Destiny Is Destiny

"Destiny is destiny", as the Tartarian saying goes. But what the heck does that mean? It's a complete enigma to most Terrans, but to anyone born on the planet Tartarus ( Ahn-eld in the native tongue ) the meaning is obvious: One cannot escape one's destiny.

Destiny is written---preordained---and therefore, so shall it be. And if you deliberately attempt to thwart your destiny, you will pay a great price. Tartarians firmly believe that everyone has a destiny, a specific role to play in the Universe, a firm purpose for being.

One's destiny is sacred and not to be questioned or avoided. Destiny is to be accepted and embraced.

What is your destiny?

MRTighe

Tartarus Is Hell !

According to ancient Greek mythology, there were two levels to Hell. The upper level was known as Erebus, the lower, Tartarus. Whatever you chose to call it, Hell isn't a very nice place. You certainly wouldn't want to be trapped there for life, especially not by choice.

So why on earth did I name one of the alien planets in my SF trilogy "Tartarus"? ( And by the way, I chose the name of my planets well over forty years ago. )

If you've read Book One: Judgment on Tartarus, or either of the two books that follow, you know that even the "temperate" zone of the planet is well-below zero. Its ice-covered, barren plains stretch between rugged mountain ranges capped with age-old ice, and glaciers flow inexorably between the peaks. Only deep, dark chasms interrupt the snow fields. The entire planet is literally one hell of a place!

No wonder the Terran explorers who discovered the planet gave it the name Tartarus---and its Twin Moons, Erebus and Cerberus---the name of the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of Hell. Terrans refer to the people who inhabit this planet as Tartarians. These people aren't native to this planet. They arrived centuries ago on a sleeper-ship. They were desperate to escape their distant homeworld, which was plagued by violence, wars, and lawlessness. Upon reaching the first habitable, but uninhabited, world, the ship awakened its "sleeping" passengers.

At first, the Twelve Clans dwelt upon the surface of the planet, eking out an existence, until a deepening ice-age drove them far beneath the surface---permanently. Tartarians employed the advanced technology that had brought them to their new world to establish sophisticated underground cities, complete with subterranean transportation networks. Rejecting lives of ease and luxury, Tartarians lived according to the strictest of Laws and punishments.

The planet Tartarus provided an environment without light, without warmth, without love or mercy or compassion. Therefore, I found it highly appropriate to name this planet Hell.

Keep reading---keep writing!

MRTighe

What Makes Me Fall In Love With A Book?

Have you ever bought a book because it had a great cover, only to find that the cover disguises a sub-par book? Or perhaps you read the back cover blurb, and it intrigued you? But some blurbs are flat-out misleading, leaving you disappointed, even angry.

I want a book that delivers on its tantalizing promises. I want well-drawn, sympathetic characters who speak and act realistically ( at least to some degree! ) I tend to fall in love with characters who seem to be real people, people that I'd like to meet and get to know better. I like to be left with no doubt as to who are the heroes and who is the villain. ( J.K. Rowling I'll forgive for fooling me! )

I love settings that I'd enjoy visiting and exploring; maybe I'd even want to stay there a while. But then, I also enjoy encountering fictional places so terrifying I'd rather die than be stuck there. ( J.R.R. Tolkien's Mordor comes to mind! )

I love books with plots that grab me, draw me in, then enfold me and won't let go. And they don't disappoint me in the end. If I just have to know what happens next or I'll be up all night wondering---if one more page becomes ten, or twenty---then I realize that I've fallen in love.

And if, when I'm through reading the book, I know I'll never be the same again, then that's a book I'll cherish and savor over and over again.

Keep on reading---keep on writing, my friends!

MRTighe

So What's Keeping You From Writing?

At some point in life just about everyone dreams of writing a book, usually a novel. From the outside looking in, writing seems easy to do, loads of fun. And the financial rewards seem enormous.

Sorry if it's news to you, but the truth is that writing is darn hard work, not always fun, and takes not only talent, but loads of time, accompanied by many headaches. And except for a tiny handful of writers, writing seldom pays off financially-speaking. You'll probably spend a good deal more than you'll ever make.

But for those who possess the requisite talent and the unquenchable desire to write, never allow any obstacles to stand in your way. To find time to write, many authors get up before dawn; others stay up into the wee hours of the morning to find the peace to write. Some write on their way to work, on buses, trains, even airplanes. I don't recommend trying to write in your car unless it's stationary, as in waiting for school to get out.

I never had time to write seriously until my youngest was in kindergarten. I worked at night and wrote when I got home, too wired to sleep. While everyone else in the house slept, I wrote. I began by revising work I'd started years before. When I ran out of money to pay for typing supplies, I applied for and won a literary grant.

After my own experiences, good and bad, my best advice is don't allow yourself to get discouraged; don't allow obstacles to stop you; and above all, don't stop writing! Write wherever and whenever you can and as much as you can. You may never get rich or be famous, but you will become a better writer, and that's reward enough!

Keep on writing!

MRTighe

Five Worst Mistakes An Author Can Make

From time to time all authors make mistakes, but here are five that we need to avoid like the Lamidian plague:

#1.   Sending out a ms before it's ready to be published. I know you're eager to publish---so was I. But it's a huge mistake to jump the gun. I advise authors to let their ms rest, "marinate", "simmer", whatever you want to call it. Then look at it with new eyes. You are much more likely to spot your mistakes. If there are gaping holes in your plot or weak spots, they should jump out at you. Then rewrite, revise, and edit as needed. You may need to repeat this process several times.

#2.   Depending on an editor or proofreader to "fix" your ms for you. You need a proper knowledge of grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, etc.  If you aren't willing to put in the required effort, chances are no one else is going to be bothered "fixing" your writing. Make your work the best it can be before other eyes see it.

#3.   Neglecting to research the publishing house or small press you submit your ms to. If a house specializes in publishing Romances, chances are good that they won't be interested in your Gothic mystery! Your chances of having an ms considered or accepted are a heck of a lot better if you've targeted your publisher intelligently.

#4.   Allowing rejection to discourage you from sending out your ms yet again. Rejection hurts! But you simply cannot allow rejection to stop you. Keep sending out that ms. Double your efforts; be determined to prove the rejectors wrong. Remember the old saying: Where there's a will, there's a way.

#5.   Stopping writing entirely---the biggest mistake of all! If you are born to be a writer, you'll never escape the urge to write. It will haunt you day and night until you do what you are meant to do. This doesn't mean any of us are born knowing HOW to write. Writing is a skill set that must be learned and honed to perfection. A true writer is willing to invest considerable time and energy into becoming the best they can be and then never gives up.

Here's to your ultimate success!

MRTighe

Love of Reading

Want to pass on a love of reading to your kids, grandkids, or other youngsters? Start reading aloud to them at a very young age. Choose age appropriate material. Make reading aloud fun, interesting, and exciting. If you sound bored, the kids will be bored. Make reading aloud a habit, whether it's at bedtime or whenever.

Bring kids with you to the library and to bookstores. Make those trips fun. Have a home library of favorite books. Give kids their own books and bookshelves or a special place on the bookshelf. Give books as gifts, but don't force kids to read what you like. Respect their preferences.

Avoid using phrases like: "What are you reading that for?" Discourage others from belittling reading in kids' hearing, ie: "Reading is a waste of time." "Wouldn't you rather be playing outside?"

Maybe best of all, let kids see you reading. Let them know how much you love books and which books you read and loved as a child. Encourage them to read on their own, or with help, on a regular basis. Help them improve their reading skills---and not just to aim for better grades.

If you bring kids to a movie or watch a DVD based on a book, afterward encourage them to try reading the actual book. Even if you don't have kids of your own, if you are a writer, your aim should be to nurture the next generation of readers---and many generations after that! The more kids there are who love to read, the more call there will be in the future for new books and new writers.

Keep on writing and promote love of reading!

MRTighe

Writers Take Warning!

As an avid reader, I hate slogging through page after page of descriptions that have absolutely nothing to do with advancing the story. Don't bother with minutia! Set the stage. Give the reader the minimum amount of detail. Mention the parts important to your story and skip most of the rest.

Show me who your characters are---don't tell me. That's no fun! I want to discover and evaluate your characters on my own. What's worse, if you have to point out to the reader who is the hero and who is the villain, you've failed as a writer.

Your prose may be absolutely beautiful, but if you can't tell a decent story in a clear manner, you are wasting your time---and the reader's. Don't make me want to beat you about the head! ( Really, I'm not a violent person, but there have been times...)

Keep on writing and write better!

MRTighe