On Writing & Publishing by Robin D. Owens

Personal notes on writing techniques, writing a novel, my writing career and threading your way through publishing a book.

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Location: Denver, United States

RITA Award Winning Author -- that's like the Oscar, folks! Futuristic/Fantasy Romance and Fantasy with Romantic Subplots.

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Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Grumbles

It's been hot and the revisions have been brain-squeezing. So I stopped at 260 yesterday when I ran into a problem that needed to be addressed with a few additions, am now at about 470 and letting the mind think about a rather big issue and how to handle it in the minimum amount of words. Hope, of course, to finish tomorrow.

Meanwhile I am completely snowed under by other commitments I made when thinking this week would be free. Ha ha. Not to mention doing very minimal for RWA. Just heard that though I am flying in on Tuesday and leaving Sunday, I only have the hotel room with roomie from Wednesday - Saturday. So I'm at one hotel on Tuesday and a different one on Saturday night. Spent about an hour doing that.

One thing I REALLY want to see is Grace Cathedral. It was what started my interest in labyrinths (which I've used in my books). So maybe when I'm messing around Saturday, I'll go there. Shrugs.

Anyway, exercise, catsitting, dinner....maybe.

May your days go smoothly.
Robin

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, I just had something really cool happen while I was on your home page. I have just transferred over to my laptop and since I do not have your blog site bookmarked, I was dragging the pointer around on the site to get to the blogging link. As I dragged the pointer across the headliner on the page, it was like dragging a stick through a very colorful pond. Really cool effect!! I couldn't get the same effect on the other sites, but, it made my (very) early morning. Magical!!

I feel silly that it has taken me this long to notice the effect, but, I have really enjoyed finding out about it.

Great surprise!!!

Tine

11:00 PM  
Blogger Tannun said...

You said it was ok so here goes!

I love your Fams, other authors have had these type of animal/human partnerships: McCaffrey's Pern and Lackey's Valdemar come to mind. What makes your's unique I feel are a couple of things; they have real personality, and those personalities are more consistent with their animal natures. The scene in Heart Thief when D'SilverFir's fam'puppy piddles on the rug is simply perfect. IF a puppy could talk, you know that's exactly what he would say. I guess you can tell I like the Fam's

That said. How did Fam's come about, where they created (DNA manipulated) by Celtan's or evolve once they arrived on the planet?
I think that question would hit on the people themselves. Are Celtan's abilities a funcion of evolution, I know they were predisposed to have the abilities from their exodus of earth, so was it as simple as breeding for their abilities?

Are there evil fam's? It seems likely, I've known some cat's that were real demons! IN fact we had a bunny when I was a child that would guard our back gate, the one we had to use to get to school, and would attack us every morning on our way. Let me tell you, there is nothing more embarrassing than running from a bunny at 8 in the morning and not escaping fast enough. Bunny urine really smells. And the damn thing would spray it all over you if you didn't run fast enough!

How many earth animal breeds were tranplanted on Celta? You've given personality and intelligence so far to benign animals, we know there are cat's, foxes, horses, and what appears to be bunnies. I'm not sure why include 'pet type' animals in transport and not livestock, but did only domesticated animals make the trip, no lions and tigers and bears?

Which is YOUR favorite Fam? I've mentioned the puppy from Heart Thief, and I think he has to be mine so far.

I know this is rather punish, but the Clover's seem to be moving from mid-house status to great house, any chance you could use bee's as a D'Clover's fam? They have a hive mind, why not give it intelligence? And they would make great spies! A new Fam type as they encompass their new house status.

What exactly is the government of Celta? You've mentioned the council, who exactly are the members? Can a house status fall so much they lose their council seat? Is membership locked to a specific number and specific houses? Can the council be expanded as more houses achieve great house status? Is there any representitive type government for mid and lower houses, or are they disinfranchised?

Does Celta have a constitution? Do Celtan's consider themselves a colony from earth, or refugee's?

Do Fam's have governments and politics? And do they police fam's that break fam laws?

House Sentience was a great addition, much less impersonal than computer AI, but how did the colonists know to create house hearts? Each heart is hidden well and in the most protected area of their homes, so the Celtan's didn't just stumble across them by accident, they built for them. Perhaps it's like Scarborough's series and their empathic ablities recognized the planets ability for self awareness and fostered it?

And it raises an interesting question. Celtan's seem to be more certain and aware of life after death, they know the wheel of life exists, so if Houses are a new life form, do they have souls, and will those that die recycle?

Houses seem to take on the personality of their occupants, can a house become evil or insane? You seem to say they can, and is there anything that can be done to 'adjust' their personality, do Celtan's even have the right to try in the case of an evil house? Does sentience impart the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Are fam's and house's responsible for their own actions? If they do evil, commit crimes, can they be held accountable?

Can you tell I like the Heart books just a bit more then the Protector's? Which series do you like better?

Did you publish short stories when you began writing, or did you jump feet first into the novel format right away?

If you could be a character in any novel, NOT your own what novel would that be?

Which of the Heart abilites would you most like to have? I'm not counting those that seem to cross house lines like teleportation, but those unique to a house.

There seems to be an apprenticeship process on Celta, but is there formal schooling? And with talents being so unique to each house can they be taught in a formalized setting?

Do you get a new pet each time you write a new novel?

Thanks in advance, I'll work on the next batch of questions now :)

Tannun

10:08 AM  
Blogger FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens said...

Tine, yes, I wanted the water effect for a while. It only works on the home page. Glad you enjoyed it. I actually go there and play every now and then. You have moused over all the things on the intro page, right? :)

Tannun, answers to your comments will post shortly.

Take care,
Robin

7:04 PM  

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