The Space Opera I Want Someone To Produce

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m making my way through Rebel Moon and I keep feeling restless because I see how it might be made better. Here’s an idea that’s been rolling around in my mind for some time.

You have a solar system with a huge Jupiter-sized planet near its sun. We learn that that planet is actually home to a superintelligence. We learn that there is a galaxy-wide empire made up of superintelligence, each with a biological ward that they control using androids.

The story tells that of a young heroine Human who organizes a rebellion against the androids on a earth-sized, habitable planet in this solar system full of humans. Act the end of the second act, it seems like she will be put to death for all the rebellion she’s been up to, but in the beginning of the third act she’s saved because of her valor.

The third act involves her being transported to the galaxy center where she meets the “emperor” of the Galactic Empire. There’s a lot of debate about the nature of humanity and such and, I dunno, somehow she gets humans “freed” from the rule of the machine intelligence to find their own fate, even though all signs point to them destroying themselves soon enough.

Things Continue To Improve With My Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

While the scene continues to edge up some, in general, things –I think — have begun to stabilize some with this novel. One of my big worries is the story just isn’t dark enough for the genre. People want dark, twisted death and destruction when it comes to a modern mystery-thriller and, well, my story is more *edgy* than dark and twisted.

I kind of go there a few times. A few times I touch on subjects you just don’t really see talked about in pop fiction, at least, not in the way I address them. I’m very sex-positive, so I kind of matter-of-factly write about some rather provocative things between two consenting adults that will either make you giggle or oh, “hmmmm.”

Some of what I depict in this novel makes me nervous. I’m 50 years old, so I can only get in so much trouble with my family, but I think maybe that’s a good sign. It means I’m not playing it safe — even if the novel still isn’t nearly as dark and twisted as the modern mystery-thriller should be.

Only time will tell, I suppose.

Well, I Suspect Hollywood Actresses Will Like My Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

As I’ve written before, Hollywood actresses have a…unique…psychology. And that psychology tends to get more unique the older they get because they often times become producers. That’s why someone like Jennifer Lawrence is cool with getting paid $20 million for a mid-tier vehicle where she apparently has a fight in the ocean totally buff naked.

And don’t get me started in how puzzling it is to me that there was this huge scramble to play the Hollywood movie version of Lisbeth Salander. I love the character, too, but, yikes, why put yourself through the horrific things that poor woman had to go through and have it on screen!

Sorry you had that done to you, Lisbeth.

Very curious.

With that in mind, it definitely seems as though if I win the creative lottery and my novel becomes successful enough that Hollywood will want to adapt it…that a lot of actresses will be interested in playing one of the numerous female characters I’ve come up with.

The novel isn’t nearly as dark as The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. But there are some…edgy elements to it that I think Hollywood actresses might really like. But, really, what do I know.

I’m just drunk nobody in the middle of nowhere with a dream.

I Have A Growing Number Of Books About The New York Times To Read

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I now have TWO tomes about The New York Times to read. I already have one, The Trust, while I’m waiting on the second, newer one, The Times to arrive in a few weeks from Amazon.

For all its problems, I really love The New York Times and I wish I could hang out with a few of them at some point in my life. All the times I’ve crossed paths with them they came across as really genuine, nice folks. Two of the times I had an opportunity to interact with Times folks, I was as giddy as a 50s bobby socker.

Anyway. Absolutely no one cares or listens to me. And if I ever manage to breakout with my DJ (novel) money and actually hang out with any New York Times people that way, it will all be very, very surreal.

I’m been a drunk crank loser for so long that any change in that particular situation that allow me to have drinks with New York Times people would be a rather dramatic change of fate.

Have I Got A Blockbuster Movie For You!

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

The president of Hollywood.

I’m old enough to remember the ending of the original Battlestar Galaxia where they encountered modern day Earth. Well, what if you came up with a situation where a group of Star Wars-like people came crashing into modern Earth.

I think it would be great.

It would be great because you could explore how divided humanity is. And, what’s more, you get to use all the architypes found in Star Wars, only this time they deal with the modern globe.

The key issue of the story would be how divided humanity is and how — EVEN WITH A GALAXTIC EMPIRE BREATHING DOWN THEIR NECKS — humanity would STRUGGLE to get our act together.

Seems like it would be a lot of fun.

We Live In Strange Times

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m drunk, so I’m going to rant about something VERY against the media narrative. I’m annoyed that we’ve reached a point where gratuitous gay sex is great, but we can’t have just regular old heteronormative T&A without it being a Big Deal.

I find this very fucked up.

I’m not opposed to depictions of gay sex in pop culture — my novel sure does have enough of it — it’s just why can’t we have the heteronormative sexxy time of the 1980s in movies and TV in modern times?

It’s a very strange situation.

I have my doubts that this quirk of modern culture will change anytime soon. I think we probably have a solid 20 years before people think, “Hey, maybe it’s not so radical to have some traditional T&A in mainstream entertainment.”

It Was A Long Time Ago & Nobody Cares Anymore

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

The events of ROKon Magazine are pretty crazy. It once took a third party 30 minutes to explain the drama surrounding the magazine. It was then that I realized that the story of that failed magazine was pretty….great.

Anyway. I have Romanized what happened all those years ago a great deal, to an absurd degree. And, really, it’s been so long ago that no body — NO BODY — cares anymore.

But I do think that in a world where Saltburn is a hit, that the bonkers story of what happened with ROKon Magazine seems viable. And, yet, I really digging into what happened with the magazine to write a six novel project that is a downlow screed against extremism in general and MAGA specifically.

That doesn’t stop me from thinking about how someone, somewhere might want to tell the ROKon Magazine story something akin to literally. It’s got everything — sex, drugs, rock and people going crazy in Asia.

I think I need to just be content with the novels I’m writing, though. Absolutely no one cares at this point.

I Have Got To Focus On The Third Draft Of My First Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I continue to be in put-up-or-shut-up mode with the third draft of my first novel. I finally — THINK — I have a stable first chapter. Now, I have to go through and edit things so they make sense.

I’m down to 42 scenes in the first act, after starting with 65 then going down to 24. I’m pretty sure 42 is good because it’s long, but not so long that I can’t have a 60 scene second act without things being out of whack. I’m really pleased with what I’ve come up with.

Now, to put in the hard work.

And I continue to have three really good scifi novels rolling around in my mind. I need to put in the work to have them ready to go at a moment’s notice in case something goes wrong with the mystery-thriller. But, in general, I need to work them. They’re all really good and should be pretty easy to knock out if I just give them the attention they deserve.

I’m not going to live forever. I need to buckle down and get something done. I am, however, still on track to query this mystery-thriller in the fall of 2024. All systems go!

My Goal For The Holidays — Finish Rebel Moon & Carol

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I have got to get outside my comfort zone and actually consume other people’s content. As such, I’m going to force myself to watch both Rebel Moon and Carol over the holiday season. I’ve started both and both look really good.

It’s just I find it difficult to focus on anything that I didn’t have a hand in creating. It’s difficult for me to passively consume someone else’s creation. I want to futz with the story or characters or whatever until they fit MY vision.

But the only way I can make my own creations better is to expose myself to other people’s dreams. I can’t just write and read things that I’ve created. That will do no one any good.

It’s just difficult, sometimes. Ok, maybe all the time. But I’m not going to live forever. I need to expose myself to art other than my own.

I Continue To Be At A Loss About The Third Draft Of My First Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I have totally reworked the beginning of the third draft of this novel and now I’m going through and editing it so it makes sense. In general, the story is really good. And, yet, because I’m doing all of this in a creative vacuum…I just don’t know.

I honestly just don’t know.

Some of the story is a bit…edgy…and I just don’t know what that most important of audience categories — women — will think of what I’ve come up with. But there comes a point when you just do the best with what you have. I just don’t have a “reader” to give me any guidance, so all I can do is move forward and try to finish the novel.

It definitely seems as though the novel will now fit the ~100,000 word sweetspot. Or if it’s longer, it will be longer in a manageable way. It shouldn’t be anymore than. I’m estimating the novel will now be no longer than 120,000-ish words the way things are going.

And all of this continues to make me want to do a backup plan. I have three solid back up scifi novels. If I do ever break down and write them, I will be sure to have them single (male) POV and be no more than 100,000 words.

Anyway. I’m looking forward to finally — finally — getting into the part of the novel that I’ve already written. Things should move far, far faster once I’m actually writing the third draft of the novel and not just spinning my wheeling at the very beginning of the novel trying to figure out relationships.