Ok, I really don’t have an excuse. August was busy with two conventions back-to-back. I went to GenCon in Indianapolis and participated in the writing track there. Then I went to WorldCon in Denver, which was a great time. I was really not enthused about going at the beginning of the trip, but in the end, I’m glad I went. I tackled a few critiques of friends’ novels after that, which, along with all my other writing endeavors, has been keeping me very busy.

Probably the most time consuming activity, however, (other than sleeping and work) has been politics. Hi. I’m Brad, and I’m a political junky. I can’t seem to get enough of this soap opera that has unfolded over the last nine months. And I’ve stumbled across a handful of websites that update many times per day. I’m practically glues at times, switching between them, seeing what the latest scuttlebutt is on McCain or Obama. I don’t like to foist my views on others, but in case you’re wondering, I’m pro Obama.

I’ve been working on my latest novel, The Winds of Khalakovo, quite a bit. I finished rewriting and polishing the first ten chapters so that I could send it off to my agent. That’s done, and I’m working on the rest now. I’m hoping to have a good second draft done by the end of this month. No, I’m committing to it! You heard it here first.

I’ve also had a few nibbles on some short stories, but nothing confirmed yet, so I’ll hold off posting any news for now. More info as I have it, but keep your fingers crossed for me.

Ironically, I sometimes don’t realize how much stress I’m internalizing about what we’re doing to this planet until something like this comes along:

Solar-Power Breakthrough

Researchers have made a major advance in inorganic chemistry that could lead to a cheap way to store energy from the sun. In so doing, they have solved one of the key problems in making solar energy a dominant source of electricity.

Daniel Nocera, a professor of chemistry at MIT, has developed a catalyst that can generate oxygen from a glass of water by splitting water molecules. The reaction frees hydrogen ions to make hydrogen gas. The catalyst, which is easy and cheap to make, could be used to generate vast amounts of hydrogen using sunlight to power the reactions. The hydrogen can then be burned or run through a fuel cell to generate electricity whenever it’s needed, including when the sun isn’t shining.

For your viewing pleasure, I give you Al Gore’s Energy Crisis speech and challenge to the United States. You can find out more at www.wecansolveit.org.

This story, which appeared in the June issue of Realms of Fantasy, picked up a Nebula nod. Only nine more to go!

If you’re a member of SFWA, and you’d like to give the story a read, you can do so here.

My story, "No Viviremos Como Presos," is now live over at IGMS, courtesy of Issue 9. For my Clarionite friends out there, this was the Wall story. If that doesn’t help, you can preview a portion of the story even if you don’t buy the issue.

I picked up The Magic Thief at WisCon, where I managed to snag a really cool autograph from Sarah. She signs it in the runes she uses in the book, which I thought was a totally cool way to sign for someone. I doubt she did that just for me, but I like to pretend that she did.

Anyway, the book… Here’s the product description, via Amazon:

In a city that runs on a dwindling supply of magic, a young boy is drawn into a life of wizardry and adventure. Conn should have dropped dead the day he picked Nevery’s pocket and touched the wizard’s locus magicalicus, a stone used to focus magic and work spells. But for some reason he did not. Nevery finds that interesting, and he takes Conn as his apprentice on the provision that the boy find a locus stone of his own. But Conn has little time to search for his stone between wizard lessons and helping Nevery discover who—or what—is stealing the city of Wellmet’s magic.

I didn’t know what to expect from the book, because I hadn’t read anything about it before buying it, but I’m familiar with Sarah’s writing from her short fiction (as well as trading a few crits on good old OWW). I was certainly not let down. The Magic Thief was a wonderful ride through the city of Wellmet told through the eyes of Conn. It’s being marketed as a middle-grade novel, but to me it holds its own to "older" YA novels. It is difficult for me, as a writer, to attain that trancelike state of reading where the world falls away and you live the book. But with The Magic Thief, it did so practically from cover to cover. If I had to make any comparisons, which are often unfair but useful for those who haven’t yet read the novel, I would liken it to The Thief, by Megan Whelan Turner. There are some parallels in plot, but I’m speaking more of the simplicity and beauty of prose and story. Sarah’s style is perhaps a bit more bright and shiny, particularly early in the story, and so I think it lends itself more readily to younger readers.

I loved the interplay between Conn and Nevery. I’m hopefully not giving anything away by saying that the way their relationship grew from an initial, chance meeting into one of deep complexity was a treasure to read. The same was true of Conn and Benet’s relationship as well as a few others that revealed themselves only after the story was in full swing.

Sarah did a good job of closing the story while leaving a few unanswered questions for the rest of the trilogy. I’m certainly ready for more whenever they come out.

If you have a young reader of fantasy, or if you enjoy books written in that vein, I would strongly recommend this book.

So I finally managed to see Cloverfield. I had it Netflixed and tonight carved out eighty-five minutes to watch it. I had been interested in it because (A) it seemed cool and (B) it was a movie I knew practically nothing about. If I find one of those, I usually avoid previews and reviews like the plague, because just like George Castanza’s dad, I like to go in fresh!

Overall, I enjoyed it. I hadn’t seen a take on a monster movie like this, viewed purely from the point of view of the victims. That particular strength became a weakness, oh, about ten minutes in. One of the characters, Hud, got hoodwinked into filming the movie for his best friend’s going away party (and for the rest of the movie, essentially, so that we, the "ones left alive" could view it after the fact, a la Blair Witch). Hud took to his assignment like, well, like his job as an actor depended on it. And that was the problem. You quickly came to view Hud as a proxy for the filmers. His actions, which were largely questions stiffly framed to draw out exposition, came off as a clumsy attempt at painting him as part of the scenery. And that sentiment struck me before the beast showed up, which was an issue.

That being said, I new it wasn’t going to improve, so I simply suspended disbelief, and largely it worked. The story doled out the information in relatively small chunks, never giving too much away, but enough to keep the viewer interested. You never did get any sense of where this creature came from or why it had found itself in Manhattan. There was an overturned tanker, from which the monster liberated itself, and that was just about it. That in itself was cool. They stayed pretty tight to the point-of-view of these characters, who wouldn’t be privy to any of that information, and I appreciated that they stayed tightly within that frame.

The beastie had some tricks up its sleeve, too. It wasn’t just a run around and stomp on things creature, though it did plenty of that. It had babies, little Alienesque creatures that stormed through the darker parts of Manhattan. And they did Alien-like things after they bit you, too. I liked the effects quite a bit, and they weren’t overly gratuitous with them. They spaced them out between the more human-focusing scenes of the movie, never giving the thing too much airtime or daylight for that matter.

Here’s the other main problem I had with the movie, though. The monster? Man, did it have a lock on these characters. Wherever they went, there it was, giving them all the grief they could handle and more. I know, there’s no story without it, but when the monster follows them around, apparently by accident, it makes the viewer overly aware of the hand of the director, and just like the guy behind the camera, it was too present, especially in the middle and later portions of the movie.

But overall? I liked it. Don’t expect anything deep. It’s just a little diversion, but a tense and interesting and scary one at that.

I give it a B-

What about you?

If anyone has ever wondered what Stockholm looks like, well I have just the thing. I humbly submit to you the pictures I took (no captions, sorry) via this web album.

The time is approaching for the IGMS anthology, which includes my story, "In the Eyes of the Empress’s Cat," to be released. I found out something interesting while I was in Sweden recently. Kathleen Bellamy, Orson Scott Card’s assistant, called to ask how to say my last name. Apparently they’re coming out with an audio version of the anthology as well. Professionally read and produced and all. I’m totally stoked about this. I’m really curious to hear how someone else will read the story. Probably better than I could if they have any chops at all. (Not that I have no chops when it comes to reading. I’m just not, you know, stellar at it.) I’m not yet sure if it’s going to be a download or CD-only. I imagine it’ll be downloadable somewhere, but I’ll post more details when I have them.

Oh, and by the way, my last name? You pronounce it BOWL-yer. You can’t look at the name when you say it. Just gotta think Bowl Yer Ass Off, without the Ass Off.

I have a story in this anthology, and it just went officially on sale. I share the TOC with friends and fellow writers Paul Genesse, Anton Strout, and Don Bingle. If you pick up a copy, I’d love to hear what you think of the story.

The Winds of Khalakovo is officially done. First draft, that is. No rest for the weary. I have to get a synopsis and spruce up the first three chapters for my agent, and then it’s off to a short story I started in Stockholm and brainstorming for my next project (a YA science fantasy romp).

Winds clocked in at 160,808 words. I had planned on 120k for this novel, so obviously I overran. But (and this is a bug, erm, but) about midway through I realized that I needed one more point of view to truly tell this story. I had had two already, so I ended up with three POVs, and I think it turned out quite well. There are two warring factions of a Grand Duchy plus a group of downtrodden pacifists, so the three points of view allow the entire story to be told.

It’s really tough to tell at this point, as close as I am to the story, but it feels really good right now. The end is awfully rough. I felt myself wanting to finish really badly. I tried to curb those emotions, knowing that if I rushed it would just create more work on the other end, but I know I still ended up rushing some of the last several chapters. Even so, I’m excited about it. It feels like something I can hang my hat on. Or rather, that I’ll be able to once I get around to the next several drafts.

In other news, my house flooded. I’m in the Midwest, which as you know got positively hammered. Racine and Milwaukee counties got it rough in Wisconsin, though not nearly as bad as Iowa. Our house? Sewer backup. The good thing? It wasn’t as bad as some. The bad thing? No insurance. I would have sworn I had insurance for this, but the insurance guy says no. Still need to check my old insurance statements to see if it was there and was somehow dropped. The good news? It might be covered because of a faulty sump pump. Won’t know until the end of the month when the insurance adjuster gets beyond the fourteen-thousand other claims he has to evaluate.

I  was unfortunately gone for all of this. I got called away to a trip to Sweden. I’m still here, in fact. Writing from my hotel in Stockholm. Joanne called me a few days after I arrived and told me about the water she had found in the basement. It seemed like a small thing at first. Thought it was just rainwater. But over the next few days it became apparent that (A) it was sewer water and (B) even a small sewer backup is a big, big deal. Lots and lots of cleanup to take care of. And our basement was partially finished. So of course the water got just high enough to hit the insulation, and when that happens, it wicks the sewer water right up. They had to rip out the drywall to 16" and tear out all the insulation. Carpeting? Yeah, that too. All gone.

My only consolation is that I hadn’t yet finished everything I was going to finish in the basement. I’m actually glad at this point I didn’t put more money into it, because a certain portion of that would have been washed down the drain, almost completely literally.

Joanne kicked some serious ass while I was gone. I felt like crap not coming home, but the customer I’m visiting, Ericsson, would have needed me to come back in just a few weeks, and by the time I could have arrange to get home, the cleanup crew would have been essentially done with everything. So I would have come home to exactly what I’m coming home to tomorrow: a big gaping hole where my partially finished basement used to be. But that didn’t keep me from feeling like shit for quite some time. I still feel bad, but at least I won’t have to head back to Sweden, and I can just concentrate on recovering from the whole mess.

Again, I’m actually not terribly torn up about this. It’s just stuff, and a lot of people had it way worse than we did. We’ll recover in time. Hopefully the gubment will be able to help the people who lost their homes and/or livelihood.

My latest WIP, The Winds of Khalakovo, is nearly done. I’m thinking I have about 10k left to write. Maybe a touch more. I really want to put a stake in the ground and commit to finishing by the time I leave for WisCon, which is a scant ten days away, but I’m just not sure if something’s going to pop up that will require a bit more time and effort. So, instead, I’ll continue my 1k words per day metric and leave it at that. If it’s done by then, it’s done. If not, it will be shortly thereafter. I’d rather take my time, especially on the ending, than rush it for no good reason.

Still, despite the feeling of pressure and the potential of not quite getting there, I’m very excited to have it almost wrapped up. The story feels good. It’s not nearly as raw as a typical first draft would be because I often go back and revise as I feel the need. Not prose stuff, but plot stuff. In the past I’ve gotten in trouble by simply plowing ahead, either not knowing any better or figuring I can revise on the second draft. Trouble is, at least for me, I could head down a wrong path, and that could lead to all sorts of wrong decisions that would force me to revise much, much more than I would have if I had simply gone back and fixed the offending, ill-advised left turn. At this point in my writing I’m rather sensitive (I prefer to think of it as attuned) to the plot and whether or not its taking the right path. The problem with that is that I could become too safe, so I’m sensitive to that as well. Writing is a constant struggle to keep the story interesting but make it plausible as well - providing twists that are surprising yet believable.

I’ll wrap Winds, Take 1, soon, and I hope I can get it ready for beta readers (including my agent) by mid-summerish.

Also, wish me luck. I’m supposed to hear back relatively soon on my previous novel, The Tears of Tendali, from a couple of editors.

I don’t often post resources (I’m trying to recall any instance and am failing at the moment, but I’m sure I have once or twice…), but here’s one that’s too good not to share. It’s a map of various census metrics broken down geographically.

An example: the breakdown of members of the United Church of Christ:

I think this would be really useful for researching the backgrounds of various areas beyond common stereotypes. I don’t often write stories set in the modern day world, but when I do I’ll be taking a look at this for ideas.

I have been lax (lax, I say!) in promoting my friend’s new book, but that stops now!

Fellow writer, Paul Genesse, has a new book called The Golden Cord. It came out April 16th, and I’ve since helped Paul to create a trailer for it. You can see it on his website (www.paulgenesse.com), where you can also download or view the first chapter. Here’s a short synopsis cut from the VOYA Magazine review.

The Golden Cord: Dragons and Griffins are not the only dangers facing Clifton, a secret village in Ae’leron. The Dwarves enslave humans for their armies, forcing them into hiding. Drake Bloodstone, Clifton’s most vigilant guardian, would do anything to protect his people from Aevians and Dwarves. Ridiculed for choosing to guard instead of hunt, Drake realizes his destiny as a hunter when two Dwarves arrive in Clifton. The Dwarves seek a guide who will lead them on a quest to find their lost kin. Drake feels it is his sacred destiny to escort the Dwarves and volunteers to be their guide. After a few days, Drake discoveres the Dwarves are hiding their true purpose. They reveal that while they are in search of their lost kin, they are also Dragon Hunters and are tracking Draglune, the King of Dragons and the most Ancient Evil, who will bring a great war that will end the world. Drake knows he must do everything in his power to help stop Draglune and save his people. Book one of the Iron Dragon series is a rich and compelling fantasy full of adventure, danger, dragons, battles, revenge, magic, and more.

Here are a few of the reviews Paul has been receiving on The Golden Cord:

Readers will root for Drake, a strong character who struggles both physically and mentally with the sacred duty handed to him. Drake is becoming a man while learning to follow his heart and trust his enemies in order to save everything he loves. The plot is well constructed, the characters are wonderful, and the middle-ages setting creates an ominous feel. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers eager for more of this great recommendation for fans of Lord of the Rings.
VOYA Magazine

…promises to unlock a realm of magic and warfare in a unique world of cloud-bound lands and a mysterious Underworld.
Library Journal

The Golden Cord is indeed a hellishly good read.
The Pedestal Magazine

For those of you in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, Paul is having a book release party on May 10th. So if you’re in the area, stop by. It’s sure to be a great time.

Here’s more info on the release party:

THERE WILL BE DRAGONS!

. . . at Paul’s book release party, Saturday, May 10 from 3-9 PM, the day before I leave for my book tour.

This party is a thank you for all of the wonderful support that I have received over the years, and to celebrate the release of THE GOLDEN CORD, BOOK ONE OF THE IRON DRAGON SERIES, releasing April 16 from Five Star Books.

 

Please bring your friends and family, kids welcome. Check out the art gallery featuring over 70 fantasy art prints, have some food, and be one of the first people to get the book: $20 for one beautiful hardcover and only $15 for each additional. Free posters and bookmarks for everyone!

If you can’t attend please send me your mailing address and I’ll send you a free 11×17 inch poster and a few bookmarks.

RSVP via email: pgenesse(AT)msn.com by April 27 and let me know how many are coming and how many books you want.

WHERE WILL THE DRAGONS BE?

The House of Genesse (Paul and Tam’s house, grin)

9543 South 4240 West

South Jordan, UT 84095 (a suburb of Salt Lake City)

801-282-5393

Wow. The June issue of Realms has a review already from The Fix Online, and it’s very complimentary of my story:

“Lest our Passage be Forgotten” is full of surprise twists, courtly intrigue, and more. Beaulieu displays a skill at delving deep into the psyches of his characters to reveal the human condition and weaves a tale full of love, lies, and danger.

Mood: Content and pleased. Conpleased, if you will.

I have reached a milestone. Winds now stands at 100,000 words. I’m very psyched, not only for the word count, which to me holds a certain significance, but also because I can now, finally, see the end of the novel. I don’t yet know the exact details, but I know pretty well the events that lead up to the climax; I know the outcome of the climax; and I know where this all heads in the next novel. I’ve left the ending a little open ended because I want it to be as organic as possible. That is, I want to reach it and have it sprout directly from the events that lead up to it and the attitude of the characters who have lived through the book up to that point. I didn’t want to shoehorn the characters into a pre-determined ending, which has sometimes given me problems in the past. That’s not to say that I’ll let anything happen - I already confessed that I know what happens in very general terms - but I do want to be as open to new avenues as possible. That, at least for me in the writing of this book, has been my modus operandi, and it has worked incredibly well.

At least, it feels like it’s worked incredibly well. A while back, I read a post on (IIRC) Tobias Buckell’s site. He was talking about how now that he has more books under his belt he is more willing to allow a book to take him where it will. He grew more confident as time went on and he learned his chops and was able with that confidence to let his instincts run and trust that they wouldn’t steer him wrong. I feel like I’m reaching a similar place - not that I’m at the same place in my writing that Toby is, only that I’m feeling more comfortable in my skin, and that I’m able to trust that my sense of direction will guide me back to the right path even when a divergence shows up across my chosen trail.

Here’s something weird. I have had trouble reading other people’s blogs lately - writers in particular. I still scan them, but I do so quickly, and I haven’t commented much where I might have a year ago. It has to do with writing, both mine and others’. Writers talk a lot about their writing - their successes, failures, obstacles, progress. For some reason it creates noise, like if I absorb everything that everyone’s saying, my own writing would suffer. I think it has to do with the novel, and maybe it has to do with reading so many feelings, like if I internalized all that stuff that I would begin to become too conscious of the writing process instead of just writing. I feel sort of like I have to put blinders on; I have to prevent myself from getting distracted.

Anyone ever feel like this during a project? (And I recognize the irony: that if anyone did feel that way that they might not even read this…)

I’ve sold a new story to the fine folks over at Martin Greenberg’s place for an upcoming DAW anthology called City Fantastic. The story was pretty fun to write. It’s about a black woman fighting to save her son from a crazy old man and a promising young trumpet player who’s been dead for twenty years. It’s set in New York, and it was a lot of fun pulling all my NYC experiences together to write it. I’ll post more when I know the release date, but I believe it’ll be closer to the end of 2009 or early 2010.

Oh, and thanks to Sarah Kelly and Will Ludwigsen for your excellent critiques. You guys rock.