Almanac
Casually Thinking About the Next Novel
by Malcolm Campbell on 02/22/12
When I begin a novel, I know the beginning, the major plot twists, and the ending. If I try to outline the material in advance, it vanishes rather like a desert oasis that turns out to be a mirage when one gets close.
The same is true when I'm mulling over ideas for a novel. It's as though I have to even sneak up on the concept. So, I tinker with ideas, look up prospective research information and think about the probable characters and what they might want.
So far, I haven't written anything because it's too soon. But, it's fun to speculate about what a book might look like, how long it could be, and who the audience is. To the casual observer (assuming people actually drifted through my office), I'm sure I look like somebody serving the Internet, ordering random books from Barnes & Noble, checking Facebook and e-mail, and playing games of Freecell and Hearts. None of it looksl like work. But it is, I promise.
Unfortunately, I won't know whether this work will come to anything until I start writing. Perhaps my muse needs to sober up and let me know if the latest ideas are hot, cold or neutral.
--Malcolm
Vanilla Heart Publishing Issues Free Glacier Park E-book
by Malcolm Campbell on 02/12/12
My publisher, Vanilla Heart, has collected my favorite posts about Glacier National Park into a free 49-page e-book. Called Celebrate Glacier National Park, the book is available as a PDF download from PayLoadz.
The highlights include:
I wrote original the articles during the park's 2010 centennial. As frequent visitors to my website know, three of my four novels were set in the park's Swiftcurrent Valley where I worked while in college. The most recent is the contemporary fantasy Sarabande.
Trying to Get Control of My Website
by Malcolm Campbell on 02/06/12
When I tell people I have three websites, they wonder how that happened.
I began with an editorial services website that had to expand to include a novel ("The Sun Singer.") When I wrote "Garden of Heaven," I began this website. But then later, when book trailers became so popular, the powers that be said I really needed something simple that worked for all my books, hence, http://www.malcolmrcampbell.com
If I were rich and famous, I would hire somebody to clean the mess up. Alas, Hollywood has yet to call and neither have the Nobel or Pulitzer people.
So, this site (which once was for "Garden of Heaven") is expanding to include my latest contemporary fantasy "Sarabande" as well as "The Sun Singer" and "Jock Stewart and the Missing Sea of Fire." (These links are all for the pages on this site.) I've also punched up the author's page.
There are days when the web site, the blogs, Facebook and Twitter consume far more time than the writing. Somehow, that doesn't seem right.
Meanwhile, this site will, I hope, continue to become less chaotic.
Latest review for 'Sarabande'
by Malcolm Campbell on 11/16/11
"Torment is not something one wants to live with for long Sarabande follows the story of the titular character as she copes with calls from beyond the grave from her dead sister Dryad, as she travels the American west and Midwest to find the truth behind her voices, to either return her sister to life, or to take her place in the beyond. An original work of contemporary fantasy with plenty of original ideas, Sarabande is an excellent choice that is very much worth considering for any modern fantasy fan." -- Midwest Book Review
A Bit at Loose Ends After Finishing the Novel
by Malcolm Campbell on 10/15/11
I'm usually tired and excited when I finish a big project. Sometimes, the project includes a last-minute crunch that's fueled by coffee and late nights. Then, as the glow of success begins to fade in the weeks afterwards, I tend to feel rather lost.
When I graduated from college, I felt this way. When I helped move a rail museum from one location to another, I also felt this way. And, now that I've finished my forth novel, I'm wondering: what am I going to do now. As I think those words, I remember the old Disney World advertising campaign in which sports stars were asked, usually right after the big game, "What are you going to do now?"
The correct answer was that they were heading to Disney World. I already took a trip to Nevada with my wife, brother and his wife, to see my daughter and her family. We had a good time, enjoying Virginia City and Lake Tahoe and a lot of family time around the house. But then, when we got back home, I was still faced with my computer sitting here with no book project to finish.
My wife says I always act zoned out when I'm writing. It's probably true. While working on Sarabande, I was not quite "here" in the house. I was off consorting with coyotes and mountains (such as Glacier Park's Mt. Gould, in the photo) and the problems of a woman making a long, dangerous journey alone.
It's too soon to jump into a new novel project. Authors, of course, are expected to work twice as hard telling people about their novels as they did while writing them. It's fun, but it's not quite the same as disappearing into my imagination and my story-in-progress and having a grand adventure.
It would be nice to relax and smell the coffee or the roses, but the loose ends are really intimidating for a while. Not for long, I hope. There are too many chores left undone and too many books on my shelf I still want to read. Then, after a while, it will be time to start writing again.
--Malcolm
