Writing Into the Dark

No music review tonight; I'm going to give the next album another listen before I get to that.

One of the things I learned about writing that really resonated with me was the idea of writing 'into the dark'. That's where you just start writing. No plot beforehand, no outline, no prep work. Just sit down and start typing. It's not for everyone, I know. But for me, it's natural. Sure, I might have some idea of where the story is going (as I did with the story of Kane and Apprentice), but for most of what I write, it's just straight-up 'get to writing'.

This is easier in some genres than it is in others. For fantasy, it's not that hard. I wrote the entire Devil's Playground book into the dark; seven stories, none of which I had much of an idea other than 'let's throw this monster in there and see what happens'. The same with Bard Conley's Adventures Across the Solar System; the only idea I really had was 'set each story at a different planet and don't repeat the plots'. I think it worked out pretty well.

The toughest genre to do into the dark would be mystery. Why? Because you have to keep the story consistent from start to finish. You can't have a character say one thing happened and then have him say the opposite happened a few chapters later unless that is going to be a significant point to solving the case. And it's not always easy to remember what was said, so reviewing is an important part of writing mysteries into the dark, or at least taking notes about important points.

For my first mystery, Final Exam, I had the story in my head when I was in university. The first time, that is, over thirty years ago. It took me that long to finally work up the mettle to just finally write the damn thing. And it turned out quite well, even though I knew how it was going to end.

The second one, though...I had absolutely no idea what I was going to write. I had just published Final Exam, and the rush from seeing people buy it online right in front of me at work pushed me to start writing another one. But about what? I had no idea. But I remembered reading a blog about writing into the dark and how the best way to write was to just write. Start writing, and see what happens. Let the creative mind go all-in on whatever story starts to come out of you.

So, I did. And eleven days later, I had The Missing Magnate. The first words I typed were, "So, you have an office now." And that was the extent of the story in my mind at that point. I had nothing except my two characters, Bill Potts and Cameron Vail. I had no crime, no victim, no murderer, no client, no idea. And yet, it worked out.

Writing into the dark can be challenging, even terrifying. But it's a lot of fun if you trust your creative mind to know what it's doing. Don't argue with it; just let it go. Your creative mind is awesome at telling stories. Give it the chance to do so, and you'll be amazed at what pops out. I know I was.

I've linked to most of the books I mentioned above; here's the link to Crystal Lilac, the second book of Kane and the most recent release in my oeuvre. Yes, that's a fancy word. I'm a writer; I like fancy words.

Album Review: Huey Lewis & the News (1980)

Alright, here we go. As I mentioned last time, this album opened my mind to a whole new world of music. I can still play the entire album in my head without missing a beat, over thirty-five years after I first heard it. No hit singles, no chart-busting numbers...but it's a fantastic debut album, and deserves to be better known than it is.

One of the things I've read about this album is that it's related to 'New Wave' music. I just don't see it. Or hear it. When I think of New Wave, I think of bands like Wham!, Pet Shop Boys, and Duran Duran. Granted, I'm not nearly as steeped in the music of that era as most people my age, but HLN doesn't sound anything like those other bands. Their roots go deeper, back to the R&B-influenced American rock n' roll of the late 50s and early 60s.

So, this album was released on June 25, 1980. I was nine years old and busy listening to the Everly Brothers and the Four Seasons back then. So, I never heard of this or saw it until about five or six years later. But I wasn't the only one not noticing this album; it peaked at 203 on the Billboard charts in the US, and didn't even get noticed anywhere else, not charting anywhere else in the world. Too bad; it deserves better.

Let's look at the tracks. I mentioned the opening track last night: Some of My Lies Are True (Sooner or Later). It was the album's lead single, released a week before the album. And like the album, it failed to chart, even with airplay on the latest crazy, MTV. Back then, MTV actually played music instead of reality shows. And this song had a video. One which, I confess, I never even knew existed until last night. Naturally, I had to watch it (I linked to it in last night's post). It is gloriously cheesy, just like all MTV videos were at that early stage. Music videos were a new concept, and nobody knew exactly what they could do with this new format. So, they did everything. Aside from the ridiculous Running Man 'dance' the band does while playing, the highlight of the video is lead guitarist Chris Hayes' solo. He just stands there, one foot resting on a pole, a deadpan expression on his face and not moving a muscle except for his hands and arms as he plays. You have to see it to understand. Go ahead, give it a listen.

Next up, it took me fifty tries to get to this song because I loved the opening track so much. The song is Don't Make Me Do It. Slower than the opener, it's got more an opening keyboard riff. A nice counterbalance to the opener's frenzied pace, it really sounds good live, too.

Track 3 is Stop Trying. It's got a vocal fade-in on the album, but the live version goes straight to the hard riff. It's a good, upbeat track with a mix of keyboard and guitar in the riff. It's about a girl who isn't going to be changed by the guy the singer is talking to. As he says, 'she's exactly what she wants to be'. And from the rest of the lyrics, it's not going to work out for the guy. Or the girl. Too bad, but at least we got a good song out of it.

Up next, Now Here's You. This was the album's second single, released September 1, 1980. It didn't chart either, and it didn't even get a video for MTV. I can't find a live version on YouTube, so here's the album track. It's about as close to a ballad as you'll find on this album, but it's more of a light rocker than a ballad. It's about a guy who is just dealing with life as best he can. That's a theme that pops up fairly often in the HLN song catalog; they were very much in tune with the common man, even at (or especially at) their peak in 1983-84.

The last track on the first side of the album is I Want You. It's not a strong track, to be honest; of the ten tracks, it's probably the song I'd rank last on the album. It's not that it's bad, it's just...it's not a song that you'll go back to fifty times in a row, let's put it that way.

Over to Side B, we open with Don't Ever Tell Me That You Love Me. Now we're talking. Talk about upbeat! Like the opening track, it got a video. For some reason, the video linked just plays the same music video twice. Okay, then. Anyway, this one is a blast, just non-stop rocking. I read that the band put the song together before they had lyrics, and Huey had to really fight to get lyrics that would fit. I believe it; the lyrics are as rapid-fire as a Weird Al rap. But, like the opening track, this is one of their strongest early songs. Why it wasn't released as a single is a complete mystery. It certainly would have done better than Now Here's You.

Track 7 is Hearts. This track was the B-side of both singles. It's another slower track (but not a ballad). It opens with a drum riff, which is nice, if not as punchy as the previous track. It's nothing like Heart and Soul, which comes off a later album. This one has a nice rising, driving passage leading into the verses, and the vocal harmonies are a nice addition. It's a good, not great, song. The link is to the album version; again, can't find a live version.

Track 8 is probably their most popular song from this album, Trouble in Paradise. It's one of their most-requested live tracks, so I've linked to one. I'm not sure exactly what this song brings to mind; it's got echoes of late night talk show music, if that makes any sense. That's not a criticism, just an attempt to describe it. It's the jazziest song on the album, with a swinging style instead of the more straight-up rock from the rest of the album.

The penultimate track is Who Cares, which has the distinction of being the first Huey Lewis and the News song ever released. Wait, what? Lies is the first single, right? Yes, but this song appeared in a movie in 1979, Rock and Roll High School. They weren't even called the News at that point; they were Huey Lewis and the American Express. The name was later changed to avoid the risk of being sued by that credit card company. Anyway, this song appeared nearly a year before the album was released, and nobody knew about them at the time. This is the heaviest song on the album, with a driving bass line from Mario Cippolina that just. Does. Not. Stop. It also has the one instance of Huey swearing in a song. No live video, so just the album track.

And finally, the album closes with If You Really Love Me, You'll Let Me. This is the shortest, and  probably the fastest, song on the album, clocking in at under two minutes. It packs a lot in those two minutes, with some frenetic lyrics, power drumming, and even a solid guitar solo for good measure. It's a great album closer, and interestingly enough, the only one in their catalog that feels like a rock song until their sixth album, Hard at Play.

I have to say, and I freely admit my bias, that this is one of the best debut albums I've ever heard. It just rocks, and what more can you ask? Give these songs a listen if you've never heard them before; you'll thank me later.

The Band I Grew Up With

I haven't talked about music much, and not for quite a while. Growing up, my parents played lots of music in the house; Mom had several vinyl collections of classical music (including one that had a mistake on it, but I was the only one to pick up on it for some reason). They also had lots of stuff from when they were growing up, music from the 50s, mainly, like Elvis, the Platters, and the crooners of the day. And when I was about seven or eight, I was gifted my uncle's record collection, which had stuff from a few years later: the late 1950s and early 1960s. But no Beatles. Instead, it was American rock n' roll: Everly Brothers, Four Seasons, Sandy Nelson (a drummer who did his own albums), Gary Lewis and the Playboys, etc. It was a decent collection, and that's mostly what I grew up listening to

My first experience with the music of my generation was when some of my Grade 8 classmates did a heavy metal tribute band at the school talent show. I distinctly remember they played Black Sabbath's Iron Man. In a small, elementary school gymnasium. With amps borrowed from Spinal Tap.

Some readers may know that I have Aspergers, which is a form of autism. I didn't know that at the time; I was just different from the other kids. I was, and still am, sensitive to loud noises. I had grown up next to an Air Force base and been nearby when CF-101 Voodoo fighter jets took off and did airshows overhead. I had never heard such a concentrated wave of noise in my life, and I literally had to leave and return to the classroom to get hold of myself. I absolutely hated it, and went back to the classic rock n' roll that I knew.

Fast forward a couple of years. The family had moved to Toronto, and I was in a new school. A friend of mine, Jason van Sluytman, was listening to something on his Walkman. Yes, it was a cassette tape; it was the mid-1980s. Curious, I asked him what he was listening to. He offered me the headphones. Remembering the metal concert in the gym, I was hesitant, but he showed me where the volume knob was, so I gave it a listen.

The album was Huey Lewis and the News. Their debut album from 1980. The first song was Some of My Lies are True (Sooner or Later). And I was hooked. I had never heard anything like that. And it was a new band, not something from my parents' generation. Sure, the album was about five years old, but so what? I listened to that song about fifty times in a row. I bought the cassette, the first music I'd ever bought. And for my birthday that year, my friends got me the rest of the News cassettes. At the time, there were three others: Picture This, Sports, and Fore!, which was the newest release. I was a Huey Lewis fanatic. I didn't listen to anything else for quite a while, but I listened to those albums a lot.

If I were to be asked what it was about this band that grabbed me, it was the sound, plain and simple. It had echoes of what I had listened to from my uncle's records, with groups like the Ventures, who were an instrumental group. Their debut album cover was a part of that as well; they looked like a band from the golden age of rock n' roll. But the opening riff of that song...it blew me away. And even though it didn't chart and had no hit songs, that debut album was like a window on a whole new world for me. I loved every song on the album. I still do; I can replay the entire album in my head.

So, as I settle into a new month and a new book (hi, Cameron!), I'm going to spend a bit of time reminiscing about my favorite band, looking at their albums and doing some reviews. Nothing spectacular or commemorative; I just felt like talking about them. And listening to them again as well. Because even now, nearly forty years later, it's still the best band I ever heard, and my greatest regret is that I never got to see them live. I almost did, shortly before I met my wife, but it was an opportunity missed.

So, I'll take a closer look at that debut album tomorrow night. In the meantime, time to do some research...

Meterra: Land of Adventure

This is the map of the land of Meterra. I created it some time ago using Campaign Cartographer, a mapping program for gamers. It's the setting of my first two fantasy books, Arrival and The Devil's Playground. There's a lot of potential for adventure there, and I'm definitely going to explore it both in gaming and in my writing.

Some of the locations don't quite jive exactly with the book; I made the map first, and while I had the outline of the story in my head, I changed a few things along the way. Well, the book and the game are never identical, are they?

Anyway, I just wanted to share this map tonight. I like it quite a bit; it's the first real map I ever made, and it looks at least somewhat professional. CC is a great program, and I recommend it for people who want to create their own worlds of adventure.

If you want to know more about what Meterra is like, check out the two books I mentioned above, available now at an Amazon website near you.

Spreading the Good Word...

No, not that good word. I'm talking about the beauty of old-school RPGs. One of my son's friends was telling his mother how much he loved the game, and she sent me a message asking what gaming books I would recommend she buy for him. There were a bunch of links to the current 5th edition starter set and other such stuff, but I shook my head and showed her the good stuff: Moldvay Basic and Mentzer Basic rules on eBay. A bit cheaper than Amazon, and hopefully they'll arrive in time for his birthday next weekend.

I have to remember to tell her to get some dice, too. There's a few places in town where she can get them, so that shouldn't be an issue.

The reason I suggested the old books is simple: They are simple enough for kids to understand, even kids who struggle a bit with reading as he does. That's one of the things I want to encourage him to do, read more books. And the Moldvay Basic book, in particular, has a great reading list, sort of an Appendix N variant with books aimed at younger kids. Teenagers are pretty cool with reading Conan and Tolkien, but they'll balk at Wizard of Oz or even Narnia. But those are great books for kids to read, especially to give them a great grounding in fantasy literature. And any reading is great to boost his education and his confidence.

Plus, the rules are straightforward. The Mentzer Basic set includes some solitaire, choose-your-own-adventure type pages to teach the basics. Both Moldvay and Mentzer cover a lot of information in only a few pages; Moldvay is 64 pages, but it's enough information to get a game started with lots of variety in monsters and treasure. Add the Cook or Mentzer Expert sets, and you're golden.

I know, I'm using AD&D 1e rules for my game, but I still have a fondness for the Moldvay rules, which are the ones I first owned. And I do have a nearly-complete BECMI collection, which I might consider completing now that D&D isn't verboten in the house. I'm only missing a few things, which I should be able to find. I regret that I'll never get the Trail Maps again, but there's no way I'm paying those prices on eBay. Not until I'm richer than this, anyway.

She also told me he was enthusiastic about reading my books, so she bought four of them. Hey, I'm not complaining in the slightest. And it spurred Tanner, who's not happy that his friend is going to read my books before he does. So, now I have to get author copies of these books for him. And, of course, he wants them signed.

Here's one of the books she bought for him, available on an Amazon website near you.

The Dream Library

I've been thinking about my library lately. I like it, of course; I've got some fantastic reading material. But, like every other bibliophile out there, I always want more. And I've been thinking about what my dream library would include, if I had unlimited budget and all the time in the world to read it. Not to mention, space to actually put it in.

So, here's a list that I've come up with, some of which I already have, some of which I will probably never have. And while this might not be a complete list, it's certainly enough to make dreams come true. The first part of this list will be stuff that I have, either complete or in part.

We start, of course, with the Bible. I've got several of those, including the complete Navarre Bible set with commentary, as well as the Ignatius New Testament (also with commentary) and a family copy of the New American Bible. That's a full shelf right there.

Next, the Early Church Fathers, the complete 34-volume set edited by Peter Schaff way back in the 19th century. I've got the first five volumes so far. The set covers pretty much everything that was known to have been written in the first eight or so centuries of Church writings. There's actually more than even that set contains, but it's a pretty comprehensive set.

The Great Books of the Western World, complete 1952 edition. I lost about half of my set in the flood back in Wallaceburg, unfortunately. I'm looking for replacements, and there are some reasonably priced ones on eBay, so I'll have to get those at some point. There is a 1990 60-volume set, but I'm fond of the set I have. Besides, I'll get most of the additions from that set in the Great Ideas Today series.

The Gateway to the Great Books, the 'beginners version' of the Great Books set. It's a 10-volume set, which I have.

The Great Ideas Today, the annual yearbook published by the Great Books people. This series ran from 1961 to 1998; I've got quite a few of those already. I'm missing 1962, 1965, 1966, 1976, 1979, and 1988-1998. These are available through various online stores, so I'm confident I can complete this set.

The Junior Classics, ten-volume set, published by Castalia House. I've got the first three of these in hardback, but I want the whole set. Even if my kids aren't going to read them, my grandkids hopefully will. This set is a reprint of the 1918 set with a few changes to include some newer writings. The first three volumes are great; I can't wait to get the rest of them.

The Thousand and One Nights by Sir Richard Burton. I've mentioned this one before; I have a gorgeous, original set of these sitting on my shelf. Fascinating stuff.

The Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, 1979 edition. We got this for free a few months ago from a family here on the Island. Sure, the internet has a lot more information, but I believe in being prepared. Besides, physical copies are better. The set also came with a two-volume dictionary, as well as four Science Yearbooks from 1980-1983. There's also a four-volume Medical & Health set that came with it, also free.

Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cooking. Don't laugh. It was a gift from my mother. It's a twelve-volume set from 1966, and there's a lot of information in there. My best friend, a trained chef, said it's an excellent resource for anyone training to be a chef (like Tanner). Besides, I've got a bunch of recipes from that set that are fantastic.

Complete or essential works of various authors, including H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Lord Dunsany, Edgar Allan Poe, Clark Ashton Smith, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis. The latter is one I only have a few books for; I've got the Narnia series, as well as the Screwtape Letters, but that's about it. There's more of him that I would want. There are a lot of other sci-fi and fantasy authors as well that I have gathered, but the above listed are the big ones.

Dictionary; I've got three so far, all excellent and big.

A World Atlas. I've got one of those, but it's from the 1960s, so it's a wee bit out of date. Still, the maps are gorgeous, and it's historical, which I like even more.

Latin and Greek learning materials. Again, even if it's not for my kids, my grandkids will hopefully learn these languages. And I've got just about everything for Wheelock's Latin, as well as the Reading Course in Homeric Greek and a printed New Testament Greek textbook.

So, what do I want to add to this magnificent pile? Not too much more, to be honest; the biggest addition would definitely be the complete Loeb's Classical Library, the little hardcovers that include the Latin (red) or Greek (green) text on one page, and the English translation on the opposite. There are over five hundred of those, so I'm not expecting to complete that set. But man, it would be a hell of a thing to have on the library shelves, wouldn't it?

A Gardening Encyclopedia. We learn by doing, but we also learn by reading. And I've got a lot to learn about gardening and small hobby farming. So, that would be a great resource to have, even if it was mostly general information.

The Catholic Encyclopedia, preferably an older version. What can I say? I love encyclopedias and have since I was a kid, and I love being Catholic and learning more about it. Obviously, it's not a book to read cover-to-cover. But it would definitely be a great resource to have around.

Authors that I would like to have either complete or essential collections: Sir A.C. Doyle, G.A. Henty, H.R. Haggard, Abraham Merritt, Leigh Brackett, L. Frank Baum, Poul Anderson, and Jack Vance. Maybe some more of Tolkien's stuff; I have his 'Big Five', but nothing else.

I think that's pretty thorough. If nothing else, it would be a great storehouse of knowledge of Western Civilization for future generations. I may never get all of it, but that won't stop me from trying.

Oh, I'll also have copies of my own books as well, because while they might not be on the level of the books I've listed above, I'm still quite proud of them. Here's the latest one, Crystal Lilac, available now in paperback and e-book formats at an Amazon website near you.

The Simple Things

For Lent, we are supposed to either give something up, or make some sort of change from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday. For most years, I've given up chocolate. It's simple, and yet it's hard. You don't realize how much something like chocolate is a part of your life until you give it up for nearly seven weeks.

But this year, Dannielle asked me to do something different. I tend to be less than attentive to the family, especially the kids, when I've had a long day at work or I'm just tired, and my go-to for winding down is the computer. Writing, watching videos, reading, whatever. It gets my mind back on track. But it comes with the cost of not spending enough time with my kids.

So, this year, that's what I'm doing. I'm doing more with the family, and less on my own. At least, until they go to bed. Then, it's my time to do whatever I want.

Of course, there are other things that need to be done; tax season is upon us, and I'm the person who does our family's taxes. So, that's got to be taken care of, the sooner the better. And there's a farm to deal with; spring is approaching, so we need to have things figured out by then. That's coming along, albeit slowly. There's a lot of stuff to sort through when planning a big garden like this one. But I will get it done.

But tonight, Dannielle brought home a puzzle from her shopping trip to town. It's a 400-piece Cars puzzle starring Lightning McQueen and his friends. Mommy was going to do the puzzle with him after supper, but he started on it before we sat down to eat, and once I was done eating he insisted that Daddy was going to help him.

I would have been fine if the puzzle was on a table. But no, it was on the living room floor. So, my creaky old bones got down on the floor beside him, and we worked on that puzzle for nearly two hours. My knees are still pissed off at me. Still, it was a nice evening with my son, and he was happy. That's what matters in the end.

And now, I'm going to book a knee replacement surgery. If you'll excuse me...

While I'm doing that, you might want to check out my newest book, Crystal Lilac, now available in e-book and paperback formats at an Amazon website near you. Check it out, and enjoy!

Paperback Writer

That didn't take too long. Crystal Lilac is now available in paperback format.

Knights in Shining Armor

There is no world in which that isn't awesome to see.

And that would be a terrifying sight to see charging at you.

What can I say? I've always loved knights on horseback. Even when I was a kid, there was something about them that stirred my heart. Maybe it was because I wasn't big enough to be one. Maybe it was their code, the code of honor that was meant to guide them to be better men than just big brutes swinging weapons at each other.

Whatever it was, I still do love them. It's the idea, I think. The idea that we can be something more, something noble. Sure, it's cheesy by today's standards, but really, when you think about what the knights stood for, we could use a lot more of that today. I recently read a series about the code of chivalry and its origins, and about its relevance today for Catholic men. It was a great, inspiring series. I've read some of it to my son; I'm going to read the rest of it to him as well.

When you think about it, knights (or at least the ideal of knights) were the superheroes of the Middle Ages. Big, strong guys in armor strong enough to turn away the best weapons of the day, riding huge horses that could trample just about anything in their path, wielding a tree trunk as a weapon...yeah, they were superheroes.

Paladins were always my favorite class when I played D&D. Even in other games, I would play characters who followed some kind of code of chivalry, even when it wasn't really genre-appropriate. I can't help it; it's something that really speaks to me. Sometimes I wish it spoke to more people.

And when the cavalier class came along in Unearthed Arcana in 1985, oh, boy. I had found the perfect character to play: the new, improved cavalier-paladin. Sure, they were overpowered as hell, easily outstripping their companions right off the bat with their superior equipment, improving ability scores, and loads of special abilities. Reams of paper and magazine articles were filled with ways to nerf the class, but I loved it as it was. My second-favorite class was the illusionist, but the paladin always got my attention.

And no, it wasn't because it was a power-gamer's dream, but because it was exactly the kind of character I always wanted to play. The barbarian class was just as overpowered, and high-level wizards were insanely powerful, but the entire notion of the paladin or knight in shining armor just worked for me. I can't imagine gaming without them.

And of course, I brought that forward into my writing, with my first fantasy book, Arrival, the first book of the Chronicles of Meterra. The Crusades might not be popular in polite society today, but they definitely inspired my writing. I even got to write about knights fighting a dragon. How awesome is that?

Now that Crystal Lilac is available (e-book only, for the moment), I'm going to finish a Cameron Vail book that's been percolating for quite a while. But after that, it's time to go back to Meterra and write about another knight in shining armor. Why? Because knights are awesome, that's why.

Here's my first book about knights in shining armor; there will be more, I promise.

Crystal Lilac is Live!

That's right, we have a live one! Only in e-book for the moment; I'm not quite done the paperback version just yet. But still, it's there, ready to be read.

I'm going to let this one simmer for a bit while I get the paperback ready. And then, I'm going to see how Amazon's new hardcover publishing works when I put the two books of Kane together into an omnibus. I'm looking forward to it.

As I said before, I'm really proud of this one; I think it's my best work so far. And if you like action, you will definitely enjoy this book. And it's got some humor in it, too. Because even epic heroes have to laugh once in a while.