Back to my Roots a/k/a Houston, we have a problem By Kait Carson

Forty years ago, on April 13, 1970 Fred W. Haise, James A. Lovell, and John L. Swigert, were taking a little trip, to the moon. Like many travelers, they had a little problem. In their case, all oxygen stores were lost within about 3 hours, along with loss of water, electrical power, and use of the propulsion system. I mentioned they were on their way to the moon? AAA had no one close. So, they did the next best thing, they called Houston, and—remember these guys were trained professionals, but not writers—they said, “Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here.” Not what you thought, huh? Me either.

What happened to our beloved “Houston, we have a problem?” Didn’t they say that? Well, according to the Washington Post article quoted above, four years later there was a TV show that used that quote for its title. Why? Drama. Every writer knows the present tense is so much more dramatic than the past perfect!  It’s one of those rules we learn when we go back to our roots. So, Houston, we have a problem is iconic. And although few alive at the time remember the flight in the present tense (we’d grown rather jaded with space flight by 1970) the phrase put Apollo 13 on everyone’s personal radar. That’s a lot of power for five words, and it only could happen with a great editor and a writer going back to his/her roots.

Thirty years ago, during the time of the Cocaine Cowboys (the last of whom was allegedly captured the same week I’m writing this blog), T.D. Allman published a book titled Miami City of the Future. The book’s theme is that Miami will always be relevant because it is a city of constant renewal. Ever changing, always reinventing itself, more a style and way of life than a city. It can never be obsolete, the roots of Miami, the place it always returns, is the future. 

The writing life is like that too. Writing does not get old, it merely goes back to its roots and

gets reinvented and, from the basics, new trends burst on the scene, wash over writers and readers alike, ebb into the past, and along comes the next wave. The trick is figuring out the next wave. Sometimes writers hop on a trend full throttle because it’s what we were writing anyway and thank heaven it’s popular (think cozies). Sometimes writers follow a trend because it’s selling, and dang, this is a tough business and my book would work with this trend (think recipes in books). Sometimes writers are lucky enough to start trends (think Girl titles).

What crests, ebbs, of course, the consolidation of major publishing houses has resulted in the cancellation of a number of favorite cozy series. The first wave hit last year, and fewer and fewer series are being renewed, but new ones are debuting. The cozy is alive and well, it seems to be becoming a bit edgier in the process. Other series are reaching a natural end. One the author always intended, or perhaps one that the character arc dictates. Characters grow and change. Sometimes, the end means, well, the end.

My Hayden Kent series will always be softer and cozier than my Catherine Swope series. That was the plan from the beginning. Catherine has recently demanded more of my attention. I think she’s felt neglected. That’s another character trait. Writers spend so much time with characters that they do become sounding boards, sidekicks, and friends. Scary glimpse into a writer’s psyche that. Since Catherine is making so much emotional noise, and because she is so different from Hayden, I decided to make a bold departure and take her more into the suspense/thriller realm. To do that, I’m moving back to my roots and back to the basics of voice, plotting, outlining, etc. I’m having a blast reacquainting myself with the basics of writing  and developing my characters and stories in a different style.

Happy Earth Day to all.

Do you remember the Apollo series?

If you do, do you remember Apollo 13 as it happened, or after the movie?

Totally off topic, but there could be extra credit—do you think manned moon flights will be resumed?