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Give a little bit of heart and soul

The wonderful Nobilis from Nobilis Erotica has finished the final episode of the Pieces Podcast. Eight writers an one crazy experiment. As Nobilis said, the result was far from perfect. Writers are usually solo creators for a reason! Plot, characterisation, style; all are very personal, and are best handled by one, or at the most two writers. So no, Pieces is not perfect, but as I tweeted ‘an image seen through a broken lense may not be perfect but it can still be beautiful.’

So why did I take part I hear my dear readers asking? I wanted to stretch myself as a writer- which seems to be a constant theme with me. I love a challenge. I think by trying something new, something scary that you learn a lot more than simply staying in your comfort zone. And Pieces.. and Erotica a la Carte are WAY outside my comfort zone.

So what did I learn? I learnt about my style which is something I have always found it hard to pin down. Held up against other people’s style I got to see it in contrast. It is no better, and no worse than anyone else’s… but it is mine.

So go check out the podcast, and let me know what you think.

Also I posted the second Erotica a la carte story– which, though still banned from the itunes directory (insert favourite swear word here) seems to be catching on. And as the indominatable Tee Morris said to me ‘this experiment of yours is turning out to be quite interesting’. I hope you think so Morris, I want you to write an episode while I am doing Weather Child. It is fun… but I am getting itchy feet.

Geist is done, out in the world like a young person, making its way as best it can, and now I need to start something new. One year turnaround for a novel is pretty good for me, but I can’t just sit there relaxing. So I am turning my attention to new projects. I am going to take my 10,000 word novelette and expand it into a novel. It will be a little saucy, but no more than Kushiel’s Dart for example… which I hear has done quite well. The title for this new novel is tentatively Magic and Gaslight. I already have my 10K, so if I get back on the 1,000 words a day minimum I should be set.

Wish me luck!

We could be heroes…

The end is nigh forÂ the Pieces Podcast– the collaborative experiment that Nobilis of Nobilis Erotica came up with. Eight fiction writers Nobilis, Chris Lester, Christian Ellis, Greydancer, Paul S Jenkins, Brandon Crose, John Tanzer and myself all taking turns to write a world.

It was quite a different experience for me. Rather than having an idea where the project was going, you had to gather up the threads from the previous person and weave them youself, while bearing in mind what threads you would in turn leave for the next person. It had proven to be an intriguing and challenging experience and one that I have enjoyed greatly.

I look forward to seeing how Nobilis works with the remains of the story I left him with in the penultimate episode. This is the exciting thing about podcasting, the recent turn it has taken into experimentation and collaboration. I am in awe of other people’s talents, and would recommend this exercise if you have the time.

And I don’t think the story ended up half bad either. We had all agreed it could turn into a dog’s breakfast, but the surprising thing is- without discussing where the story was going, it has ended up in a very logical place.

Go check out what eight fiction authors can do. I am proud to have been involved.

Honesty is hardly ever heard…

Who are the people that influence your career? Is it someone whose books you read and whose style you admire? Or is it someone that challenges you to strive harder and do better?
I have plenty of the first (even been lucky enough to meet some) but I only know of one of the second.
And since blog posts I sometime write can seem a bit whiney to my ears, I want to take this opportunity to say thanks to that person- one whose birthday it is today.
Yes, back in 2003 I was lurking on a fantasy writing email list, and this guy called Tee Morris was talking about his new book Morevi. I nervously wrote him my first email, little imagining that five years later I would be embarking on over a month media blitz/book tour with him.
I know I give Tee a lot of gyp over many things, but then I do that with pretty much everyone. It’s a hard habit to break, so I’m going out on a limb to try and do something different. Since he’s turning the big 4 O I want to set the record straight.
Without Tee Morris’ influence I wouldn’t have been brave enough to submit to DragonMoon Press. Without him I would not be podcasting- everything from Whispers at the Edge to Erotica a la carte owes a lot to him. Without him I would never have been able to do the amount of touring in the USA for the last three years I have. Without him Chasing the Bard, the podcast would not have been nearly as good. Without his constant challenges on Twitter I would not have written the novel my agent is getting ready to shop around in three months- if at all.
He’s been a sounding board, an inspiration- and yes occassionally a pain in the you know what. But he is also one of the kindest, most giving people in podcasting and writing. With all the difficulties Tee has had this year, he has managed to maintain that, despite a sometimes challenging response from people that don’t have a fraction of his good qualities.
I am proud to call him my friend.
If this sounds a bit glowing, a bit over the top, then please stop and consider this. How much on the internet is negative? How much is about pulling people down? Why do we do that, and not something like this?
We should celebrate those people that make our lives better. We should take a moment to say thanks, acknowledge those that are a positive influence.
And if that is corny I’m prepared to wear it. So Happy Birthday Mr Morris. Anyone who has ever met you knows you have the energy of a 20-something and now you have the wisdom of a 40-something. Use this power wisely.

Banned in the USA… briefly

I was, however briefly, in fine company. The banned books brigade with Judy Blume, John Steinbeck, JK Rowling and many, many others.

Here’s how it went. I posted my first episode of Erotica a la Carte. Itunes accepted it, and boy was I surprised when it popped up into the top 100 of literature in their directory. It was not unrelated I think, that the very same day I got an email from itunes abuse, telling me they had pulled EalC from the directory.

Now there was no explanation or seemingly any method of argument. Not expecting much, but I was kinda outraged. I had used explicit tag, and it had the word ‘erotica’ in it. In addition there were plenty of other erotic podcasts still on their directory.

So I was all upset and angry, until that power of positivity Mr Tee Morris said ‘hey you can spin that’.Â Hence if you trot over toÂ http://www.eroticaalacarte.com/?p=17Â you will find two promos- neither made for me. Â The wonderful JD Sawyer and Mr uber-nemesis himself… which are funny and sexy.

So there I was all settled into being banned… and what do you know… the next day EalC was back! No email, no explanation- just back. Now I know several other erotica writers have been kicked off the directory. The only difference we can work out, is I complained and challenged what they had said. I can’t be sure that this made a difference, but I recommend that if this happens to anyone else, you do so. It can’t hurt.

This along with the whole explosion of comments on Escape Pod about my ‘thick’ accent, has made for an exciting week at casa Ballantine.

Thank goodness it is a long weekend. I have a final Pieces Episode to write, another EalC story to produce and most interesting of all, two short synopsis of sequels for Geist to prepare. Yes, Geist is ready for my agent to pitch and she wants broad outlines of sequels for it, just in case. I have plenty of broad ideas for 2 but will have to think a little harder on 3. Now Geist is not specifically designed to be a trilogy, and the first novel is self contained, but there are plenty of threads left over for at least two more books. So since I got sick this long weekend, I will have plenty of time to think about it.

So enough blogging… time to get writing.

Dirty and sweet…

Two podcasts in less than 24 hours! Yes I am both proud and exhausted. The first episode of Erotica a la carte is online (don’t forget to keep voting so I can keep writing) as well as a new episode of Whispers at the Edge. I am slowly pulling all my webpages and podcasts to Dreamhost and there will be some changes, the most important one right now, is that the feed for Whispers at the Edge has moved.

I am nearly done with some additional scenes in Geist and then… well then I will have to see if that Tee Morris character is ready to do some writing with me.

It’s tricky, tricky, tricky…

My reading ofÂ Jeremiah Tolbert’sÂ Arties are StupidÂ is live at Escape Pod. Once I started doing it I realised that reading someone else’s story is a completely different to reading your own work. I was half into it before understanding I was interpreting someone else’s baby.

Reading your own stuff is easy by comparison. So it was a real reliefÂ to know the author liked my reading. Phew!

Thanks to Steve Ely for giving me the chance to read for Escape Pod. We met at DragonCon, where my recollection is he shouted at me (during the Books and Blackwell Party) ‘you’re all over the podosphere- would you like to read for me?’ I was pleased at both statements!

I have a recording for StarShip Sofa to read which is much longer, but just as scary. But then, as writer and podcaster I believe it is good to be scared now and then.

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