A Conversation with Helena Puumala, author of the Kati of Terra Series - Beta Readers

July 27, 2013 O’Byrnes Pub, Edmonton Alberta

Part Six – On the value and importance of beta readers

Question: So, just what is a beta reader and how does one help in the process of writing a novel?

Answer: Well, they help in many ways. Basically, beta readers provide some of the functions of an editor, but in a more informal manner. They are of utmost importance in the new paradigm of publishing.

Question: So beta readers are a new thing?

Answer: Beta readers have always existed, though the name might be new. For example, we know that the Bronte sisters had one another for beta readers, as well as their brother. The private writing competition under which Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein was essentially a circle of beta readers. I think a professional editor or editors working for a big publishing house , helping a writer to polish a novel is mostly a 20th century invention. And even at that, many recent writers, especially mid-list and genre writers, are on record as saying the involvement of professional publishing house editors was often minor, when present at all.

Question: So beta readers really are nothing new. Tell us more of what they do.

Answer: It varies a lot. Their first and main purpose is just to respond to the writer’s work honestly in terms of how it affected him or her as a reader. Was the story interesting and engaging? Did the characters seem like people you would want to know, people you could care about? Was the setting interesting? Were there problems in terms of story, of continuity, logical structure, suspension of disbelief?

Question: So the beta reader is basically a story editor?

Answer: Yes, but not at a highly advanced technical level. A beta reader gives feedback that the average person can relate to. She or he’s a careful reader, but generally not a professional. A good beta reader keeps the book grounded in the world of regular book readers and buyers. They probably won’t help you win a literary prize, but with luck they will help you win a readership.

Question: What about punctuation, spelling, word choice, stuff like that?

Answer: I wouldn’t expect a beta reader to go too deeply into matters like that, though if they catch those errors, that’s great. But that’s not necessary, because that’s a line editor or proof-reader’s job. But a writer appreciates having awkward or confusing passages pointed out to her, things that might get in the way of enjoyment of the story.

Question: What if you don’t agree with the input of the beta reader?

Answer: Well, a writer has to take a beta reader’s contributions very seriously, or there’s no point to it. The beta reader is giving you the gift of their time and their considered opinions, so you are very much obliged to think hard about their suggestions. Ultimately, the writer must make the final call, but she also has to give great weight to the reactions of a fresh, unbiased mind, and one whose ego is not bound up in the work. That’s something invaluable that only a beta reader, of one sort or another, can provide.

Question: Can you give some examples of where a beta reader’s input has helped you out?

Answer: Naturally, all input is helpful, whether it is a general “I really liked the story” or a more detailed suggestion. But, to give some detailed examples, there were a couple of places in both Kati 1 and Kati 2 where my beta reader pointed out that I was letting one character relate interesting and exciting events (both were fight or action scenes) as an after the fact story to another character, rather than having those events occur in the moment, as a “you are there” incident. So I changed those scenes, re-writing them accordingly and improving the story. I think the books are stronger as a result of that.

Here’s another example. An upcoming book of mine, a children’s adventure story (Nathan’s Adventures in the Other-Other Land), is currently being reviewed by an age appropriate beta reader. I really appreciate that, as nobody can provide as valuable advice for a children’s story as a young person can. She’s already told me that there are a couple of places where she thinks that the wording can be improved - how can you top that feedback?

A Conversation with Helena Puumala, author of the Kati of Terra Series - World Building

July 18, 2013 Garneau Pub Patio, Edmonton Alberta

Part Five – World Building

Question: How do you build a world? How big and detailed should it be?

Answer: A clear picture of your world is important in writing a story. It’s hard to develop characters’ reactions to events, unless the setting for the initiating actions is clear; that includes having an adequate amount of detail. Some readers may chafe at this, wanting more action and less background, while others are quite fascinated by the process and imaginative results of world building

.

Question: I suppose that’s true in all story telling but it seems that is especially acute in science fiction and fantasy. Why do you think that is? Is it intrinsic to the genre, or is it driven by the type of reader who is drawn to speculative fiction - that is, people who enjoy complexity and novelty.

Answer: In my case, the need for world building probably comes from within, rather than from a deliberate attempt to attract a certain type of reader. In my latest book, Kati 3 (in progress) I was having trouble inventing a story because I hadn’t yet invented the setting, especially Gorsh’s planet, the place where my villain lives. I realized that Kati 1 and Kati 2 had very specific environments, and to a considerable extent those environments drove the story. The physical and social environments of those worlds really set the tone for the narrative arcs of the stories. Setting and narrative are interdependent. I suppose any fiction writer would agree with that.

Question: As would any social scientist. After all, the physical environment has a huge influence on the resulting culture and behaviour of the inhabitants of that environment.

Answer: That is true in reality but its just as much a necessary truth in fiction as in non-fiction. After all, you can’t have a person conquer a mountain or fall off of one until you have built the mountain range and the planet it exists on.

Question: Yes, in science fiction, you have to build whole planets, sometimes galaxies.

Answer: But the look in a lover’s eye, the arch of the eyebrow can be just as important as the shape of a galaxy. Nonetheless, one always has to remember that those tiny detail must be contained in that larger setting that we call world building.

A Conversation with Helena Puumala, author of the Kati of Terra Series - Dystopia vs. Utopia in Science Fiction

Part Four – Dystopia vs. Utopia in Science Fiction

Question: Helena Puumala, I note that the Kati of Terra books are generally pretty up-tempo and optimistic, though they don’t shy away from some serious environmental and social problems. For example, Kati 1 is set in a post global warming catastrophe world while Kati 2 is set on a planet where the local version of the 1% (i.e. the oligarchs) have exploited the bulk of the population for far too long. How do you reconcile this contrast?

Answer: I think that I have read far too many SF books that describe an unpleasant, uncomfortable dystopia, setting these narratives in a relentlessly pessimistic background, never pulling these worlds out of their doldrums. In response to that, I wanted to write books that would offer my readers some hope of a brighter future.

Question: In a sense, though, you do include a dystopian streak. You have dealt with environmental themes, social injustice, slavery, even child abduction. Yet the books are definitely not depressing. The characters take these things in stride, and generally overcome these obstacles, even to the point of helping to set things right.

Answer: That’s how I wanted to do things. Kati is never overcome by obstacles, which is to say she never lets them overwhelm her. She is fully aware of the seriousness of the situations in which she finds herself, often very dangerous situations, but she refuses to give in to a negative or despairing world view. She insists on working things out, as best she can. It’s the same with Mikal. I suppose that they are optimists as well as romantics.

Question: Well, real people sometimes do go through incredibly difficult circumstances, yet still survive and even prevail. Sometimes they even have fun doing so, at least part of the time. For example, a lot of people who lived through WW2 seem to have a lot of surprisingly positive reminiscences.

Answer: That’s how I wanted to write Kati – the sort of person who can be a positive beacon for other people, even in the most trying of circumstances. Mikal’s mixed background helps Kati out, as well. Lamania, his mother’s home planet is an exemplar of civilization, looked upon by most of the rest of the Star Federation as a place to be emulated, as a fair, though not by any means perfect, society. Borq, his father’s home world, has also overcome its less civilized tendencies, largely due to its turn towards a matriarchal social structure. So Mikal knows that things can get better. I hasten to add that the planets in my world have used many strategies to overcome their social problems ) – many still have a long way to go, though.

Question: Well, it’s a big galaxy, so it’s interesting to let all sorts of arrangements get a try-out. And it’s refreshing to think that alternative realities, including our own future, can be hopeful.

Answer: Hope is great, but I also hope that human beings will always have serious challenges to overcome.

Question: That’s a paradox.

Answer: But of course, the best things in life are.

Astrophysics Corner, Part 1 – Neutron Stars

In The Witches’ Stones Book 1 – Igniting the Blaze, a star known as the Firedragon plays a prominent role in Coryn and Steph’s escape from the Organization raider spaceships.   This star is actually a neutron star of the type known as a soft gamma repeater:

“The Firedragon was the most notorious star in the galaxy.  It had been given its name for a reason – it did, indeed, breathe fire, in the form of intense X-rays and gamma rays.  A neutron star of the type known as a soft gamma repeater, it poured out incredible amounts of energy in short, unpredictable bursts. In less than an hour, these flares had been known to produce more energy than Earth’s sun produced in decades. And those were routine bursts of the Firedragon – a super-flare was beyond imagining, capable of sterilizing an unlucky planet at the distance of tens of light years.”

http://www.amazon.com/The-Witches-Stones-Book-ebook/dp/B008PNIRP4

In further neutron star news in the actual world, the research group at McGill University,  to which our astrophysics consultant, PhD student Scott Olausen,  belongs recently made an important discovery in the neutron star field - an "anti-glitch" where a neutron star slows down rather than speeds up.  Prior to this, an anti-glitch had never been reliably detected.  This gives hints about the interior of neutron stars and the makeup of matter, since a neutron star acts somewhat like a gigantic elementary particle (this is a hugely oversimplified explanation, of course). The paper was recently in Nature, one of the most prestigious journals in the science world.  Here are some links to the announcement:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/science/a-stars-spin-opens-an-exotic-window-for-mcgill-university-researcher/article12253160/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2013/05/31/science-magnetar-kaspi.html

Scott and the McGill Pulsar Group also have many fascinating papers in The Astrophysical Journal.

An Interview with Helena Puumala, author of the Kati of Terra Series - Part 3

Part Three – Translation Nodes and the Granda Node

Question:  Helena Puumala, what gave you the idea for the translation nodes in the Kati of Terra series, and especially the cantankerous old Granda Node?

Answer:  Well, the translation nodes were my response to the problem of language barriers among alien species.  I didn’t want to go down the mechanical translation device route, so I decided that my translation devices would be living organisms.  The translation nodes are posited to be small conscious nuggets of the Brain Planet.  The Brain Planet is an intensely curious planetary organism which wants to learn all it can about the galaxy in which it resides.  To that end, it developed a symbiotic relationship with the various human and other sentient species, providing nodes which augment their hosts’ brains, particularly in the matter of the knowledge of existing  languages and the rapid acquisition of new languages.  In return, it learns about the galaxy and its inhabitants, when the nodes go back to the Brain Planet.  This arrangement is a longstanding one, which developed in the distant past.  Currently, the Star Federation mediates the arrangement.  This is one of its most important functions, but by no means the only one.

Question:  Most nodes just reside in an individual’s nervous system, augmenting various perceptual and cognitive abilities, but the Granda Node (who by the way, is a great character) is different.  How does that work?

Answer:  In general, a Granda has a personality and a consciousness that allows it to interact with the host, as a separate entity within the host’s mind.  Granda Nodes develop this by living for many lifetimes among other sentient species, as they tend to assimilate some of the host characteristics the longer they are away from the Brain Planet.  Only a very small proportion of nodes choose to do this - nobody knows why. 

Question:  It sounds like that could be uncomfortable at times, for the host if not for the Granda.

Answer:  Yes indeed, as Kati learns very quickly when she escapes from the slave spaceship, the Granda having been “accidentally” implanted in her nervous system.   The Granda becomes something of a foil to Kati.  Where she is somewhat naïve and innocent, it is cynical and of a somewhat criminal disposition.  It has spent several lifetimes on the fringe worlds, mostly shuttling among the low-lifes and criminal elements of these planets.  But nodes, even Granda Nodes, are dependent on the host’s nervous system, and therefore must accept the decisions and direction of the host mind, being in a distinctly subservient position.  Though Granda Nodes can be awkward for the host, they also are very knowledgeable and talented, so the benefits of a Granda generally outweigh the drawbacks.

Question:  But Kati’s Granda Node makes more than one attempt to have the final say in their relationship, especially when dangerous weaponry is in view.  How does Kati handle its “bad boy” nature?

Answer:  Basically, she just has to be on her guard not to let it stealthily take control.  It’s not easy, but she gets better at it as time goes by.  The first incident comes as a shock, when she senses the Granda’s obsessive blood lust and its fascination with dangerous weaponry.  She has to struggle to stay in charge, all the more so as she is an abductee from distant Earth and is therefore entirely unfamiliar with any of this.  The Granda is not above trying to take advantage of that fact.  Fortunately Mikal is no stranger to nodes in general, and as a Star Federation Peace Officer he certainly knows about Granda Nodes and their various proclivities for good and ill.  So, that helps Kati to deal with the situation.

 Question:  And the Granda doesn’t care much for Mikal because of that, does he?

Answer:  No, he considers Mikal to be an interfering pacifist, and a wimp to boot.  But he eventually comes to understand that the Peace Officer is very capable of handling himself in difficult and dangerous situations, even to the point of using non-deadly force when necessary.  The Granda develops a grudging respect for Mikal, though he would have preferred Kati to have fallen in with a James Bond type agent, once he learns of that character via Kati’s memories, which he can access.  After all, the Granda loves weapons and gadgets.

Question:  That brings up the tricky point of the Granda sharing Kati’s mental space, while she is in love with Mikal and all that implies.  Things could get awkward.

Answer:  To a node, love and sex are just more intellectual information about human beings to report back to the Brain Planet.  Emotionally, the Granda is something like a pre-adolescent boy on that score, who just has no interest in romantic interactions.  With a mental shrug, he departs the scent for more interesting contemplations when things heat up between Kati and Mikal.  Perhaps that’s one reason why the Granda eventually personifies as a monk, in Kati’s visualizations of it.

An Interview with Helena Puumala, author of the Kati of Terra Series - Part 2

Part Two – Science Fiction and the Paranormal

Question:  Helena Puumala, I sense that you enjoyed the deer that ambled across our path, a few minutes ago as we walked through the park?

Answer:  It was interesting that the deer crossed our path at the same time as a car went by on the road next to the walking path.  Some people speculate that this is a natural behavior of a young male deer, showing off his fitness to any female deer in the area.  But it was so casual about it, that it was as if it had a sixth sense that that particular car (and we) didn’t actually pose a danger.

Question: So, a sort of deer ESP?

Answer:  Why not?  If people can have sixth sense, then why can’t animals?  Of course if you believe ESP is impossible for human or animal, then we are back to the show-off deer explanation. 

Question:  ESP plays a significant role in the Kati of Terra series, as well as the Witches’ Stones series, both of which you will continue to write.  Is this primarily a literary device, to carry a story forward in interesting and unusual ways or do you have a belief in it in the “real world”?

Answer:  I have had enough odd experiences of my own, and have heard enough stories from people that I know and trust, that I take it for granted that ESP exists.  But of course I am also using it as a literary device in my novels, as it allows me to give my characters greater range and scope for adventures than would otherwise be possible.  It’s a fairly common literary device in science fiction – think of telepathy in Star Trek or the Force in Star Wars, for example.  But it probably doesn’t hurt my writing about it, that I take it seriously, as a reality as well as a literary device.  

Question:  What about the Planetary Spirits in Book 2 of the Kati series?  Do you see these as other worldly or as just another way that nature might express sentience in our universe?

Answer:  I would say both.  I don’t see a contradiction.  As Shakespeare said, there are more things under heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophies.  Why couldn’t there be sentient organisms much larger than ourselves that evolved differently than how human intelligence evolved on Earth, yet shared many of our mental characteristics?  We still haven’t figured out how our own consciousness emerged from wherever it emerged, so it seems to me to be both foolish and arrogant to discount such possibilities.

 Question:  Yes, I suppose even a fairly hard-line materialist couldn’t deny that.  Plus, the Planetary Spirits made great characters, especially my favorite, the Ocean Sister.  Did you have a favorite?

Answer:  No, I liked them all.  But Ocean Sister was a lot of fun, with her turbulent and erratic, but playful personality.

An Interview with Helena Puumala, author of the Kati of Terra Series

Part One – Kati and Mikal’s relationship

Question: So, Helena Puumala, what inspired you to come up with Kati of Terra, the character?

Answer: I wanted a feisty young heroine, someone that young women especially (but also people of all ages) could look up to and emulate in some way. But I also wanted her to be someone who had experienced significant difficulties and obstacles in her life, so that the reader could identify with her. I wanted to avoid a victim mentality, but also to make sure that she had realistic character flaws, as we all do. Thus, Kati’s early, foolish marriage, which left her with some cautions and unease about intimate relationships.

Question: Mikal has a somewhat similar backstory, in as much as he too had a failed marriage. Did you plan that, or did the characters just evolve that way?

Answer: It’s a bit of both, actually. Mikal is a few years older than Kati (but only a few), so I wanted him to have at least as much life experience as Kati had, as far as relationships are concerned. I thought that would make him a more appropriate romantic and adventuring partner for Kati.

Question: So that puts Kati and Mikal on a more or less equal footing, in terms of life experience. Generally speaking, you seem to follow that pattern in other aspects of the two characters. For example, Kati has some natural ESP talents, as well as a flair for improvisation, while Mikal has training and experience in law enforcement, and a confident, cool head under pressure. In this respect, the focus on equality, some might say that you are departing from the conventions of the romance genre. Was this your intention?

Answer: I don’t think I consciously set out to do that, but that seems to be the way things worked out. But I am glad that the characters developed that way, as the lack of a power imbalance gives the relationship dimensions that wouldn’t otherwise be available.

Question: Such as?

Answer: Such as, they can have fun together, in a playful, bantering, almost childlike, fashion. But when the time for action comes, they work well together, with leadership passing from one to the other, depending on whose strengths are more appropriate to the situation. Naturally, they don’t always agree on whose strengths are more appropriate to the situation, but the fact that they see themselves as equal partners means that they can negotiate these situations. Also, because I avoided the ultra-powerful, alpha-male stereotype, Mikal became a more well-rounded character that both males and females could relate to.

Question: Since we are on the subject of Kati and Mikal’s relationship, I note that you are generally of the “close the bedroom door” school when it comes to intimate scenes. However, you are not exactly prudish, as the books have several scenes, such as the incidents with wild tribes on the Drowned Planet, that contain sexual content of the bawdy, humorous variety. Do you care to comment?

Answer: Yes, that probably is my way of dealing with the topic. I can’t see myself writing sustained erotic passages. I prefer the lead up to these scenes, the romantic banter, the anticipation and the subsequent emotional bonding. I feel that the reader can fill in the erotic details for herself. As for the bawdy humor, that’s just fun, and gives the reader a break from the books, any books really, taking themselves too seriously. I don’t have particular moral scruples about sex scenes, I just don’t think I could do the subject justice. It’s a difficult one to write well, and without it coming off as a lot of repetitive muscular contractions – not that there’s anything wrong with that! Perhaps if I was in my teens or twenties...