Grab Bag!

Subject One - A Little Preening and a Lot of Nail Chewing:

Our short story, "A Certain Understanding," is slated for publication in Best Gay Bondage Erotica 2008, due to hit the shelves in late June of this year. Richard Labonté was a real treat to work with--quick, efficient, and understanding when it came to changing our pen name. We are extremely impressed, and very excited. Now if Tease Publishing will only accept Silenus for its Dark Tarot line... Keep your fingers crossed! We're supposed to hear by Thursday. At this point, compulsive e-mail checking is wearing out our keyboards.

Subject Two - Where Sex and Darkness Collide:

Thaneros Online Magazine continues apace. The base site is now designed, contributors up to May 1st have been paid, and galleys are under construction. Woot! Authors to look out for include Van Michaels, Alexander, Gwynne Garfinkle, Terry Hickman, S.R. Gruber, and Kate Vassar. Expect artist features and a host of reviews, as well--just a few extra goodies to keep you on your toes. Expect us to be promoting the hell out of ourselves at World Fantasy Con, too!

Subject Three - The Matter of Fanfic:

Ethan X. Thomas is a writing team made of two individuals, both of whom come from different literary backgrounds. One of us--and we won't mention who, cough, cough, cough--used to sneer at fanfic. It seemed like a complete and utter waste of time to labor over something with no hope of ever being paid for it, even if the only pay ever seen was an editor's harsh but hopefully well-intentioned criticism. Then that same individual--cough, cough, cough--fell and fell hard for a certain movie universe and spent far too much time on the internet reading naughty little stories about what its inhabitants liked to do to each other. By twist of fate, those slash fics brought the two halves of Ethan X. Thomas together both romantically and professionally. And, yes, it did become professional, after a fair amount of flailing about and finding out how we worked together without the constant pressure of worrying if a piece would sell. We weren't necessarily ready to start sending things out, as we had this one idea that just wouldn't leave us alone, but the constant upheaval on our once favorite journaling service convinced us fandom wouldn't be fun there for much longer. We decided it was time to move on, to move into the world of 'real writing' again, so we took our brainchild with us.

The first step in pulling off a fanfic adaptation is the complete and utter removal of all source material. This might sound impossible, and sometimes it is. Some stories simply cannot stand without their original canon. It is in a writer's best interest to leave these tales as is.

Other times, however, the removal process can only strengthen a story. Too often in fanfic, authors rely heavily on what the readers already know. This can be effective, especially if you want to turn the table on canon in some way and give it an unpredictable twist, but does not work so well within the confines of original fiction. For original works, writers must always assume that the readers know nothing and then show (not tell) them exactly as much as they need. This promotes lean, well-planned writing, something all authors should strive to produce.

On the other hand, the removal process demands creativity as well. Authors simply cannot hack out the canon elements and expect their tales to function as well as they did before. Cut a holodeck from a story and it must be replaced by something just as awe inspiring, something perfectly suited to the new world that has been created. Above that, in drawing up this new conveyor of illusions, a writer is forced to ask what the real purpose of the holodeck was in his or her fanfic. Was it used to deceive? To grant a heart's desire? By examining such motives, authors can tighten up and refine their work, another plus for the final piece, one making it far more likely to be published.

Of course, fanfic adaptations also cause early baldness, as writers will spend a fair amount of time tearing their hair out. But bald is beautiful, right?