Tag: novel character

Emergence Ascended · Emergence Collective · writing

Decisions decisions…

Joe Hallett2 Comments

Remember, I’m still new to this writing thing. So sometimes I am reinventing the wheel or discovering a known thing (to the wizened writer). Every once in a while, I come to a fork in the road of the plot. I am a discovery writer, so as I am writing the story, I am making it up as I go. I have a mental road map about the direction the story will go. A rough idea about how it will end. I surprise even myself sometimes at how it is turning out, a new character I add to fill a gap might end up being integral to the plot as a whole and one I had not conceived of when I started writing.

So as it turns out, I again, have to come to a decision about what some characters are going to do. It’s not an issue with writer’s block, though I think it’s related a cousin, or uncle to writer’s block maybe. This has happened about 3 times in this story “Emergence Ascended,” and a few times in “Emergence Collective,” but the emergence collective one stumped me for a few months LOL. I write as I go, but I also think about the story as a whole when I am not writing (am I still a discovery writer?) In particular when an important scene (like the middle of the 3rd act). Someone I love has to die. Which of the bad guys deserve redemption? Am I supposed to pick up the dry cleaning? ( sorry that’s how my brain works and why it takes so long to write) I have a general idea how this book ends. but there are some situations that are almost interchangeable but will slightly alter my original idea (not that that is a bad thing) but which option will make the best, most satisfying end?

I had been quite productive in the last few weeks, I can feel the end coming and that has inspired me and that inspiration turned into an urgency. thing were smooth and flowing (I get that weird flow state when I write sometimes) well until now. I will reflect on who is going to die, who is worthy.

Thank you for visiting

Quantum mechanics · science fiction · String theory

I have a rant; please, just hear me out.

Joe Hallett3 Comments

I have strong feelings about things that most people would ignore or do not care about. More than likely, most of the world wouldn’t even think about it. I have been thinking about this from a character’s point of view (that will be one of the main characters in a future story). It didn’t start there, but it reignited my own passion, and today I feel the need to put in my two cents worth (or your equivalent nations denomination)

Ready? Here it is. (and this really drives me bonkers) It is the careless and flippant misuse of the term ‘Dimension.” The problem is that people tend to mistake it for the many-worlds theory. The Many-Worlds theory and dimensions are two concepts that are often confused with each other. While both concepts deal with the idea of parallel universes or alternate realities, they are fundamentally different.

The Many-Worlds theory is a theory in quantum mechanics that proposes the existence of an infinite number of parallel universes (or worlds) that exist simultaneously. In this theory, each time a quantum event occurs, the universe splits into multiple universes, each with its own version of reality. For example, if you were to flip a coin, in one universe, it would land heads up, and in another universe, it would land tails up. This theory is often used in science fiction as a way to explore the consequences of different choices and actions. The many-worlds theory is a great tool to avoid paradox in time travel science fiction  (if they get the nomenclature right!)

On the other hand, dimensions refer to the physical and mathematical properties of space and time. (And this is the important part people!) The three dimensions of space are length, width, and height, while time is considered the fourth dimension. However, some theories propose the existence of additional dimensions beyond these four, such as the string theory’s ten dimensions. In science fiction, dimensions are often used to explain the existence of alternate realities or parallel universes. I think that the confusion between these two ideas arises from the misuse of the term “dimension” in science fiction. In popular culture, the term dimension is often used interchangeably with parallel universe or alternate reality. For example, in the TV show “The Twilight Zone,” characters would often travel to a “fifth dimension,” which was portrayed as an alternate reality. However, this usage is not scientifically accurate, and it can be misleading to those unfamiliar with the actual meaning of dimension, and that really bothers me. Even hard-core science fiction novelists get it wrong.

I know that it might seem like a petty argument, and to be honest, it doesn’t change anything. It is just my own pet peeve, but anytime someone says something like “from another dimension,” I cringe.

art · Emergence Ascended · Emergence Collective · Horror · narrators · voice acting · writing

What do I get out of it?

Joe Hallett2 Comments

As a creative person, I am driven to make stuff. Most of the time, the stuff I create is just for me, something to scratch the itch. I am usually happy with my creations; most go unfinished, however. A lot of times, there are things I do to express an emotion or try out an idea, and once I have done that, I move on to the next thing (an expression of Attention deficit disorder). But it works for me. Creating things like writing, I need a little more, I need to share some things, and I want feedback on my ideas. Not that I am seeking attention, quite the opposite to be honest, I am very introverted (The pandemic was the best thing that ever happened to me, aside from all the death and dying stuff), and for the most part have to be poked and prodded to be social.

That’s where the paradox lies, where I am not looking for attention but want feedback on my creativity, but don’t want to have to be social about it. I am terrible about self-promotion. So, what do I get out of it? There is nothing better than hearing how a story I wrote made an impact on someone. If I frightened you, or made you think about a crazy idea I had, is a sense of fulfillment that is unequaled. When I write, I aspire to write something that will make the reader just think about my story a week or month later or even want to read it again.

I did get some very satisfying writing done this weekend. Wow, I am on Chapter 28 of Emergence Ascended, and I am really happy with it so far. As far as recording Emergence Collective, I had technical issues that prevented that from happening and that is disappointing. I am starting to feel confident, my narration skills are approaching “decent”, my editing is fair. Thanks for taking the time to read! Feel free to leave a like or comment, I enjoy the conversations! You can also email me at hello@hand-printsofdarkness.com

Audible · Author · blogging · Emergence Ascended · Emergence Collective · magic · science fiction · spiritualism · voice acting · writing

Audible update

Joe HallettLeave a comment

Chapter 7 is recorded. As a bonus I recorded a sneak peek episode of Emergence Ascended.

Check it out on Spotify!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/66Hha7Dq9ZJBTRTKCzddOC?si=cd780b32bf634a93
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3DoPIKLPHkst5QPtiT7QPo?si=486b77fd387d47a8
Author · Emergence Ascended · Emergence Collective · readers · writing

Painted into a corner

Joe Hallett1 Comment
What nut job would paint hardwood anyway?

I had a productive weekend creatively. Chapter 4 of Emergence collective is recorded, and I got Chapter 24 of Emergence Ascended sort of almost finished, maybe. Yeah, I am a little undecided since it seems that I painted myself into a narrative corner plot-wise. I am stuck with a decision that will steer the story on two different paths. The two storylines converge in this chapter.

One of the issues and how I managed to do it is I am a seat-of-the-pants kind of writer where I do not outline the entire story. I have a plan about how I want it to end, and I wander with the story as I navigate my way to the ending. By wander, I mean that as I am writing a scene, even I do not know what is going to happen next. Sometimes I have epiphanies and inspirations that feel right but create other issues that I have to reconcile with the overall storyline. Like I did Saturday, On the one hand, I am very happy with my latest bout of inspiration (It makes sense for those characters), but it has created a timing issue with the plot and a sticky situation that I have to think about and finesse my way out of.

Yes, I know I am being vague about it, but I am hoping that you might be curious enough to grab yourself a copy once it is finished. Anyway, I will ponder this for a bit, and maybe I will come up with an elegant solution. On the optimistic side of the coin, I do enjoy a challenge; without them, we only stagnate and do not grow.

Thanks for reading!

Author · Emergence Ascended · magic · science fiction · spiritualism · writing

Saturday quick post

Joe HallettLeave a comment

I’m feeling great today. All the holiday stuff is past us, and I get to get back into writing. Unfortunately, I won’t get a chance to do any recording tomorrow, but I’m not abandoning that project. I finished a chapter and a half today, so at least there is that. I really wanted to keep going, but Adulting takes precedence ya know? I am excited about this part of the book, and it’s hard to tear myself away. The second act of the story is my favorite part to write. I’ve established all the setup stuff, all the important characters are doing their thing, and the plot is plotting. now I get to play with the pieces of the story. I’m already excited for people to read it!

Thanks for stopping by!

about me · blogging · writing

Obligatory New Year post!

Joe Hallett4 Comments

I’m back! It’s a new year, and I suppose I will jump on the bandwagon for the year-end/new year transitional post. As far as the blog goes, it is less than a year at this point, but it was successful for a lot of personal reasons. Though the daily stats may not look at all successful, for me it’s not about the numbers of anonymous readers, but the few people that I have met through this blog has made it feel quite successful.

Those stats, on the surface, look amazing, but the truth is that I got suckered into one of those click-through sites. So the amazing number are really a verisimilitude of success. As I was saying, numbers are just numbers. I have met some amazing people from all over the world through my blog and WordPress. I have learned a lot this year about the community of creatives and intellectuals alike.

So do I have new years goals for my blog? My only real goal is to keep at it and try to keep a reliable schedule. I am looking forward to adding a lot more short stories and other writing. Hopefully, I will sell a book or two. I also look forward to meeting more people and get to know the ones I have already met, more. I am always happy to have conversations about just about anything, so if you don’t feel like commenting publically, you can send a message to hello@hand-printsofdarkness.com Thanks for stopping by! Happy Newyear!

about me · Author · Emergence Ascended · Emergence Collective · writing

Quantum Mechanics… If you’re not confused by it, you don’t understand it.

Joe HallettLeave a comment

A deep goal of theoretical physics is to unify the fundamental forces of nature, gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces into the theory of everything (TOE).

The Theory of Everything, namely M-theory, string theory, and quantum field theory (and interactions with geometry and topology) is a tasty cosmic stew that to me are topics that are too tempting to not be used as a backbone or structure in the subtext of my story.  String theory specifically has been calling my name for a number of years now, and despite the controversial nature of the theory I am on “Team String”. Lucky for me I don’t have to back anything up that is to say with a “Ph.D.” or citations to peer-reviewed articles, because, hey I write Fiction! One of the issues I have with science fiction (more to the point the uber-nerd readers) is a suspension of disbelief gets lost in the mire of “I know more than the author of the story I am picking apart” (Come on I am not writing a dissertation, just a fun story, just go with it). That little thing has cautioned me to do my research, lest I get flamed somewhere on the internet. But it also gets in the way of artistic license…. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah String theory.  Essentially it is the idea of vibrational frequencies (the strings) that make up all matter and energy in the universe. Man, that is good stuff. How could one not use that in a science fiction book? It’s the ultimate tool to describe why the magic in my stories has a connection to reality.

I know that this may not entice anyone to read my next book, but hopefully, if you read “Emergence Collective” with this in the back of your mind it might make it a little more interesting. (and not to mention prepare you for the next one) I have written in previous blog posts that I create a rule set for each story, that helps maintain the continuity, of a concept or even the behavior of the characters. The theory of everything, M theory, quantum field theory, and String theory is my basic rule sets for my WIP. Don’t worry, you really do not have to understand any of it to enjoy my stories which are pure and utter fantasy. If you are the uber-nerd, I will go toe to toe about why my rule sets do or don’t work. I would enjoy that conversation.

art · Author · Emergence Collective · writing

Deleted scenes

Joe HallettLeave a comment

I enjoyed a long weekend; the “labor day” holiday here in the US, it is a holiday for the workman. Because, well, we all deserve a day off, right? I spent a lot of time making stuff with my laser. Honestly trying to build inventory to sell at craft fairs and such.

MC escher
Book box

LOTR

I should have been writing. I am not sure if I am procrastinating or not. I have reached a part in the story that kind of has me stumped. Trying to weave two parts of the storyline together. This happened once before in Emergence collective. I had written a chapter that sort of painted me into a corner plot-wise. The chapter was That Barney, after discovering he had the power to control some aspects of reality, decided to trim some fat from his entourage (He is a military commander, and he had been in Eastern Washington investigating a strange anomaly with a detachment of troops) So he manifested a gun and killed them all. Needless to say, this sent the direction of the story in an awkward place, I had to go into why he did, and deal with the ramifications of that action. Honestly it changed the tone of the story a created plot problems that I could not resolve. Ultimately, I scrapped about 4 thousand words and re wrote it. (You should check it out if you haven’t read it!)

I am in a similar position now, where the story has taken off in a direction that I need to steer back into the direction I had originally intended. (For me the stories write themselves and I feel like a bystander most of the time) So I have been procrastinating, pretending to think about the story issues, but also enjoying a hobby. I love to make stuff. I know, I know, I should be writing.

about me · Audible · Author · Emergence Collective · writing

No good deed goes unpunished

Joe HallettLeave a comment

I never voiced this out loud, but in my head, I called it. “I’m going to give this guy a chance, a boost to start his career, and he is gonna kill my character tonight.” Aaaaaaaaand it happened. my character in D&D was ambushed by a mind flayer. I think he felt bad since we spent a lot of time trying to resurrect the character without too much “divine intervention.” The Friday game went as I expected. We did, however, despite the game of pretending, get an opportunity to go over some mental notes on the narration for “Emergence collective” foo Audible. I have all the recording equipment ordered and on its way. Things are right on track to begin recording, and I couldn’t be happier. As I mentioned in a previous post, I had a great writing session this weekend so things all around are going smoothly. (Now if I can just figure out how to get these two characters to meet) but that’s my problem)). Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog!