Worldbuilding and Magnolia Bluff

Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding is often seen as the exclusive purview of the fantasy and science fiction genres. After all, in those genres the writer is often literally building a world. Creating races of beings. And inventing all manner of things that don’t exist.

Yet, I’d submit that every writer of fiction, to a greater or lesser degree, engages in worldbuilding. After all, even the most real life setting is peopled with human beings the writer has created out of his head.

In addition, the writer may add buildings where none exist, or the reverse. He may create restaurants that have no correspondence to anything real. Yet there they exist in his “real life” setting.

Just because a setting appears “real” doesn’t mean it actually is.

Nevertheless someone may protest, “But that’s not a world the writer is creating.”

And I counter with, “Why not?”

The mystery writer’s world is just as made up as is the fantasy writer’s. Both worlds don’t actually exist. They’ve been built to meet the needs of the the story being told.

A Multi-Author Series

Back in 2021, I proposed to my fellow Underground Authors that we write a multi-author novel series.

We’d just published an outstanding short story collection, Beyond the Sea (get it on Amazon).

So why not go one further?

But what the heck is a multi-author novel series? Well, it’s like any other series of novels — except each book is written by a different writer.

Of course, in practice it’s not as simple as it sounds. It’s more along the lines of attempting to herd a clowder of cats. And that’s mostly due to the temperament of creative-type folks.

Nevertheless, once the idea caught fire with the Underground Authors it took hold and we had ourselves a raging creative prairie fire.

We set ground rules. And proceeded to create our world.

Magnolia Bluff

Out of thin air, we created the town of Magnolia Bluff and set it down in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. The town is very loosely taken from the actual town of Burnet, Texas. We also re-named Buchanan Lake to Burnet Reservoir.

I found Texas state highway numbers no longer being used and used them create highways into and out of town.

We created lots of buildings and institutions, but most of all we created people. Because no town can exist without people.

Out of our imaginations, much like Athena springing from Zeus’s forehead fully dressed for battle, we created a pantheon of major and minor players.

There’s Harry Thurgood, owner of the Really Good Wood-Fired Coffee Shop, a man with a mysterious past.

There’s the Reverend Ember Cole, pastor of the Methodist Church, who also has a past she doesn’t want revealed.

Every town worth it’s salt has a newspaper. So our town has Graham Huston, owner and editor of the Magnolia Bluff Chronicle.

There’s also Bliss, who’s just passing through, but like a boomerang, keeps coming back.

There’s also vacationing Father Frank, JJ, and Jo.

Dr. Mike Kurelek is available to help people with their problems. He also teaches psychology at Burnet College.

What is a town without a library? And Magnolia Bluff has one. Caroline McCluskey is the head librarian.

And a town can’t get by without law enforcement. So we have Police Chief Tommy Jager, Sheriff Buck Blanton, Police Investigator Reece Sovern, Conservation Officer Madison Jackson, and Judge Rutherford B Jones. All doing their duty to make Magnolia Bluff a safe place to live.

There are also those prodigal children who leave their home, sometimes for many years, but manage to find their way back. Blue Bonet is one of those.

But these aren’t the only people. There are 10,000 souls in our town, so there are a lot more folks for you to meet and greet. Not counting the funerals you might encounter while visiting. In fact, count on the funerals.

Each of the Underground Authors has his or her core characters. They are the “untouchables”. The rest of us may use them and abuse them, but we can’t kill them off.

We are now up to 12 writers. Twelve writers building one town, and its people, history, and traditions one book at a time.

Yes, sirree Bob. Worldbuilding at its finest.

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles

Book 12, Only the Good Die Young by Cindy Davis, is on pre-order now. Pick up a copy and immerse yourself in the world of Magnolia Bluff.

You can check out the series page on Amazon. There you will discover more immersion experiences in our wonderful Hill Country town.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!

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Giving Kindle Vella a Try

After talking with a friend who is having some well-deserved success on Vella, I’ve decided to give the platform a try.

After all, who doesn’t like success when it comes not only in the form of folks saying they love what you’re doing, but also in the form of checks to the bank account?

What is Kindle Vella?

Vella is a way for writers to share stories with readers — one episode at a time. It’s like TV for fiction.

Or if we go way back, serializing a novel was basically how most long popular fiction was first published up until the 1960s.

Back in the 1800s, newspapers and magazines published poetry, short stories, and novels (in the form of serials, one episode at a time).

During the heyday of the pulp magazines, many magazines serialized novels. Most of which were never published in paperback or hardback.

Vella is today’s recreation of a time-honored method of publishing fiction.

Vella exists as an app for your phone and tablet, and also as a website (which is how I use Vella).

How Does Vella Work?

Vella is a platform for you to read serialized fiction. The first 3 episodes are free to read.

Think of this as Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature. The free episodes help you decide if you like the story enough to spend money reading the rest of it.

If you like what you see, you can unlock the further episodes by buying tokens and then using the required amount of tokens to unlock the additional episodes.

Episode length determines how many tokens you need to spend to read that portion of the story.

Why Vella?

More and more people are consuming content, both entertainment and informational, on their phones.

Many people find it difficult to engage with and commit to a full-length novel. The size alone of some of these books is daunting.

After all, we’re busy. And when you’re time deprived, looking at a 500 page novel just might be a commitment you don’t want to take on.

I think this is one reason why audiobooks have taken off. One can listen to an audiobook while doing something else.

In fact, my step-daughter has said this very thing: she doesn’t have time to sit down and read a novel. But she loves stories. So instead of reading, she listens to audiobooks while cooking, or driving to work, or riding her bike.

But audiobooks aren’t for everyone. I don’t particularly care for them myself. Often the narrator is not at all good, and that results in a less than optimal experience.

Vella takes a different approach. An old approach and makes it new.

Vella allows readers to read short bites of text. Instead of staring at the whole pan of lasagna, you are only looking at one short, exciting scene or chapter. One little mouthful.

This makes Vella perfect for reading on coffee break or on the commute, or even when you’re in the bathroom.

Join Me On Vella

I’m giving Vella a try. When I was a working stiff, reading was sometimes a chore. The book never seemed to end.

But with episodes no longer than 5,000 words, it’s easy to get in your reading fix at least once a day. And maybe more.

Tales Macabre and Arabesque is my first foray into the world of Vella.

The first 3 (free) episodes will go up the 28th, 29th, and 30th of October. That’s this weekend. On Monday (Halloween), the first locked episode will be available for you to unlock. And a new episode will appear each Monday thereafter for 13 weeks.

Tales Macabre and Arabesque is a collection of 15 short stories. Some of the stories are bizarre. Some, uncanny. Others, unsettling. A few are weird. And a number qualify as dark humor.

Fifteen tales, divided into 17 episodes, that will take you to worlds you never knew existed and inside the minds of some you perhaps don’t want to see.

Join me. Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BK7N75BJ

See you there!

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright, award-winning poet, and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Beyond the Sea — Part 3

Last week, I took a look at 4 stories in Beyond the Sea: Stories from the Underground. Today, I’m taking a look at the final 4 tales that make up this marvelous collection of short fiction. So let’s begin!

The Perfect Future — Cindy Davis

Every story has a back story. Every person has a back story. Cindy Davis tells us of an episode in the lives of two brothers. The episode is an important contribution to her Zipacna series, a metaphysical journey of adventure and discovery.

“The Perfect Future” reminds me of the saying by the Stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius: Life is what you make it.

Moonlight Swim — Kelly Marshall

Have you ever felt insulted to the point where you wished someone dead? I suppose we’ve all been there at some point in our lives.

But what if you could get your wish? Would you actually make it? Do some people deserve to die?

An interesting question that. And Ms. Marshall provides us with an equally interesting answer.

The Girl in the Turquoise Bikini — Linda Pirtle

Writer’s block. One thing all writers fear. For most of us it’s temporary, if it shows up at all. For a few of us it’s permanent.

Each writer has his or her own way of dealing with writer’s block. I write through it. Usually by working on a different story than the one on which I’m blocked.

For Jeb McGrierson, it took a girl showing up on his private beach wearing a turquoise bikini, along with a missing boat.

The lengths some writers will go to to start writing again!

Making Waves — CJ Peterson

Sometimes a family has something of value, usually more sentimental than monetary, that gets passed down through the generations.

Darren and his dad build a boat. Little did either one realize the role that boat would play in their family’s subsequent history. In fact, if it weren’t for the boat perhaps there wouldn’t have been a family history at all.

A touching saga of love, facilitated by a boat.

I’m proud to be a part of the Underground Authors. We value high quality fiction. Because we like reading. It is the best form of entertainment.

Pick up a copy of Beyond the Sea today and give yourself the gift of superb entertainment, and help Team Rubicon help others when disaster hits.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

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Beyond the Sea

This past Friday was the official launch of Beyond the Sea: Stories from the Underground.

The concept was simple: a picture of a boat beached on a spit of sand jutting out into a lake, or a bay, or maybe the sea. Then add the imaginations of a dozen authors. And what do you get? A superbly satisfying collection of short stories.

I’m proud to be one of the 12 Underground Authors contributing to this incredible collection of tales. My story “The Boat”, is my first return trip to the post-apocalyptic world of The Rocheport Saga in 4 years. I took the opportunity to coax out of Bill Arthur a story that took place before The Morning Star, which is Book 1 of the series.

Amazon reviewer J.S. wrote of “The Boat”:

C.W. Hawes wrote a compelling short story that I didn’t want to come to an end. His words came alive and I joined in with the characters in a hair-raising survival journey in a post-apocalyptic world. Great world-building and great writing!

I’m pleased and humbled by that comment. And very glad I wasn’t a drag on the group effort! 🙂

As a reader, I was impressed with the overall quality of the stories. As can’t be helped, some were more appealing to me than others. That’s just how it is in an anthology. Not everything will please everybody. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.

Nevertheless, the overall quality is high, and that should please any reader. I’m confident everyone will find a story they’ll fall in love with.

My personal favorites, the ones that especially caught my eye, were “Hemingway’s Boat” by Caleb Pirtle III, “The Encounter” by Ronald E Yates, and “Roses for Grant” by Richard Schwindt.

Pirtle’s story is a superb example of his ability to capture a time and place, people it with true to life characters, throw in a bit of mystery and romance, and come up with a story that grabs you and doesn’t let go. In the short time that I’ve known him, he’s become one of my favorite authors.

I enjoy a good science fiction yarn, and Ron Yates has uncorked a real goodie in “The Encounter”. And when it’s coupled with a touch of slowburn terror, it’s a keeper. His knowledge of Southeast Asia and history adds a strong sense of place and color to the tale.

Richard Schwindt, as readers of this blog know, is one of my favorite contemporary writers. I think I’d buy his grocery lists. His story, “Roses for Grant”, is a beautiful slice-of-life tale about an older middle-aged couple. Their memories and the mission they are on. In some ways, it reminded me of Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” in that the dialogue essentially carries the story. No narrator gets in the way of the couple on whom we are listening in.

Having written the above, I want to emphasize that there is something for everyone in Beyond the Sea — and what are my favorites may not be yours. Pick up a copy and see for yourself.

We the authors are donating the proceeds to Team Rubicon. A worthy organization. Check them out on their website.

You can pick up a copy of Beyond the Sea at Amazon. And when you do, you benefit yourself and the disaster relief efforts of Team Rubicon.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

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The Boat

It’s been a number of years since I’ve visited the world of Bill Arthur and The Rocheport Saga.

Recently, though, I paid Bill a visit and the result was “The Boat”, a prequel story to The Rocheport Saga.

In “The Boat” we learn a bit about Bill in the days after the apocalypse and before the story in The Morning Star.

So if you’re a fan of The Rocheport Saga, you can find “The Boat” in Beyond the Sea: Stories from the Underground, which officially debuts this Friday, May 7th.

And to celebrate the book launch, the Underground Authors are throwing a launch party!

The party starts at 5:30 pm CDT on Friday, May 7th. There will be prizes and you’ll get to meet the authors.

Here’s the link to get in on the fun:

PARTY TIME!

Hope to see you there!

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Even More Suggested Reads

Here is my third list of suggested reads for your summer holidays, or lazy days. Or if it’s winter where you are, reads with which you can snuggle up on the sofa or in your favorite chair and escape the less than perfect weather outside.

The Death in Sioux Lookout Trilogy by Richard Schwindt

I’m a big fan of Richard Schwindt. I own all of his fiction. Because he is simply that good. His writing is laced with humor, full of life-like characters, enchanting (but not ponderous) descriptions of places that will transport you right out of your chair, and masterful storytelling that grabs you and doesn’t let you go.

Sioux Lookout is one of Schwindt’s favorite places and he makes it come alive for us in this trio of murder mysteries.

I love this series. My only complaint is that there aren’t more stories. Three just aren’t enough!

Do pick up this trilogy and join Chris Allard, dysfunctional social worker, as he solves 3 murders. An unlikely, yet astute amateur sleuth.

The Razzman Files and The Razzman Chronicles by Joe Congel

I love private investigator mysteries and Joe Congel writes doggone good ones. So good, in fact, that I bought every book he’s published to date.

In Tony Razzolito, The Razzman, Congel pays homage to the classic noir detective, without the overwhelming dark atmosphere. At the end of the day, we have bad guys — not bad humanity.

These are well-written whodunits, perfect for your armchair detective work. Pick them up, because the game is afoot!

The Monkey Idol by KD McNiven

I met Ms McNiven on Twitter, and I’m glad I did. Otherwise I’d never have discovered this delightful book — which is the first in her Decker and Callie series of adventure yarns.

My interest in archeology and lost cities and civilizations goes way back, and because this novel taps into all three I was hooked.

Ms McNiven tells a tale that will remind you a bit of Dirk Pitt, Indiana Jones, and Lara Croft. Lots of action in a thrilling adventure.

There are 3 books out now in the Decker and Callie series, and the two I haven’t read are definitely on my TBR list! And they should be on yours, as well.

Dark Fiction Tales by Andy Graham

Andy Graham is an incredible wordsmith. Simply incredible. His command of the English language is superb. And I’m more than a little envious! 🙂

His Dark Fiction Tales are amazingly dark tales about us. You know, people who could be you or me and yet aren’t you or me. The folk in Graham’s tales are the Mr Hyde that lurks inside each and every one of us — whether we want to admit he’s there or not.

I Died Yesterday is Book 1 and contains 5 stories that examine the consequences of our deepest wishes and desires, and of our seemingly innocent actions.

An Angel Fallen is Book 2 and is a powerfully eloquent tale of consequences and redemption. If this story doesn’t move you, I’m not sure any will.

A Crow’s Game is Book 3 and has just been released. I’m very much looking forward to reading it.

If you love to read the handiwork of a master craftsman, one who does things with language that no one else can, if you love good storytelling and well-crafted imagery, then you’ll love Andy Graham.

Once Upon a WolfPack: A #WolfPackAuthors Anthology by the #WolfPackAuthors

Short stories are the perfect reading experiences for this day and age when everyone is busier than busy.

But for myself, I’ve always loved short stories. I cut my reading eye teeth on them. A well-crafted short story is a thing of beauty. A powerful experience in a small package.

The #WolfPackAuthors is a writing group on Twitter dedicated to promoting and supporting its members. And one of our projects of mutual support is the Once Upon a WolfPack anthology. This collection of 17 stories and poems not only highlights the work of 17 members of the pack, but the profits from the anthology go to Lockwood Animal Rescue Center. The center helps save wolves from senseless and careless destruction and helps support returning veterans to transition back into civilian society, a society that doesn’t often understand the hidden wounds they carry.

Pick yourself up a copy and meet 17 new to you authors — and help out wolves and vets. This is such a good deal!

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

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