I often mention the appearance of the moons (there are two moons on Meniscus). When I am revising/editing, this means I have to keep track of the days (sun-reels) that have passed and what phase the moon is in.
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Here it is, planet Meniscus, second rock from the suns!
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To keep track of the phases of my Meniscus moons (called Cardoth grill’en and Cardoth roe) I have prepared a guide to phases of the moon. Warning, these phases are not the same as the progression of phases of Earth’s moon. For example, the moons on Meniscus move differently and so the waxing and waning occur in a different order (on Earth, the moon starts with the new moon waxing [growing] to a sickle moon as a left facing bracket and ends with the waning sickle moon as a right facing bracket; on Meniscus, the waxing and waning slivers are right and left-facing).
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Numbers on my moon chart stand for the number of days passing.
For any world building, I find tables to be very helpful during the editing phase. A Chapter by Chapter record of settings, actions, point of view, characters, passage of time, moon phases … status of water supplies, state of healing, or anything else pertinent to the story can help resolve issues and prevent reader confusion/frustration.
An example of a simple table from part of one of my stories:
The use of symbols is a key element in creative writing.
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Symbols are settings, objects, characters or events containing layers of meaning. Beneath any literal meanings are figurative meanings that imbue the symbol with depth and significance. A common symbol encountered in literature is the ‘owl’. On one level, the owl is a feathered creature with big eyes and amazing head-turning capability; on another, figurative level, the owl is symbolic of wisdom.
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my only photo of an owl … snowy owl on the Grand Lake Meadows, December 2013
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Mention an object once and it’s a prop, sometimes with associations. Mention it twice and the reader remembers the first mention, loaded with its connotations and denotations. Mention it three times and the associations can scream, suggest elements of plot. The object has become a symbol.
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The use of symbols deepens meanings and helps the plot reverberate throughout the writing.
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In the book I am currently revising (Meniscus: Encounter with the Emenpod, publication date July, 2019) my male character Rist wears gloves when he is with other people. Mentioned once, they are part of his wardrobe. Mentioned twice, the gloves are associated with his inability to touch the woman he loves. Mentioned more often, those gloves are a symbol of his separation from anyone he cares about. Even when other characters wear gloves, the reader is reminded of this separation, and all the associated history.
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Rist, alone, wears no gloves
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When I wrote the first draft of this book, gloves had no role in the story. As often happens, the symbol, the wearing of gloves, solved a plot problem. Once I had added the gloves, their mention had strategic importance. I also realized that gloves had already been included in the plot, in an entirely unrelated way. Once the gloves became a symbol of one character’s separation from others, their further mention built on the idea of separation and lack of understanding between cultures.
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Symbols operate like mini sub-plots throughout story. These mini-plots echo the main plot, and, during the story, the objects change in a way that illuminates it. The mini-plots also tend to occur in three ‘beats’, providing a beginning, middle and end. For example, gloves are at first worn in every circumstance; when they are occasionally removed, risks are taken; later, when the gloves are removed forever, intimacy can grow between characters.
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To strengthen the use of symbols in my work, I use tables. Once I have decided which symbols will be important to my story, I build a table of symbols and note where the symbols are mentioned (the three beats) and what mini-plot is suggested. Gaps in the table suggest possible revisions.
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Object
Symbol
Key Occurrences
(Chapter Number)
Mini-plot
gloves
separation
7
42
65
Rist must wear gloves to avoid transfer of elements of body chemistry to other people; removing the gloves represents a step in committing to Tagret.
bell
home
4
29
63
the dinner bell is introduced in Meniscus: Karst Topography (September, 2018) as a symbol of missing loved ones. In Meniscus: Encounter with the Emenpod, bell ringing is the first warning the Village is in peril; later, the ring of the bell is a sign community members will return.
kettle
family
5
33
58
the cooking kettle was introduced in Meniscus: South from Sintha and has accompanied my characters on their various adventures. When tragedy occurs, a search for the kettle is representative of a search for a missing child; when the kettle is found, there is hope for the restoration of family.
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Symbols seem to take on exaggerated importance in science fiction. Perhaps this is because of the association with fantasy where objects often have magical significance. Fantasy and science fiction plots often involve the ‘quest’ for a significant object. Although I am sure other story-telling includes powerful symbols (for example, the ‘car’ in The Great Gatsby, symbolic of wealth), science fiction and fantasy genres are particularly proud of theirs (for example, the ‘One Ring’ in Lord of the Rings). All the more reason to embed symbols with maximum significance and meaning.
I like to view Series as one longer story, told in parts. Although each book may have its own story and character arcs, there is continuity between books. Books in the series may share characters, settings, world view, spiritual beliefs, mythologies, principles of chemistry, biology and physics and so on.
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Books in a series may also build, from book to book, on ideas not explored fully in earlier books.
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Examples from my own books about adventures on the planet Meniscus include the story of Belnar’s missing tooth.
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Belnar is a Slain, a genetically modified Human. Like other Slain, Belnar has exceptional endurance and strength, has unusual physical features such as nictitating eyelids, and uses electricity for protection and weaponry. Belnar also has a personality different from other Slain – he is brash, a joker, self-serving, irreverent and aggressive. In an encounter with another Slain, Belnar loses his front incisor. A small physical defect causes him to have pronunciation problems but he uses the defect to advantage, mostly to make himself seem more charming.
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Although not critical to any particular story, Belnar’s tooth (or lack of tooth) recurs, story after story.
Crossing The Churn – Odymn finds Belnar’s tooth in a packet of Daniel’s contract trophies
South from Sintha – Odymn and Daniel release Belnar from the island where he is a captive and the story of the tooth’s loss is described
Winter by the Water-climb– mentioned as a physical feature
The Village at Themble Hill – the missing tooth and the whistle in his speech help Belnar make friends with an alien child
Karst Topography – Belnar gets a dental implant in Prell to make Vicki like him
Encounter with the Emenpod – Belnar gets in a fight with another Slain and loses his brand new tooth
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A small idea, the story of a tooth, but recurring ideas serve a few purposes in a book series:
The missing tooth is a symbol of Belnar’s edgy personality,
The missing tooth is a metaphor for recurring problems that never seem to be resolved
Readers familiar with the series watch for recurring ideas and feel an ‘insider’ connection
Later stories in the series may seize on a well-developed idea with ‘history’ and use such an idea as a plot focus.
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Who knows the future of Belnar’s missing tooth? At this point in the writing of the series, it remains an idea rife with possibilities.
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If you are writing a series, do you introduce recurring ideas to serve story-building purposes?
At the launch of my new book Meniscus: The Village at Themble Hill a member of the audience asked “How does a writer choose character names?”
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Although the question could apply to any genre, my answer was specific to my science fiction writing. I think of a name fairly quickly and, unless there is a compelling reason to reject the name, I usually keep it. Once I have written a bit of action and dialogue, done a character sketch and drawn my character portrait, I cannot change the name or I experience a sort of writer/character dissociation.
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The Slain … his name, Daniel, is not known until Book 2
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Some of my characters have ordinary names — Daniel, Vicki, Kathryn. I choose the names of characters from cultures-not-my-own by looking at lists of popular names for specific years in the country of origin. My Asian character Ning and my Indian character Aisha got their names in this way.
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I also have alien characters and put lots of thought into these names. My Argenops (gentle furry folk) have names like Wen-le-gone, Gar-le-gnoss and Ban-le-kin. The Gel-heads (transparent green humanoids) tend to have names beginning with ‘W’ — Waglan, Wenda and Wrall. Dock-winders have complex names of no particular pattern — Dressor, Bar’ma, Garg and Don’est. Human characters with Gel-head names (Sen-eth, Fell-eth) have an ‘-eth’ added to the name since ‘eth’ is the alien word for Earth.
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The book I am writing at present has a character with an odd name — Rist. The name is a shortened form of Tristan, but Rist suits him. I did not want to ‘mystic’ him by calling him Rhyst. However, his name means some phrases are unlikely to be written — “Rist’s wrist” or even “Rist’s hand”.
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I have a few thoughts on choosing names that may help other writers:
Try to choose names scattered through the alphabet. I once read a book with a Mary, a Marie, a Michael and a Mark. I referred back to the front of the book so much, the cover fell off. The ultimate similar-name novel has to be Wuthering Heights — Cathy and Catherine left me too confused to really love the book.
If you select a strange name for a character, make it pronounceable and try to have it make sense to the reader. For example, my main female character is called Odymn. She explains to the Slain that her father named her for the rare earth metal Neodymium because it was the colour of her hair (red). This will help the reader remember a strange name.
Hesitate before naming a character after a well-known character in another story. When I named a new character Tagret, I considered if it was too close to the Game of Thronescharacter Ygritt or the Harry Potter character Hagrid. I would not call a character Luke (Skywalker) or Leia.
Consider the meaning of the name. Some readers are attuned to this. Many common names have a biblical origin and an associated story. My Slain’s name is Daniel and the image of a good man in a den of lions comes to mind when I see his name. Darth Vader’, which means ‘dark father’ in German, was an obvious spoiler for the reveal that Darth is Luke’s father.
Think before naming a character after someone you know well. I named a minor character in my stories after a friend I like well. However I wonder if my friend may feel uncomfortable about this. At least, the character I named Zachary is a good guy, through and through!
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Character names matter. My favourite book is by Daphne Du Maurier. Strange that in a book called Rebecca, the main female character is not named (Rebecca is the name of Max De Winter’s first wife). In the book, the main character’s husband says,
You have a very lovely and unusual name.
My father was a lovely and unusual man.
A point among many to make me love this book!
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I hope you have fun naming your characters and find helpful ideas in the thoughts above!
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