World Building: Climate by Diane Burton

 

One of my favorite topics to blog about is world building. Some writers develop their entire world before writing a word of their story. My stories usually begin with a scene in my mind.. Since I'm more of a pantser (writing by the seat of my pants), I'll plunge into the story. My first draft looks more like a script--dialogue and stage directions. Then, I need to fill in the rest of the story. Descriptions, emotions, action. Somewhere in all this filling in, the setting must be dealt with.

Where are they?

In contemporary fiction, we tend to call it setting. In science fiction and fantasy, we call it world building. Same thing.

I love building my own world. My characters can inhabit a starship for the entire story. They may talk about their home world but never go there. A bit boring. It's even better if they go dirtside and experience the world itself--the customs, governance, geology, religions, climate, etc.

Many places on Earth experience changing seasons. Since it's my story, I decide if the planet has seasons. Or is it closer to the equator and experience the dry and wet seasons? Is the landscape lush and green or a brown desert? Does the planet have violent weather changes? 

Or . . .

Have scientists figured out how to control the weather?

In my first published novel, Switched, the hero's home world has controlled weather. Imagine how that would benefit farmers. They could plan their planting and harvesting, knowing the best times. No getting caught in a downpour while harvesting grain. No flooding immediately after planting that washes away the seeds. 

When the first settlers arrived on that planet, they had to endure violent storms, harsh climate swings, that made their lives miserable. No wonder one of the first scientific priorities was controlling the weather.

Not all climates need to be harnessed in our stories. Hey, it's our world. We can make it what we want. In my Outer Rim series, the premise is strong women on the frontier of space. Early settlers. They dealt with the climate as it is. Think about how a harsh climate affects the inhabitants. Only the strong survive. The others leave, if they can.

Since the setting for The Protector (Outer Rim Book 3) is a desert, I used extremes of desert climate found here on Earth. At the time I was writing that story, my son lived in Arizona. He sent a video of a haboob, an intense dust storm, as it blew over Phoenix. Haboobs usually last 10 to 30 minutes; some even longer. I had to use that scary experience with a twist. My dust storm lasted three days.

photo credit: Sonoran News

If the climate is controlled, who controls it? What if war breaks out over which faction controls the weather? Can you see the story possibilities?

As you develop your world, use your own experiences, especially the emotions you felt during the event. I've never been in or near a forest fire. I can't imagine the force, heat, smells, terror of a fire. Even a good imagination would find that difficult. Now, a tornado is a different story. I felt one pass overhead and, another time, experienced a straight-line wind of over 100 mph, while sitting in my car on the side of a road. Yep, I could use that experience. Hurricanes and earthquakes, no.

What about floods? Snow storms that last for days? Is your world a city, in the country, a desert, a water world? Do the people live on the surface, underground, or in domes?

credit: Mars One Project

It's not enough to just describe the climate, the characters have to experience it. You need to project your emotions into your characters and make the world real for the readers.

Diane Burton enjoys the changing climate in west Michigan. Her books can be found at Amazon and other book venues.

Fathers

Parents, especially fathers, can have a profound impact on our characters. Revealing how our characters were raised helps readers understand their goals and motivations. Sometimes, a character can act just like their parent or the exact opposite. Since my Outer Rim series is about strong women on the frontier of space, my main concern is the impact of the mothers and fathers on the female characters.

In The Pilot, Celara’s father was a drunk and a cheat. At an early age, she was left to fend for herself and her younger brother. Responsibility and honesty—opposites of her father’s behavior—became important to her. She won’t take the easy way out. When she’s accused of smuggling, it’s worse than just a false accusation, it’s like a knife to her heart. Her brother, on the other hand, took the easy route and followed in their father’s footsteps.

 Jileena, in The Chameleon, was “Daddy’s Little Girl.” She tried to please him, but always felt like she fell short. Proving that she could run his company spurs her on. When he offers her the chance to prove herself, she’s so afraid of failing she takes dangerous risks.

In The Protector, Rissa’s preacher father abandoned her at a wild, unnamed outpost, pregnant and unmarried. Her mother had left years before. Rissa vowed to always be there for her child. Losing her baby to traffickers sends her into a deep depression. Only her inner strength pulls her through and gives her the courage to protect other children from slavers.

It’s not just the women who have to fight their fathers. Jileena’s brother, Konner, refused to be their father’s clone. When he was presumed dead, he found the perfect opportunity to be his own person and live the life he wanted.

Dillan, in The Protector, struggled against his father who had planned Dillan’s life—to follow in his footsteps. Dillan’s rebellion made him take unnecessary risks until the day his best friend, Konner, died. Feeling responsible, he was determined to change, to be a responsible adult, what his father wanted him to be. But legally exploiting landowners makes him sick. He must break away to save his soul.

On the other hand, some fathers are worth emulating. In my PI mystery series, Alex wants to be just like her dad. When he retires and leaves her his investigation agency, she’s determined to prove she’s as good an investigator as he was—if not better.

Today is Launch Day for the second Alex O’Hara mystery, The Case of the Fabulous Fiance. To learn more, visit my blog. http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/2015/12/launch-day-case-of-fabulous-fiance.html

The Outer Rim by Diane Burton

In the world I created, the Outer Rim is an area far from the Central Planets. Think concentric circles. The Central Planets—those that make up the Coalition of Planets—are at the center. Expanding outward are the lesser planets, those that aren’t members of the Coalition but still civilized. Beyond that is an unexplored region. The Outer Rim.

I think of the Rim as similar to America’s Wild West. A frontier where people go to explore or escape. They change their names so the law can’t find them. As if given a second chance, they start their lives over. Some go by choice, others are taken there then abandoned. The latter was the case with Rissa Dix, the main character in THE PROTECTOR. 

Rissa had made her own life on the frontier. Where most females work in menial jobs or as pleasure providers, Rissa owns a tavern. She provides food and drink for the rowdy miners who excavate valuable minerals from the mountains near Astron Colony. A fem has to be tough to survive on the Frontier. A tavern owner has to be tougher. Strong enough to hoist kegs of ale and break up fights.

She also has a secret. A secret she never shares so she won’t appear vulnerable.

As more people arrive on the Rim, outposts become colonies that become cities. Crime abounds, especially organized crime. Racketeering, trafficking, drugs and illegal weapons. Most people give gangsters a wide berth and a blind eye. Not so Rissa, Celara, and Jileena.

My Outer Rim series is about strong women on the frontier of space. Rissa (THE PROTECTOR) is tall with broad shoulders. One look and you know she is physically strong. The other fems in the series are strong in different ways. Celara (THE PILOT) has a mouth on her that makes sure everyone knows that though she is short, nobody pushes her around. Jileena (THE CHAMELEON) looks like a dainty fluff brain. Under that disguise, she has a strong will, a determination to prove she’s worthy to run the family business. Each story is a standalone book.

To enjoy the latest, THE PROTECTOR, you don’t need to read the previous books (although I hope you will).

 THE PROTECTOR is available at Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iTunes ~ Kobo

 

Sesame Street, Muppets, and Farscape by Diane Burton

Do you remember the first time you saw Sesame Street? Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Elmo. Were they real to you? What about the Muppet Show? The Muppet Movie?

They have one major thing in common. They are all fabulous creatures from the imagination of Jim Henson. Creatures as real as the actors who play with them.

How does Farscape fit in? It was produced by Jim Henson Production. Rigel and Pilot (animatronic puppets) were created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. The alien makeup and prosthetics were made by the Jim Henson Company. Whether it was the clever makeup, the superb acting, or a combination of both, the bizarre-looking aliens were as believable as the humans.

Last summer, my husband and I were fascinated by the TV show “Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge” where contestants vied for a job with the Creature Shop by creating puppets and animatronics. The judging emphasized originality and creativity, of course, but also believability.

That is the key—creating believable characters. In our stories, our job is to create believable characters. It doesn’t matter if they are humanoid or alien. What they look like is secondary to believability. What is the character’s goal? In Farscape, Rigel wants to return home to rule again. John Crichton wants to return to Earth. The story revolves around why they can’t.

In my new science fiction romance THE PROTECTOR, Rissa Dix runs a tavern in a remote colony on the frontier. Although most of the characters who frequent the tavern are humanoid, one alien in particular stands out. Nakus. Here’s a short excerpt that shows his disposition, character, and what he looks like.

Only a couple of customers remained, including that no-good Nakus who groused about everything. He didn’t like the food. Too salty. He didn’t like the liquor. Watered down. He didn’t like the vids. Too many repeats.

He slopped some of his watered down chokiris on her beautiful naurem bar top—the one she’d flown all the way to a remote outpost on Balderan to rescue from some idiot who didn’t recognize what lay beneath grime and dirt. If Nakus ruined the finish, she would finish him.

As Kiran wiped up the mess, he glanced at the short, round Kruferian, “Need a bib?”

Rissa strolled behind the bar to Kiran. “Has Nakus paid for anything?”

“Nope,” he muttered.

“Get his credits then cut him off.”

Usually light on his feet, Kiran lumbered—an intimidation trick he’d perfected—over to Nakus. “Time to pay up.”

“In a min.” Nakus wasn’t easily intimidated. “Not finished with my drink. Damn lousy liquor in this place.”

Rissa rolled her eyes. “Yet you come here every night.”

“Not like I have a whole lot of choices.” Nakus swallowed the last few drops in his glass.

“Pay up, Nakus,” Kiran repeated.

“Put it on my account.” The short Kruferian started to slide off the stool.

Kiran reached across the bar and grabbed the front of Nakus’ shirt. “Not so fast. You don’t have an account here anymore.”

“Since when?” Indignation rose in his voice.

Rissa ambled closer. “Since you don’t pay your bills unless I threaten to have Chief Kaminga throw you in the lock-up.”

“Give a hard-working guy a break, will ya, Dix?”

“You? Hard working? Hah. And I’ve told you enough times my name is pronounced Deece. You must be hard of hearing.”

“Or so stupid he can’t remember,” Kiran added as he released Nakus.

“I’m not going to sit here and be insulted.” He slid off the stool, tripped on a rung, and landed on his well-padded rear. “I’m hurt. Lousy stools. I should sue for personal injury.”

“Fat chance getting a lawyer to come here and take your case.” Rissa rounded the end of the bar. “I have had enough of your bellyaching, Nakus.” She grabbed the back of his belt and his collar and lifted him off the floor. “I don’t need your business.”

“Wait,” Kiran called as she hauled the dark-skinned Kruferian toward the outer door. “He hasn’t paid.”

“I’ll collect from Fortuna,” Rissa said over her shoulder. “She’ll take it out of his wages.”

“You can’t do that.” Nakus wriggled and slapped air because his too-short arms couldn’t reach her.

“I can and I will. I don’t tolerate freeloaders.”

Kiran strode ahead of her and opened the door. “Want me to dump his sorry ass out in the street, Boss?”

“I got it.” Like hoisting a keg of ale, she hefted the Kruferian a little higher and heaved him out onto the dusty path that passed for a street.

Nakus rolled several times before scrambling to his wide, flat feet. “I’ll get you for that, Dicks.”

She was sure he deliberately mispronounced her name. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that before, you cheapskate.”

He brushed off his baggy trousers, shot her a rude gesture, and waddled across to the boardwalk in front of Fortuna’s. A group of miners who’d watched his humiliation laughed and hurled insults at the little Kruferian. That only added to his indignation.

He shook his fist at her. “I mean it, Dicks. You haven’t seen the last of me.”

Blurb:

After tavern owner Rissa Dix rescues two girls from a slave ship, she must rally the townsfolk to prevent traffickers from returning. Mining heir Dillan Rusteran has loved her for years. Little do they know that by rescuing more children they're tangling with a trafficking ring that puts Rissa in danger.

THE PROTECTOR (An Outer Rim Novel) is available at:

Amazon ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords

 Whether your characters are human, alien, shifter, angel, vampire, etc., remember they need to be "real" to your reader. But first, they need to be real to you.