Joseph Rhea's Blog

 

First let me state that I will never use LLMs (large language models like ChatGPT ) or any other form of AI to write stories for me. I write for the experience of "creating something from nothing", not to crank out cheap books for profit). However, they can be pretty useful for summarizing what's available on the internet regarding your past work. Below is the unedited Google Gemini results from my query: "Summarize the novel Novum Chronicles by Joseph Rhea".

AI Overview

The Novum Chronicles is a science fiction series by Joseph Rhea, set in a dystopian underwater world where humanity lives in domes on the edge of extinction. The story follows Jake Stone, a haunted young man who inadvertently awakens an ancient power that could save or destroy the human race. If you enjoyed this unique underwater setting, the suspenseful plot, and the theme of humanity's survival, here are some books and series that might appeal to you: 

Similarities to Novum Chronicles:

Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic Settings:

The Expanse (series): While set in space, it deals with humanity facing challenges and discovering ancient alien technology, similar to the "ancient enemy" in Novum Chronicles.

The Hunger Games (series): This series features a dystopian society and explores themes of survival and rebellion, which resonate with the struggles of humanity in the Novum Chronicles.

1984: A classic dystopian novel that explores themes of control, surveillance, and rebellion against an oppressive regime, similar to the Council in Novum Chronicles.

Brave New World: Another dystopian novel that explores a different type of controlled society, which could be interesting for readers who enjoyed the societal aspects of Novum Chronicles.

Exploration & Discovery:

The Expanse (series): Features extensive exploration of space and discovery of alien artifacts, aligning with the journey of exploration and discovery in Novum Chronicles.

The Martian: Focuses on a single person's survival and ingenuity in a challenging environment, which resonates with the struggle for survival in Novum Chronicles.

2001: A Space Odyssey: Explores themes of human evolution, technological advancement, and discovery of an ancient alien power, mirroring elements in Novum Chronicles.

Underwater Settings:

The Abyss (the movie): While not a book series, it features a similar theme of an underwater world with intriguing mysteries, which could appeal to readers who enjoyed the undersea setting of Novum Chronicles. 

Based on User Reviews:

Light & Shadow: The Complete Series by Moira Katson: Customers who enjoyed Novum Chronicles also frequently purchased this series.

Shadowborn by Moira Katson: Another book by Moira Katson that might be of interest.

The Alien Chronicles: This anthology features various sci-fi authors and could offer a diverse range of stories that share similar themes to Novum Chronicles. 

Other Potentially Interesting Reads:

Terra Ignota (series) by Ada Palmer: Described as having "impressive world-building," according to Reddit.

The Arbai Trilogy by Sheri S. Tepper: This series is recommended on Reddit as a fresh take on science fiction tropes. 

Note: The "Novum" in Novum Chronicles is a key element of the story, referring to a scientifically plausible concept that drives the plot. This is a common element in science fiction, and exploring other books with interesting "novums" could be a way to find more books you'll enjoy. 

Hopefully, this list provides you with some good starting points for finding your next great read! Remember to check out the reviews for any books that pique your interest to ensure they align with your preferences.

End of AI overview.

 A year of work writing a combined screenplay and novella in my (very rare) spare time, and both are now finally completed:

Rogue Wave (book) is now live worldwide: $6.99 paperback, $2.99 ebook, or Free in KindleUnlimited. For the screenplay, see links on my website.Beneath an alien ocean lies humanity's last hope!

After turning down numerous interviews over the years (including one with the BBC long ago), I was talked into doing this one with ShoutOutLA.

As of yesterday, I have completed a 114-page feature screenplay as well as a 25,000-word novella, both called Rogue Wave. I also wrote a 2-page film pitch for the script which I'm quite happy with. This was my goal for the year, as an attempt to restart my writing after a 5-year hiatus following my brother Dave's passing in 2019. I think I'm back and I know he would be Happy. 👍

Today I finished writing my "lean" draft, which is the direct "prose translation" of my "Rogue Wave" feature screenplay. Next I will start writing the true novella by filling in scene descriptions, adding character thoughts when appropriate, and beefing up the sparse script dialogue when needed. Very glad I finally stopped dragging my heels and started adapting this. 

"Rogue Wave", my latest original feature screenplay is finally finalized, officially copyrighted, and uploaded to Coverfly.
So with my Rogue Wave screenplay finished, what's next for me? Why, of course it will be the Rogue Wave book. I just spent the past two days converting my present-tence script into past-tense prose, word for word, and it's already longer than half of the novellas in my Novum series. Rewriting the story fully as a book will potentially double the word count, so I guess I know what I'll be doing in my spare time in the months ahead.

Long ago I switched from writing screenplays to writing novels because I believed that I needed "absolute full control" of my creations. Now, as I ease back into the Screenwriting world, I'm reminded that unless you're literally a genius, or figuratively an idiot, everything you create will be a group effort. Beta readers, editors, and friends will all influence and sometimes drastically alter your final product. And that will make it better. Accept that. Embrace that.

To celebrate finishing my latest screenplay, I have placed every single book of mine on sale. Check them out below:https://www.amazon.com/stores/Joseph-Rhea/author/B002BLVGAY

I have now written 2 feature scripts that, due to their setting and genre (far-future underwater science fiction (imagine "Dune" but replace sand with water)), would normally require a huge (100+ million) budget. However, knowing that would kill any chances of my stories making the big (or even small) screen, I specifically wrote my scripts to drastically reduce the CGI budget in a very organic way.

One of the things I liked about the TV series Firefly, was that 90% of the story took place inside the ship Serenity, and that was intentional for cost savings. However, it also forced the stories to be about the people inside and not on big sci-fi things outside the ship. I also based my stories on months spent at sea in my day job (oceanographer), where you tend to create external families and friendships to get you through the long days and nights. Both of my screenplays center on that type of "family" bonding and that allows you to focus on people and not get too carried away with plot. The plot is important and dramatic and life changing, but the center of the story is always how that plot affects the characters.

I do wish I could find a way to realistically estimate the budget. As a comparison, I use far less external "undersea" CGI shots than the recent 2020 film "Underwater" with Kristen Stewart, and it cost between 50-80 million. So I would estimate maybe 50 million, maybe even less since I spend far more time inside than out.

Join this conversation on Stage32

https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Thoughts-on-writing-a-high-concept-and-big-budget-feature-film-script-for-a-MUCH-smaller-budget

I am so busy writing these days that I completely forgot to mention that I finished the first draft of my feature screenplay, "Rogue Wave" 3 weeks ago. As of today I am halfway through a scene by scene hard edit after painfully cutting 9 pages to get it down to the magical "110 pages" basically required for spec scripts these days. Enjoying the process with no belief that it will ever be made into a film, because when I'm finished with it, I will start writing the novel version of the story. One way or another this story will be told.