Post #115 March 12 2018

“Starting a New Book”

As of this writing, I’m about one week away from starting a new book.  The title is The Farpool: Convergence, fourth in the series The Farpool Stories.  This one should be available in the early fall of 2018.

While every writer is different, I have a set routine that I go through in the last few days before I begin the first draft.  Below, I’ve shown you part of my Next Steps file for this book.  It’s kind of checklist for making sure I’m ready to start. Let’s examine it in more detail.

1. Complete any needed expansion of Outline of the Story, especially any Research Needs. DONE
2. Complete List of Major Players DONE Add Tim Holland to bios.  DONE
3. Background and personality sketches on selected major characters DONE
4. Review ancient Earth and other planet geological and formation details (3 bya) DONE
5. Write brief description of sea-steading and ocean-based cities and states and how they came to be (ca. early 22^nd century). Example: Neptunia Free State. See Seasteading Details file. DONE
6. Write brief description of Amphib culture and lifestyles DONE
7. Write Chapter and Scene Details DONE
8. Projected start first draft: March 12, 2018
    
   The last few days before I start a new book are devoted to an all-up review of everything.  I concentrate on the outline, the characters and the setting.
    
   I’m a dedicated outliner and I write stories from fairly detailed outlines.  I call my final outline Chapter and Scene Details.  Below is one chapter from the outline for The Farpool: Exodus, now available at Smashwords and other fine ebook retailers:

Chapter 2

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Woods Hole, MA

May 3, 2115

Dr. Josey Holland, Biology Dept branch chief for cetacean species, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, is hurrying to a meeting in an upstairs data analysis room in the McLean Lab building, a meeting run by Dept chief Dr. Walter Williston, to sort through the data they have from Beagle and prepare some kind of statement for the press.  A press conference is set to begin in one hour, downstairs in the main conference room.  Reporters are clamoring for more information about this supposed New Atlantis.  Press reports have already exploded across all media.

Williston, Holland and others review findings from the aborted Beagle mission.  What happened?  It’s clear that something intelligent is down there, near the Muir seamounts, and in large numbers.  Perhaps a new species, unknown before.  They discuss what to tell the press, who are already speculating about the discovery of Atlantis.  The scientists decide to make a statement to the effect that Beagle was lost due to malfunction, that the data shows the possibility of a new, aggressive species near Bermuda and that further research is needed and more expeditions are planned.  They decide not to mention any speculation about the intelligence or intentions of this new species, who have been officially termed Tursiops digitalis (dolphins with fingers) by the researchers.  They also decide not to respond to media speculation that the US Navy already knows about this. 

The scientists also briefly debate whether to request Navy help and support for their next expedition, which they decided must include two submersibles, one unmanned (Proteus) and one manned (Poseidon).  They decide to alert the Navy but they don’t want anyone to interfere with the next ‘interaction’ with what seems like both an intelligent and fairly aggressive species.  No Navy support is to be requested.

In the days following this bombshell press conference, Holland works with others to organize the expedition and lobbies her boss Dr. Williston to accompany the expedition aboard Poseidon.  He agrees reluctantly. 

The expedition departs Woods Hole for Bermuda and the Muir seamounts.  Dr. Holland is both anxious and yet somewhat despondent and thoughtful during the trip; her shipmates learn that she is in the midst of a divorce and is worried about who will get custody of her two children.

You can see this is pretty detailed.  In starting a book, I have already completed detailed outlines so my final review consists of studying these in depth, adding any details or adjustments I may need to be able to write from the outline.  With a detailed outline, the writing part is (usually) easy.  I have been known to lift text directly from an outline and include it in my story almost verbatim.

Next, I review my main character backgrounds and bios, also pretty detailed.  I do this in order to fix in my mind the details of these people: what they look like, what they like and don’t like, formative incidents from their lives.  I try to get inside their heads and become these people well enough to be able to write about them and describe them accurately.

Here’s the opening of one my character bios.  This person appears in both Exodus and Convergence:

Dr. Josey Holland

(Biology Dept branch chief for cetacean species, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute)

 

Age: 38

Height: 5’4”

Weight: 100 lbs

Hair: Long blond tresses, with lighter highlights.  Holland keeps her hair long.  One wave of hair drops down over her right eyes. 

Face: Josey Holland has a big wide grin which dominates her face.  She has a fabulous smile.  Her face is tall, somewhat long with a prominent chin and nose.  She’s self-conscious about her nose.  She has sharp cheek lanes, but a pronounced dimple in her chin, which she is also self-conscious about. She has a high forehead.

Other Distinguishing Features:  Josey has sparkling, effervescent eyes.  Her eyes are bright blue and she has very expressive eyebrows and uses them to good effect.  Josey also has large lips that seem to pout at you, but always look kissable.  Her lips were a feature that Chase Meyer noticed first.  She is quick, almost furtive in her movements and gives the impression of barely contained nervous energy.  Her hands are never still and she uses them to express herself quite a bit.  She’s a bit of an amateur painter (mostly nature scenes and ocean scenes) so she is quite precise with her hand and finger movements, but you’d never get that impression from the way they flutter about.  Josey is thin, lean and willowy in build. 

A Short Biography: (NOTE: story takes place in May, 2115 AD)

1. Josey Holland was born on January 31, 2077, middle of three sisters to Dr. Olin Holland and Bea Holland, in Seattle, WA.  Her older sister is Heather, two years older.  Younger sister is Mel(anie), two years younger.  Josey’s full name is Josephine, which (of course) she hates and never uses.

The final aspect of my review involves studying up on details of setting and physical background.  All of The Farpool Stories take place in and around oceans, either on the distant planet Seome or on Earth.  Consequently, I have a lot of background on ocean stuff, details of topography, marine life, etc.  I go through all of this stuff one last time to fully fix in my mind where the story takes place and what it’s like to be there.  The author has to be able to describe places accurately and memorably, all the more important when it’s another planet in a galaxy far, far away.

By the time you read this, I’ll be well underway with the first draft of The Farpool: Convergence.

In my next post to The Word Shed, I’ll give you an excerpt from this new book.  Look for it on March 19, 2018.

Phil B.