I’ve been thinking about the Hunters series a lot lately, probably more than I should, but when you’ve worked on a project for more than two years, it sort of becomes your every thought and breath—all consuming at times. I know that some authors have had trouble writing successfully for this series. Granted, rejections happen and are a part of an author’s life. Rejections come about for a wide variety of reasons—some simple and others far more complex.
So, what does any of this have to do with anything? I may have come up with a new way to explain things, at least I hope I have. My husband understood what I was saying, so that has to be a sign. Right?
Anyhow, here is what I think (and this is just a thought, an opinion that I have no data to back up—we’ll blame the overactive imagination for this if it’s just a bunch of BS) the problem could be.
It takes more than calling a character a hunter and plopping them onto a planet from the planet/system list located in the series bible to qualify as a Hunters for Hire book. You can’t write a story and then plug in the minimum amount of information from the bible and expect it to magically click into place when it comes to a series this large and complex. There’s a big difference between standing outside looking in and charging right into the center of things and getting down to business.
So, how do you write something for this series or any other pre-existing series for that matter? In the case of the Hunters for Hire series, you can’t just say the hero/heroine is a hunter; you have to make them be a hunter. Put them into the role, make them play the part, work the job. Show what all being a hunter entails. It’s not about what they are, but who they are and they are hunters.
These hunters come from a variety of backgrounds, but regardless of where they came from, they all have one thing in common. They live and breath their jobs. His/her sole purpose in life is getting through the mission without personal injury and to fulfill that mission as best he/she can because the next paycheck depends on it. They also work hard to maintain the reputation that Ulric Vonner and the BHI have attained over the last fifteen years in operation. Each man and woman working for BHI, respects Ulric Vonner and would lay down their lives for him. When he assigns a mission, they go and do the best damned job they can because they know that he is depending upon them to do their jobs.
Don’t just place your character in the world provided; make them a part of that world. Weave the characters’ lives into the world, make them fit into it, be a part of it rather than just having them exist. The character can’t be a lone figure standing at center stage while the background appears to be little more than dimly lit, cheap props. It doesn’t make for a realistic setting and the vast contrast between the character and the scenery will throw the whole story off. Blend the two together seamlessly. Look at them as though they are pieces of a bigger puzzle. If they don’t fit into place properly, it messes up the whole picture.
I know that to some this will sound quite complex but really it’s not. The idea is there, the seed’s been planted. Mingle your ideas into the ground work that’s been laid out for you. Your WIP isn’t just a piece of this; it’s a part of it. Work your craft, your magic with words and weave the two pieces together to create something new and exciting.
This feels unfinished to me, but quite frankly, I’m drawing a blank as to what else to include. I’m trying my best to look at this from the angle of being on the outside looking in at the overwhelming amount of information available for this project, but since I’m so deeply rooted to it, so much a part of everything here, I’m finding it quite difficult. I know it’s not easy to play in someone else’s world, and I’ll be honest that it’s not easy opening up a world and inviting others in. If I can do it then so can you. I offer up these tips, tricks and advice in hopes it will help make one’s entry into this series less fear inducing and painful. Am I successful at it? I have no idea. I guess so long as it helps one person, then it was worth the time put into it.
No matter what you decide to do, have fun with it. This series was meant to be fun for those involved. It was meant to be an introduction to a new genre for those authors who never tried or were intimidated by the scifi genre. It was meant as a project to bring many authors together for a common purpose. We put nearly a year into the making of the series bible to create as complete a world as we could. Yes, it has its holes and its flaws, but we are human. Things get overlooked or just weren’t thought of at the time. We had no clue what we were doing and were learning as we went. Hell, I continue to learn something from this project each and every day. Don’t let the amount of information here or in the series bible intimidate you, don’t let it scare you off trying to join in on the fun.
And as usual, if you have any questions, I’m only an email away.
Happy writing,
Heather
Heather Holland
To sum it up, don’t adapt the world to fit your book. WRITE your book to fit the world. You cannot take an old story idea and cram it into the H4H world. It won’t work. If you want to write for this series read the bible, let it inspire you, and create a story from the people, places, and ideas you find in the bible. Don’t shove those people, places, or ideas into an existing book or story. Not only will we know, but so will your readers. And those readers won’t be in a rush to buy the next H4H book, whether it’s yours or someone else’s. If we hope to maintain any kind of series integrity then it is imperative that people not start using the series as a dumping ground for old manuscripts they’ve dusted off and renamed. End of rant. Thanks, Heather, I needed that.
Rant away all you want to, love. You and TJ are just as vested in this project as I am. We all need to let it out at times, and if it helps someone in the process, all the better. Plus, you put it much better than I did. I knew I was leaving something off, and what you wrote feels like it’s the missing bit that I couldn’t find the words for.
We don’t say these things to be mean. We don’t point out what won’t work for this series in an attempt to pick on anyone. We’re merely doing whatever we possibly can to help anyone interested in this series to make the story he/she writes the best it possibly can be and to make it fit into this series as seamlessly as possible.
Remember, this doesn’t reflect solely upon you and your contribution, but on all of us as a whole. We can’t afford to be individual parts on this. It’s all or nothing because the series won’t be judged on its pieces but as one large entity, and we want the image it reflects to be the best it can be.
Heather