Lina Jardero ~ Scientist & Adviser?

October 8, 2013 by Roland Clarke

English: Rancocas ( Helis Stock ) Farm is an American thoroughbred horse racing stud farm and racing stable located on Monmouth Road (County Road 537) in Springfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey, Jobstown, New Jersey. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Having finally interviewed Gilles Boissard, I feel that is time to talk to his friend, Lina Jardero, who he described as “our nutritionist” and said “I can rely on her advice”. Hopefully she can reveal more about her major role in ‘Spiral of Hooves’, and what she knows as the tale opens.

Before you met Gilles Boissard, what were your hopes for the future? What changed that?

My life wasn’t going anywhere meaningful. Studying Animal Biology at McGill University and meeting Gilles was the chance to apply myself. I believed in his dreams and could apply mis talentos to make them real.

Your abilities – talents. So what kind of talents? How did they help Gilles?

Sólo mi educación. He needed my knowledge to improve the breeding of the horses. Without me, his father, Roman would have destroyed Du Noroît, our Canadian stud. Caramba, that man is a menace.

What are you willing to do to stop him?

[Lina laughs] No estoy loco. I have my science. The horses are healthier since my regime was implemented. He’s the crazy one. Ask him what he will do to stop us.

But what crime might you commit if the need arose?

I know what being a victim is like. So I don’t feel I can discuss that. Change the subject.

My apologies. It’s hard not to pry. So can I ask, who is your favourite author?

In my teens I discovered ‘The Mixquiahuala Letters’ by Ana Castillo, which rang very true as a young woman struggling with discrimination. Now if I read it seems to be all scientific papers. Just don’t tell Loup that I used to read literature, he’s such a bookworm that he might misunderstand me.

Cover of The Mixquiahuala Letters

By Loup you mean Armand Sabatier, who you live with. Is he your partner?

[Lina laughs] He’s sweet but just a friend. I sometimes wish he wasn’t so like shy. That idiota, Roman calls him shifty but I know Loup means well. Perhaps he can be odd and evasive sometimes. So?

But you would trust him in a difficult situation?

Naturalmente, although I am unsure how useful he would be. That was why he gave me my dog for protection. If you want my choice of hero, it would be Gilles. Maybe with Loup as his sidekick.

Your raven hair and stunning looks – apologies – tell me that you are Latina. Does that influence your personality as well?

Apology accepted. But if you are suggesting that I’ve a fiery temperamento, you’re wrong. And work comes before pleasure. Next question.

Who then is your favorite superhero?

Wonderwoman, as I always wanted to be her. But my origin is not so interesante.

What was your life like growing up? You mentioned discrimination.

It was hard, being a Latina – an outsider. Even among my own I felt different. So I left home and made my own life. No fue fácil – it wasn’t easy. Until I met Gilles… and Loup.

Did your parents understand? Did they support you?

Only mi madre shared my pain. After I left home, it was her that needed the support, when I could send her anything. But I can no longer help my family. I’ve been forced to move on.

So this is now your family, here in Canada? Is this what Gilles called “the team”?

Si, mis amigos. Gilles and Armand, and our head groom, Odette Fedon. They are now mi familia.

A strong unit then. So you don’t fall out with each other?

Like all friends, si. We argue, shout and get upset. But it never lasts. Friends forever. Or is that tempting destino?

Probably, so what do you think is going to happen next?

We’ve been discussing that. Gilles wants to move to the new stud in England, Fenburgh. It’s the one he found with Odette. I fear that Roman will try to stop us.

How can he do that? Gilles suggested murder, but does he hate anyone that much?

We could give you a list. But I fear most for Odette. She has crossed Roman many times. But I hope I’m wrong. She is very special, and a crucial member of the team.

Muchas gracias, Senorita Jardero. I am grateful for your time. It has been fascinating to talk with you and…

“Tabernac, who gave you permission to interview her?”

“Your son and that’s good enough for me. If you want to be interviewed Monsieur Roman Boissard, I can make an appointment for next week…”

“I make the appointments here, not some insignificant writer. And definitely not my useless boy. Jardero, back to work at once. Haven’t you got something better to do, Clarke?”

blood in the snow (Photo credit: Anosmia)

Other ‘Spiral of Hooves’ interviews:

Carly Tanner ~ Leading Lady & Athlete

Gilles Boissard – heroic playboy?

Disintegrating Characters

May 9, 2013 by Roland Clarke

How should a novel’s characters evolve? Should one create the characters before the plot or as the story unfolds? Do you do sketches before writing your novel?

My first novel, Spiral of Hooves, began life as a rough outline back in 2000, but went through various versions, with characters changing their names, motives, roles, and in some cases ceasing to exist. Other writers in my novel writing group tried to suggest improvements, which I attempted to integrate into my evolving patchwork of plot and counterplot. Thirteen years later and I am taking on board the comments from my US e-book publisher’s editors. And I need to check the voice of some of my characters and their motives.

Time to check my character sketches. Except the 2000 versions are sketchy, if they even exist; probably on dusty floppy discs. But it seems that they only evolved in my head, not as updated notes. Bad move.

English: Spiral made of Floppy discs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So now I am producing new sketches and timelines as I check through the current manuscript. In most cases no old sketch exists so the page is blank, although I have an unfolding story to refer to, plus the scribbles in my head. Reminds me of writing character profiles in English Literature classes at school. Oh, and I need to create a timeline that matches the manuscript or at least shows where I have made errors.

Sounds like I’ve written my first novel in fits and starts, using multiple maps and asking the way from friendly faces that sent me via their favourite attractions. Just the basics to guide me so I must be a Pantser.

And here I am claiming to be a plotter. However I confess that almost all subsequent novels, now in various draft stages, have been plotted: detailed character sketches, timelines, scene by scene OR chapter by chapter outlines, and even research notes. But never set in stone, so when the first draft pours out, the unexpected and inspirational can happen. And my characters are often the ones driving the plots.

But which is best for characters sake? Pantser or Plotter? Will my plotted novels suffer the same fate as my first novel and spiral out of control, character sketches disintegrating as the timeline fractures?

Perhaps I need to upgrade my sketches more often, as the story evolves and the characters mature – like wine rather than cheese, I hope.

What do you do? What are your words of wisdom?

Creative Chinese Character Art (Photo credit: sinosplice)

How to Write a 3 Dimensional Character (dreammirrors.org)
The transition from pantser to plotter (writeaubreywrite.wordpress.com)
One Write Way: Plotting versus Pantsing (genelempp.wordpress.com)
Plotter vs Pantser (krgreen.wordpress.com)

Makeover Time

January 15, 2013 by Roland Clarke

English: Male long hair in Western culture. Totnes, UK 2008 (Saturday afternoon, about tea time) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

During the last century long hair was part of a rebellious image along with a shaggy beard, or so the Saga of the Silver Scribbler began. I grew older and the hair turned silver and thinned but I persisted in keeping my image – it was me, it was my individuality, even if I was told repeatedly that it made me look old. Then came the transformation, the day when my wife helped me to cast off that past and discover what I could become – with some scissors. And I haven’t looked back … although I’m probably due for another trim as I write this.

As we move into 2013, it’s my website undergoing the transformation and I’m sure that my readers will agree that the layout is brighter, clearer and easier to navigate, without so much scrolling down a thin column of black and red. Does anybody remember what’s black and white, and read all over?

The wonderful thing about WordPress is that a Blog-meister can try dozens of themes without losing their original material. Great to see what it could look like if you are tempted by Garishmod or Enhancedcyber or in my case Sunspot. Select what you want and you have an instant makeover.

Okay, there will be tweaks to make – like reducing the size of the Blog awards – but it’s not like starting again. I left that for my poor wife to do on our new website at www.duskweald.wordpress.com. Our old site at www.duskweald.co.uk was becoming impossible to update so we have decided to move it or rather build an improved version. Once again we have experimented with themes, and hopefully found a suitable one.

Thus Writing Wings evolves, at least in my mind where the inspiration to continue scribbling emerges. Hopefully I can inspire words and images for others but I am always open to suggestions for future blogs that provide the motivation to create. Ideas please.

As the Saga of the Silver Scribbler unfolds, there is a niggling fear growing in my head, one that has plagued me for a while. The Work In Progress, does it lead anywhere? How?

Spiral of Hooves should be published as an e-book sometime this year by Spectacle Publishing Media Group. There is a sequel planned but could this be a dead end? I’m a writer all-but-housebound by my MS, unable to get out easily and sell myself. MS takes a toll on my energy and ability to devote time to writing, social media, self-promotion and all the work required to be a writer. Self-publishing takes all that and money. Traditional publishing requires an agent, which means approaching them then getting out there and meeting them … but how?

Or am I writing merely to share with family and friends? In many ways the writing is my way of putting the images in my head on paper or screen. The satisfaction begins when at least one person – my precious wife – can share the images. That is the moment when it begins to feel worth doing. A labour of love.

At least in this life perhaps the options have ended and that is just my karma, plus a legacy for those left behind. Reincarnation?

You Want Me To Go Down Where?! (Photo credit: tobym)

How do you choose which path?

September 9, 2012 by Roland Clarke

English: Crossroads – and three ways out of the road opposite I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before on a single track road – a left, right and straight ahead lane to choose from. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When you reach a crossroads is there a right path? Will turning right lead to a precipice or inspiration? Is self-publishing a more stressful route than the safe traditional path? Will choosing to focus on the task ahead be at the expense of other demands?

This last month has thrown all these questions at me, complicated by the pain and exhaustion of MS – the MonSter that shares my life. So where to start at this crossroads with multiple junctions? News first as that can lead down other lanes.

Hoof Shone ~ Photo credit: Flickr

Spiral of Hooves: Last month (in August 2^nd post) I mentioned that I was considering submitting Spiral of Hooves to a US publishing group http://www.spectaclepmg.com/. Well I did and they wrote back saying they were interested in publishing the novel so would send me a contract. Still early days but this could be the break I dreamt of years ago. For now I am being patient and tackling other work.

Fire Wyrm (Photo credit: garlandcannon)

Wyrm Bait: Returning to the first draft a year after writing this second attempt at a novel, I have found elements to change but also a basic structure and characters that read well. It is tempting to work on every sentence but at this stage I am looking at the bigger picture to see if the overall plot works. One element will demand a major rewrite – Point of View (POV).

When I wrote the first draft, I had a clear idea of the protagonist and chose his POV in third person as the opening voice, which works. I deliberated about the second POV: Should I choose the antagonist? Should I choose his ‘sidekick’? Would a female POV be better? In the end I chose a guy close to the villain – as that seemed easier than getting into a female head. The option of trying to inhabit the mind of the antagonist, make him believable and not have him lie overtly, was a tall order and not something I was ready to attempt; especially Agatha Christie does it brilliantly in ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In retrospect the second POV, as it currently stands, lacks credibility, perhaps because I tried to write an Asian POV plus the guy has strong similarities to the protagonist, and reads too much like an observer and victim of events. So the conversations between him and his partner will be presented as transcripts by someone anonymous. The new second POV who participates in the same events more actively than the Asian guy, is a female associate but American. Having written a female POV as the protagonist in Fates Maelstrom – the latest WIP –I feel confident attempting it again. Also the character is set to return in the sequel.

The Lair of the White Wyrm (Photo credit: karlequin)

Wyrm Blood: After the first Wyrm Bait draft, I realised the characters and background – an online role-playing game – could support a series. I intend to write the first draft of Wyrm Blood for NaNoWriMo in November (http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/about) and so I have outlined the plot and added to the cast. Some months ago a short phrase came to me and I honed it until I had an opening for some story. That will now be Wyrm Blood and one of the characters will be my second POV in Wyrm Bait. Working on the characters also fed into the first of the intended Wyrm series and added new dimensions throughout.

Card from the Japanese game obake karuta, c. early 19th century. Each card features a monster from Japanese mythology and a character from the hiragana syllabary. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MonSter: Our crossroads is not on an English or Irish lane that takes us back to the beginning. Typing this blog has answered some of my questions and brought resolve into my plans. There is one turning left and that is where the MonSter lives. MS causes pain, exhaustion, headaches, spasms, gravity checks and as a result restricts my life. If I choose the path of an agent and a publisher, I can envisage problems coping when exhaustion is an underlying concern. How do I get to meetings, especially in London, when my mobility is a wheelchair? What happens when I have to make verbal sense yet speaking or reading aloud is a problem? I know that other disabled people cope and as the Paralympics draw to a close nearby I see what is possible.

However MS limits my work schedule so I make choices. If I read all the Blogs I subscribe too, my writing time is cut short. If I work on a book then I haven’t time to Blog. If I find time to write a Blog then editing is postponed. If the MonSter decides to run amok then I have to sleep or scream until I can re-emerge or escape into Middle Earth. It’s all about priorities and juggling but the MonSter can be managed, but not tamed, as long as I don’t overdo it and pace myself.

So if I don’t post for a few weeks, apologies. But please know that I am still writing or reading something and one day I will be back here.

Until then good writing & reading from The Silver Scribbler.

How much time?

August 2, 2012 by Roland Clarke

St. Augustine writing, revising, and re-writing

Please don’t think I’m lazy but apologies are due I believe. The unforeseen hiatus in posts was enforced by MS dragging me down. Anyway I am back to the Blogging again. However Time is a tough commodity to manage when living with spasms, stiffness and exhaustion, so no wild promises or resolutions this time.

When I started this Blog at the end of May, the dominant theme became Editing as that was the writing stage I had reached with my first novel. After 12 years plus of working on Spiral of Hooves, I hoped that the end was in sight and only a couple of drafts were required to reach the finishing line.

Was I foolish thinking Editing would be so easy?

Three months on from starting the edit I had reached a quagmire and quit three days ago. Identifying the dire marshes that trapped me is simple – word checking. Was I reading too many posts about finding those ‘weasel words’ that grate and trying to eliminate them? I was spending day after day exterminating adverbs and expunging that/what/had/was or anything that was incorrect. I began to hate the manuscript and believe that it was not good enough. Plus I craved the day when I could move on to a better novel and get out of the Dead Marshes.

English: A view of the Kepler Mire String Bog from the Mt York Road Southland New Zealand (Photo credit: Wikipedia) [Used in LOTR films]

I abandoned the novel and put it back in the ‘bottom shelf’, deciding to move on and use a better manuscript as my first novel – the one I would use to get an agent. There was a mixture of frustration at my failure to finish Spiral of Hooves and relief at the thought of tackling Wyrm Bait, which already has a sequel hovering in the wings (called Wyrm Blood).

But was I wrong to give up so easily?

In the last few days two things happened that have possibly opened up clearer paths forward in my writing quest. First, my grand-daughter Jessica – step- if I was being pedantic – passed me a link to a US publishing group run by writers: http://www.spectaclepmg.com/. Perhaps they might be another route for a novel that needs a home – after a minor tinker.

Second, I read a repost by a US agent – http://www.rachellegardner.com/2012/08/the-writing-rules/ – that made me realise that I could be following the rules too rigidly and stifling my creation before I had given it a chance. Thanks then to Rachelle Gardner for rekindling my belief in my creative process and putting the Editing in a context – not that I’m throwing out the rules that pulled me away from my worst writing excesses.

I need to learn from this journey through the Pedantry Marshes when I move on to Wyrm Bait and I must choose a more sensible approach. I’ve learnt that writing a first draft isn’t so much of a burden as the Editing and I need to manage Time better. I hope that I can do that and find enough Time to produce the other ideas that are crying out for creation. On the cusp of 59 I wonder how much more writing I can manage before MS steals all the thoughts away.

How much Time does a novel require in your life? Do you juggle or manage?