Author Archives: bob

About bob

Born deep in the wilds of the Jersey Shore (the REAL Jersey Shore, not the tripe on MTV) Bob discovered at an early age that putting words to paper was fun and exciting. Bob currently resides in the 'Burbs of Denver and hopes to one day be an author and not just a writer of really cool things.

Of mice and men, and writing

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Back in the Dark Age, when I was a sophomore in high school, we were assigned to read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. It was love at first read. I absolutely fell in love with the characters and Steinbeck’s descriptions were so vivid I felt like I was there with Lennie, George, and the rest of the ranch’s denizens. Few books have moved me as much since.

Flash forward to the present day. While browsing for another book at Wal-mart my eye is caught by a rack of several novels set away from the rest. There aren’t any labels on the rack but all of its inhabitants are books that are perpetual members of the American Library Association’s lists of top 100 challenged or banned books. I was quite surprised that a company known for not carrying music and movies it deems not family friendly would do that. But it was nice to see.

Then I saw it. There, sitting quietly pushed to one end next to Fahrenheit 451, sat Of Mice and Men. Well, since my well-worn copy had been lost in one of my moves I just had to buy it. I scooped it up, along with the aforementioned book by Mr. Bradbury, and headed to my favorite Chinese food place for a quick bite. I quickly tore into the book and was once again transported back to Depression era California.

But wait, something was amiss. I found myself questioning word choice and the cadence of the dialogue. Was the description of the pool and its environs overblown? What had happened to my favorite book? Why couldn’t I completely lose myself in the story anymore?

Simple answer: I became a writer.

The story and the writing were just as great as they were when I first read the book all those years ago. But I had changed. I had decided to join a writing group. I now read things with an eye to the craft. While I still get transported to different times and places, it is harder for me now to stay there. I read with a critical eye that picks apart every turn of phrase, plot device, and scene. It has become more about the art of writing than the story.

And I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing.

Yes, I don’t quite get as completely enthralled by the book as I used to but I am getting a new benefit out of it. I learn how to be a better writer. And that’s why we’re all here right?

And if you’re wondering the answer to my question about the pool Lennie and George camp at is a resounding no. That has to be one of the greatest descriptive scenes I have ever read in my life. As Guy Fierie from Food Network would say, that’s money.

Buy this Book!

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The America Library Association has a yearly event called Banned Book Week in protest of people trying to ban books for one dubious reason or another. This year it’s September 25-October 2.Some organizations have gone so far as calling the entire month of September as Banned Book Month. I think this is a great idea and it’s cool it’s held in September given that the kiddies are back to school, the place where most of these nut jobs try to get books taken out of. Isn’t that spectacular? Trying to take one of the greatest learning tools in the universe, books, out of our places of learning.

And while in some cases I can see people getting upset over things like racial epitaphs and cursing a good number of these books are attacked because they don’t like the subject matter or the author’s views on things like religion, even if those views aren’t in the book they are trying to ban. One example is one of the most challenged books from 2009, Twilight. The main reason given for most attempts to get this book banned? Explicit sexual scenes. Yes, you read that right. The complainers cited explicit sexual content as a reason this book should not be allowed in libraries. Had any of them even read this book? The main characters remain virgins until they get married in the fourth book and even then the sex is only alluded to. I suppose the real reason they wanted it to be banned was do to supernatural content but they didn’t want to come across as bumpkins stuck in the middle ages. Instead they chose to come across as total idiots.

So as my own form of protest against the self-righteous idiots of the world I am going to go out and buy at least one of the ALA’s Top 100 Most Challenged Books of 2000-2009 as well as take out others from my local library and cause a stink if any on the list aren’t there because of some pinheaded special interest group. As fellow writers I encourage you to do the same. Who knows, someday you might be on that list.

For more info please check out: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedbydecade/2000_2009/index.cfm

No school like the old-school

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I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m a writer. Most of you are probably going, “Well, duh. You’re a member of a writer’s group. Use your head, man.”

While I do sometimes have conflicting feelings on whether I really should call myself a writer or not, that isn’t what I’m really talking about. I have recently discovered that I need to write in the most traditional sense of the meaning: I need to put pen to paper. It may have something to do with the fact that I’m a lousy typist but the words don’t flow through the keys like they do through the pen. There is a bit of a disconnect between me and the words when I write on the computer.

I have done the National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo) 30-day novel writing challenge for the last three years and have written the novels out long hand each time. I go back and type it into the computer at a later date. Why do twice the work you may ask? First off, when I started I didn’t have laptop so in order to go to write-ins (which I highly recommend to all budding Nanos) I needed to write in a notebook. I soon found out, however, that typing what I wrote into a desk-top the same night was not a good idea so I just filled up my notebooks, counted each and every word, and then created a file with that word count to submit for the challenge to confirm I reached fifty-thousand words.

But wait, isn’t that cheating? No, not if someone confirms your word count. If you’re just going to put it on the computer anyway why not do it that night? Great question. And the answer is, I edit as I put it into the computer. In Nano you need to shut your inner-editor off as much as you can.  

Writing the old fashion way has a two-fold purpose for me. It gets the creative juices flowing better and it leads into the first step in the editing process. Maybe I’m not as crazy as you all think. Okay, I did say maybe.

So until they create a device that lets me transmit my thoughts directly onto the page, pen and paper are my go-to medium. I’m a writer so I need to write, right?

Character Flaw

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I love lists. I tend to forget to use them but I love them none the less. I also like charts, graphs, and other visual reminders on how to do things. I think that is due to the math/science-based jobs I have had for a large majority for my adult life. Cheat sheet were the de rigueur.

Most, if not all, of you have seen a character sheet or used one so the one I’m going to post  probably has a lot of things you’ve seen before, like height, weight, eye color, things of that nature. I like this one because it has things like habits, what is the bedroom like (you can tell a lot about a person by how they keep their room), character flaws, nuances that really can breath life into your character.

I don’t use this list all the time but I have used it enough that I can run a new characters traits in my head. Like I’ve said, I love list but forget to use hem. I guess I’d mark that as a character flaw on my character list.

Character Developement list

What is his/her name?

Age?

Height?   
Body shape?
Hair color, skin color?
Job?
Favorite saying? 
Favorite color?

Typical outfit to wear? 
Method of transportation?

Immediate plan(with their life)?
Long-range goal(s)?
Kind of education?  
What kind of house/home/apartment?
What city/country/location?
Does he/she have a pet? Why/why not? 
Best friend? 
Favorite food?

Financial situation?
Hobby?
Skill?

Moral attitude?
Philosophical attitude (beliefs)?

Favorite book? Last-read book? Fav:  Last:
What is the bedroom like?

Spouse/mate/steady date/significant other? Why/why not? 

Parents? Siblings? Kids?
Pet peeves?

Habits(both good and bad)?

Place of birth?

Nationality?
Distinguishing marks (tattoos, scars, etc,)? .

Disabilities/physical deformity?  

Character flaws:

Good Qualities:

When do you leave the science out of science fiction?

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I just got done reading a very good Steampunk book set at the begining of World War One. While I fell in love with the story and the characters the author constantly bringing up the smell of hydrogen in the airship kept taking me out of the story.

And why did it do that you may ask? Because hydrogen has absolutely no smell! It is a tasteless, odorless gas that burns so hot and clean you usually can’t see the flame without special detection gear. This is something anyone who took an earth science class should know.  He kept saying  that it smells like rotten food/eggs. That is hydrogen sulfide which is heavier than air so it wouldn’t be used in an airship.

And that leads into the author’s admittedly cool premise that his specially bred living airships make their own hydrogen through digestion. Unfortunately its our friend hydrogen sulfide, not plain ol’ hydrogen, that is made through that proccess. Sorry, no lifting going on there.

The point of this rant, if there is one, is where do you draw the line at real science and science fiction as a writer and reader? Do you overlook glaring mistakes like that as a reader? Or should you expect more from an author who creates characters who have backgrounds in the sciences? And as a writer how much realism and fact truly is needed? Is there a happy medium?

I think there is and as writers we should always try to find it, wherever it might be.