Freedom, at last

Finally!

Oh, in the beginning they are such glorious beautiful little ideas.

In those first few months they blossom into wonderful drafts of prose and perfect wording and just the emotion you wanted to convey...

...Then the nightmare starts.

Oh, not full on.

This is the perfect kind of nightmare. It tricks you.

First revision is good, a little stressful, but good. You and the characters are still friends but there are definitely "those" looks transferred back and forth. The characters start whispering behind your back when they think you can't hear.

By the third revision the characters are in full striking mode and you are about to blow the whole manuscript up in a blaze of flaming glory.

"Bon fire!" you call to the night sky, with only the slightly nervous glances from your neighbors. Face it, only slight because they've learned to hear this occasionally from your backyard.

By the time editing starts you, the writer, snicker gleefully in the pending revenge on those beastly characters for what they put you through.

"Time has come my pretty little Damien babies," you whisper-borderline-hiss to the screen.

But even then they pull that trick out of their imaginary sleeves... doubt. Didn't that one single sentence sound better before the second revision? Or maybe because I can't find just the right word for this other sentence I need to revise the whole damn scene.

"No, no... don't go there, AR. Just don't."

Because if you fall back into that revision abyss you're never getting out.

Never.

Ever.

Ever.

But eventually you're past the third (or fourth) editing round and once again love your demon child, otherwise known as your current WIP. It is now a submittable manuscript for your publisher.

*enter ominous music right about here*

...until your house editor sends you their first-pass mark up...

"AHHHHH!"

But, for now I'm free of it. Lilly's Journey is off and I can live in denial that it's complete.

Don't break that bubble of delusion man, just don't.

Brainstorming Thursday: Human Computers

I think for right now I'm going to stick with brainstorming on my earlier post HERE for your reference.

I'm kind of split. Half of my imagination is thinking about the near future possibilities and the other half is thinking about the real futuristic stuff.

Which way, which way? "Oh bother," as Poo would say... let's go with far-fetched future.

Partly why I want to go with far future is because of social networking and the evolution of how we communicate. We are developing tech devices that are more and more integral in our lives.

Technology is becoming a part of us like a limb, or creepier, an organ. A natural thought progression would be to merge those two concepts, virtual life and biocomputers. 

What if we're thinking too small when we (okay, okay, I) talked about organic pcs and tablets on Monday's post? What if it's a bit scarier and the evolution is to integrate pcs, cellphone and tablet functions into us? WE become the organic computer.

What would a story like this look like? Well, for me, it depends on where in the evolution the story is held. Right at the beginning with a rogue group of resistance fighters? After it's already common and acceptable in society? Or after things have gone wrong and humans are trying to fix their mistake?

I think, actually, I'd like a story after it's already a social norm. This way I could explore the moral dilemma and the human conflict it represents.

Okay, here's my idea:

Maybe a young woman, who's from the poorer side so she doesn't have as much of the tech integration, is trying to live life. She knows  that something's "wrong" with society. She can't pinpoint it because she's never known anything different.

Say she goes to visit her grandpa. He sold his body to a rich man who's body had reached the "end life" and needed replacement. Her grandpa's brain was connected to the virtual world to live it's remaining expected life span as decided by "The Committee". He did this in part to pay for the young woman's college.

From there the story is endless. You could take it anywhere. The virtual system could break down or get a virus and infect society. Maybe trigger an armageddon. One government could infect another governments political and military leaders and instigate a takeover.

Anything is possible. Well, that's my brainstorming for today. What do you guys think would happen? Or do you have another idea all together?

Birthing our Successors?

I've been completely fascinated with the whole biological computer concept. Instead of silicon chips, these living computers, also known as DNA computers or biocomputers, uses biochemistry and proteins such as DNA to process information it receives.

And recently, two different research teams from Stanford and MIT have designed genetic receptors for living cells. These groovy devices work as transistors inserted into living cells. These tell the cells to "light up" when certain defined criteria are met.

So, is it goodbye silicon-based pc? Do we rush out to greet our new organic laptops? LOL, I hope our organic tablets don't get motion sickness.

Yuck. Anywho, well, maybe someday. I'm not too concerned with the very Bradbury style future. This is one of those advancements where the near future opportunities are just as cool as the futuristic ones.

A couple ideas mentioned in the source articles sounded intriguing. A genetic transistor injected into a cancer patient that notifies any cancerous cells to destroy themselves. Water sources that monitor their own health and notify technicians if there is a problem. Even the amazing chance that construction engineers will grow buildings and bridges instead of building them.

My fictional, over imaginative mind immediately screams, "Biological weapon!" This could be provided with sniper-like pinpoint accuracy instead of mass destruction. Transistors will tell the healthy cells of a political or government enemy to destroy themselves. Ooh, or maybe something more sudden. Brain aneurysm, clot-causing heart attack. Imagine, assassinations remotely done in complete silence.

Even if we were mature enough to stick with only humanitarian endeavors, which I highly doubt, there is cause for concern. I mean, we are instilling intelligence in basic living things. How will these simple functioning cells react to consistent, long-term transmittal of "intellectual instruction". For all we know, human intelligence evolved from some kind of spark of intellectual guidance.

As a fellow member of a species unique to all other species on Earth, I'm not sure I suddenly want to compete with some other species with special consciousness.

By giving basic biological elements the path to "conscious problem solving" are we potentially paving the future evolution of those biological elements? Right now it's reactive... but at what point could it become proactive and evolve independent thought? I can't help but think we might be birthing something that'll be bigger than a computing machine.

What did David say in Prometheus? "Big things have small beginnings."

Maybe someone needs to make sure the researchers are aware of the Three Laws and suggest for them to design something similar for their biological device as Asimov did in the positronic device as they go along their merry scientific way.


Sources:
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/350549/description/News_in_Brief_Analog_circuits_boost_power_in_living_computers
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23337-dna-transistors-pave-way-for-living-computers.html

Coming Out!

Yes, yes, she's coming out! My new Women's Science Fiction story, Case of the Naga People (Interstellar Intelligence Agency, #2), officially releases today.

See the wonderful cover? Here, here right here! Squeeee!

I can't really call it straight SFR because... well, you'll just have to read it to find out. I do have to say, I really loved writing Becka's story. She had so many surprises for me along the way.

Whereas Raina in Book 1 was a rookie on her first case, Becka has been in the game the longest in the squad. Not to mention her race has no emotional cues. Of course, it doesn't mean she'd emotionless. No, quite the contrary. We also learn a bit more back story about the mysterious lead agent, Sophia Galleon. All these little components (among the regular SF elements) made for a challenging write.

Okay, so let's give the "formal" spiel.

Purchase Links - er Link

Because Patience left me for another woman a long time ago, the book is only uploaded to Amazon, but should be up at the other distribution site in a couple days.  

Blurb
Becka, the most experienced quantum agent in the squadron, faces her most difficult case yet... one involving her ex-husband. Compared to Dane, the Siwa demon Naga people claim is taking their people will be nothing.

Excerpt

     Ice surface of crystalline white.

     Snow covered mountain ranges in the distance.

     Large pink mother planet hanging on the horizon, framed by the universe beyond.

     And silence.

     Wonderful, peaceful silence...

     Agents each mentally prepared in their own ways. Some meditated. Some did yoga. Some danced. Some thought of nothing at all, blocking everything out but their inner being. Of course, there were also those rare few who needed adrenaline instead of peace, such as Aleron Tripp who listened to heavy, fast, loud music to get ready to quantaportate.

     Hers was always to envision a place that no longer existed. Using the sadness and pain of that moment to -- in that weird, twisted way -- focus for the next journey. Grief, her old friend, bubbled in her abdomen to percolate like the lava of a volcano readying to explode. Instead of allowing it, Becka gripped it with mental hands, and turned, kneaded, and molded appropriately, as if she were performing a simple, everyday task like making homemade bread.

     "Images please, Trinity," she mumbled, knowing Trinity would hear the quiet request through the speaker system.

     The white, barren room stuttered and disappeared, to be replaced by an old, wooden room of some sort. In the center, the galaxy materialized, the brightest tan dot being Naga. Becka focused on the centermost part of the floor and let her subconscious soak in the peripheral view.

     All the molten core of her emotions was molded into a tight ball, and she imaged blowingon it, cooling it until it turned white. In her mind's eye, she took her world and placed it in the center of the town hall as her reference point, then backed away again.

     Her limbs grew heavy, and she felt welded to the ground. Focusing on her world in the center of the wooden room, she allowed the desire to take over. The desire to be in that place at that moment.

  Nerves tingled throughout her body, almost ready. Every particle of her slowly lit with awareness. 

Everything popped, akin to little mini explosions sizzling in her conscious hearing, as if she were discerning microscopic popcorn kernels expanding. Releasing the grief and channeling the yearning desire of returning home allowed her body to break apart in a gust of warm wind.

Now as only essence, she could stay here as this simple blip of conscious. Just stay...

Brainstorming Thursday: Intergalactic Travel

So, as part of the whole "Call to Action" drama I instigated over the last couple weeks, I've decided to launch a little post series called... well, called the title you read above.

Enter trumpets and angels and all the other cool celebratory crap....

BRAINSTORMING THURSDAY!

Oops, sorry, didn't mean to shout. The trumpets died down right as I spoke.

Alrighty, back to reality, or as close to it as I can get -- which isn't very far.

Part of what I love about story research is all the little side trips I get to take. I'll be scouring for an acceptable antidote or medical technology and come across something that triggers another thought or idea entirely.

Let's take Sunday's post for example. On that post, HERE for your convenience, I talked about the speed of the galaxies in the universe and how it'll make a positioning system nearly impossible. Ergo, that means intergalactic travel will be near impossible... at least in my lifetime or several lifetimes.


Source: Nasa Images



But... (enter brainstorming about now) but... what if some crazy scientific kook or kooks just couldn't wait? What if she/they needed, absolutely needed for some reason, to see the neighboring galaxy? And what if it was far enough in the future science had started real/serious intergalactic travel research?

Now there, my geeky friends, is the core of a potential story.

Yeah, the rate of galactic rotations and the fast expansional gaps between galaxies is still the driving barrier for successful intergalactic travel. But, say this group... driven by this woman who has a spiritual reason for needing to venture out... has timed the motion of both the rotation and the expansion to pinpoint when a potential Goldie locks planet in a neighboring galaxy's solar system will be near enough to ours to transport a research vessel via some spacetime manipulation technology?

Maybe there's some belief of this particular planet, solar system and/or galaxy.

Wouldn't it be a gas - partial pun intended - if once they were there, the technology used to get back either malfunctioned or they miscalculated and ended up somewhere else entirely?

Long story short, what would happen if they couldn't get back? You've got, say, a crew of 50 in an unknown galaxy and no way to return home.

Anything could happen from here. They could search out the original planet to get the returning coordinates back on track and something happens along the way. They could find they're at another location with potential for life. Or, even... oh yeah, maybe some other "presence" diverted their trip and brought them to this new point.

Ooh, maybe the spacetime technology has something to do with interconnectining universe filaments. I don't know, that might be taking the brainstorm too far.

"Okay, pull back AR, pull back."

Oh man, this is exciting!

What do you all think would happen once they got there? Or, what do you think her/the groups motivation is? How do you think they ended up in the wrong place? Or, did they end up in the right place and a block of some sort is keeping them from returning?

I love brainstorming. Sometimes it threatens to throw my current WIP off course, but I try to contain it by jotting down the idea and allowing a little exploration into the concept. Then I ruthlessly tuck it away for a future project.

Need a map?

Mix in a little hydrogen, helium and dark matter, let it bake for about 8 billion years until little clumps of self-sustaining galaxies appear.

The "stirring" of a galaxy happens a lot faster and is more streamlined than we ever thought. Instead of necessary "fuel gases" drifting in loose currents to the center of the galaxy as we originally thought, taking 8 billion years give or take a million, those gases speed through filament "rivers", reaching the center in only a billion years.

This explains the fast spin of galaxies, which scientists couldn't previously understand.

Now, why am I sharing this with you? Well, it stemmed from my interest in intergalactic travel and the recent Russian earthquake.

Huh, you ask?

I know on the surface the two don't really pair up, but hang in there, I'm getting to the point. Ride the AR thought process with me.

GPS systems went haywire after Russia's 8.2 earthquake. Sent the world trembling with aftershocks all over this hunk of rock we call home.

Then, this morning I read an article about the newly discovered way galaxies are formed and sustain. Click HERE to read it.

The article was exciting in regards to my opening thought above, but it caused a side thought. Particularly the section that read: "Researchers didn't understand how the outer material could be spinning so fast."

Now, I know I've already covered the obstacles to space travel before, but another insurmountable and disappointing truth hit me. At least undefeatable in my lifetime.

If we are to go intergalactic with our travels, we'll have to master the whole spacetime manipulation thing. I mean, fusion and proton travel methods just aren't going to cut it for intergalactic. Maybe for interstellar, but even that's a serious commitment. At the rate the universe is expanding, and the growing distance between galaxies, we'll never get there.

But, if we master the whole Einstein move and pinch spacetime to accommodate our natural thirst to conquer all known things and places, we'll need a universal GPS system.

WARNING: AR veer-off moment hitting about now...I could name it UPS for Universal Positioning System but then I wouldn't be able to type it without giggling. I mean, I'm sure if we ever get that advanced UPS will be a primary user of the universal GPS system and all, but still, a bit ego-ish to name it after them, right?

But with the rate of expansion between us, and the rate of spin for galaxies, how can we ever manage to maintain a positioning system of that scale. I mean, one Russian earthquake managed to disrupt our measly planetary system.

How will we ever keep up?

If we can't get the spacetime worked out and an efficient, manageable positioning system developed we'll never leave this solar system, let alone the galaxy.

Okay, AR, don't panic. (Like the Hitchhikers reference there?)

We just need to be patient. Every day science is breaking what it knew and learning brand new things all together. No, it won't happen in my lifetime, but maybe in one of my next lifetimes.

Patience, AR, patience.

My Plan in Action

Okey dokey, so as an extension of my "call to action" in the previous post, I've empowered my whining into action. You know, the one with tuba player and marching band in it?

Never mind, back to point. Here's my plan, listed in bullets and everything:

• I've organized the science and technology topics I want to cover and began outlining the articles.
• I've laid out the SF and SFR books I've read recently and been noting my thoughts on them. I even have some questions I might want to send to them (the authors, not the books) to get some insights. This is a big might as I really am awkward at socializing with fellow writers.I don't quite know why, but I am. I turn into a big lame-o.
• I've laid out a posting schedule
• I've slated specific "blog-writing" sessions

Why the last bullet? Well, I started to just puke it out on random and sporadic posts but decided that may be one of the reasons I haven't been successful. I'm an anal business planner by nature, so it goes to reason that I need planning and structure - to a point - in my personal life as well.

This blog is an important part of my world, where I can share my interests and joys, so, ergo, I need to get my shit together.

Therefore...

heehee, like the serious, mature tone of "therefore" just now?

*clears throat*

Anywho, to ensure I'm successful at my little life change here, I'm going to unofficially re-launch my blogging "life" this Sunday, the 26th.