Blue Root, technology and change

There’s a peculiar thing about writing a near future novel… If you’re not careful, technology might change before the book gets published.

I wrote Blue Root in early 2004. At the time, I didn’t know about Teledildonics yet. The ultimate in sex toy geekery. In fact, Jason found it somehow and sent me a link. I was beside myself just to see that I wasn’t the only one thinking about remote controlled sex toys. Just the other day, I found slashdong.org and was awe-inspired. I mean, I could totally write a sequel to Blue Root now. So many great new ideas!

Also, back in 2004, I didn’t know what a blog was. I barely knew what a forum was. Yeah, so I was a little behind the times, but still, I wrote variations of them into Blue Root. Well, that’s not entirely true…I had to go back and put in correct terminology for the nebulous ideas I’d sorta written about. Still, it was another thing that I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one thinking about and could see how it was supposed to be done. I know, I know, sometimes it really looks like I’m living in a box. Well, I’m a writer…I live in my own little world(s).

I wrote Blue Root for fun. It was kind of a joke that I took pretty far and had a whole lot of fun with to the point where my friends were amazed and astounded at times that an idea that seemed so small could be so big.

As the last few years have gone by, I’ve watched as Second Life got bigger. At the time I wrote Blue Root, I didn’t know about Second Life or any other virtual world for that matter. If I had…well, I really could’ve had a field day! Much of the book would’ve still been the same…but different. There would’ve been more possibilities to play with and that would’ve been awesome. In fact, it was through Second Life that slashdong.org found me. There’s even programming now for toys hooked up through SL. How freakin’ amazingly cool is that?!?!?!

I dunno. I just find myself blogging right now, thinking about all the cool shit that’s happening that I never could’ve imagined. I suppose this is why Jason likes science fiction so much. Me, I just happened to like the idea of an upgradeable, programmable sex toy that could almost take over the world. That idea is what I explored and found it funny at the same time. Blue Root is the product of that fascination…and a whole lot more than I bargained for!

Booth 59 on Publisher Island

In Second Life, I go by the name Twyla Briggs. I’m still learning the ropes, but I just set up a booth on Publisher Island. #59 to be exact. It’s in view of Book Island, too. I put a phantom castle on the front. You can’t miss it.

Beyond the castle is Tayna’s Chronicle Room from Otherness: Rift. How nifty is it that anyone can write a book and then create its world in Second Life? And, like, walk around in that world? Good golly, the possibilities are endless and I look forward to doing Ashleigh Raine books there, too.

I had tons of fun scouring SL for props and scanning various things in my Real Life repertoire (aka stashes of precious junk) for correct textures. The castle image on the front of my booth is actually 3 photos from various vacations in England. Yay! For re-purposing vacation pictures!

My favorites from the whole experience were seeing the big ol’ book laying on Tayna’s table, Tayna’s tea cup and Twyla’s crystal ball.

In Otherness: Rift, the book is called the Rede. Right now, in SL, the Rede is just a simple object. I have much planned for it in the future. Much more than what’s in the novel I wrote…because, well, I can play with it more in Second Life!

While Tayna’s tea cup isn’t exactly like any of the ones she drinks out of in Otherness: Rift, it’s close. Plus, it was the first thing that was given to me (thank you, Weasel Gough), so to modify it was also kind of special. It started as a very simple, white cup of black tea. I transformed it into a celtic-patterned cup of green tea. Feel free to stop by my booth and copy one for yourself. I left the drinking script in it, so your avatar can enjoy!

And finally, Twyla’s crystal ball. Well, that’s a sort of funny thing. I’d gotten a box of miscellaneous lights that included some particle balls. None of them were quite right for my idea of the ball Tayna was using to scry in Otherness: Rift, so I opened up the script to see if I could figure out how to modify it. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I kept changing numbers until I got the right colors, the right movement and the right speed. My husband was so shocked, he helped me build a base for it from scratch. What a fantastic learning experience.

I look forward to many more builds and such in Second Life. Say hi if you see Twyla Briggs!!!!

Blue Root, or Would You Like To Connect?

You see it in the middle of the banner at the top of my site, but what the heck is Blue Root, right? Why would I give away a whole novel for free?

There’s a lot of reasons, but mostly because I want it published and it’s a hard sell to traditional publishers, so I gotta go an other-than-traditional route. It’s a real genre-mixer, even a genre-bender. The science is pure fiction. The romance serves the science as much as the characters involved. The whole darn thing is a corny, slapstick comedy. What the hell happened?

More importantly, why not just shelve it and cut my losses?

Because writer friends of mine keep asking me what’s up with it, where it’s being published and are shocked to find out that no, it’s not going to be released in paperback or even ebook from a publisher who was willing to take a chance. They enjoyed it so much that they still ask after having read it over a year ago and hadn’t forgotten it.

Sure, it’s got some first-book-itis, but a lot of the things in it are being tackled today. Teledildonics comes to mind. Bluetooth-enabled portable computer devices. The iPhone.

I just don’t think I should let Blue Root rot on my hard drive any longer. I should share it with the world…or at least anyone who visits my website.

So here it is. For some light reading including a networkable, programmable sex toy, a wimpy villain who reeks like garlic, a semi-self-aware A.I., a cat named Trouble, a rekindled romance and a whole lot of sex-crazed, living zombies, read Blue Root.