Idea Farming - A Science Guy's Read on Writing - C.R.Downing's Book Tour 2018. Book #4

I'm having a sale on the e-book version of  Idea Farming.

https://www.amazon.com/Idea-Farming-Science-Guys-Writing-ebook/dp/B00SSQL71Y/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me= 

It's only 99¢

But, the sale runs ONLY from 

May 8 through May 12

Book #4:

Idea Farming - A Science Guys Read on Writing

There is a link to Amazon for the title book in the line above this. 

Elevator Speech

This book is a step-by-step explanation of how to grow an idea into a story. Rather than more verbiage, I'm posting the TOC.

I apologize for the format issues in this post. It's due to the layout of the manuscript, not your browser.

Table of Contents

Introduction Six Lists of Credentials		7
Thread One Ideas on Generating Ideas
Chapter 1	Idea Mining: Where to Get  Ideas for Your Stories	11
Chapter 2	Idea Mining: Additional Mine Tunnels to Explore	15
Thread Two Various Ways to Grow Your Ideas
Chapter 3	Idea Farming—Growing Your Plot #1 (Growth Requirements)	19
Chapter 4	Idea Farming—Growing Your Plot #2—Container Gardening (short stories)	23
Chapter 5	Idea Farming—Growing Your Plot #3—The Backyard Garden Part I (Anthologies/Novellas)	27
Chapter 6	Idea Farming—Growing Your Plot #4— The Backyard Garden Part II (Anthologies/Novellas)	31
Chapter 7	Idea Farming—Growing Your Plot #5—The South 40 (The Novel)	35
Chapter 8	Idea Farming—Growing Your Plot #6—Mega Farming (The Book Series)	43
Conclusion May Your Crop Yield Be Abundant!		51

Background Information

Book #4 Idea Farming for 2018 Book Tour

This book is a compilation and adjustment of a series of my earliest blog posts. When I started the blog, the focus was on topics pertaining to writing. The seven blog posts ran from mid-October, 2014 through the first week in January 2005.

This book was published on 1/25/2015. No moss grew on that stone.

Here’s the description from the Amazon page.

As the subtitle states, this is "A Science Guy's Read on Writing." Over 8 chapters, the booklet explores how to take an idea and develop it into everything from a short story to a novella to a novel to a book series.

Using the analogy of various types of gardening and farming, author C. R. Downing presents personal experience and advice gleaned from others over his writing career.

Written in a conversational style, the booklet is designed for budding and experienced writers from teenagers through adults. While many of the examples included focus on science fiction writing, Downing's primary genre, the underlying principles and process easily lend themselves to application use in any fiction field.

Readers who are looking for practical, easy to understand methodologies and tips on improving their writing will find this book an invaluable addition to their libraries--one that is consulted often.

At the time, I was in a rush to get books out. My book publication target was eight. Eight was not an arbitrary number, but it was based on a misunderstanding between my publicist and me.

The content is creative and informative. However, looking back now—three years later I see the opportunity for some updates. At some point in time, I’ll go through the manuscript and enhance the analogy with content based on what I’ve learned in the years since I wrote this book.

To give you an idea of how my brain works on a project like this, I’ve reprinted the first chapter. I added a few edits, notes about updates, and comments in red. I hope this gives you a better idea of what an idea farmer goes through.

  

Idea Farming - A Science Guy’s Read On Writing

Volume #1

Thread One

Ideas On For Generating Ideas 

Chapter 1

Idea Mining—where to get ideas for your story

Never discount your own brain as a rich source of story ideas

Before I discuss “Idea Farming,” there is one basic requirement you must meet. You can’t grow a single story by Idea Farming unless Before any farming can begin, you have to have an idea. So, Chapter 1 discusses sources to mine for story ideas.

There are three sources for ideas that I use with regularity. First, w We’ll look at each as an independent entity.

Real life

Events that really happened are excellent sources for ideas. They have the ring of truth to them, and they usually provide key plot points you can incorporate.

In one of my upcoming novels, The 5th Page (scheduled for a summer/fall 2015 release) [Yeah, right. Since I wrote/published that parenthetical phrase, I’ve done at least 200 hours of editing and other forms of revising and re-writing on that manuscript. The book is now over 650-pages long. I’m not sure when it will be released.] a friend, and former police officer told his story of why he left the police force and became a pastor. Since the idea of transitioning from police officer to pastor intrigued me in and of itself—and the minimal details he was allowed to provide based on the circumstances of his separation from the force provided significant tension—I thought this was an ideal story idea.

So I wrote a novel about it.

After my friend read the manuscript, my friend returned it saying, “Thank you.” “Oh, no,” I replied. “I should be thanking you.”

“You don’t understand,” he said. “Now I know how the story ends.”

That’s what a fiction writer dreams to hear.

However, there are critical points to keep in mind and essential policies to follow when converting fact to fiction.

But more about that in subsequent chapters.

,

Published material

Since you can’t copyright an idea, existing stories can provide ideas. But, the number of possible plot situations is limited.

“Georges Polti was a 19th century French writer [who] described 36 situations that may be found in many stories, based on the list identified by Goethe who said it was originated by Italian Carlo Gozzi (1720-1806).” http://www.changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/plots/polti_situations/polti_situa tions.htm https://goo.gl/YRw8sP

While Polti’s list is extensive, it, like nearly any list, is most probably incomplete. However, when teaching high school biology, after the Advanced Placement Biology Exam, my AP Bio students wrote a science fiction story—after all they had all taken 3-4 years of science and had listened to my stories for at least a year.

To be fair, I also wrote a story while the students were writing one. To even the playing field a bit, since I was writing short stories regularly, I allowed the class to pick three numbers from 1-36. Those were the required plot situations I had to include in my story. In addition, they got to select two major characters. Those ranged from students in the class to Sponge Bob and Chuck Norris—in the same story! Finally, they were allowed the select the science upon which my story was based.

I will admit that is probably not the best way to mine your story ideas, and many of the stories written in that manner were cheesy. However, other teachers and I, and some other teachers, have used two or three of those classics to pique interest in a topic for various science classes. The basic outline of one of them is the structure for one of the stories in my Traveler’s HOT L series.

Dreams, etc.

Never discount your own brain as a rich source of material. I have learned to get out of bed and write down ideas when I wake up in the middle of the night. Sometimes I read skdf solsnof soo s alsno, or some such iteration of what I was thinking. But, most often, enough of the dream is there to allow me to reconstruct my thought patterns and use them.

Keep a pencil and paper on your nightstand!

Chapter 2

Idea Mining: Additional Mine Tunnels to Explore

I get my ideas from at least four sources

If you have a book that’s been published, or if all you’ve done is mention that you’re writing a book, it’s very likely that you’ve been asked the question, "Where do you get your ideas?"

Most people in the world are content to hear stories. They like to listen or read and be drawn into a different time, place, or dimension. Once inside the world you, as a writer, create, the reader follows the paths you establish. They might think they know what’s going to happen and be surprised when it doesn’t.

Readers might even talk or write to you after reading your story wanting more information on some point they consider underdeveloped. But, that’s okay because they were in YOUR world for a time.

While you will learn valuable lessons about what people want from listening to this type of “feedback,” don’t assume you need to change your story to fit every comment.

Try that, and you’ll never write a second, or next, book. It’s your story—you control the characters, the action, and the setting. 

I received the following comment from the Editor of Left Hand Publishers as part of the email notifying me that they accepted my short story What Goes Around . . . for their anthology, A World Unimagined. The bolded sentence supports this paragraph’s content.

(C.R., on a personal note, we really liked your story. The Editor-in-Chief’s pre-edit notes should be going out around the 9th. Before that, we would like to suggest giving the ending some thought. A sharper twist at the very end would provide more impact for your reader. A nice twist at the end could be that the Deloqkians took this planet from Earthlings ages ago and now they are defending it themselves. That could explain mosquitos, old song lyrics, wood, etc. It’s YOUR story; we will leave that to you. Just a thought.

Another thought: The title is too “spot on.” Too “earther.” You use it in the story several times (Gnarnell even paraphrases it on her deathbed.). Give the reader more credit. Using a title slightly more vague may make it tie in later and not be as “in your face”. Something like “Another Word” or whatever. Again, it’s YOUR story. The Editor has more notes, but these are just a couple of big points that stuck out. We love the originality of the concept, we just would like it see you take it to a new level.)

Additionally, y Y0u probably left certain details out of your book on purpose.—and t That bothered some readers. Whether for length, continuity, or personal preference, your story is how you wanted it when you had it published. If that’s not the case every time after the first book, which, in fairness might not have been the perfect novel, why wasn’t it what you wanted to publish? I 100% GUARANTEE ADDING SIGNIFICANT COMMENTARY HERE IN THE REVISION.

	Chapters 1 & 2 Takeaways •       Real life (family members, life events, personal experiences, etc.) are an excellent source of ideas. •       Published materials of all genres can be sources of ideas — but be careful not to use those sources’ actual words! •       Record all ideas you have — no matter when you get them—even if while daydreaming in a meeting.

<This is not the end of Chapter 2 in the book.>

Next book on the tour: Traveler’s HOT L – Volume 2 – More Tales from the Time Travelers Resort

I've posted a 113-page PDF file with samples from all my published books and three as yet unpublished manuscripts. This provides a comprehensive overview of genre and style. I invite you to download the file. Enjoy the read.

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Making Connections. Investigating Invertebrates - Sponges and Jellyfish

From 1990-1996 I worked on with the "100 Schools Project." It was California's implementation of the National Science Foundations grant to integrate science content in a new breed of courses. Monte Vista High School was a leader in curriculum development. I was the editor and primary author of a four textbook series. Titled "Making Connections...", it was published from 1996-2001 by the Grossmont Union High School District. The series is now out of print. 

More often than not over the coming months, I'll be reviving this labor of love. I hope you enjoy learning about science in the way I think makes the most sense. Minor editing has been done to the original text. Additions are in highlighted in this color. My titles for the section of the chapter are this color. Most of the diagrams were retrieved in full color from the Internet since the original books were two-colors only. Content in this series is from Volume 4: Making Connections - Integrating the Science of Energy.

Invertebrate organisms have something supporting their bodies besides bones or bony material. They range in complexity from simple multicellular organisms, like sponges, to animals with complex structures and functions, the crustaceans and arthropods.

Many scientists accept a classification system with five kingdoms.

•          Kingdom Monera consists of bacteria and blue-green algae (also known as photosynthetic bacteria).

•          Kingdom Protista includes algae and single-celled organisms (protozoa).

•          Kingdom Fungi includes only the fungi.

•          Kingdom Plantae consists of multicellular land and water plants.

•          Kingdom Animalia is made up of all animals, both with and without vertebrae. Every living thing is classified in one of these kingdoms.

The purplish rectangles were added to highlight the content of this blog. The two colors in this volume are black and brownish-yellow. 

Week #1

It's Simple

The least complex invertebrate phylum is Porifera. Phylum Porifera includes the sponges. Sponges are multicellular animals. They have specialized cells. Sponges also have cells which remain unspecialized throughout the life of the animal.

The basic body plan of a sponge is very simple. It consists of a series of holes known as incurrent pores. Water enters the body of the sponge through these pores. Everything the sponge eats and breathes must be in the water that enters through the incurrent pores. The only way out of a sponge is through larger openings known as excurrent pores. Some of the specialized cells in the sponge make up the edges of the openings, others are involved in moving water through the sponge. Other specialized cells, known as spicules, make up the supporting "skeleton" of a sponge.

There are no cells used to move the sponge. Sponges do not move from the spot where they first attach. Animals living attached to a single location are called sessile, or non-moving

A Sponge. A typical sponge has all the parts labeled in this diagram. Note the lack of structures used for movement.

The non-specialized cells in the sponge are of extreme importance to the life of the animal. These amebocytes, as the cells are known, function in reproduction, repair of damaged parts, general growth, and in the protection of freshwater sponges from drying out. The amebocytes have the ability to "become" any type of cell needed by the sponge.

Amebocytes are of interest to scientists as well. If humans had "amebocyte-like" cells, people with heart or kidney problems might be able to grow new organs to replace the diseased or damaged ones. If a finger or arm was cut off in an accident, a new one might be grown from these unspecialized cells. Scientists want to find out why amebocytes do not become specialized until they are needed. Humans begin life as a single unspecialized cell. If some way could be discovered to keep some cells from specializing, a simple sponge might lead to a major breakthrough in human medicine some day.

You might use a sponge while showering. Because the spicules are made of hard material--spongin or a calcium/silicate product, they remove dead skin cells as you rub the sponge on your body. However, you will regret using the same sponge on your brand new Corvette. The spicules will scratch the expensive candy-apple red paint!

This Jelly Ain't For Sandwiches

Phylum Cnidaria (formally classified as Coelenterata) contains animals with two distinct cell layers. An ectoderm which makes up the outer covering of the animal and an endoderm which covers the inside. Between the two layers is a jelly-like material, mesoglea, which separates them. Examples of animals in this phylum include sea anemones, coral, and jellyfish. Jellyfish have a very thick layer mesoglea ("jelly"). That layer gives those animals their name.

The Two Cell Layers of Cnidarians. The endoderm contains cells used in the digestive process. Ectoderm cells include the stinging cells with their trigger hairs. A nerve network is embedded in the "jelly-like" mesoglea. Without the primitive nervous system, medusas would not be able to coordinate its swimming motion.

All cnidarians have tentacles which they use to bring captured food into their mouths. They capture food through the use of stinging cells in the ectoderm. The stinging cells act like tiny hypodermic needles. They inject a sharp point into the victim. Paralyzing poison is pumped into the hole. When the victim stops struggling, it is pulled through the mouth into the body cavity, the coelom, where it is digested.

The coelom is a bag-like body cavity with a single opening. Lining the inside of the coelom is the endoderm. The endoderm contains digestive cells which secrete enzymes to digest food. Undigested waste pieces exit the coelom through the same opening in which the food entered.

Cnidarians come in two styles. Some live their lives attached to one spot.   All sessile cnidarians are known as polyps. The polyp form of cnidarians includes sea anemones and corals. Other cnidarians are not permanently attached to a surface. These animals have the ability to swim through the water. Free-swimming cnidarians are called medusas. Medusas, like jellyfish, swim by pumping water out of the folds of their bodies—medusas are jet-propelled.

Polyp and Medusa. The two basic body plans of Cnidarians are shown here. Polyps are sessile. The medusa is free-swimming.   

Next Making Connections: Investigating Invertebrates. Worms: Flat, Round, and Segmented

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Almanac. Dissecting Conference Attendance

This is the final post of the series on the topic of attending and presenting at conferences. 

Spousal Support

The first conference I remember attending was in Washington, D.C. It was the week before Christmas Vacation in my district. I used some special project money to pay for my trip. I decided to take my wife, Leanne along.

That precedence was repeated several times over the twenty-plus years I presented sessions. Leanne and I traveled to New Orleans, Boston and environs, Seattle, and Honolulu. She spent her time sightseeing on every trip. She’s seen plantations outside NOLA, Fenway Park, and the White House at Christmas. Together, we experienced a variety of cuisine while having fun together.

Meeting relatives and friends

Several conferences were in or near cities where former colleagues or students or friends lived or worked. As a result of that

• I stayed for free with a friend in at least two cities.
• I ate dinners with both relatives and friends.
• I went with a friend to a diner that was featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
• Had a guided tour of Indiana Wesleyan University by my friend, Dr. Keith Newman, one of the VP’s there.
• I shared a table with teachers I’d never met for lunch or dinner on occasion. I know this is an outlier for the category, but it did happen.

This is me at a conference at the vendor's booth for the lab manual I co-authored. It has to be around 2010. As cool as that was, publishing the book did not keep the publisher from going out of business. They still owe me a couple hundred dollars in royalties.

Nights

I do not drink alcohol. Ever. As a result, my extra-curricular activities revolved around working on projects I had in the hopper.

More than once, I had my way paid by a supplier of biology materials or a project I was associated with. In those cases, one night was always dinner in a place that was more expensive than I was used to . . . gratis!

One of those gratis meals occurred in Boston at

The Union Oyster House, located on the Freedom Trail, near Faneuil Hall, enjoys the unique distinction of being America's oldest restaurant. This Boston fixture, housed in a building dating back to Pre-Revolutionary days, started serving food in 1826 and has continued ever since with the stalls and oyster bar, where Daniel Webster was a constant customer, in their original positions.

Lobster was the menu item of choice that evening. Of course, the company I worked with provided oysters on the half-shell, too. I don’t like oysters. I’ll eat lobster, but it’s not my go-to seafood.

Leanne and I make it a point to eat at places we don’t have in San Diego when we travel. We also try the local version of Mexican food frequently.

I ordered Nachos Grande as my entrée after the server raved about the size and taste. The item is not on the current menu. I’ll try to describe it.

Imagine an entire family size bag of high-quality tortilla chips layered with shredded cheese, hamburger, sliced jalapeño peppers, onions, olives, and salsa. It was over twelve-inches tall and had a dinner plate as the base.

I shared some with the others at the table.

Would I do it again?

Yes!

There’s something in watching the faces in an audience light up when they realize that they can do what I’m describing with their students. I can’t adequately describe it, but it lifts my spirits every time. As a speaker, I made sure to talk with every person that stayed after the session to ask questions, give an example of their own, or thank me. That meant that many of those people missed getting a seat in another session.

How can anyone not appreciate that kind of effort?

 

GREAT group of people attended my "Tricks from an Old Dog" session 12/5/14 at the NSTA/CSTA conference in Long Beach, CA. Seating for 50. SRO with a dozen in the doorway as well. All 100 handouts and over that many business cards handed out. I'm very thankful for the graciousness of my fellow teachers. Thanks to my colleague, Ryan Garcia for this shot. He was a door-stuffer! This is the only photo I have of me during one of my presentations.

Final comments

Once, while attending a session that sounded intriguing, I received a printed packet of materials. As I thumbed through them, to my surprise, I found one of my handout pages from a session with similar content. I always put my name and contact information in the footer of all my handout pages. That footer was gone.

I stayed behind and talked with the speaker. She was shocked to learn that it wasn’t original to the speaker that handed it out. 

If you are asked to speak, and you want to use another speaker’s materials, please ask for permission to use those materials question form. Then give credit where credit is due!

While with student teachers, I encouraged all of them to go to a conference if it’s within driving distance. Once there, find one idea and work on implementing it.

Two comments by attendees of my sessions will end this blog post and the series.

“I’ve taught for over twenty years and never knew why my students were so bad at answering open-ended questions. Now I know why and what to do about it. Thank you.”

Community College Teacher after the session Open-ended Questions are Fine for Some Students, but Mine Can’t Do Them.

“As soon as you started talking, I recognized your voice, but I knew I’d never seen you until today. Then it dawned on me. You’re the voice of Kinesthetic Protein Synthesis! I use it every year to ensure that my students understand the process.”

High School Teacher at a session on the importance of including whole body movement to learning steps in a process.

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