For his impeccable work on the cover of my latest book Outer Diverse (the first book of the Splintered Universe Trilogy), Costi Gurgu is eligible for a Prix Aurora Award and a Hugo Award. I recently interviewed Costi on my private ship:

When I first met Costi and Vali Gurgu at the World Fantasy Convention in Montreal several years ago, I had no idea that Costi would end up creating the stunning book covers for my latest trilogy Splintered Universe or that his gorgeous wife, Vali, would serve as the model for the hero of my story, the relentless and steely detective, RHEA HAWKE.  You can find his cover art and other artworks on Costi’s illustration site.

I recently had a chance to invite Costi aboard my intelligent ship, Benny, orbiting the Earth. After settling in the aft lounge with some pockta juice, we began the interview:

Nina:     Hi, Costi. Thanks so much for agreeing to do this interview.

Costi:     Hi, Nina. The pleasure is mine.

Nina:     You came up with a “Triptych” design for the Splintered Universe Trilogy. What inspired you to come up with it and what do you like about it?

Costi:     There is the danger of spoilers in this answer. The fact is that your main character, Rhea, undergoes a certain evolution from a regular human being to… let’s just say something else. And that evolution has three parts, one for each book of the trilogy and it also has a touch of divine. So, the triptych design, so often used for religious paintings, fits like a glove on the entire concept.

Nina:     Ooh! Neat! Where can I get a copy? … (grin) … Your design for Outer Diverse (and designs for the other two covers) carries a powerful image that conjures a portal or gateway into another world (which is what the trilogy is about). The reader is drawn into an infinite landscape, looking in, and Rhea is looking out. Can you tell us a little about how you conceived this compelling design. Is there a meaning behind the symbols and colours you used?

Costi:     To be honest, the initial idea was for the red ring to be a sort of mapping device and a radar combined into one, since Rhea travels great distances in her quest. Then I realized it might as well be a portal device on top of everything else and serve all her travelling needs.

There were two options —either we would look with her outside, to whatever target she had, or look towards her. I thought that it would be more powerful if we could look towards her and see her determined face, see the unflinching resolution in her eyes, while she’s pondering her next move and readying herself to use the device once again. But to look towards her and see her in a confining room of a space ship, or such, would have defeated the purpose. So I needed to have her against the infinite landscape as the backdrop. She is in a continuous journey to discover herself and this journey takes her literally through the infinite spaces of not just one universe.

Nina:     Yes, I love the metaphoric elements you’ve woven into the design. The image speaks to us on many levels. Do you use music or other devices in your work to evoke your creativity? What other tools did you use to create the stunning cover of Outer Diverse (e.g., animation software, etc.)?

Costi:     I’m always listening to music while working. The kind of music varies depending on what I’m working on. If I’m writing for instance, I need instrumental music, without words to influence my own ones. Also, it depends on the kind of feeling and mood I try to generate through my writing or my illustration. Music helps me channel those feelings into the right words or imagery.

Technically speaking, I always start with sketches on paper, which I later scan. I mainly use Adobe Photoshop, but for this illustration I had to use Adobe Illustrator as well. Obviously, the layout and the typography were done in Adobe InDesign.

Nina:     Your wife, Vali, was the model for Rhea Hawke. I understand you had a great time doing the photo-shoot (p.s., some of the additional shoots can be seen in the Youtube book trailer).  I’ve attended several launches and events  lately (e.g., Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Bucharest) and both cover and model have been extolled. One reader compared Vali to actress Catherine Zeta Jones.  How does Vali feel about being somewhat of a celebrity?

Costi:     I’m so happy to hear that. You know, I had to decide how to treat her image. I could have gone towards a more glamorous, shiny look, like in a fashion image, or I could just simply keep it more realistic. Despite Vali’s protests, I chose to keep it that way, because I wanted to offer a realistic image of an ex-police officer: a woman who was used to fighting and chasing criminals, rather than taking care of her appearances. Now, to hear that her rougher and tougher image created that kind of reaction gives me a sort of peace and satisfaction.

As for the celebrity thing, so far we only heard that from you. Not that we don’t believe you! We’ll see when it really happens in her presence. It’s always a good feeling to taste a little bit of celebrity now and then. It certainly gives one purpose and perspective. Not to mention hope.

Nina:     You and Vali have had rich and varied careers in commercial art, law and writing. You’ve served, for instance, as art director for several high-end magazines including Playboy, and you taught graphic design at the college level. Can you tell me a little about your journey from Romania to England and finally to Toronto, Canada. Did the law degree help you in your entrepreneurial pursuits?

Costi:     Well, yes, ironically the law degree took us places. We both loved studying law. It had a unique way of opening our eyes to culture, civilization and the importance of continuously learning. Yet, while we loved studying law, we hated practicing it. After our first year of articling in Bucharest’ Law Bar Association, we didn’t like what we were doing, but more importantly, we didn’t like the people we were turning into.

Therefore, we decided to change tracks and try something a bit different. We left for England, hoping we’d get into some Master degree in Maritime Law. So, here we are, at “Open Day” at Westminster College in London. We’d enrolled for some English classes and saw a crowd at one of the Graphic Design Program tables. Some Photoshop wizard was doing a demonstration. For our untrained eye it was absolutely wonderful! We started asking questions and the “wizard” encouraged us to take his class. I don’t remember what it was called, “Digital Manipulation” or something. We replied that we’re there for Law studies, so he said—well, why don’t you take my class just for fun? So, we did and by the end of the semester we enrolled for the Graphic Design Certificate and forgot everything about Maritime Law or any other kind of Law. We’d just discovered the wonderful world of design, illustration, art direction and photography!

Nina:     That’s COOL! Did you pursue illustration and design in England?

Costi:     Well, three years later saw us going back to Romania; our families expected us to go back to the Bar Association and behave responsibly. But after showing my portfolio around I got a designer job at Playboy Magazine! The Art Director and I launched its first Romanian edition issue a few months later. Three years later I became the Creative Director of MediaPro Group, the largest publishing company in Romania and Vali took on the position of Art Director of Playboy Magazine.

Two years later we came to Canada to pursue a dream. So, yes, I could say that my law degree created the perfect opportunity for me to discover my passions for visual arts. It took me to England and eventually to Canada. Life is funny that way.

Nina:     Does Vali help you with your work and do you help her with hers?

Costi:     We help each other a lot in our work. Because we worked together in our first legal job and after that in our first design job, we have become a team. We have different approaches to the art process and we have different styles. I went deeper into illustration to complement my design skills, while she chose photography to do that.

Even now, for the most important projects we have for our different employers we involve each other not only for need of feedback, but also for need of different ideas and fresh approaches. We basically complement each other.

Not to mention that she’s always my first reader for any piece of fiction I write. She’s the toughest reader I have but in the same time I know she’s also the most sincere one.

Nina:     Name some artists and their cover designs that you like and why. How would you describe your own artwork (e.g., magazine and book covers)? Who are your influences?

Costi:     Where should I begin? I always loved the paintings of Rene Magritte and Giorgio de Chirico. I also have to mention Dali and H.R. Giger. They’re just incredibly good and inspirational.

I can’t miss Neville Brody, one of the most famous and brilliant designers of all time. Not too many book covers, but you have to look for his music album covers and typography compositions, and magazine covers. He’s done a lot of covers for the legendary The Face Magazine. You have to see the book The Graphic Language of Neville Brody. Absolutely beautiful.

Special mention goes to Edward Gorey. His art is amazing.

From the usual suspects of SF&F artists, I like Michael Whelan, especially his horror covers. See for instance Lovecraft’s Nightmare, both parts, or some of his personal studies. I like Frank Frazetta and Rodney Matthews. And there are others, many others, the list would be just too long for the purpose of this interview.

Nina:     Costi, your artwork on Outer Diverse is eligible in the Art Category for an Aurora Prix and the Hugo, the Canadian and American prizes for work in the science fiction and fantasy fields, respectively.  How does that make you feel?

Costi:     I try not to get my hopes too high. It’s a long way from eligibility to winning. But just to be in the game really feels good. From another perspective, it’s part of my dream coming true. It’s part of my journey and the reason I’m here. It’s so good to be noticed and to exist outside your family’s and friends’ awareness.

Nina:     Speaking of…when I was in Bucharest recently to launch my fiction writing textbook at the Gaudeamus Book Fair, I heard a lot about this guy Costi Gurgu, a rather well known and accomplished writer in Romania. You’ve sold five books and over forty short stories in Romania and won over twenty awards. Tell me about this guy, Costi the writer. What have you written and where can we find it?

Costi:     In truth, half of my reason for coming to Canada is related to my writing.

I made my debut in Romania, in 1993 and since then I published constantly in magazines and anthologies. I edited three anthologies. I won each and every award there was in Romania, several times. Among those, I won the prestigious Vladimir Colin Award twice (for my first story collection and for my first novel), and the Writers Union Award (a literary award) for the debut for my first book, a story collection entitled The Glass Plague.

My stories have been published in Romania, Hungary, Poland, Denmark, England, Canada and USA.

My latest sales have been to the Danish anthology Creatures of Glass and Light, the Daw Books anthology Ages of Wonder, Wildside Press anthology The Science Fiction Megapack, Millennium Books steampunk anthology The Second Revolution, and the anthology Voices—New Writers from Toronto, published by Co-op Writers and Toronto Public Library.

Nina:     What are you working on now—besides more covers for my Splintered Universe Trilogy, that is?

Costi:     A few months ago I just launched my latest book in Romania, another story collection, entitled Chronicles from the End of the Earth. I’m working on the English version of some of the stories in that collection.

Right now I’m writing a horror story for an anthology from Romania. I’m also in the middle of my new novel, for which I don’t even have a working title. All I know for now is that it has magic and it has science and some bits of dark happenings, so it will probably be a cross-genre. It is also supposed to be the first book of my first trilogy.

I’m thinking of a comedy movie script for next year. I’ve never tried a movie script, but I’d really like to write one.

Nina:     Sounds like fun, Costi! With your sense of humor, it should be a great success. Thanks so much for joining us here on Benny. I wish you the best of luck in the Auroras and the Hugos and in all your writing and illustration projects. It’s been an honor to work with you.

Costi:     Again, my pleasure, Nina.  And thanks for the Plockta nectar. It was … eh … interesting.

…See? He’s so polite!

If you love art and agree with me that Costi’s stunning artwork on Outer Diverse merits recognition, please share this post with your friends on Facebook, Twitter,  Linked-In and elsewhere.

Better yet, NOMINATE Costi for the PRIX AURORA in the “Best Artist” category (if you’re a Canadian). You have until March 31^st to nominate.

Just as good, RECOMMEND his exemplary cover art for a HUGO AWARD in the category of “Best Professional Artist”. Third Party Sites where you can recommend Costi’s cover art include:  Live Journal Community; NESFA, and SF Awards Watch.

If you’re already a member of the World Science Fiction Convention, you can NOMINATE Costi for a HUGO. You have until March 11 to nominate.

Outer Diverse is for sale at Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Barnes & Noble as well as other quality bookstores near you. It is also eligible for an Aurora. The Splintered Universe Trilogy follows the turbulent career of galactic guardian Rhea Hawke, whose unswerving passion for justice — though faulty vision of the world – collide as she searches for answers to a spiritual massacre. Visit the Alien Next Door for more details about the story.

NOW CLOSED –Thanks for A Great Class!

“It was far more than I could dream of or expect … Nina has an astonishing gift of nourishing your intellect … She listens with her soul ... Nina has taken me into a new threshold of learning. The workshop has given me a new world of confidence.” — Vanessa Rottner, Toronto

“Nina inspires me to keep trying my best … She is a very thorough instructor and very nurturing and knowledgable about her students work.” — Jana Hanna, Texas

Date and Time: 4 Saturdays from January 28th through February 18th from 2-3 pm EST.

Cost: $100 (payable on registration below)

Course Description:
According to Christopher Vogler (author of The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers) “all stories consist of a few common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams, and movies. They are known collectively as The Hero’s Journey.”

The Hero’s Journey is essentially the three-act structure of the ancient Greek play, handed down to us thousands of years ago. Drawn from the depth psychology of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung and the scholar and mythologist Joseph Campbell, author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, it duplicates the steps of the “Rite of Passage” and is a process of self-discovery and self-integration. To be a “hero” is to be on a journey “home”. The hero’s journey is the soul’s search for home, a journey of transformation we all take, in some form.

A truly compelling story resonates with the universal truths of metaphor within the consciousness of humanity. According to Joseph Campbell this involves an open mind and a certain amount of humility; and giving oneself to the story…not unlike the hero who gives her life to something larger than herself: “Anyone writing a creative work knows that you open, you yield yourself, and the book talks to you and builds itself….you become the carrier of something that is given to you from … the Muses—or … God. This is no fancy, it is a fact. Since the inspiration comes from the unconscious, and since the unconscious minds of the people of any single small society have much in common, what the shaman or seer [or artist] brings forth is something that is waiting to be brought forth in everyone.”

For more details on the course go to the The Hero’s Journey page.

Registration:

Register Here

Rhea Hawke discovers there is far more to the massacre of a spiritual sect, mysteriously linked to Dust, the contraband drug “of the gods” and a devastating prophesy of a catastrophic End of Age, triggered by the joining of twin souls. She unravels secrets of fractal geometry, deja vu, dreams and clairvoyance, multiple universes and space-time … and ultimately the greatest secret: herself …

“… a master of metaphor, Munteanu turns an adventure story into a wonderland of alien rabbit holes … a fascinating and enthralling read.”–Craig H. Bowlsby, author of Commander’s Log

You can pick up Outer Diverse at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble, Borders and other quality bookstores near you. For those of you in Toronto, Bakka Phoenix Books is carrying Outer Diverse as well as Nina’s “Darwin’s Paradox” duology (set in Toronto) and her guidebook “The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now!”

Nina Munteanu

I am holding several workshops in the Halifax region and South Shore this fall and winter.

Here are some of my workshops for October and November 2011:

Workshops at the Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia in Halifax and the South Shore:

1. Get Published, Write Now: 1-day 6-hr course — October 9th (Sunday) 10 am to 4 pm at WFNS, 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax REGISTRATION CLOSED

2. Master Class in SF Writing: 2-day 6-hr course October 22 & 23 (Saturday & Sunday) at WFNS, 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax REGISTRATION CLOSED

3. How to Use Blogs and Social Networking to Promote Yourself: 1-day 3-hr course — October 29 (Saturday) 1 pm to 4 pm at Golden Key BB, 964 Main St., Mahone Bay REGISTRATION CLOSED

4. Writing to Wellness: 1-day 4-hr course — November 6th (Sunday) 1 pm to 5 pm at WFNS, 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax REGISTRATION CLOSED

5. Writing To Wellness: 1-day 3-hour course — November 9th (Wednesday) 2-5 pm at The Biscuit Easter, Mahone Bay REGISTRATION CLOSED

Here are the Details:

1. Get Published, Write Now — CLOSED –Thanks for a great class!

“It was nice to have so much attention on my work–very inspiring and helpful.”–Angie MacKay

“Terrific class!.. Excellent examples, notes, presentations and discussions.”–Keith McPhail

This lecture and workshop course focuses on the important creative process in an author’s writing-publishing career: revision, marketing and promotion. Every finished work must first pass through the scrutiny of revision and editing before it is ready to market. Nina Munteanu (internationally published writer of short stories and five novels) provides you with the basic essentials of revision and editing, addressing the question of how much is enough and when to stop. She provides essential instruction on how to write successful pitches, queries and synopses (all necessary for novelists wishing to publish), how to interpret and handle rejection letters and more. Nina shares current markets for writing of all kinds from memoirs and non-fiction to short stories and novels (genre to literary fiction) and poetry. Students are encouraged to bring examples of their works and be prepared to discuss them. Students will be expected to write and share their writing.

Handouts and the booklet “What Writers Need to Know About Book Contracts” by Nina Munteanu are included.

Cost is $65.00

Register and Pay for the Sunday course located at WFNS office at 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax below:

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2. Master Class on How to Write and Publish Science Fiction — CLOSED
Saturday and Sunday, October 22 & 23 from 10 am to 4 pm (with short lunch break) at WFNS, Halifax This 2-day class is for serious writers who have finished or are near finished their WIPs and wish to publish them. The course consists of lecture and hands-on workshop focused on polishing craft and self-editing using your own work. You will be expected to submit and share a portion of your work and will receive critical feedback.

Lectures will cover essential tools of world building, research, plot integration and character development.

Lectures and workshops will provide direction on self-editing that includes evaluating story promise, conveying premise and theme into a compelling story with fulfilling end, critical aspects of draft rewrites, self-editing, and tools to polish your WIP into a publishable original work. Key elements of marketing (such as queries, pitching, blurbs, and synopses) will be covered as well.

Handouts and the textbook “The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now!” (Starfire World Syndicate) by Nina Munteanu are included. Location: the WFNS office on 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax. Cost is $125.00. Attendance limited to 10 people. Register and pay for the Saturday and Sunday course located at WFNS office at 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax below:

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3. How to Use Blogs and Social Networking to Promote Yourself — CLOSED

Saturday October 29th from 1pm to 5 pm at the Golden Key BB, Mahone Bay

Most promotion by authors is currently done online. The many opportunities boggle the mind, however, particularly for those of us who aren’t terribly proficient with internet social media.  Both published and soon-to-be published authors are using Blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Websites with podcasts and other social networks to great success. Learn how to command this incredibly inexpensive and highly potent and efficient medium to promote you and your work.
 
Internationally published author and essayist Nina Munteanu is an active blogger and proficient social networker of many years. She publishes several blogs and participates in many social networks on the internet. Nina will share her knowledge and experience in this interactive discussion and multi-media lecture. Nina will go over steps on how to build a blog, and cover topics like how to get traffic to your site, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), what makes a good blog, how to write copy, the pros and cons of social networking, and other topics related to internet promotion and marketing. Bring your imagination. Location: Golden Key BB, 946 Main St., Mahone Bay, NS. Cost: $60/student; price includes worksheets, example blog articles. Attendance limited to 7 people.

Register and pay for the Saturday course at the Golden Key BB in Mahone Bay below:

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4. Writing to Wellness — CLOSED … Thanks for a wonderful session!
Sunday, November 6th (Sunday) from 1 pm to 5 pm at the WFNS, Halifax $50.00

Wednesday, November 9th from 2 pm to 5 pm at The Biscuit Eater, Mahone Bay $40.00 

“Beautiful energy … well organized and interesting … It touched me more deeply spiritually and emotionally than I expected. It has motivated me to create the time and space to write again…” students of the class

Did you know that by simply keeping a journal, blogging or writing long letters, memoirs or fiction you are improving your health? The immediate and long-term beneficial effects of expressive writing have been clinically proven. Some of these include improved blood pressure, immune system functioning, lung and liver function, memory, social and linguistic behavior, and psychological well-being.

Join internationally published novelist, essayist and blogger NINA MUNTEANU for a candid discussion and exploration on wellness writing. Nina shares how she became a professional writer and how it helped her through various periods in her life. She discusses various forms of expressive writing (e.g., free writing, journaling, blogging, letter-writing, memoir and fiction); and through exercises, programs and other tools she shows you how you can enjoy a life of improved well-being through writing that is suited to your lifestyle. The workshop consists of lecture, discussion and hands-on exercises. Participants should bring a notebook and pen and be prepared to share.

Handouts provided.Recommended texts: Cameron, Julia. 1992 The Artist’s Way. Penguin Putnam Inc., New York, NY. 222pp.; Munteanu, Nina. 2009. The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! Starfire World Syndicate. Louisville, KY. 266pp.; Munteanu, Nina. 2010. The Writer’s Toolkit. DVD. Starfire World Syndicate. Louisville, KY. Location: the WFNS office on 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax. Cost is $50.00 at WFNS. Register below.

Register at the Biscuit Eater or pay at the door for the Wednesday course at the Biscuit Eater.

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If you missed a workshop that you hope Nina will give online or in your area let us know at nina.sfgirl@gmail.com [message line: Book a Workshop] Look for more online courses starting January 2012

The 3-wk course runs for 1-hour each Tuesday for three weeks (August 2, 9, and 16). Cost is $50.oo payable via Paypal to nina.sfgirl@gmail.com. Once you pay, you will receive instructions on how to access the teleseminar and live-stream lecture/workshop. Class is limited so join now.

Writing the Memoir: from Idea to Research to Storytelling.  

Have you been writing your memoir for years, waiting to finish it and hoping to publish? You may be looking for direction on how and where to start and proceed and where to finish. Memoirs, like all good creative non-fiction, tell a story. Internationally published novelist and writing coach Nina Munteanu shares details of how you can outline, storyboard and complete your memoir and make it marketable to your target audience. 

The 3-weeks of 1-hour Lecture & Workshop, will cover the following:

• Writing for your intended audience
• Formulating the core idea into theme
• Why and how to outline
• Why, how, where and when to do research
• Courage and privacy issues: what and how to reveal
• General discussion of how to incorporate plot with theme in storytelling.
• How to create a good story from truth
• Mechanics of good storytelling (show don’t tell, language, POV, setting, etc.)

Contact nina.sfgirl@gmail.com [subject: Memoir Writing] for information and to register for the course.

Nina Munteanu, Prospect Point

As a result of continued pressure by new students, Nina has opened a second Master Writing Class.

It runs every Wednesday at 5 pm EST. Join this Exclusive Club of writing enthusiasts for $49/month.

Sign up for Nina’s ongoing Master Writing Class on the Master Class Page.

For $49/month, this is what you get:

• four weekly one-hour interactive teleseminars accompanied by live webinar (computer streaming: NEW!) Nina lectures on popular writing and publishing topics, based on your submitted works, common issues, and questions from previous sessions. Topics covered and discussed are directly applicable to your personal writing challenges and interests.
• teleseminar sessions include a twenty minute telephone lecture, followed by interactive computer streaming discussion of specific topics and works directly applicable to your ongoing work. Nina “shows” and “tells”.
• facilitated discussions on the 10 most common issues faced by novice and professional writers: getting started; dealing with time management & writer’s block; getting those ideas down and making a story out of them; focusing and maintaining the staying power to finish; incorporating all the elements of good storytelling like plot, character, theme and setting into a seamless, page-turning story; making your writing compelling, clear and exciting; doing research and editing; marketing, synopses & outlines, query letters; handling rejection and fear of rejection; and overcoming fear (of failure, of success, of everything).

Eligibility Criteria & Requirements:

The Master Class is tailored for writers serious about getting published and with works in progress (e.g., first draft finished, mostly completed, firm premise and storyboard with portion written). If you do not fit these criteria, you may find that one of Nina’s other online courses or her manuscript evaluation and personal coaching is more suited to your needs.

To be eligible for the Master Class, you must submit an example of your work and agree that you are willing to persist with efforts toward publication, including the willingness to be critiqued, pursue ongoing revisions, and discussions.

The course requires that you have a computer with internet, a secure phone line, have submitted some of your work, have subscribed below, and have acquired the codes to access both conference call and live computer streaming. 

Unless you have been specifically INVITED, contact Nina BEFORE you subscribe:

BEFORE you sign up, contact Nina for eligability and availability at nina.sfgirl@gmail.com [subject: Master Class]. In order to address each of you personally, Nina limits her class sizes. Our first class is still running at maximum. This is why Nina has opened up a new class.

The Master Class that is currently open, runs every Wednesday at 5 pm EST. There are limited spaces for Master Classes so availability will be on a first come basis. Once you successfully register and subscribe for a place in this exclusive club, you will get an email with information on how to get in on the next call. See you there!

Almost every aspiring (and successful!) writer has a few volumes of writing advice that he or she feels are indispensable–books we return to, re-read, and use as guideposts on our writing journey. Munteanu’s wonderful book might find that kind of home on your own bookshelf.

Beginning writers especially will find The Fiction Writer a resource for every step on the road to writing–from defining genre to writing a great beginning; from outlining and plotting to preparing the perfect submission package. It really is an A-to-Z of fiction writing, starting with the chapter “Alien Architecture: Building from Scenes to Worlds” and hitting every letter of the alphabet right through to “The Zen of Passionate Writing.” Munteanu includes examples and lessons from her own writing career, which serve to emphasize the practical value of her advice.

Although the book covers a lot of ground, there’s no “scattershot” feel to the advice. It’s practical and grounded, and liberally seasoned with constructive exercises and helpful lists and tables, such as “The Hero’s Journey Map” (complete with an explanation of three-act structure), “Ten Ways To Revise Your Story,” common sentence structure and grammar errors.

Despite the fact that readers may know Nina Munteanu as a speculative fiction writer (Darwin’s Paradox, Angel of Chaos), the vast majority of the advice and information in The Fiction Writer applies equally to writers in any fiction genres. Good writing is good writing, and Munteanu has worked hard to provide a guidebook that shows exactly how to achieve that result. Highly recommended!

reviewed by Sherry

Sherry Ramsey is the editor & publisher of The Scriptorium Webzine for Writers, a great resource for writers. Ramsey has also published a writing guide, The New Writer’s Guide to Just About Everything.

In 2095 Darwin’s Evolution Kills…

“Angel of Chaos is … a gripping blend of big scientific ideas, cutthroat politics and complex yet sympathetic characters that will engage readers from its thrilling opening to its surprising and satisfying conclusion” —Hayden Trenholm, Aurora-winning author of The Steele Chronicles 

Angel of Chaos is the first of a duology on humanity’s co-evolution with intelligent technology and intelligent nature. The second book is Darwin’s Paradox and both are available on Amazon, Chapters, and Barnes & Noble.

Finalists in the SF category include:

• 2012 The Awakening by Bill Douglas
• A Dangerous Weapon by Charlton Clayes
• Angel of Chaos by Nina Munteanu
• Curse of the Legion by Marshall S. Thomas
• Destiny’s Blood by Marie Bilodeau
• Guardians of the Crystal Skulls by Lina Arena
• Our Jewish Robot Future by Leonard Borman
• Quick Fall of Light by Sherrida Woodley
• The Presence by Paul Black

Finalists were selected from 1400 entries in 56 categories. Finalists were determined by a jury of judges consisting of editors and reviewers of ForeWord Reviews, booksellers, librarians, and other industry professionals.

First, second, and third place winners will be awarded in each category. A $1,500 cash prize will also be awarded to Best Fiction and Best Nonfiction as determined by the editors of ForeWord Reviews. Finalists were announced in their weekly email newsletter, ForeWord This Week, in March 2010.

Winners in each category and overall fiction and nonfiction prize winners will be announced at Book Expo America and on the Foreword website.

Nina Munteanu, Prospect Point

Nina will be in Nova Scotia March 2011, teaching several writing workshops in Halifax and the South Shore. 

Nina will also make an appearance in several Halifax schools and will be doing readings at libraries. She will also be signing her latest book Angel of Chaos at several Halifax bookstores, locations to be announced shortly.

Check here for updates on Nina’s appearances and for specific times.

APPEARANCES, SIGNINGS & READINGS:

• Talk at Sacred Heart School, Halifax on March 18th at 3:30 pm
• Reading at The Biscuit Eater, Mahone Bay on March 24th at 7:oo pm
• Reading at Keshen Goodman Public Library, Halifax March 29 at 7:00 pm

COURSES INCLUDE:

• “How to Write and Publish Science Fiction” on March 13, 10 am to 4 pm (at the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia)
• “The Writer’s Toolkit” on March 19, 1-4 pm (at the Tantallon Public Library) and on March 28 at the Biscuit Eater, Mahone Bay, 1-4 pm
• “Writing the Memoir: from Idea to Research to Storytelling“ March 26, 2-4 pm (at the Bridgewater Library)
• “10 Commandments of Fiction Writing“ March 5 and March 12, 2-4 pm (at the Bridgewater Library)

COURSES:

How to Write and Publish Science Fiction. Cost $55/WFNS members; $75/non-members. Sunday, March 13 from 10 am to 4 pm. At WFNS, 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax. Includes work sheets and reference materials. Students are expected to bring an example of their current work.

What is Science Fiction? What isn’t it? What’s involved in writing SF and how do you get it published? Internationally published SF author, blogger and scientist Nina Munteanu answers these questions and more in an interactive & hands-on workshop designed to help you define your project, get started and successfully see it to publication. Learn some essential tools of this genre such as world-building, research, plot approaches and how to generate and follow through with premise, idea and theme toward a publishable original work. Students are expected to bring in and discuss their own works.  Workshop includes lectures, use of examples, discussions, exercises, readings and some writing. Recommended resource: The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! (Starfire World Syndicate) by Nina Munteanu, available at Amazon.

The Writer’s Toolkit. Free. Saturday, March 19, 1-4 pm. At the Upper Tantallon Library, Upper Tantallon. Includes work sheets and reference materials. Students are encouraged to bring an example of their current work. Also at the Biscuit Eater, Mahone Bay Monday, March 28th, 1-4 pm (cost of $50/person covers text book and coffee & dessert)

Every writer requires some necessary items in his/her toolkit to get published. This workshop introduces and discusses the most common challenges faced by writers serious about getting published. Areas covered include:

• getting started
• dealing with time management & writer’s block
• getting those ideas down and making a story out of them
• focusing and maintaining the staying power to finish
• incorporating all the elements of good storytelling like plot, character, theme and setting into a seamless story
• making your writing compelling, clear and exciting
• doing research and editing
• marketing, synopses & outlines, query letters
• overcoming fear (of failure, of success, of everything)

Recommended resource: The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! (Starfire World Syndicate) by Nina Munteanu, available at Amazon.

Writing the Memoir: from Idea to Research to Storytelling. Cost $40/student. Saturday March 26, 2-4 pm. At the Bridgewater Library, King Street, Bridgewater. Course includes work sheets and reference materials. Students are expected to bring an example of their current work.

Have you been writing your memoir for years, waiting to finish it and hoping to publish? You may be looking for direction on how and where to start and proceed and where to finish. Memoirs, like all good creative non-fiction, tell a story. Internationally published novelist and writing coach Nina Munteanu shares details of how you can outline, storyboard and complete your memoir and make it marketable to your target audience. 

The two-hour Lecture & Workshop, will cover the following:
·         Writing for your intended audience
·         Formulating the core idea into theme
·         Why and how to outline
·         Why, how, where and when to do research
·         Courage and privacy issues: what and how to reveal
·         General discussion of how to incorporate plot with theme in storytelling.
·         How to create a good story from truth
·         Mechanics of good storytelling (show don’t tell, language, POV, setting, etc.)
 

Ten Commandments of Fiction Writing. Cost $40/student. Saturday March 5, 2-4 pm and March 12, 2-4 pm. At the Bridgewater Library, King Street, Bridgewater. Course includes work sheets and reference materials. Students are encouraged to bring an example of their current work.

Although the act of creating fiction often involves the fluid chaos of the “muse”, published authors agree that some rules are required to successfully publish.  Seeing your fiction published involves more than mastering craft and technique; it involves adopting a winning attitude from passion to perspective.  Internationally published novelist and writing coach Nina Munteanu shares and discusses 10 imperatives that will guarantee your publishing success.  Come prepared to contribute. Recommended resource: The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! (Starfire World Syndicate) by Nina Munteanu, available at Amazon.

$49/month guarantees you four weekly coaching sessions a month in this exclusive club of writing enthusiasts.   

In this Master Writing Class you meet with Nina once a week in a teleseminar for an hour of lecture and discussion on popular writing and publishing topics. Each of you gets a chance to ask Nina questions on specific issues you are facing during the question and answer period following her entertaining lecture. Nina covers all the big issues that both new and established writers face daily in their careers. as she brings her wit and humor to examples from her own adventures as a pre-published and published writer.

Issues like:

• getting started
• dealing with time management & writer’s block
• getting those ideas down and making a story out of them
• focusing and maintaining the staying power to finish
• incorporating all the elements of good storytelling like plot, character, theme and setting into a seamless story
• making your writing compelling, clear and exciting
• doing research and editing
• marketing, synopses & outlines, query letters
• overcoming fear (of failure, of success, of everything)

During each session you have the chance to discuss any topic you are facing in your current writing project. Join our group, participate and learn.

Here’s what some of Nina’s coaching students say:

“Nina was warm and encouraging.  I felt free to share my fears and ask questions.  She was extremely knowledgeable, gracious and honest.   I felt as though she really wanted me to succeed as a writer, and was a mentor sent to provide guidance and inspiration.”–Zoe Hicks, GA

“Nina Munteanu’s command of the subject matter and her ability to explain in a way that the audience understood was excellent. As a hopeful author, I found her words inspiring.”—Amanda Lott, GA

“Rarely have I encountered someone of Nina’s considerable talent and intellect tied to such an extraordinary work ethic…A gifted and inventive writer, Nina is also an excellent speaker who is able to communicate complicated ideas in simple terms and generate creative thought in others. Her accessible, positive approach and delightful sense of humor set people at ease almost immediately.”–Heather Dugan, OH

“Nina provided invaluable advice with humour and finesse. It’s great to have access to such a friendly and funny individual who’s willing to be a sounding board to both beginning and career writers.”–Marie Bilodeau, Ontario

“What you’ve done for me, Nina, is you’ve just opened up a whole new world. You’ve shown me how to put soul into my books.”–Hectorine Roy, Nova Scotia

Classes run every Thursday at 2 pm EST starting January 5th. There are limited spaces for this Master Class so availability will be on a first come basis. Once you successfully register, you will get an email with information on how to get in on the next call. Sign up for your first class here the first week of January 2011. See you in January!

UPDATE: Thanks for your wonderful response. Registration is now closed due to full capacity. Please check us at the beginning of each month for openings to Nina’s Master Class. In the meantime, please check out Nina’s online courses and if you have a project that needs a jumpstart or some work check Nina’s one-on-one coaching opportunities.

Are you stuck in your writing project? Can’t focus? Not sure about the characters or where the story is going? These all relate to plot. All stories consist of common structural elements found universally in myth, fairy tale, dreams and movies. Scholar and mythologist Joseph Campbell, author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, took the concept of the Hero’s Journey from the depth psychology of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung and assigned 12 steps to the Hero’s Journey within the three-act play. Internationally published novelist and essayist Nina Munteanu shares details of this highly successful plot approach that will improve and jumpstart your writing and guarantee its improved marketability. 

Cost: $55/student; price includes text book, “The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now!” (worth $27), and work sheets. Students are expected to bring an example of their current work.

Register for the Hero’s Journey Course through Nova Scotia South Shore Libraries. CLOSED–sold out. Check our online The Hero’s Journey course in Winter/Spring 2011.

 
How to Use Blogs and Social Networking to Promote Yourself — November 13, 2010, 2-4 pm at the Bridgewater Library, Bridgewater, NS

Most promotion by authors is currently done online. The many opportunities boggle the mind, however, particularly for those of us who aren’t terribly proficient with internet social media.  Both published and soon-to-be published authors are using Blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Websites with podcasts and other social networks to great success. Learn how to command this incredibly inexpensive and highly potent and efficient medium to promote you and your work.
 
Internationally published author and essayist Nina Munteanu is an active blogger and proficient social networker of many years. She publishes several blogs and participates in many social networks on the internet. Nina will share her knowledge and experience in this interactive discussion and multi-media lecture. Nina will go over steps on how to build a blog, and cover topics like how to get traffic to your site, Search Engine Optimizatin (SEO), what makes a good blog, how to write copy, the pros and cons of social networking, and other topics related to internet promotion and marketing. Bring your imagination.

Cost: $40/student; price includes worksheets, example blog articles.

Register for the Blogging/Social Networking Course through Nova Scotia South Shore Libraries. CLOSED — sold out.

Monthly continuing: Nina’s Master Writing Class (limited seats, by invitation only)

The letter from the Editor in the August 10, 2010 Writer’s Digest Newsletter said:

We often get people asking if we offer free webinars. Well, this week those folks (and you) are in luck: Sign up for “Get Published with Nina, The Writing Coach,” a free on-demand webinar where host Nina Munteanu answers some of the most frequently asked questions that writers need to know. And the best part of on-demand is that you can watch it whenever you want, where ever you want, which means two things: Computer required, pants optional.

Take care of yourself and your writing,
Brian A. Klems
Newsletter Editor
Writer’s Digest

Looks like people are enjoying the Webinar. Here’s a comment Writer’s Digest shared with us from a Webinar student:

“Words can not express the joy I received by watching the video with the two authors [Vernon Oikle and me] on The Writing Coach, Can Help You Get Published. Thanks so much.”

The webinar is still online at Writer’s Digest. If you hurry you can still register for it and view this entertaining and educational conversation about things writers need to know to get published. For FREE!

Nina, The Writing Coach

Nina, the writing coach, can help you!

Join her for a free webinar where she will share some of her best tips for getting published. She will also answer some frequently asked questions that came straight from Writer’s Digest!

See you there!

Welcome to Nina Munteanu’s Online Writing Courses! 

 To view courses offered in 2011 and to register for courses, go to the online courses page. 

Your instructor, Nina Munteanu, is an internationally published author of several novels, short stories and essays. She has taught science and writing courses for over twenty years and has coached many beginning and established writers over the years toward successful publication. Her textbook on writing, “The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now!” is used by schools and universities throughout North America.

Nina, the Fiction Writer

What’s Stopping You From Publishing Your Book?

Yes, I’m a successfully published author with acclaimed novels, short stories and essays published all over the world.  But I almost didn’t get there. What if I told you that I never read as a kid, I was the worst speller in my school and I used bad grammar? I didn’t excel in typing class and practically failed English 101. Based on my Career Aptitude Test score, the school counselor recommended that I go into some trade like car mechanic. Believe me, I started from behind.

• I’ve experienced your disappointment and your fear—and prevailed.
• I’ve battled the gridlock of time and schedule conflicts, priority problems and lack of support from family and friends—and forged a way.
• I’ve felt lonely and depressed because no one understood my dream or took it seriously—and found a community.
• I’ve been lost in a sea of unfocused ideas, undirected plot, excessive—even boring—characters—and created a masterpiece of tense page-turning excitement.
• I understand your pain, your moments of hesitation and lack of confidence, your yearning. I’ve been rejected and rejected and rejected—and then published!

Are you a storyteller? Because that’s where it all starts. With a story. The rest is window dressing. Every author is on a journey, a hero’s journey, really. Because that’s what most writers are: heroes. We journey into the dark frightening abyss and return with the prize for the world: truth. The writer’s life is not really romantic, like many believe. It is rife with doubt, rejection, betrayal and disappointment. But it is also graced with the richness of joy, satisfaction, energy and fulfillment. When a writer writes what he or she is passionate about, there is nothing better. Absolutely nothing. So, let me tell you a story now, about how I almost didn’t become a writer but did because it was what I had to do.  Like most stories, this one has a beginning, middle and an end…

The Beginning: The Sweet Promise

When I was ten years old, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up: I was going to be a paperback writer. It was 1964 and I’d taken my favorite rock group’s song to heart, the Beatles’ “I Want to be a Paperback Writer”. It was an incredible moment of clarity for me and despite being challenged by my stern and unimaginative primary school teacher, who kept trying to corral me into being “normal”, I wasn’t going to let anyone stem my creativity and eccentric—if not wayward—approach to literature, language and writing. I was a confident, but lovable, little brat and I knew it. She and I didn’t exactly get along, as a result. But I did okay anyway, and, despite her acidic commentary (I didn’t cross my “t”s the way she wanted me to), Miss House begrudgingly awarded me my due A’s and B’s.

Nina pretending to read

I wrote some fan fiction but quickly found my own creations far more interesting and less limiting. As a teenager, I wrote, directed and recorded “radio plays” with my sister. When we weren’t bursting into riotous laughter, it was actually pretty good. She and I shared a bedroom in the back of the house and at bedtime we opened our doors of imagination to a cast of thousands. We fed each other wild stories of space travel, adventure and intrigue, murmuring and giggling well into the dark night long after our parents were snoring in their beds. Those days scintillated with liberating originality, excitement and joy. I also enjoyed animation and drew several cartoon strips, peopled with crazy characters as I dreamt of writing graphic novels like Green Lantern, Magnus, Robot Fighter and Spiderman. My hero was science fiction author and futurist, Ray Bradbury; I vowed to write profoundly stirring tales like he did. Stories that mattered. Stories that lingered with you long after you finished them. Stories that made you think and dream and changed you imperceptibly.

I had found what excites me—my passion for telling stories—and I’d inadvertently stumbled upon an important piece of the secret formula for success: 1) having discovered my passion, I decided on a goal; 2) I found and wished to emulate a “hero” who’d achieved that goal and therefore had a “case study”; 3) I applied myself to the pursuit of my goal. Oops… the third one, well…

…It went downhill from there…

Life got in the way.

I grew up.

The Middle: The Struggles & Confusion of “Reality”

Well, that, and the environment intervened. In several ways. It started with my parents. Recognizing my talent and interest in the fine arts (I was pretty good in visual arts), they pushed me to get a fine arts degree in university and go into teaching or advertizing. They made it obvious that fiction writing was not a viable career or a forté of mine (I was lousy at spelling and, despite my ability to tell stories and my love for graphic novels, I didn’t read books!). I can still remember my father’s lecture about how perfect the teaching or nursing profession was for me. I wasn’t enamored by either. The second blow to my author-ego came in the form of a school “interest-ability” test, meant to prepare us for our career decisions. I remember the test consisting of an IQ portion (spatial, English and math), and a psychology portion (including problem-solving and scenarios meant to tease out our affinity for a particular career). Secretly harboring my paperback novelist dream, I filled out my forms with great excitement. I still remember the deflating results, which suggested that I was best suited to be a sergeant in the army! LOL! Remember what I said about my spelling and grammar. “Writing” as a career barely made it on the graph, and scored well below “computer programmer” and “mechanic”; none of which interested me.   

Forest road near home

Dante’s Forest

I began to see a career in advertizing as a viable option; my love and abilities in cartooning seemed to naturally tie in with this pursuit. I also had an affinity for graphic design. So, I deferred to the “wisdom” of others and let myself be diverted and distracted by clever reasoning and an appeal to logic. I did what I thought I should do, not what truly excited me.

I still quietly held my dream of being a paperback novelist close to my heart, even if it was closeted in my subconscious. But self-expression had dwindled to a trickle; the creative flow of stories dried up and in its empty wake I discovered a cause worth investing a fervent energy: the well-being of our planet. With the cause came my relentless pursuit of a science degree. I left home and surprised and disappointed my parents by electing on registration day at the university to go into science rather than pursue a fine arts degree in advertizing. Although I wasn’t “expressing”, I was nevertheless inspired. I obtained several degrees in science, including one in Limnology (the study of freshwater), which were all to prove worthwhile in my ultimate “calling” and self-expression: that of making science accessible to the lay-public and eventually writing hard-science fiction stories and novels of substance about the environment. The latter didn’t happen for several years after I acquired my Masters of Science degree and did a long stint of teaching at university (yes, I DID teach after all!) while successfully publishing articles for magazines.

The End: Fulfillment

Nina outside Bakka Books in Toronto where her novel is for sale

My non-fiction pieces became my entrance into the world of fiction (much harder to break into) and I used this venue to polish my writing skills in fiction (don’t let anyone tell you that non-fiction can’t be exciting, bending to many of the same rules as in fiction writing). Once I began publishing fiction stories, I never looked back. And as far as I’m concerned, the sky’s the limit now.

Not too long ago, I quit my day job and moved across the country to an artistic community on the east coast. I am currently travelling the world and pursuing my dream as a full-time author and writing coach. It’s not an easy life. And it can be lonely at times. But it is so incredibly fulfilling and blessed with meaning.

Come, walk with me and pursue your dream. It’s for the taking.

Nina Munteanu, Prospect Bay, Nova Scotia

“Nina’s ability to take arid academic prose and make it interesting to students is actually rather remarkable. I have been regularly using material she created for helping my students understand the hero’s journey in literature – the students find her writing engaging, accessible, and (and this is important) easily applicable not only to their readings but to their essays as well. Brava, Nina, brava.”

–David Merchant, English Instructor, Louisiana Tech University

Students to professionals find Nina’s coaching and workshops lively, fun and very instructive.

Book Nina for an online or on-site personal or group coaching session at nina.sfgirl@gmail.com (use message title: Nina Coaching). You can also book Nina for weekly phone consultations, online webinars and livestream lectures through membership with “The Passionate Writer“. Rates are posted here.

Nina’s writing guide The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! forms the basis for many of her lectures and workshops (see examples of her popular lectures and workshops here on “Nina’s Workshops“) and is found useful by a variety of writers from beginners to professionals. The guide is popular with college and university instructors of creative writing and English, and thoroughly enjoyed by students of writing and professional writers, alike.

“The Fiction Writer is at the top of the required reading list for my students…A veritable cornucopia of hands-0n help for aspiring writers of any age…The quintessential guidebook for the soon-to-be-published.”

–Susan H. McLemore, Language Arts Instructor, Glynn Academy

The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! is available at Amazon.com, Chapters and Barnes & Noble, as well as discerning independent bookstores near you.

“Nina Munteanu’s The Fiction Writer is the book I wish I had 15 years ago.  Writers young and old can find ways to improve their work, with the book’s fun, easy to read format.”— Theresa Vinson, Book Seller

The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now!

Hi there!

Nina Munteanu - The Writing Life

You’ve landed on the website of Nina Munteanu, internationally published Canadian SF author and ecologist.  Nina is living her dream of the writing life!  She is currently putting the finishing touches on her next science fiction novel.  And if you’re lucky, you might catch her at one of her writing workshops where she coaches great fiction writing!

The Mentor: Nina is frequently sought after for one-on-one mentoring as well as personal coaching and group workshops on all aspects of writing and publishing.  Because she has published frequently in both fiction and non-fiction, she knows exactly how to help her clients succeed in getting their works published.

The Ecologist: Nina currently does research and gives talks in science and limnology (No! That isn’t the study of limbs! She studies freshwater) and is driven by a passion to help keep our planet’s environment healthy.  In April 2010 she participated in talks with the Dalai Lama as part of the Mind and Life XX Conference on Altruism and Compassion in Economics in Zurich, Switzerland, where she participated in discussions on the use of ecological relationships in economic policy. Nina is a passionate traveler, and has tasted her way around the world from Bangkok to Paris.

The Author: Nina has published award-nominated short stories all over the planet (with translations into Greek, Romanian, Polish, and Hebrew). Two of her several novels, “Angel of Chaos” and “Darwin’s Paradox” (science fiction ecological thrillers by Dragon Moon Press), explores humanity’s co-evolution with machine intelligence and Nature’s intelligence. She also writes critical essays and reviews, several of which have appeared in Strange Horizons, IROSF, and The New York Review of Science Fiction. Her personal heroes include Dr. Lynn Margulis and author Ray Bradbury. Nina’s guidebook on writing, The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! is currently used in schools and universities across North America.

The Blogger: Nina is also  The Alien Next Door, author of the award-wining blog which hosts lively discussions on pop culture, travel, science, writing and philosophy. Nina co-authors an environmental blog on climate change, Climate of Our Future. She frequently guest-blogs on Toulouse LeTrek, her feline friend’s travel blog.

Bozeman itself is a colorful and attractive city with cultural diversity and a level of “coolness” that comes from being a university town set amidst lofty mountains with a western flavor. Bozeman is located in the Gallatin Valley, surrounded by magnificent mountain ranges. North of the city, the Bridger Mountains attract thousands of skiers each winter. The Gallatin Range and the Madison Range, south of Bozeman, rise more than 10,000 feet and have peaks covered with snow much of the year. Montana State University is located in Bozeman, with a very attractive campus and programs that range from agricultural sciences, engineering to the fine arts. I spent some time there, particularly in the student union building, where the bookstore and the pub were. I would so enjoy teaching here; I just might…My son wouldn’t mind it too much either. According to PubClub.com: “this is place to go if you love to be outdoors and ski…ski bums are all over the campus and so are the hippies…its a true party college.” The Museum of the Rockies, located on campus, features many wonderful paleontology exhibits. Jack Horner, the world’s top dinosaur hunter and an adviser to the movie “Jurassic Park,” works at the Museum. Occasionally, Museum visitors see Professor Horner inspecting the Museum’s latest exhibits.

The visitor’s guide describes Bozeman as “a charming town. In a John Wayne—Norman Rockwell—Bob Marley sort of way.” The town’s history goes back to the time when Gallatin Valley (where Bozeman lies) was used by Indian tribes, including the Flathead, Sioux, Shoshone, Nez Perce, and Blackfeet, who all hunted for game and edible plants. According to tribal lore, Indians agreed not to fight in the Gallatin Valley, instead conceding to share the area’s beauty and resources with one another. European fur traders came in the 1700s, with Lewis and Clark leading a historic expedition to the Three Forks of the Missouri in 1805. Mountain men roamed through the area trapping beaver and acting as guides.

The town is named after John Bozeman, a Georgian who’d left his family to find fortune in the West. The town was named in his honor in 1864, shortly before he was killed near Yellowstone under mysterious circumstances.

Yellowstone National Park, just south of Bozeman, was created in 1872 and is the first and oldest national park in the world. Bozeman is often referred to as the “Yellowstone Connection”. After an unsuccessful bid to become the state capital, Bozeman was chosen as the site for the new agricultural college, which became Montana State University, home of the fighting Bobcats.

Bozeman currently supports a population of 30,000 interesting “urban cowboys” from young to old and funky to intellectual. From appearance, dress, comportment and speech I was treated to an attractive and exciting commingling of southern wild west and northern yuppy vogue. Travel & Leisure Online wrote: “The look on the street is Carrie Bradshaw in cowboy boots. No need to pack a blow-dryer; the Keep it Wild philosophy extends from nature to hair, which is also left untamed.” I felt at home.

• Show, don’t tell: a common error of beginning writers is to use dialogue to explain something that both participants should already know but the reader doesn’t. It is both awkward and unrealistic and immediately exposes you as a novice. For instance, avoid the use of “As you know…” It’s better to keep the reader in the dark for a while than to use dialogue to explain something. Which brings us to the next point.
• Have your characters talk to each other, not to the reader: for instance, “Hello, John, you loser drunk and wayward son of the most feared gangster in town!” could be improved to, “You stink like a distillery, John! Wait ‘til papa’s thugs find you!”
• Avoid adverbs: e.g., he said dramatically, she said pleadingly; instead look for better ways to express the way they said it with actual dialogue. That’s not to say you can’t use adverbs (I believe J.K. Rowling is notorious for this), just use them sparingly and judiciously.
• Avoid tag lines that repeat what the dialogue already tells the reader: e.g., “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “Do you have a dog?” she asked.
• He said, she said: reduce tag lines where possible and keep them simple by using “said”; another sign of a novice is the overuse of words other than said (e.g., snarled, hissed, purred, etc.). While these can add spice, keep them for special places as they are noticed by the reader and will distract otherwise.
• Pay consistent attention to a character’s “voice”: each character has a way of speaking that identifies them as a certain type of person. This can be used to identify class, education, culture, ethnicity, proclivities, etc. For instance one character might use Oxford English and another might swear every third word.
• Use speech signatures: pick out particular word phrases for characters that can be their own and can be identified with them. If they have additional metaphoric meaning to the story, even better. For instance, I know a person who always adds “Don’t you think?” to almost everything they say. This says something about how that person… well, thinks… I knew another person who always added “Do you see?” at the end of their phrase. Again rather revealing.
• Intersperse dialogue with good descriptive narrative: don’t forget to keep the reader plugged into the setting. Many beginning writers forget to “ground” the reader with sufficient cues as to where the characters are and what they’re doing while they are having this great conversation. This phenomenon is so common, it even has a name. It’s called “talking heads.”
• Contradict dialogue with narrative: when dialogue contradicts body language or other narrative cues about the speaker, this adds an element of compelling tension and heightens reader excitement while telling them something important. Here are a few examples:

  “How’d it go?”
  “Great,” he lied.

  “I feel so much better now,” she said, jaw clenched.
  “It’s okay; I believe you.” His heart slammed.

  Well, you get the picture, anyway. Hope this helps. Keep writing!

1. Voice: This is the feel and tone that applies to the overall book (narrative voice) and to each character. The overall voice is dictated by your audience, who you’re writing for: youth, adults, etc. It’s important to give each character a distinctive “voice” (including use of distinct vernacular, use of specific expressions or phrases, etc.). This is one way a reader can identify a character and find them likeable—or not. In a manuscript I recently reviewed, I noticed that the characters spoke in a mixture of formal and casual speech. This confuses the reader and bumps them out of the “fictive dream”. Consistency is very important for readers. They will abandon a story whose writing is not consistent. So, my advice to this writer was to pick one style for each character and stick to it. Voice includes what a character says. It incorporates language (both speech and body movements), philosophy, humor. How a character looks, walks, talks, laughs, is all part of this. Let’s take laughter for instance: does your character tend to giggle, titter, chortle, gafaw, belly-laugh? Do any of your characters have conflicts with one another? Either through differences in opinions, agendas, fears, ambitions… etc. One learns so much from the kind of interaction a character has with his/her surroundings (whether it’s another character or a scene).

2. Point of View (POV): Many beginner’s novels are often told through no particular POV. Many first manuscripts often start in the omniscient POV (that of the narrator) and ever so often may lapse into one of the character’s POV briefly. This makes for very “telling vs showing” type of writing (not to mention being inconsistent again). 90% of writers do not write this way because it tends to be off-putting, it distances the reader from the characters, and is very difficult to achieve and be consistent with. Most writers prefer to use limited third person POV (told from one or a few key characters; that is, you get into the head and thoughts of only a few people: all the observations are told through their observations, what they see, feel and think). This bonds the reader to your characters and makes for much more compelling reading. I would highly suggest you adopt this style. That’s not to say that you can’t use several POVs… just not at the same time; it is the norm to use chapter or section breaks to change a POV.

3. Passive vs. Active Verbs: beginners often use a lot of passive verbs (e.g., were, was, being, etc.). Some use too may modifiers. Try to find more active verbs. Many writers fall into the pattern of using verbs that are weak and passive (and then adding a modifier to strengthen it…it doesn’t). Actively look for strong, vivid verbs. This is a key to good writing. I can’t emphasize this enough. For instance, which version is more compelling: ‘she walked quickly into the room’ or ‘she stormed into the room’?

4. Show, don’t tell: this is partly a function of POV and use of active verbs. Once you change to 3rd person, much of this will naturally resolve itself. An example of telling vs. showing is this: [He was in a rage and felt betrayed. “You lied, Clara,” he said angrily, grabbing her hand.] instead, you could show it: [His face smoldered. “You lied, Clara,” he roared, lunging for her.] Telling also includes large sections of exposition, either in dialogue or in narrative. This happens a lot in beginning writer’s stories. It takes courage and confidence to say less and let the reader figure it out. Exposition needs to be broken up and appear in the right place as part of the story. Story is paramount. “Telling” is one of the things beginning writers do most and editors will know you for one right away. Think of the story as a journey for both writer and reader. The writer makes a promise to the reader that s/he will provide a rip-roaring story and the reader comes on side, all excited. This is done through a confident tease in the beginning and slow revelation throughout the story to keep it compelling. Exposition needs to be very sparingly used, dealt out in small portions.

5. Unclutter your writing: There is a Mennonite adage that applies to writing: “less is more”. Sentences in early works tend to be full of extra words (e.g., using “ing” verbs, add-ons like “he started to think” instead of simply “he thought”). Cut down the words in your paragraphs (often in the intro chapters) by at least 20%. Be merciless; you won’t miss them, believe me, and you will add others later in your second round of edits.

Apparently the vegetable kingdom in Mars, instead of having green for a dominant colour, is of a vivid blood-red tint—H.G. Wells

According to Nancy Y. Kiang (biometeorologist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies) green aliens are so passé. Well, she may have a point. In a fascinating article in Scientific American (April, 2008), Kiang tells us that “light of any color from deep violet through the near-infrared could power photosynthesis.” For instance, the cooler type M stars (red dwarfs) are feeble and planets receive less visible light. Plants might need to be close to black in color to absorb as much light as possible. Young M stars fry planetary surfaces with ultra-violet flares, so many organisms would likely be aquatic to survive. Our sun is type G, and on Earth green generally dominates the color of living plants. Around F-stars, hotter and bluer than our sun, plants might get too much light and would need to reflect much of it, so they would tend to absorb blue light and might look green to yellow to red or violet.

Photosynthesis, says Kiang, adapts to the spectrum of light that reaches an organism; and the spectrum results from the parent star’s radiation spectrum, combined with the filtering effects of the planet’s atmosphere. Kiang further adds that photosynthesis can produce very conspicuous biosignatures (see more below): 1) biologically generated atmospheric gases such as oxygen and its product, ozone; and 2) surface colors that indicate the presence of specialized pigments such as green chlorophyll.

When I first learned about photosynthesis in Grade 3, I thought it was a magical process. Scientists who make it their specialty still do. It is truly one of God’s wonderful gifts to life in this universe. Well, think about it: photosynthesis converts light energy (sunlight) into chemical energy through living organisms. The raw materials include carbon dioxide and water and the end-products include oxygen and (energy rich) carbohydrates, like sucrose, glucose and starch. The process is arguably the most important biochemical pathway on Earth since nearly all life either directly or indirectly depends on it. And like all marvelous things in nature, the pigments that harvest sunlight don’t operate in isolation. They operate “like an array of antennas, each tuned to pick out photons of particular wavelengths,” says Kiang. Chlorophyll preferentially absorbs red and blue light. Carotenoid pigments, responsible for the vibrant reds and yellows of autumn, pick up a slightly different shade of blue. All this energy is funneled to a special “hub” chlorophyll molecule, which splits water and releases oxygen.

How plausible is it for photosynthesis to arise on another planet? The process is so successful on Earth that it remains the foundation for most life (exceptions being organisms that live off methane of oceanic hydrothermal vents, etc.). The majority of life on earth depends on sunlight. Photosynthesis evolved early on in Earth’s history, with the first fossil evidence dating to about 3.4 billion years ago. “The rapidity of its emergence suggests it was no fluke and could arise on other worlds too,” Kiang contends and adds, “As organisms released gases, they changed the very lighting conditions on which they depended,” which meant that hey had to evolve new colors. We can see this in the evolutionary range in pigmentation of simple unicellular life, from the near-infrared absorbing first photosynthetic bacteria to the early blue-green algae, red and brown algae and finally the more evolved green algae. “Studying Earth life to guide our search for life on other worlds is the essence of astrobiology,” said Carl Pilcher, director of the NAI at NASA Ames. “This work broadens our understanding of how life may be detected on Earth-like planets around other stars, while simultaneously improving our understanding of life on Earth.”

Predicting alien plant colors takes experts ranging from astronomers to plant physiologists to biochemists. While the longest wavelength observed in photosynthesis on Earth is about 1,015 nm (in purple anoxygenic bacteria), the laws of physics set no strict upper limit. The limiting factor, according to Kiang, isn’t the feasibility of novel pigments but the light spectrum available at a planet’s surface, which depends mostly on the star type. Astronomers describe what’s called a “habitable zone” around each star. This is a range of orbits where planets can maintain a temperature that supports liquid water. In the solar system of our G star, this includes the orbits of Earth and Mars. The habitable zone of an F star, a hotter star, would be farther out and that of a K and M star, would be closer.

Aside from colors reflected by plants, the following features may provide signs of life (e.g., biosignatures) according to NASA:

1. Oxygen plus water: even on a lifeless world, light from the parent star produces a small amount of oxygen in a planet’s atmosphere by splitting water vapor. The gas dissipates quickly (e.g., rained out or through oxidation of rocks and volcanic gases). Abundant oxygen therefore signals an additional source;
2. Ozone: easier to detect, ozone provides an indicator of oxygen, being its product;
3. Methane plus oxygen: these two are considered an awkward combination, hard to achieve without photosynthesis;
4. Seasonal cycles: fluctuations of methane suggest life, given that levels tend to remain constant otherwise;
5. Methyl chloride: produced on Earth from burning of vegetation and the action of sunlight on plankton and seawater chlorine. An M star’s relatively weak radiation might allow the gas to build up to detectable amounts;
6. Nitrous oxide: released when plant matter decays.

• Anaerobic ocean life: where the parent star is a young star of any type and the organisms may not produce oxygen and the atmosphere may be mostly other gases like methane;
• Aerobic ocean life: where the parent star is older and photosynthesis has evolved, building up atmospheric oxygen;
• Aerobic life on land: the parent star is mature and plants cover the land (like Earth);
• Anaerobic land life: the star is a quiescent M star, so the UV radiation is negligible and plants wouldn’t produce oxygen.