Guest Post: Sci-fi Author, Doug Strider.

Writing and publishing is not the dog eat dog world you'd think it is. Indie or indie, e-published or paperbound, genre or otherwise, for the most part the 'writing' community stick together - a pack, almost. We have our alphas, our betas, cubs and sires. A pack sticks together, and that's what this post is about.

At present, I have only published fantasy stories, but my second love is Sci-Fi. I stumbled across a Sci-Fi author by chance the other day, and found my god can he spin a good yarn! So without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Doug Strider.

Hello, I’m Doug Strider.

There is a part of me that remains 7 years old. The part that absolutely loves sci-fi. Watching spaceships, ray guns, aliens, heroes fighting the good fight on cinema screens and the humble old television. My dad and I engrossed in everything that was going on. Very fond memories right there, sci-fi was something we both shared a love of.

That same 7 year-old also had a fantastic imagination. He was a space captain, he had a nemesis (Ruston, I’ll let you guess what his speciality was), he had a spaceship (rather reminiscent of Thunderbird 2 it turned out) and he was a goddam space hero. That was my first proper creation I believe. I don’t think building vast spaceships from Lego, that constantly fell apart every time I tried to woosh them through the air, counts as much but it was bloody good fun.

Thirteen years later the 7 year-old piped up in my brain and I started writing properly. I wrote a sci-fi novel and the start of many more but that all faded away as my attention was needed elsewhere and it would take around twenty years for the voice to say, “Hey, remember when you were a space captain? That was great.”
Surrounded now by many creative people, especially my writerly partner Jen, I felt comfortable to pursue story telling once more and the 7 year-old me is very happy indeed. So that’s how I came to start writing Space Danger! It has spaceships, ray guns, aliens, heroes fighting the good fight and it’s fantastic fun. I’m loving immersing myself in this universe, it’s giving me a chance to express my imagination, my humour and that there’s life in this tired old brain yet.

Surrounding my rekindled love of writing, I’m still involved a fair few audio projects, another awesome outlet for my creativity. The Bearcast (co-hosting in character), Soldiers of Tangent (co-hosting as myself in an ever expanding spiral of tangents and Grade A fibbing), Dark Fiction Magazine (narrating, herding narrators and producing) and the odd contribution to other projects here and there.

The 7 year-old loves it all but is mostly excited that he gets to be a space captain again. That’s the best bit.
This blog post is brought to you with thanks to D.E.M. Emrys who has let me guest on his site. He writes a cracking tale himself. Currently reading It Began With Ashes in my other genre of choice and I’m really bloody enjoying it.

D. E. M. Emrys. Author. Soldier by day, Soldier by night - Writer in Between. 

Author of Heroic Fantasies:

From Man to Man - Currently FREE from Amazon.

Amazon US

Amazon UK


It Began With Ashes.
Amazon US

Amazon UK

Can There Be TOO MUCH Fantasy?

EDIT: Update as of 20:20hrs (GMT) 17/02/2013 - after feedback, I've only just noticed that the original fantasy authors featured here were all male. This post has been updated to include females. Upon scanning my book shelf, I realised that many of the stories I own are written by male authors. The original observations were in no way meant to intentionally dis-include the female authors of the fantasy genre.

Is the fantasy world over-populated? It’s a valid question and one that keeps raising its ugly head in the current era of ‘Lord of the Authors: The Fellowship of the Fantasy’.

Without battling out the topic of Indie vs Traditional, I want to take a moment and talk about fantasy worlds. A simple blog post can’t cover every single fantasy tome to have ever graced a book shelf (or a digital market place like Amazon, for all you e-publishing gurus), but we can highlight a few.

J.R.R. Tolkien with his elves, and his dwarves, his hobbits with their hairy feet, and his trolls. Ringwraiths, a dark lord, and a powerful artefact that is a curse to all those who bear it.

George R.R. Martin with his thrones, and his games, the squabbles of men, and the treachery, futility and thick-fast plots (oh, and if you’ve watched the tv adaptation, there’s a fair share of boobage, too).

Peter V Brett – demons galore! How ‘man’ (and woman!) can overcome their fears for what they believe is right.

Mark Lawrence explores the moral depravity of a Prince who won’t let anything – or anyone – stand in his way, even if that involves burning the world just to keep warm.

Michael J Sullivan brings bromance to the fold (Webster’s unofficial definition of bromance: bro-mance, a combination of brother and romance, meaning ‘a brotherly romance’ between two males. Often seen sharing large quantities of bruises, beauties, and beatings) with a healthy dose of death-defying escapades and swashbuckling adventures.

John Gwynne breaths fresh life into the folklore and legend side of fantasy, giving Giants, Wyrms and even Angels a gritty new lease with a Nordic/Celtic feel.

Brent Weeks forefronts assassins in one, and mages in another, but above all else they struggle with their own powers for further means.

Brandon Sanderson…magic, need I say more? But then again, his world-building is second to none.

Joe Abercrombie touts more knives than any sane man should ever need, but lucky for us not all of his characters can be deemed sane enough to count or care for that matter. But when all is said and done, it’s down to being what you’re meant to be, and (as he often states by way of infamous barbarian Logen NineFingers) once you've got a task to do, it's better to do it than live with the fear of it.

Ursula K Le Guin, if there was a Big Momma of fantasy, UKLG would be her. Her stories are folklore brought to life, magic and mysticism intoned with a rich world building.

Karen Miller strives to break down the old fantasy cliches, using them where she will, but bending and twisting them into something new, pushing 'fantasy' into a more 'fantastical' realm.

Robin Hobb, who's back catalogue boasts more tomes than the knives of Joe Abercrombie's cast - claimed by Orson Scott Card to have 'set the standard for the most serious fantasy novel'.

Helen Lowe, a newcomer to the fold, but with her fresh blood added to the mix the 2012 Gemmell Award winner (Morningstar category) weighs in with a hefty dose of darker, grittier fantasy and a deeper meaning of how we treat each other.

I’ve barely even touched the surface here. I could go on for hours. James Barclay, David Gemmell (big daddy of British heroic-fantasy), Robert E Howard, Patrick Rothfuss, Robert Jordan, Tamora Pierce, David Dalglish, Mazarkis Williams, Moses Sirergar III, Ben Galley, Steven Erikson, Christopher Paolini…ok, ok – I’ll stop.

So, fantasy is a busy world(s). But each and every one of them is different. Yes, a lot of them share themes or creatures (elves, dragons, hobbits, dwarves, damsels in distress…hobbits, or other creatures with hairy feet?), but would you really say: ‘No more’! Heck, I’m sure if you asked a lot of these authors they’d admit to being inspired by one another. Of course they would.

Ok, let’s imagine if someone said ‘No more’ to Robert Jordan. Would we have the Peter V Brett’s, and Christopher Paolini’s of today? ‘Put that pen down’ David Gemmell…and voila, no John Gwynne’s or James Barclay. How many would we lose if Robert E. Howard had run out of ink on the first page, and Conan had been lost to an unfinished sentence?

IMAGINE THE CHAOS if someone told J.R.R. Tolkien to shave his hobbit and write a romcom. Think of the children, pray for their futures!

Publishing is an ever changing industry, and fantasy is an ever changing realm of possibilities. If you’re Indie or Traditional, reader or writer…could you really say NO to one last fantasy? And before you start culling dwarves, shaving hobbit feet, or cashing in dragon fangs for the last copy of ’50 Shades of Grey’ from Amazon…just remember:

A Fantasy author isn’t just for Christmas. They’re for life.

(And even then, they’ll think of a way to come back and haunt you from the afterlife – they’re fantasy authors after all).

D. E. M. Emrys. Author. Soldier by day, Soldier by night - Writer in Between. 

Author of Heroic Fantasies:

From Man to Man - Currently FREE from Amazon.

Amazon US

Amazon UK


It Began With Ashes.
Amazon US

Amazon UK

Review: Space Danger! The Deadly Planet of DEATH!

Space Danger! The Deadly Planet of DEATH! by Doug Strider

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The Good: Funny, Upbeat, Charming.

The Bad:

The Ugly (Truth): A very BRITISH wit, with a trilling cliffhanger conclusion. Only for the lighthearted reader, don’t be expecting a dramatic space opera with meaning-of-existence consequences.

For Those That Like: Doug Adams, Terry Pratchett.

This book is something a little different. It’s not afraid to be something out of the ordinary. And I like it for that reason.

As the opening story for a Sci-Fi Series, ‘Space Danger – The Deadly Planet of DEATH!’ does what it says on the tin. It starts something – it gets you ready for more. My first impression from the title was that of ‘Ooo, Red Dwarf, in book format?’ I wasn’t far off the mark.

This book made me laugh out loud – and that’s rare. The odd smirk from a story is to be expected, but I was holding my sides at times with this. It’s a short, sharp read and it benefits from this. It’s a punch line delivered at the right time. Any longer and it’d be dragging out a joke.

All in all, a big thumbs up from me. It’s not my usual read, but it certainly brightened up my day!


D. E. M. Emrys. Author. Soldier by day, Soldier by night - Writer in Between. 
Author of Heroic Fantasies:

From Man to Man - Currently FREE from Amazon

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon UK

View all my reviews

Creative Writing 101: The Importance of Setting Goals

Just a little something that I'd like to share with you all. This was brought to my attention by Allison Morris, who created this graphic which illustrates the benefits of goal setting and why, in light of the New Year, it’s important to commit to our goals.

Originally hosted on the Online Education Database blog.

Creative Writing 101: Writer's Doubts aka Terminal Terminitus

Today is a very important day. It's no less important than yesterday, but it's no more important than tomorrow - neither is it in between the two. But, it's still important. I could ramble on with justifications all day, each no less important than the last...but I'm procrastinating.

Procrastination (DON'T SAY DIRTY WORDS!) is one of many enemies to a writer, another being lack of time. But for many, the title of arch rival belongs to doubt.

Writer's doubt a.k.a. Terminal Teminitus. If Webster was to define it, the following would be noted in the dictionary:

Writer's Doubt (latin: Terminal Terminitus, Scribblius Maximus Gettius Nowhereius). A condition effecting writer's in which they deem their work of too low a value to continue or start. Symptoms include cold sweats, tummy aches, head pains, nausea, nose bleeds, broken pens, smashed laptops, frayed wits, and sometimes death (by stray paperclip).

Have you ever thought that you writing was not good enough to share? Have you given up on a story because it was 'just not good enough'? Have you ever put down the pen before picking it up because you were scared of what might come out? Then this blog entry is for you!

Look, I get writers doubt, so do thousands of others. Best selling authors are struck dumb with it all the time. It's like a personal version of writer's block, but arguably it can be harder to overcome. You aren't just questioning the writing, you're questioning yourself. 

Points to consider.

Play the field.

Don't just stick to one genre. Mix it up. Discover new things with other works. Find a new audience. This will help prevent you from typecasting yourself to a single genre. Just write whatever. Me? I'm a heroic-fantasy writer at heart, but I dabble in Sci-fi to clear the cobwebs (and trust me, these cobwebs are spun by writers doubt, and they smell suspiciously of a toilet!), and 'adult' themes for my fiance (secret's out now!).

Don't Fall In Love With Your Manuscript.

No, it's not a genre breaker. No, it'll never outsell the bible. No, it'll never be bigger than 'The Hobbit' (not literally...well, depending on how thick the book is, and how tall your average hobbit is). You have literally NO chance of writing 'the next big thing'. But, you might just sneak in a sunday stroll of a book - anything more than that is thumb's up worthy. Don't set out to top the pile, set out to WRITE A GOOD STORY.

Enjoy what you write.

It's your thoughts and ideas. If you aren't enjoying it, change it. Who can tell you otherwise?

You're not the only one.

As above, everyone suffers with it at one point or another.

Listen to lovers, not haters.

Ignore those that you have no hope of winning over - if you fight for their approval, you might end up losing your current readers/friends/fans. Write to please, not appease.

Write, don't publish.

Be a writer, NOT an author. Think about it.

REMEMBER: you can always go back and change it (unless you've just hit the 'publish' button on Amazon, at which point you're boned...well, not really, you can go back and change it, but it's a b****!)

The best way to get over Writer's doubt? Allow yourself to write badly once in awhile. Have a guilty pleasure folder where you stow your abominations. Heck, the monstrosities might pull a Frankenstein and lumber into greatness one day! (Nuts and bolts not included, take precautions whilst handling electricity).

And that, as they say, is that! 

D.

((On a sidenote: no writers were harmed in the making of this blog entry - though there was a close call involving a stray paperclip.))

D. E. M. Emrys. Author. Soldier by day, Soldier by night - Writer in Between. 
Author of Heroic Fantasies:

From Man to Man - Currently FREE from Amazon

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon UK

New Year, New Challenges!

So, it's been awhile?

Firstly, a very belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season(s). Me? As many of you know, I bought a puppy (his name is Ronnie and he's a right little 'boss'), got engaged on Christmas Day, ripped out my kitchen (literally – but I'm putting it back together slowly), and most relative to 'writing' I received a 'Daily Deviation' on DeviantArt for the prologue to my novel 'It Began With Ashes'.

From the fallout of the 'DD' I'd like to welcome all new readers/followers to the fold. The 'Wroge Elements' series has started to gain a little traction on the internet, firstly with the Free release of 'From Man to Man', followed by the push with 'It Began With Ashes'. I'm still new to the publishing scene, but if any of you have any questions, feel free to ask!

In other news...a friend of mine has also received a Daily Deviation for her art. Rachelle fryatt  @Rachelle Fryatt is a fantastic artist whose work has finally received the attention it deserves. She produced the front cover for 'It Began With Ashes' and I ill be working with her in the future. You can view the picture that won Rachell a Daily Deviation, here.

So, busy times aside...how's all with you? How's everyone doing?

I have a question to ask of you all. Something that's just popped into my head, I guess. With the New Year and all, do any of you have a New Year's Resolution to do, specifically, with your art?
Anyways, you'll be hearing from me again soon – time I caught up on my blogging, eh?

D.

D. E. M. Emrys. 
Author. Soldier by day, Soldier by night - Writer in between. Knows war to write war.
'From Man To Man' available from Amazon
'It Began With Ashes' available from Amazon 

Back In the Swing O' Things.

Well, hello there! Sorry about the lack of activity as of recent, I've just moved into my new home with my girlfriend...and bought a puppy...DUN DUN DUN! Yes, Ronnie the puppy has arrived and is here to stay,. Between games of 'sit' and 'stay', the lack of internet in the new place hasn't been too much of a problem.

But, the puppy is settling, and Sky have finally managed to flick the little 'ON' switch.

So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce another UK based fantasy author for your reading pleasure. I'll be reviewing his novels imminently, but I thought it'd be a fantastic opportunity to learn a little more about the man pushing the pencil, first.

Ben Galley.

The Emaneska Series was born out of a frustration. A frustration in three parts.

 

The first was with the music industry. A student of the prestigious Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford UK, I spent two years studying bass guitar, all the while keeping my head thoroughly buried in an industry that was going through a period of radical and digital change. Much like the book industry today, record shops were dying, labels were merging, the rise of the indie was afoot. The only thing that hadn’t changed was how tough it was to make a living. At the time, and living in such a over-saturated scene, it was impossible. The “big-time” was still dependent on the major labels. It was then that my studies began to slip, my dedication wane. It was then that I restarted a hobby I hadn’t enjoyed for half a decade. Writing.

 

The second frustration came from work. Or, more accurately, unavoidable slavery. Being a music student, which, in the ranks of “poorest students alive” rank very highly indeed, I had a job to pay my tuition, rent, and general bills. My jobs were far from glamorous, but then I never expected them to be. They were a means to an end. Bar lackey. Kitchen porters. Cook. Waiter. I hopped from bar to bar to pub to restaurant, and with each one came the slow dread that my music career wiuld never take off, and I would be stuck in that cycle for ever more. The lowest point was working in a kiosk in Guildford Station throughout the winter. I sold hot pasties to commuters and used to keep the oven door open to keep me warm. It was that low point that was both the fiercest time of frustration, and yet the biggest spur to my goal.

 

The third frustration was the birth of my book, and that moment was the origin, the launchpad of where I am today. It was a simple thing, really. A moment’s spark on inception, but these sorts of things usually are. I was watching BBC’s pilot of Merlin, which, for nobody that has seen nor heard of it, is a television drama firmly entrenched in the pre-watershed programming schedule of BBC’s Saturday night. It’s a harmless program. It’s meant to be fun and for all ages. I didn’t like that. . As the pilot progressed, I got more and more irritated. It wasn’t fierce enough. I’d been reading the likes of American Gods and Joe Abercrombie and George RR Martin. I was expecting something darker and grittier from this Merlin. In a moment of annoyance, I decided it needed to be different. Emaneska was born in the grabbing of a notepad, and the scribbling of four simple things. Lord of The Rings. Sin City. Emaneska. And Farden. That was the birth of my career as a fantasy author. I remember it like yesterday.

 

It was then that these three frustrations culminated into a perfect mix. My disillusionment with my future in music drove me to read and write. My dead-end jobs drove me to seek a way out. It was during my time in the station kiosk that I wrote most of The Written, in between customers and on my mobile phone. Lastly, the strong passion behind a powerful idea. That moment of inspiration.

 

Almost four years on, on the cusp of four books later, Emaneska is going from strength to strength. Thoroughly fitting the original scribbled brief of “Lord of The Rings meets Sin City,” the Series has had a great response from critics all over the world.

 

The Written was the first book, released late 2010, and was the fast-paced opener for the Series and its epic plot. It introduced us to its morally ambiguous protagonist – dutiful, powerful soldier, lone wolf, a troubled drug addict of a mage Farden. Whisked into a net of politics and dark plans, Farden soon finds his own life and actions entwined with the survival of his people and the whole of Emaneska.

 

Pale Kings was released in February of 2012. A bigger and darker book, it follows the ongoing trials and tribulations or our favourite mage. Farden goes to dig up his past in the deserts of a land called Paraia, while the others, characters from The Written such as Durnus, Farden’s vampyre superior, Modren, a Written mage just like Farden, and Towerdawn, Old Dragon and lord of the Sirens, must do battle with a gathering storm of war and dark revelations for all. It isn’t just Farden’s fight any more, and the stakes are higher than ever.

 

Due for release in Spring/Summer 2013 is the two-part finale of the Series – Dead Stars Part 1 and 2. Dead Stars will bring the epic conclusion to the Series crashing down. There are already teasers at www.bengalley.com, and the covers are due for release by Christmas. Follow the progress at Ben’s website, or by Facebook and Twitter.