Posts Tagged ‘poetry’
a muse takes over – structuring a project
When I wrote the first ‘book’ for my sci-fi series about enslaved humans on the planet Meniscus, I really didn’t know where the series was headed. The characters were clear to me and my focus was the building of a relationship between the main two characters, Odymn and the Slain. However, as I neared completion of the first story, I discovered: the first book needs the guidance of the second to set the stage for a book series.
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By the time I completed the draft of my second ‘book’, I knew where the series was headed. This is a story of how a small group of human beings overcome all odds and challenging enemies to rebuild a social structure stolen from them.
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Vicki, Odymn’s friend in Prell-nan, plays a very minor role in the first two ‘books’ and a major role as the story progresses.
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In the end, the project will be five books, telling the story in sequence. I thought I would begin this series of posts near the middle of the creative process, when I am deciding how to frame and present my five books and the one over-arching story.
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Each book in the series will tell one part of the over-arching story, in the form of a long poem. This will be accessible poetry, written in short lines and stanzas. The less-accessible part of the story will be the vocabulary and strangeness of the planet and the characters.
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Each book will have its own story arc and these stories will build on one another. Each story will feature recurring characters and a few new characters. All of the stories occur in a particular area of the planet Meniscus, known as the Prell-nan South District (Prell-nan is the main urban area in the story). This allows me to expand on the original five books, if the muse continues to inspire me, into the North District!
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a map to go with the story
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Presently, the five stories are in different stages of completion. Book 1 (Crossing The Churn) is in final draft and with my editor for comment. Book II (South from Sintha) is in final draft. The story arcs and drafting of Book III (Winter by the Water-climb) are mostly complete. Book Four (The Town at Themble Hill) is experiencing the agony of story arc resolution. Book Five ( ?????) is in early, early draft.
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At this point, I am trying to make sure the five stories are balanced in their presentation. To do this, I keep in mind the length of each story, measured in terms of the number of words, ‘chapters’, pages and characters.
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To present this in a table:
| number in series | book title | number of words | number of pages | number of chapters | number of main characters |
| 1
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Crossing The Churn | 9,821 | 147 | 33 |
4
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| 2
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South to Sintha | 8,648 | 104 | 31 | 7 |
| 3
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Winter by the Water-climb | 12,877 | 147 | 53 | 13 |
| 4
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The Town at Themble Hill | 11,389 | 108 | 47 | 16 |
| 5
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???? | 761+ | 10+ | 11 so far | ?? |
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As you can see, these will be short ‘books’, probably readable in about 2-3 hours, allowing for the poetry and a bit of challenging alien vocabulary.
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This post’s bit of advice:
if you are writing a series, knowing the content and story arcs of the subsequent book(s) will help inform the story and content of the previous book(s).
This worked well for me in writing the “Saving the Landing Church” series (see https://janetims.com/2015/07/03/writing-a-novel-draft-by-draft/ ).
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Copyright 2017 Jane Tims
a muse takes over – introduction
I have been missing from regular posting for a while. The reason is — I have been totally overtaken by a project I am working on.
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Something I have wanted to do for a while is independent publication. Although I am dedicated to the publication of my poetry books through traditional publishing, I am interested in alternative means of putting words and stories out to readers. So I have been looking for a project outside the interests of local publishers.
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Originally I intended to self-publish a book of poems about the use of stone in cultural expression – poems about Mayan stelae, Viking runestones and North American petroglyphs. I may still do this, but as I thought about publishing this book, another muse took up space in my brain. Space, literally. In November I began writing a science-fiction romance and by December I knew I had found my independent publishing project.
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a scan of the painting I will use for my book cover
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I have already said a little about the project on this blog. The story is about a dystopian society on a distant planet. It follows the love story of two strangers who meet and encounter all kinds of adventures. The plot involves the difficult search for freedom and community by a group of people who have been enslaved and denied association with other humans.
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My main character, Odymn, has lived in the alleyways of an alien city, using her dedication to the practice of ‘parkour’ as a way of keeping her body and mind fit.
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The story is written as a series of five long-poems. This is partly because, as a poet, I am drawn to the conciseness and brevity of poetry as a means of telling stories. The use of poetry to tell the tale of Odymn and the Slain is also perfect as a way to convey the oddity of life on a planet where the geography is strange, plants and animals are unfamiliar and all the rules have been broken. Even the water doesn’t behave on the planet Meniscus. It tends to flow upward rather than down!
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My main characters are running from the Gel-heads, a nasty alien species. Part of their journey means ascending the En’ast Water-climb where the water flows up instead of down.
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This post is an introduction to the project. I hope you enjoy the drawings and hints of story they contain. In subsequent posts I will share the process steps I have used to create plot, characters and story-line. I hope you enjoy these posts and find some ideas for writing your own stories.
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My main characters, Odymn and a genetically-modified human known as the Slain, have all sorts of adventures as they get to know and trust one another.
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I also hope you will look forward to the launch of the first book in the series and to finding out what happens when people try to build a community from almost nothing.
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Copyright 2017 Jane Tims
results of the Christmas sale
On this past Saturday, I had the fun of being a vendor at Sandra’s Market Fredericton. This was the first experience of its kind for me, although I have attended such sales for years.
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Overall, I had a great time! The venue at the Delta was beautiful, not crowded, and set-up was easy. The other vendors were pleasant and very interesting to talk to. A couple of good friends stopped by and there were lots of shoppers. I took a book to read, but watching the people at the sale was too much fun to miss. I sold five books and three paintings, including the painting ‘teaberries’, seen below.
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I think the best part of the sale was talking to the various shoppers about their experiences picking berries and gathering wild plants. A couple of people mentioned battling the squirrels for hazelnuts. Many of the older shoppers said their berry picking days were over due to ailments. A few people were interested in identifying edible mushrooms.
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December 8, 2016 ‘teaberries’ Jane Tims (acrylic) 8″ x 8″ $30 (SOLD)
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Wintergreen
Gaultheria procumbens
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first gathering in spring
thick leaves as leather crush
weep wintergreen
oil infuses pale tea
milk to swell aroma
sugar and midnight sparks
sweet steam meets breath
aspirin makes undelicate
my heart
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The leaves of Eastern teaberry or American wintergreen contain oil of wintergreen; the chemical in this oil is methyl salicylate, known for its anti-inflammatory properties and closely related to aspirin. Methyl salicylate will build up an electrical charge when dried with sugar and rubbed. In Quebec, the plant is known as la petit thé du bois (little tea of the woods). Flowers are waxy, nodding, bell-shaped and white.
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Copyright Jane Tims 2016
cover art for book
In the past two months I have been working regularly on a science-fiction romance for eventual publication with Amazon. I have now completed the cover art for the book, based on my earlier black-and-white drawing. Below are the drawing, the possible layout for the book cover, and the painting. My photograph is terrible but this will give you an idea of the eventual look of the book.
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December 13, 2016 ‘parting the ferns’ Jane Tims (acrylic) 18″ x 24″
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Copyright Jane Tims 2016
raspberries in winter
On December 11, 2016 (from 10 AM to 4 PM), I will be at the Delta Hotel (Fredericton, New Brunswick) at Sandra’s Christmas Market Fredericton to sell my paintings and books. If you are in the Fredericton area, please pay me a visit!
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I have a new painting for sale at the event. December 8, 2016 ‘raspberries’ is painted in acrylics, 7″ x 5″, gallery edges, unframed. It reminds me of picking raspberries on a summer day.
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December 8, 2016 ‘raspberries’ Jane Tims (acrylic) 7″ x 5″ $25
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mended by raspberries
for Mary
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drove all the way to Flume Ridge
to pick those berries, large as thimbles
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red as blood after we’d pricked
our fingers on needled vines
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crossed the covered bridge to nowhere
the through road blocked, the way broken
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the covered bridge at our backs
the roar of the flume in our ears
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the tipple of honey bees
lightheaded in the berry canes
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This poem appears in my book, within easy reach, Chapel Street Editions, 2016.
Copyright Jane Tims 2016
getting ready for December – a gallery of ‘within easy reach’ paintings
On December 11, 2016 (from 10 AM to 4 PM), I will be at the Delta Hotel (Fredericton, New Brunswick) at Sandra’s Christmas Market Fredericton to sell my paintings and books. This is the first time I have ever tried selling at a craft show and I will be sure to report back on the experience.
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I began preparing for this event in July, painting a number of small canvasses, all on themes associated with the poems in my book within easy reach (Chapel Street Editions, Woodstock, 2016). Here are a few of the paintings I will have for sale. They are all priced to sell and I will give a discount for anyone buying both a book and a painting.
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August 20, 2016 ‘pick faster’ Jane Tims (10″ x 10″) acrylic, gallery edges ($45)
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August 25, 2016 ‘rose hips’ Jane Tims (10″ x 12″) acrylic, gallery edges ($40)
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October 21, 2016 ‘blueberries’ Jane Tims (5″ x 7″) acrylic, gallery edges ($30)
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July 31, 2016 ‘wild strawberries’ Jane Tims (10″ x 8″) acrylic, gallery edges ($40)
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August 14, 2016. ‘wild hops’ Jane Tims (12″ x 10″) acrylic, gallery edges ($50)
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August 16, 2016 ‘high bush cranberries’ Jane Tims (12″ x 10″) acrylic, gallery edges ($55)
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My books and paintings would be imaginative Christmas gifts for anyone who loves poetry, wants to re-kindle their own memories of berry picking or gathering other wild plants, or wants a small painting for a corner of a favourite room. I am thinking someone who has a home bar might like ‘wild hops’.
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I hope the market goers love them! If you are in the Fredericton area on December 11, I hope to see you there!
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
the joy of writing
I have been absent from my blog for a week. Tied up in the sheer enjoyment of writing my fantasy tale.
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an illustration of the interaction between the main character of my story and a Dock-winder alien
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I have discovered that there are two main parts to writing: the writing itself and the ‘administration’. The administration includes the editing, the creation of other materials associated with the writing (for me, drawings, maps and covers), the search for publication, the preparatory work toward publication, and the marketing (readings, selling books, making sure the cat doesn’t destroy your boxes of books).
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Although some of the administration is fun, it is the writing I love to do. This includes the research and the joy of creating the characters, the story, the plot, the various drafts.
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This project has been particularly involving. Perhaps it is the creation of an entirely new world. Perhaps the freedom of building characters I have not known before. Perhaps the thrill of writing in a genre I have always enjoyed reading but felt hesitant to write.
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the main character in the book – a practitioner of parkour and a woman who has hung on to hope in spite of adversity
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My story is simple. It is about a young woman who wants freedom and sets out on a search for that freedom. The plot is a little more complicated. In her search she encounters a man who seems to share her purpose. Adventures and romance ensue.
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So far I have
- the first in what I hope will be a series of three stories
- most of the first draft of the second story because it informs the first … in the writing of the second story I discover needed elements of the world I’ve created
- a cover design … one of the tasks ahead is to create a painting from my design
- a description of the planet Meniscus
- a map of the part of Meniscus in my story
- a glossary since some of the words in the story are unique to the created world – units of measurement, plants and animals, and so on
- a condensed guide to the main language used on the planet (everything in the text is translated but having a dictionary is just fun)
- drawings to illustrate some of the action in the story
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a map to go with the story
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My plans are to pull this all together and venture into the world of self-publishing. I have a friend who has lots of experience with Amazon publishing and is willing to share his ability.
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I have also hired an editor to work with me on the project so my book will be the best it can be.
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I will be looking for some beta-readers, so if you are a regular reader, like sci-fi, fantasy, romance, and adventure, and enjoy reading accessible poetry, let me know by leaving a request in the comments, including a little about your reading life and genre preferences, and whether you have been a beta-reader before.
From this I will choose a few beta-readers and I will exchange what I hope is a great read for some feedback.
A beta-reader provides general comments on readability, identifies parts of the story not easily understood, points out any ‘bugs’, and lets me know what they enjoyed/disliked about the book.
The book will be short (9,500 words) and about 100 pages (stretched out since it is written in poetic lines and includes illustrations and a map). There is some violent content, sexual content and alien profanity, so beware.
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Back to writing. And ‘administrative’ duties!
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
pick faster
October 21, 2016 ‘blueberries’, Jane Tims
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pick faster
for Dad
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blue ripens as morning, deft fingers
noisy pails, hail on metal gutters
this bush spent, unsatisfactory
berries over there fatter
bluer
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I am certain I see, beside mine
my father’s hands, callused
and quick
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berries roll between
thumb and fingers
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I try to meet
his expectation
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pick faster
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Published in: ‘within easy reach’, Chapel Street Editions, 2016
Copyright Jane Tims 2016
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October 21, 2016 ‘sweet hurts’ Jane Tims
so many kinds of apples
October 24, 2016 ‘yellow transparent’ Jane Tims
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orchard outing
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wooden bushel baskets
of laughter, delirious tumble down
the avenue of trees, shadows ripple
among the dapples, Cortlands tied
with scarlet ribbons
burdened
boughs
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my son grown tall
on his father’s shoulders
stretches to pick the McIntosh
with the reddest shine
small hand
barely able
to grip the apple
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Published: ‘within easy reach’, Chapel Street Editions, 2016
Copyright Jane Tims 2016
next reading of ‘within easy reach’
My fifth reading this month of my book ‘within easy reach’ will take place at 7PM on Wednesday evening (October 26, 2016) at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 1224 Highway 101 in Nasonworth, New Brunswick. This will be the first of the Authors Coffee Hour series being held by our church in the coming months.
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There will be refreshments including apple squares prepared from local ingredients by Real Food Connections in Fredericton. A local musician will be providing music. And $10 from every book sold will be donated to the Fredericton Food Bank.
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If you are in the Fredericton area, please join me at this event! I will be reading poems to help sustain us through the long months ahead – about picking berries, making jelly and spending time in the apple orchard. My poems will also take you to the woodlands and coastal areas of New Brunswick, to sample foods you may never have tasted! And my poems will encourage you to ‘eat local’!
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Hope to see you there!!!!!
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
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