I don’t want to know how the world will end. I’d rather the when, how, and why be totally mysterious. Maybe I won’t even be alive to see it, having died peacefully in my sleep before the end comes. Though should I be around for the event, I hope it rains cupcakes, not frogs, fire, or anything too hellish. I can always hope, right?
Imagination has no limits; physics does.In my novel, Jaden Baker, the title character can move things with his mind. Before I wrote the story from start to finish, I studied this ability, its strengths, its weaknesses, and most of all, its limitations. If a character could move something with his mind, what laws did it obey? If Jaden could do anything, and he was without constraints, where was the drama and the tension of the story?
“You can move things. With your mind,” she said again. “Like a Jedi Knight.”
Jaden sat up in his chair. “Exactly like a Jedi Knight.”
“So you’re saying you’re like Yoda, only taller, less green, and without the backwards talk,” Libby said.
Jaden nodded to himself. “Yes, and no hair in my ears,” he added.
“Right, but other than that, you’re all powerful and move rocks and X-wing fighters with the lift of a finger.” She looked at him sideways, a doubting but playful curl to her lips.
“You don’t believe me,” Jaden said.
Libby leaned back. “What gave me away? My tone or my body language?”
~from Jaden Baker, Chapter 25
Why do I say that? Assumptions. When I said I’d published a book, I got a few variations of the same reaction. Everyone offered congratulations, but a fraction bought one of my books. Maybe it was foolish of me, but I admit to being surprised, sure that everyone who at least knew me a little would get a book. Until I started thinking…
Most stories originate from a “what if” model, as in “What if humans harvested dinosaur DNA…?” Jaden was no different, except Jaden’s “what ifs” were born of irritation. Continue reading
A tough one to answer. If you’ve read the book and you know me first hand, it’s obvious I’ve experienced virtually nothing in my novel–a good thing. So to say one should “write from experience” is kind of ridiculous. If we’re all supposed to draw from our experiences, then what’s an imagination for? Imagine someone asking J.K. Rowling about her adventures at Hogwarts, or Anne Rice about her time in old New Orleans with vampires. Continue reading
Today I got a message from a Jaden Baker reader, informing me of two errors in my book (he’d read at least 31 chapters). Neither fluke was terribly egregious, but it was still annoying, considering I have approved the book for printing. But then I reminded myself that I have rarely read a book without finding at least one or two errors in it, usually typos, bad punctuation, or an omitted or wrong word (which was my problem). I can certainly correct the Kindle and Nook versions no problem. It’s just a matter of uploading and viola! But the printed material, not so much. It’s another reason why I love my Kindle. Continue reading
2010 started a bit dismally. I rented a basement unit in the ghetto of Bremerton, which was not ideal. We’d pulled out the moldy carpets so I was living on cement floors. Because it was a basement, the ceilings were low. Though the square footage was ample, it was still a basement. My new sheltie puppy, Riley, was happy regardless of his location, and ran and barked whenever the mood struck him.
Riley 01-03-10
Though I have written but one novel, (arriving spring of 2011), I have learned a few things to pass on to writers who may be struggling with their own fictional adventures. Jaden Baker was six years in the making. One reason the story took so long to complete was characterization.
Writing characters is a lot like a certain type of parenting. Allow me to explain. Continue reading
I got a lot of responses to Jaden Baker, all positive, over the past few weeks. Some people left comments, others emailed me directly. There were many questions about “what happens next” both in narrative and in the book process. So I thought I’d write a second post about Jaden and try to answer some general questions. I will be updating this blog with news about the book, so please subscribe to the RSS feed (click on the RSS button in the top bar [where it says www.courtneykirchoff.com] to subscribe). Continue reading
Libby needed drugs. Obvious signs of misery approached, and if she didn’t get her hands on four ibuprofen soon, she would spend the rest of the day in agony, cursing the heavens and all its residents. Restocking her mobile pharmacy (her purse) with a dozen pills for situations like this had never slipped her stupid mind before. Except today. She hated herself. Continue reading