Alex D.T. Baker's Blog: Personal Protein Spill

Inside Baseball: Part II: Dactylic Hexameter. Have no idea what that means. I did not either until I was 3 chapters into writing Dragon Dilemma Part 1. It only took a few lines of the 4th chapter for me to realize what I was writing was not working. It was the voice, you see. The4th chapter is a story within a story, and it is being told by one of the characters. However, writing it in the style of the other chapters made it feel flat. It sounded too much like 'my writing' and not enough like someone else telling it.
So, I began ruminating on what a story being told by a fantasy character might sound like. It had to be something old - perhaps medieval. My mind moved to books or stories I had read that had stuck with me because of their style - ones that might fit such a composition. Two came to mind. The Illiad and the Odyssey.
Now, Homer had this stuff down pat. I didn't.
Dactylic Hexameter is certainly not a normal way of writing these days.
My first step - look up exactly what it was: a poetic meter consisting of six feet per line.
My second step: do a lot of online searching and reading.
It took me two weeks to write the first iteration of that one chapter.
I have since rewritten it almost entirely during revisions.
Did I nail the format? Given I am not an expert in the field of that style of writing, I'll have to leave that judgement up to others.
I'll consider it a win, none-the-less.
If nothing else, because of the challenge. And, because the change in style fits.
Reading back through the story, I am convinced, now more than ever, that writing that chapter in the style of the rest of the book would cause it to completely fall flat.
The change adds character. It sets that inner story apart. It has it's own tone and personality.
It also gives me a much grander appreciation for what Homer wrote.
I considered maybe coming back after the book was finished and published and rewriting the entirety of Dragon Dilemma in Dactylic Hexameter.
Ah, I do so love kidding myself.
I am looking forward to seeing what readers of the book think about it though.
Time will tell.

Progress on revisions continue. The updates to the first tale in the book, Space Cowboy (tentative name), are completed (for all 3 parts). Well, let's use the word tentative for that, also, as I am sure there will be some adjustments pointed out to me when the book goes for editing.
That being said, I am well into Part 2 of The Hive. Thus far, the revisions to this tale have not been as extensive - though, I feel, what has been done is no less impactful.
I think the trickiest part of what is being done here is making the necessary changes without changing the perspective of or about the characters (unless that is an intentional part of the change being made, of course).
I have found myself, on a few occasions, having to pause and question if what I just moved, reworded, or inserted did just that - changed how a reader may perceive that particular character.
And, though that is always something I would think is important when going through the revision process, I believe it is is even more so with this tale.
These 3 parts are being told from a rotating, multi-person, first person perspective. So, there are many points of view that build a patchwork vision of the story as a whole - like a quilt. Because of that, the flow of the characters intertwine. Change one too much, and that entire flow gets derailed.
Nevertheless, the beat goes on. I hope to finish part 2 and be well into part 3 this week.
That just leaves revisions to Dragon's Dilemma looming on the horizon.
My timeline has been pushed back some, rightfully so, because of the effort. I am now hoping to have the revisions fully completed by December some time - and then passed on to the more-than-capable hands of my editor.
More to come.

Inside Baseball: For those not familiar with the term Inside Baseball, it translates to a look behind the curtain, as it were. I always thought that was fun - getting to hear things directly from the author of a book. Their thought process or what inspired them or whatever. It was like some secret knowledge that, let's face it, really wasn't all that secret - nor did it usually reveal anything Earth shattering. But...fun, nonetheless.
With that in mind, away we go.
Some years ago I had the privilege or beta reading the second book in a series for another author. The first book was decent enough. It established, at the very least, some memorable characters and a good base to build on.
However, upon reading the second book, I, as the reader (I am not speaking for anyone else nor insinuating my word is final), thought it went off in a failing direction. My final response to the author was that I felt he should go back and rewrite the story more inline with where the first seemed to be headed. Again, just my perspective.
As I have mentioned in these posts, I, myself, recently completed a Beta read phase and have been going through revisions.
For beta read and the constructive criticisms they offer, I look for patterns in the responses. ie - if 19 people said they loved a character and 1 person said they hated it, maybe it's just that person.
I am not saying their opinion does not matter. It does. And, perhaps, their opinion still holds some morsel of insight. So, it is always worth while to take it into consideration. Right? Okay.
But, by and far, I find myself looking for patterns in the feedback - things that get mentioned by numerous readers.
After reading all of the feedback, I decided to revise Space Cowboy first. Why? The implications. While the feedback may seem innocuous on the surface, the ripples of these 'small' changes were far reaching.
The feedback I'm referring to centered around the theme of the novel, Matriarch, and one of the characters within.
The character in question did not appear until the second part of the three; however, she was heavily intwined in the Matriarch theme. I felt I had conveyed that fairly well.
Let's say the readers didn't.
Thus, she needed to be flushed out more in order for the theme of the entirety of the book to hit home more. Where did that lead me? Well, to moving her to the first part of the three and integrating her more into the story as a whole. This move established her earlier. It lengthened her arc. It changed the dynamic of who she was and why she was doing what she was doing.
It also meant - you guessed it - rewriting the book.
Okay, so maybe not word for word rewriting. And, certainly not the entire book. But, it did mean making significant changes to all 3 parts of Space cowboy.
By moving her, situations had to change, interactions with other characters had to change, the timing on certain events had to change, etc etc etc.
What I thought would be a few nights here and there has taken almost two months.
Do I think the story, and, therefor, the book, is better for it. Absolutely. The beta readers hit the nail on the head by calling that out.
The pacing is better. The characters are richer. The theme is more prominent.
My timeline is also longer - haha. But, that's how it goes, right.
I believe this is what would be called a taste of one's own medicine.
More Inside Baseball to come.

When I set out to write Matriarch, I did so without any preset notion of how long it would be. At the time, it didn't even have a title. There was just a story to be told.
Of course, that story would turn into nine stories.
But, to the point, as I wrote each one, I just let what needed to be said flow out of me. As I did, a pattern emerged. It would be 3 parts to a full story arc. There would be 3 story arcs, or tales, told. So, 9 parts all together.
And so it went. And it worked out well.
Another pattern emerged as I worked through each part - and quite by chance. The parts were all falling between 32 and 40 pages (that's Word pages - not book sized pages).
After realizing this, I targeted that range for the remaining parts. Again, it wasn't difficult because they just seemed to wrap up themselves at that point.
Basically, I had in my head that each part was a short story. And then I realized - well, maybe more of a novelette.
To me (and I know my view is skewed as the author - and having read them so many times I've lost track) each part is a very quick read. They don't really feel like a long book.
however, when I finished (and before beginning revisions), I totaled up the pages and words. There it was: 137,000. I literally choked.
Now, revisions continue - and certainly there is some fat to be trimmed off the steak (I may have been accused of being long-winded from time to time). SO, that number will change some. Some.
In the end, though, I believe a story has to tell itself. Cut it down too far and risk suffocating the characters or an arc.
When all is said and done, I'll let the readers decide if it was too much...or not enough.

I have often wondered when I have read a book - What set the author on this path. What was one of the driving forces that so motivated this person that they had to sit down and actually write the story out.
Sure, there's creativity and self-motivation. What I'm referring to specifically, though, is that one push, outside of the author's internal drive, that set the rock rolling down the hill.
With Matriarch, it really began with a discussion with a friend of mine.
At the time, it had been a couple of years since I wrote my last novel. And, although I had ideas for stories, I really could not get out of my own way and with all the other 'lifing' items to put pen to paper again.
So, I'm speaking with this friend one day. It so happens his brother had been into doing some book publishing and had actually assisted me with how to self-publish when I wrote my previous books.
Unfortunately, he passed. Despite that tragic event, my friend decided to pick up the mantle, as it were, and continue the work his brother had been doing.
That brings us full circle. As I was visiting with him one day, a conversation about writing and publishing came up. He asked if I would be interested in writing again - and perhaps for his business.
As the discussion went on, it was like a door that had been partially open suddenly burst wide open. Ideas flooded in - and with them, an urgent desire to write again.
I declined the business opportunity because I knew once I started, my brain would take me down a path that would culminate in something that did not necessarily fit what he was looking for. You have to be true to yourself, right - and what you know you will end up doing with an opportunity.
But, I took the ideas that started formulating and pressed on, nonetheless. I can say that what has come out of the drafts and revisions I have done so far is both very much the same and yet very much different from what I started with.
Maybe different is not the best word. The stories have evolved and grown and have been honed.
No clubbing the words onto paper; this is slicing with a fine-edged sword. Well, okay - a sharpened knife at least.
The revisions press on and more to come.

I decided to include a list of songs at the beginning of each of the three tales that comprise The Hive. The list, in full, includes songs that not only inspired and motivated me while writing that part of the book (and still do during revisions), but also set a tone.
That tone lends itself to various aspects of the story that is unfolding. Some of it may be directed towards an event, while others may revolve around a certain character. Still others just create an atmosphere and feel for the entire three tales.
Like may people, my creativity has always been stimulated heavily by music. Often, when I hear a song, a video will come to life and play out in my head. My imagination goes into overload. Scenes are created.
Other songs greatly affect my mood or emotional state. This allows me to reach a place I need to within myself in order to properly understand, and thus convey, what I need to about a character I am creating and their motives. The attempt to try to be in the 'right brain space' to make the character come to life.
Sharing the song list extends outside of sharing myself, though. It just felt right for The Hive. You won't find the same occurring in in the tales for Space Cowboy or Dragon Dilemma. For The Hive, it just fit - and was appropriate.
Perhaps part of it is because the tales lean heavily into the local burlesque culture. For, what is a burlesque show without great music. The stories called out for it.
In many ways, at least to me, sharing them felt as important as the words I was putting down on.

In my last post, I mentioned inspiration. To that end, I noted there were a few people that inspired me to write Matriarch. One of them was a burlesque performer who went by the stage name of Eyrie Twilight. Many years ago, a coworker of mine had asked me if I had ever been to a live burlesque show. I had not. His soon-to-be wife was a performer at the time. He invited me attend one of the shows with him one night - to experience it firsthand. He assumed, correctly, that I would enjoy it. I did.
That show was a mix of various performance types - perhaps closer to being a vaudeville show than pure burlesque.
Eyrie was one of the performers. She was young. I would estimate 24 - 25 years of age. She also left an indelible mark on me.
Some people do that, right. You don't have to know them. You cannot explain why. There is just something about that person and that moment that becomes engrained in your memory.
I'm fairly OCD when it comes to attempting to understand why someone has left an impression upon me. And, so, that memory rattled around in my head for years.
Yes, I have attended many other shows since. I have even had, on a couple more occasions, the opportunity to see her perform again.
Nothing satisfied that inability to really answer why she stuck out.
Things like that needle me, like the proverbial itch that cannot be scratched.
So, I took the opportunity to approach her at one point and convince her to allow me to interview her, as it were.
See, I had an idea that had been forming - the beginnings of a story. As the idea unfolded, expanded, and took on a life of its own, I knew that burlesque would play a large part in it. Once I came to that decision, I knew there was absolutely one person I had to speak with before I began writing.
Eyrie graciously accepted my request.
It's one thing to 'know' something from watching it - or experiencing it in attendance. It's another thing entirely to hear about the life lived as a performer.
I drank in every word she said like empty pages craving ink.
From the experience she had, a world was born in my imagination.
I relate this to another experience I had that never left me. I read a book once that spoke of Unfinished Business. That is, the act of crossing paths with someone and said experience, no matter how brief and minute in the scheme of things, leaves at least one of the participants altered. They carry with them a moment they can never forget.
Eyrie is an Unfinished Business for me. That crossing of paths and the resulting alteration in my life led to one of the three tales in my new book.
That tale, deeply rooted in the work of burlesque? The Hive.
Coming soon.

As I work on my new book, Matriarch, I'd like to share something on the matter of inspiration. There's a few people that inspired me, not only, to write this book, but also inspired some of the subject matter I chose. I'll circle back to that at another time, though. What I really wanted to touch on here is something that inspired me personally as I undertook this journey. I had recently read the book As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. I was so taken by the story, that I found myself going down a bit of a rabbit hole about it. In doing so, I came across a quote from Faulkner pertaining to the book. Faulkner stated, "I set out deliberately to write a tour-de-force. Before I ever put pen to paper and set down the first words, I knew what the last word would be…. Before I began I said, I am going to write a book by which, at a pinch, I can stand or fall if I never touch ink again.” I immediately adopted it as my motto for Matriarch. It has been a driving force every step of the way. More to come.

It's been a long time. I've been busy 'lifing'. The page has been dormant - but the imagination has not. Some time ago, I began writing again - letting ideas percolate and bubble to the surface. What came out has now formed a new book:
Matriarch.

Here's a bit about the book:
Title: Matriarch
Genre: Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Adult - 18 and older. Strong language. Sexual situations.
The book is comprised of nine stories that make up three tales and share one theme - matriarch. Each tale is unique, so they all approach that theme in a different way.
Word count is roughly 137,000 total as of this posting.

Each of the nine stories (short story/novelette) averages approximately 15,200 words.

Tale 1: Maurice, Space Cowboy: A Sci-Fi space romp that leans heavily into humor and sexual comedy, with action sprinkled in. Told by a narrator. The stories follow space trucker, Maurice, and his robot copilot, Jappers, as they travel the galaxy to deliver cargo, engage in shoot-outs, and navigate the dangers of having sex with alien species. When their cargo of an ultra-rare element draws some unwanted attention, thrusting them into an age-old galactic mystery and a shortage of Maurice's favorite ale, they must use their wits and ingenuity to survive. Well, maybe less of wits and ingenuity and more hauling cargo, breaking out blasters for those shoot-outs, and having more alien sex.

Tale 2: The Hive: A set of fantasy stories unraveled through rotating perspectives, as told using first person multi-person point of view. Dark humor, action, and character driven. The tale centers around the world of burlesque entangled with a the last vestiges of a group of vampires. In this reenvisioning of the vampire trope, a colony of the mythical species, led by an aged performer long thought dead, is nearing the end of their bloodline. Facing the time of renewal, they seek a young queen to create a new colony - a new hive. A young burlesque performer becomes their target. But, they are not the only ones seeking her. It is a race against time for both the remaining members of the old vampire legion and a traitor from their brood.'

Tale 3: The Dragon Dilemma: Third person telling of a traditional fantasy tale. Mystery and action. The time of dragons has passed. To ensure it remains that way, a bloodline of Dragon Purgers is maintained. Their sole purpose, to kill dragons, should one reemerge. When one such red dragon appears, Althena is dispatched to the nearest Wihm - a village whose establishment and very existence stands as a barrier to prevent the great wyrms from reaching civilization. However, when Althena arrives, nothing is what she expected. Unsure of who to trust and what to believe, her destiny and an unavoidable encounter with the dragon rushes forward.

More to come.

On my official Facebook page I have posted pictures of alternative ideas and inspirations for the cover of the second book in the Frailty Series - Bloodlust. Check it out for some female-fang goodness!

https://www.facebook.com/adtbauthor/