John Kusters Jr.

Welcome to my Writing Adventure

Author: JOhn (Page 7 of 8)

Before the Internet?

2023-05-30 /

Do you remember life before the internet?

What an interesting question, because many people mean different things when they say “the internet”. I believe most people believe “the internet” is synonymous with the World Wide Web, which came into popular use in the mid- to late 90s, after getting its start in academia in 1990. But the protocols and connections that underlie the World Wide Web, the thing actually called the Internet was born two decades earlier when Kahn and Cerf published their paper on packet-based intercommunication in 1974.

1974 is definitely before my first usage of internet technology. But in the mid 80s, I was definitely partaking of the BBS scene in the Bay Area, exchanging messages with other anonymous users, and downloading files over my mighty 1200 baud modem. I also dallied with the large commercial network services like CompuServe, GEnie, BiX, and AOL. I was a poor student living on my own, and certainly couldn’t afford to spend much time on those systems but I did see the shiny promise of a thoroughly connected world they held up.

My first encounter with the internet came in 1985 (before the WWW) when I took an internship at NASA’s Ames Research Center. There I had an email account and could exchange email with researchers and computer scientists around the world using “bang paths” where one would manually specify each server the mail should pass through. I used various internet protocols such as gopher, telnet, and FTP to get information and exchange data. I remember there being many other services accessible via internet protocols that are not in common use today.

By the time I started studies at Cal Poly SLO, BBSes still existed but so,e of them had moved to internet-based interfaces. And shortly after I started, the World Wide Web burst onto the scene, though it would be years before it would become as ubiquitous as it is today.

I guess this is my long-about way of saying that I do remember the internet before it became synonymous with the WWW. I fondly remember those years of being in the “cool club” with secret handshaking protocols. 😉

On Transitions

2023-05-29 /

This evening I wrote my “farewell” email to my coworkers and colleagues at the place where I’ve worked the past sixteen years. At the end of this week, I will no longer be employed there. As of that point, I become a full-time writer.

As many who are raised in the American society do, I often feel defined by my employment. “Who am I? Oh, I’m a software QA engineer working for such-and-such company. And you?” As of Friday afternoon, I’ll no longer be employed. Or rather, I’ll be self-employed, a state I’ve never experienced before. To some degree, until I get paid for my writing (still waiting on a response to my first ever short story submission!), I’m not really “employed” as a writer, am I? I suppose I’ll be an unpaid intern till then.

The reason I’m making a distinction is because other people already have. When I’ve told people I’m a writer, the immediate question is “what have you published.” When I say “nothing yet,” the posture changes, the voice alters, and the obvious message, intended or not, is that one is not really a writer until they are published. Until one is making money from their profession, it doesn’t count I suppose.

So I’m transitioning from someone who is gainfully employed in a high tech career at a world-famous corporation to someone who by our society’s standards is simply not employed. And I’d be lying if I said there isn’t a part of me that is bothered by that change. Societal programming runs deeply in the psyche, and bucking the norms is something we’re all trained to avoid (not that the training is always effective). In a country that seems to venerate “rugged individualism”, striking out by one’s self to follow a dream without the safety of a paycheck often seems to be considered an aberration. I’m still working through how that feels in my own head and my own experience.

Still, I’m excited by the upcoming transition. It literally has been a dream since childhood. I’ve been writing on an off since well before high school. (And the less said about the cringy fan-fiction of mine that my High School’s “literary magazine” published the better.) I’ve been practicing my craft for decades. It’s time to see if I can make something real and lasting of it.

On LLM “Artificial Intelligence”

2023-05-29 /

As I toddle off to bed, I’m pondering why we are calling LLM tools “artificial intelligence”. They don’t really show any kind of intelligence, artificial or otherwise. All they do is put millions of texts into a blender, hit the “frappe” button, then pour the slurry back out and feed it to you. There’s no verification of presented data, no discernment between fact and fiction, just stochastically stringing words together in a way that resembles other text it has seen. The appearance of coherence is merely a factor of how much data it has consumed. The coherence is an illusion. And yet we have people out there that are convinced systems like ChatGPT are some kind of oracle, infallible and wise. That’s truly frightening.

On Writing Self-Help Books

2023-05-27 /

I’ve always enjoyed reading self-help books on the craft of writing. From Stephen King’s “On Writing” to Ursula Le Guinn’s “Conversations on Writing” to David Gerrold’s “Worlds of Wonder”, all have inspired me in different ways, and gave me plenty to think about as I sit down to work on my own craft.

But lately I’ve notice an interesting trend. As I scan Amazon and Apple Bookstore for new interesting reads in this particular field, I find plenty of books that seem interesting and get fairly decent reviews. But if I go and try to find books or short stories published by the authors of these “how to write” books, it’s amazing how few books I tend to find.

One popular Mystery writer’s YouTube channel is full of authoritative advice on how to plot your murder mystery novel, how to use cliches in new and interesting ways, how to hide your killer’s motives so that they result in a satisfying ending, and so on and so forth. She’s published exactly one novel so far, and is working on a “how to” book based on her YouTube videos. Now, she has a LOT of interesting things to say, and I find her insights useful. Every minute spent watching her videos has been a smart investment in my own craft. But still, only one novel (and no short stories that I could find).

In another case, I found someone who is selling probably a dozen or so short books on various aspects of the craft of writing short stories and other fiction. Each is $2.99. Many of them get great reviews. As far as I can tell, she has no fiction sold under the name she uses to write these books. It seems strange to me not to bank on your own name if you’re successfully selling fiction.

Maybe all of these authors are actually publishing under different names, and thus actually do have the experience to tell prospective writers the right way to go about crafting and marketing their own work. I don’t know, I didn’t dig deeply into the authors I found. And of course, if the advice resonates, it’s undoubtedly useful to one degree or another.

It just looks strange to me when someone is publishing a fiction writing self-help book with so little apparent experience in actually writing fiction.

A Necessity For Mutiny?

2023-04-26 /

It seems to me that there is something inherently corrupt in how the upper eschelons of Starfleet operate. It perpetually has rogue Admirals, whether power hungry on their own or subverted by outside aliens. These Admirals all seem to wield enormous power. Plans for genocide, experimenting with technology made illegal by treaty, conspiring with the enemy to prevent peace talks, and facilitating the destruction of Earth itself. One wonders what the “good” Admiralty is doing beyond twiddling their thumbs (or thumb-equivalents). It practically requires that there are always a handful of Captains and crew who have strong moral compasses and a willingness to challenge authority when it serves a greater good. Nearly every crew featured in a series is full of rule-breakers and those willing to step outside the lines. It’s been going on since Archer’s days and continues unabated through the 35th century. Starfleet and the Federation continually has its bacon saved by crews of individual ships.

(Yes, it’s an product of the writing, you don’t need to tell me that. But it does make for a very strange fictional power structure.)

Character Deep Dives

2023-04-25 /

I’m finding myself diving deeply into my characters’ backstories as I do the prep work for the novel I’m planning. For my typical action-oriented stories of novels past, a page or two of notes has usually been sufficient (or so I’ve thought). Since this novel’s main story is heavily influenced by romance novel tropes and structure, I figured I needed to know more about each of my three main characters, the two love birds and the evil person determined to obliterate a star system. (Oh, it’s primarily conceived as a space opera, in case that wasn’t clear before now.) Each of the two protagonists have elicited 5000 and more words of backstory and personality notes, and the villain is threatening to exceed that amount. The further I go, the more I have “aha!” moments about them, and the more complex they get. (For example, during today’s writing I “discovered” that the name of one of my protagonists is an assumed name, something I had never considered before, but which gives him additional depth and secrets to protect.) I usually am too eager to start writing the novel but find myself having large gaps in my novel outline, especially in the “muddy middle.” “Something happens here!” But as I add depth to my characters, certain scenes suddenly demand to be added to my outline. I’m totally fascinated by this.

Thoughts on a Polite Society

2023-04-20 /

An armed society is a polite one!

Ralph Yarl shot in the head after mistakenly ringing the doorbell at the wrong house.

An armed society is a polite one!

Kaylin Gillis killed after pulling into the wrong driveway by mistake.

An armed society is a polite one!

Two Texas cheerleaders shot after one mistakenly got into the wrong car.

As the number of guns in our society skyrocket, I just have to ask: When the FUCK do we get to the POLITE part of the aphorism frequently quoted by gun lovers? When did making simple mistakes, mistakes all of us make at one or more points in our lives, become a crime punishable by being shot at or even killed?

Doing The Scary Thing

2023-03-24 /

I have done the scary thing. I have submitted my first story for publication, namely to the biggest name out there, the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.

While I certainly hope the story will fit what they are looking for at the moment, my expectation is a rejection letter. But this is the first step at becoming a published author. Every traditionally published author has stepped through this gateway. And now I have done the same.

And if they do pass on the story, there are many other magazines and web sites out there to submit to. And if any of them give me editorial comments, I’ll definitly incorporate them before re-submitting. But I’m proud of myself for taking this first step. I’ve been hesitant to take this step for too long.

Yay me!

#City23 Week 1: Beadle Street

2023-01-07 /

Beadle Street

Located in the Old City district, this street is named after Lewis Beadle, a merchant who lived in the area 200 years ago who was honored with the street named for him after establishing a number of prosperous trade routes (making some of the people in the city a small fortune). Beadle’s shop is still open on the street, though it’s a pale shadow of its former self. The street is now known for general stores and a couple middle-class clothiers.

The Rollyknockers (Faction) – Named after a minor noble named Nathaniel Rolly, who led an uprising against imperial takeover shortly after the annexation began. That uprising was unsuccessful, but this faction believes that after so many years of imperial rule, the people will be more supportive. There is currently a lot of debate amongst the leaders of the faction whether to employ violence, with the pro-destruction side in the lead. Membership is secret. They operate out of an apartment above Ink & Lead , the printer of the local newspaper.

Durant Dupuy (NPC) – Owner of Ink & Lead, a printing press, and editor of the local newspaper, not afraid of being a bit creative to sell a few papers. Tall, wispy, receding brown hair rapidly turning to grey, more than a bit of a pot belly. He is a reliable source for rumors, some of them actually true. His motivation is to put the other, better funded papers out of business by selling more copies of his paper, so he loves to get the scoop. He’s actually more clever and observant than he lets on, and knows who the secretive leader of the Rollyknockers is.

The Stump (Landmark) – Many years ago the Imperial Governor of the city commissioned a statue of the founder of the Empire to be erected in the middle of the crossroads of Beadle Street and Prosperity Road. Several years later, during a time of unrest in the city, the statue was broken off of its pedestal and destroyed. The pedestal remains, as every attempt to either mount a new statue there or demolish it has been met with sabotage. The people of Beadle Street are perversely proud of their Stump.

The Mermaid’s Lament (Location) – The most raucous tavern on the street, the Lament is decorated in carefully curated flotsam and jetsam. Nets, ship’s lanterns, glass floats, and even an old ship’s figurehead are arranged around the walls of the place. The bar serves all of the normal alcoholic beverages common in the city, but is best known for a brew called a Sea Foam, grayish green in color with a thick head, this salty concoction is definitely an acquired taste.

Juliana Mace (NPC) – A bartender at the Mermaid’s Lament, she invented the Sea Foam and only she knows its actual ingredients. Juliana is also a great resource for rumors. She doesn’t make anything up herself, but can’t vouch for all the rumors she can share. She is a lively woman, with an easy laugh and an energetic attitude. She’s average height, long brown hair usually kept in a loose knot at the back of her neck, and hazel eyes. Her motivation is to get everyone to like her, as she’s actually very insecure. She secretly believes she is the bastard daughter of one of the city’s nobles, a story told to her by her mother. She’s not sure yet who her father is, but she hopes to find out someday.

Rumor – It’s been nearly three weeks since Rinston the brewer made his last delivery to the Mermaid. His deliveries have always been on time before. The brewer has been keeping himself scarce. When contacted, Rinston doesn’t offer an explanation or excuse, just says he’s been very busy but he’ll get right on it. His ales are a favorite of many patrons, and the bar is on its last keg.

Lanford’s General Goods (Location) – This store is a long-term Beadle Street fixture, originally opened over sixty years ago. It has changed hands a few times over the years, but the owners have all kept the original name since it is so beloved. Any commonly available good can be found here. The store also features a rotating collection of highly unusual items, items of higher quality and some even magical. The current proprietor is Elizabet Silvestre.

Dænavar, City of Steam and Sorcery #City23

2023-01-07 /

Welcome to Dænavar, a coastal city where political conflict threatens to spill into violence in the streets, where technology vies with sorcery to control the future while the religions in the city hide an ancient and terrifying secret, and where stalwart adventurers who can keep their wits about them can change the course of history. This is my #City23 project inspired by the #Dungeon23 challenge posed by Sean McCoy of Tuesday Night Games. A good overview of the challenge can be found on Gizmodo.

For my #City23 challenge, I have the following goals:

  • 1 District each Month (for a total of 12 districts)
  • 4(.3) Streets each district
  • 7 things for each street

For each day, pick one thing that can be found on the street to create each day from the list, just a couple of sentences (I will most certainly fail on the “just a couple of sentences” part):

  • Location (goal: 2 per week)
  • NPC (description, role, motivation, secret) (goal: 2 per week)
  • Faction (goal, location) (goal: 1 per week)
  • Monument or landmark
  • Rumor
  • Creature
  • Legend
  • Festival/holiday
  • Magic Item

Background

Before I start detailing districts, a (hopefully) brief overview of the city and its history is in order.

For longer than anyone can remember, a lonely temple to a near-forgotten god has stood on the bluff overlooking what would become known as Camerlon Bay, a natural bay at the foot of rolling hills and timbered mountains. The Laurents, a non-navigable river empties into the bay near here. Mild weather and plentiful water, the area supports bountiful agriculture, and the nearby forests of oak, pine, madrone, and sequoia means that timber is plentiful. However, lack of easy access to other cities meant that the villages in the area grew very slowly. The trade port here was often overrun by pirates preying on ocean-going merchant ships.

A wealthy trader, Lambertus Auch, took a liking to the area and had a keep built on a promontory adjacent to the docks. He named it Dænavar, after his late wife. A small city grew up around the keep, and over time they raised money to improve the port facilities and to begin construction on a road through the mountains to the east, hoping to encourage trade with the inland cities.

A generation later, the city’s leaders grew complacent, and a pirate captain named Telford Middlegorn attacked the town, taking it for his own. He ruled there for nearly twenty years, never wisely nor well. Trade dropped off, and the people suffered. Residents of the city secretly made their way to other nearby cities, begging for help to repel Captain Middlegorn and his cronies. Eventually, the newly crowned Emperor Zacharius II of the nearby Empire of Phalan agreed to send troops over the mountains and rout the pirates. In exchange he would be given special trade arrangements and be allowed to establish a garrison in the city. When the city was freed, they kept their word.

A century later, the city had grown considerably. It was a trade hub between the other cities along the coast and the inland cities. Its favorable trade agreement with the Phalan Empire continued, though sometimes the guild masters of Dænavar chafed under the established discounts. A University of Sorcery was established and attracted talented people from all over the land. Discovery of ores in the nearby mountains led to the establishment of several metal foundries and smiths. And the city’s agricultural production grew by leaps and bounds.

Then a prospector in the mountains to the northeast made a discovery: an ore never seen before, near black with crimson flecks throughout. It quickly became a popular stone in fashionable jewelry. It would take decades before its true potential would be discovered. A metal wright by the name of Michiel Dubuisson, refining the ore attempting to crystallize it, accidentally subjected it to a strong thaumatic field. The ore burst into flame, burning both hotter than coal and longer, producing much less smoke. It was shortly dubbed Incendium.

The practical uses Incendium ore were many, including becoming the primary energy source for steam-driven constructs of all sizes. When (carefully) ground into fine powder and mixed with certain other chemicals, it produces a powder that burns quick and hot, producing copious gas. It wasn’t long before Incendium-based firearms were developed, catalyzing an arms race with other cities on the continent.

Sensing an impending shift in the balance of power, the then Emperor of Phalan sent several armies to Dænevar to bring it under imperial control. Defenders of the city fought well, but surprise and overwhelming numbers of forces arrayed against them meant they could not prevail. The empire annexed the city and installed a governor to run it.

It’s been sixty years since Dænevar was forcibly wed to the Empire of Phalan. Various attempts to overthrow the governor have been ruthlessly shut down, but separatist movements continue to flare up. The technologists of the Fog Town district continue to invent mechanical marvels now aided by the Goddess of Innovation who walks among them and even helps work the furnace bellows from time to time. The Arcanists of the Arcane University continue their studies and Wizarding Society continues to infiltrate local politics attempting to use the levers of political power to maintain dominance over their rivals, the technologists. The noble families work to flatter the imperial representatives with expensive trinkets and fêtes all while secretly funding the separatists. And the priests and bishops of Way of the Temples warn of an impending calamity while being tight-lipped as to the nature of it.

The city is a powder keg, waiting for the spark that will cause it to explode.

Walk carefully, keep your wits about you, choose your alliances (and enemies) wisely, and be ready for anything..,

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