Travelling Without Moving by Nathan Jones

4/30/2022

A POST-APOCALYPTIC, CLOCKPUNK, DYSTOPIAN MYSTERY SCI-FI HOT FEVER DREAM TYPE-THING
Debut author, Nathan Jones introduces us to his mind-bending story, “Travelling without Moving”:
In a clockwork future, a skeptical young man challenges the very concept of reality.
Spurred on by visions of "reality", Napalm Carton creates a multiplayer game called Tickets, with the intention of opening a door to the next level of existence.
Earth is in ruins, uninhabitable, and the remaining population lives in bio-domes. Napalm, born into the Kaputt bio-dome, believes life in the clockwork habitat is a lie. Post-apocalyptic existence makes no sense to him, and all he wants to do is escape. Travelling Without Moving puts the punk ethos back into the punk genre; non-conformity and a do-it-yourself ethic.
A spellbinding punk adventure through a colourful world of exhaustive inventiveness.
Fear and Loathing in Wonderland. The Discworld meets Dr Who meets Naked Lunch

Travelling Without Moving is quite an experience! The characters are so artfully brought to life in this drug-fueled story. The clockwork setting is consistent throughout the story and seems very natural after several chapters. Life for different nations/people groups is very different under a huge dome.
Some of the dialogue is quite funny and kept the story moving along at a good pace.
Napalm is determined to escape the dome to find the truth. He keeps finding clues that lead him to think their life in the dome is a lie and he wants the truth.
I enjoyed this story a lot and give 4.6 stars to Travelling Without Moving!

You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/TRAVELLING-WITHOUT-MOVING-POST-APOCALYPTIC-TYPE-THING-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-travelling-without-moving

You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/NathanJonesBook
https://theroadtonathan.com

Copyright © 2022 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

34 Comments

Nathan Jones link

5/1/2022 05:56:16 am

Hi

Nathan Jones here...!

Mark

5/1/2022 07:19:56 am

Hello. I am glad to have you on the Word Refiner channel. We live on opposite sides of the big pond, the Atlantic Ocean. Your book was quite an interesting read. Science fiction is my favorite genre followed closely by fantasy. I had not read anything in the clockwork punk sub-genre before. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Let's get to it, first question.
Please, tell us more about yourself. Perhaps something a little bit beyond your bio.

5/1/2022 09:16:19 am

Ok, so, some random facts about me.

1) I'm six-foot-two and I think that's taller than anyone needs to be.
2) I used to make and sell fudge, including "special" fudge.
3) I lived and worked in Taiwan for four years.
4) I used to to a statistician and I'm really good at it but I can't stand working in offices anymore.
5) I've struggled all my life with mental illness.
6) I see myself as an introvert but everyone tells me I'm an extrovert.
7) I'm very tidy, so lived, for a while, in what was possibly the cleanest squat ever.

5/1/2022 11:05:38 am

Thank you for the humorous and interesting facts. They were fun.
A few facts about me.
I am the oldest of four children.
I was a boy scout. I made the rank of star.
I have had flying lessons, but no license.
I have been to six colleges, but no degree.
I have lived up and down the west coast of America and now live in Florida.
New questions.
Are you a full-time or part-time writer?
What kind of work do you do? Feel free to skip that question, if you would rather not answer.
Does your work have any influence on your writing?

5/1/2022 06:30:45 pm

I'm jealous. I always wanted to be a boy scout but I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness so I wasn't allowed.

I only have a modest income at the moment. I make some money from beta-reading and dog walking. That leaves me a decent amount of time to write, but not as much as a full time writer.

Personally, I've always worked to live, rather than lived to write, so it's never been a particularly important part of my life, just something I have to do to survive. My experiences outside of work have influenced my writing much more than inside.

5/1/2022 06:49:10 pm

Being a boy scout was a lot of fun. Hiking, backpacking and camping. I am sorry to hear that you missed that. The founder of the boy scouts was Baden Powell, I believe he was from England.
It sounds like you have more time than many writers. Congratulations on wrangling that.
I think most authors would echo that sentiment. Life outside of work provides much more fodder for the imagination and writing than work.
New questions.
What inspired you to write this book?
Why did you choose this genre, or do you feel the genre chose you?

5/2/2022 06:09:22 am

Yes, you're correct about Baden Powel.

Three major things inspired me to write Travelling Without Moving. First, the early books of Jeff Noon, which totally blew me away in the late 90s. Second, a desire to try and write something totally new and different. It's so difficult to try and be original after everything that's been written. Third, I wanted to write a truly punk book--an element that is largely ignored in the "punk" genres these days, sadly.

Speculative fiction chose me. I've always been drawn to it. I've read so much but always found myself returning to spec fic more than other genres. I think, but I'm not 100% sure, I chose clock punk. I've always loved the punk attitude and ethos. I've love the "clockpunk" aesthetics since before they became so popular.

5/2/2022 08:30:11 am

Writing something new and original is hard. There are only seven to twelve different story plots, according to different experts. Writing something new and original is easy because every author has a unique voice and dresses that plot in different trappings, unless the author is trying to copy another writer. It is a paradox, but writers around the world achieve it every day.
Part of your 'author's voice' is the way you see and interpret the genre also. Your choice of genre is wise, it provides a lot of freedom. Some genres are fairly restrictive, the fans have definite expectations of what they like. Romantic comedy fans expect a happily ever after ending, or at least a happy for now.
I find the punk genres quite interesting. However, sci-fi and fantasy are my top favorite genres.
New questions.
Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to drop a link if appropriate.
What do the elements on the cover represent?

5/2/2022 11:18:46 am

You're correct, spec fic does give the author more freedom, but there's also an expectation to build a world or environment that is distinct and unique.

I'm not sure who designed the cover, lol, I simply bought the image from one of the many websites like Shutterstock. I did look for something that fits the story, though, and I think the image I chose does so perfectly. It has both a clockpunk and cyberpunk feel to it, and at the same time it's kinda psychedelic. It represents and presents the book very well.

5/2/2022 12:37:09 pm

A unique world and environment make a lot of sense. That is precisely what you did. I did enjoy many of the world rules you created. They were explained simply, as needed, without being overly complicated.
I didn't expect your cover to be from a stock photo website. It fit so well; I was certain it was custom made.
New questions.
Was it hard to come up with the title? What was the process?
Were the character names difficult to develop? How did you choose them?

5/2/2022 01:16:06 pm

For a long time I was going to call it Kaputt. Then I decided I'd prefer a title that could have multiple meanings going into the story, but only really made sense at the end, and Travelling Without Moving just kinda came to me. I didn't realise until after release that it's also the title of an album by Jamiroqui.

The character names are a real eclectic mix of things. Some of them relate to the character's nature, some are literary references, some give clues to the plot, some follow a pattern, others don't, and then there were just some that I liked for no other reason than they sounded right and/or cool.

Can you guess why I named the entity at the top Main Computer?

5/3/2022 08:02:58 am

I didn't know about the album. The title, like your book, has many layers and that adds to the intrigue. Each reader will derive a unique interpretation from the story, which works quite well.
I noticed that about the names of different characters and enjoyed the allusions that were created in my mind. Reading your book is truly an interactive experience.
I cannot recall that character's name. I read your book last September. I have read dozens of books since then and proofed quite a few books.
New questions.
Is this your newest book? Will you be writing more?
What other books and genres have you written?

5/3/2022 08:25:35 am

Travelling Without Moving was my debut and I've just released my second book, Skinner. It's a semi-dystopian, futuristic, serial-killer thriller. Many of its readers have differing views on exactly what genre it is, which I love; just like my first book, it's pretty hard to pin down. Skinner is also a dark love letter to the city of Bristol, in England, which I totally adore. It has lots of local history and info in there.

Currently, I'm working on the sequel to Travelling Without Moving which is so far named The Ridiculous Art of Life. It's stone-age cyberpunk with a 70s vibe, if you can get your head around that!

I also plan to write a light hearted fantasy novel. A kind of mix-up of the Discworld and Lord of the Rings, but heavily magic-based.

5/3/2022 09:08:48 am

You are all over the map! I think that is something your fans love about your writing. You are mixing things up and pushing boundaries.
Fantasy is a close second to sci-fi, my favorite genre. LOTR was my introduction to high fantasy when I was in high school. I enjoyed it so much I read it three times before graduating from high school.
New questions.
Have you done any public speaking?
Have you entered any writing contests?
Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?

5/3/2022 09:23:16 am

Yes, every idea I have seems to be an undefinable mash-up of genres that defies standard classification. Therefore, I will probably never make a significant income from writing!

Public speaking, no. The psychologist consultants that have assessed me over the years don't seem able to agree exactly which mental health conditions I have, but anxiety is a constant throughout. Thus, I hate public speaking. My thoughts degrade to mush.

Entering writing competitions feels a little like a lottery to me. I'd rather buy a scratch card. For sure, the winners will be talented, but so are x number of writers who didn't win, and can you honestly, objectively say one story is better or worse than another? Unlikely. Thus the lottery element. Plus, I feel no need to be validated by winning awards. I write for me, and me alone.

5/3/2022 10:53:05 am

Not many writers make a significant income from their writing, even if they are writing in a popular genre. There are a number of things you can do to increase the opportunity for sales. I will mention a couple of ideas and go into more detail later.
One of the things is to get your book on as many platforms as possible. While Amazon is the largest platform, there are many other popular platforms. Some people refuse to shop on Amazon, others simply prefer another platform. Here is a copy-and-paste link that can give you an idea of the possibilities: Aggregators just might be an author's best friend! https://www.kotobee.com/blog/everything-need-know-aggregators/ Or you can search for the keyword in the box below.
The other idea is presenting your book in different formats. Audiobooks, (more about that later), large-print books using POD print on demand, and graphic novels, to name a few.
Public speaking is the number one fear for the general public. All through my school years I had a serious speech impediment, I stammered really bad. That made school a lot of no fun and trying to speak in front of a class was pretty impossible.
As a young adult, it wasn't much better. Any anxiety or nervousness brought the stammer out and I wanted to die of embarrassment. Until I learned a secret that made speaking in public so much easier. The secret was in two parts, the first was to only speak about something I knew really well, something I was expert in; the second part was to allow the energy of the audience to infuse me and encourage me. The audience wanted to hear what I was going to say.
That made a world of difference for me. It might help you also. If you ever have the chance to have a book signing or reading, I hope you take advantage of it.
Competitions are interesting, they do provide a validation for a few who win or almost win. The big thing to look for in a competition is feedback. How to improve your writing skill. There is always room for improvement. Not all competitions provide feedback. Plus, some of them are scams and are trying to empty your wallet, even worse some want to steal the rights to your intellectual property. Here is another copy-and-paste link about bad contests: Beware Bogus Writing Contests! Look for These 8 Red Flags. https://annerallen.com/2019/05/beware-bogus-writing-contests. Anne is one of my favorite bloggers.
New questions.
I noticed that your book is in Kindle Unlimited. How is that working out for you?
Have you ever gone through the query process, seeking an agent or submitting directly to publishers or did you go straight to indie publishing or self-publishing, and why?

5/3/2022 11:48:17 am

Thanks for the info.

I've reached the point in my life where I'm totally content with myself. I'm fine with my anxiety and who I am, and to be honest, I'm tired of trying to change and adapt to become that "standardised" person society expects you to aspire to be. I'm me. I have my strengths and my weaknesses and the world can take me as I am.

I'm pleased with Kindle Unlimited so far. It's certainly generated more sales than I expected.

The whole query process sounds like far too much boring admin to me. And being accepted would create expectations, obligations, deadlines, meetings, blah, blah, blah. No thanks. I aslo believe my projects to be too non-standard for most publishers; a challenge to market, and that would probably involve protracted efforts on my part to resist demands to standardise my work. Why would I want to deal with that?

I'm a big, big fan of self-published works, and that's really all I read now. I like the rough, punk edge it gives many books, and, in my humble opinion, they're more varied and innovative than most bookstore pulp. Sure, you get some very poor quality work mixed in but theyre easy to spot and avoid. Personally, I've learned to see past quite a large number of errors in a book, and I'm pretty bored of elitist writers who claim more than a handful of slips in a book is unacceptable.

5/3/2022 12:25:54 pm

Excellent. You are you and there is no other you like you in the world. That is a great attitude to have. So many would be in better shape with that attitude.
Not everyone does well on Kindle Unlimited. I am glad to hear that it is profitable for you.
You are so right about the query process. It can be quite onerous and take many months to even be accepted by a traditional publisher or an agent. Upon being accepted by a publisher, they are going to request changes. They want to make as much money as possible and your book is merely a means to their end. Unless negotiated into the contract, the cover is up for grabs along with everything else. It can easily take months to meet all of their demands. Then they may want to delay publication for a few more months to take advantage of what they deem to be favorable market conditions. When finally published, your book may bear little to no resemblance to what you actually wrote.
Traditional publishers are a dying breed. The traditional publishing industry has been mired in a business plan that is over a century old and there has been a grudging acceptance of e-books only in the last decade or so. Their profit margins are so low they cannot afford to gamble or take chances on a book being less than a commercial success. We have Amazon to thank for that. Amazon made it easy to publish and now over a million new books are being published each year, for quite a few years now. Indie authors now provide a wide range of reading experiences, something for everyone. Many, like you, are experiencing many hours of reading pleasure.
I encourage authors to take the time to learn how to self-publish. That will pay many dividends over the years and the author keeps control of their book. There are a lot of scammy publishers out there also. They will do everything they can to empty your wallet, and some will try to steal your IP rights also.
New questions.
After rejecting traditional publishing, did you consider an independent or hybrid publisher?
Or did you choose self-publishing as the best way and why?

5/4/2022 02:44:59 am

I chose self-publishing.

I knew it would give me the freedom I wanted and that it would be hassle free. I did it my way, and I'm very glad I did.

Sorry, very brief answer there!

5/4/2022 07:18:03 am

That is probably the best reason there is to self-publish. You keep control of your book, your intellectual property. You are responsible for all of the costs and get to keep all of the profits.

Some things are quite expensive. Audiobook production is one of those things. A good narrator can spend several hours in the studio to produce 1 hour of good narration. Here is a copy-and-paste link to an interview I had with an author when I was promoting her audiobook. She invited the narrator to join the interview and I got to ask him a bunch of questions: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/heir-to-a-prophecy-by-mercedes-rochelle-narrated-by-kevin-e-green or you can use the search below to locate it.

Some authors are experimenting with creating their own audiobook. Here is another link to a blog about that: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2019/08/07/build-your-own-audio-sound-booth Even if you decide the result is not producing the desired results the work you did for your self-narrated audiobook can have other uses. It could be used as a premium for crowdfunding a professional narration.

Crowdfunding platforms have been used by creators for a number of years with varying degrees of success. Comics and graphic novels are two examples. Novelists are learning how to utilize this method of funding costs also. Here is another link to an extreme example of success for one popular author: https://kriswrites.com/2020/07/22/business-musings-the-kickstarted-game-changer-part-two/

New questions.

How do you think your book compares to a book published by a major publisher?
There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?

5/4/2022 09:40:09 am

Again, thanks for the info.

Travelling Without Moving is open to offers for a narrator on ACX at the moment. I nearly closed the deal with them, but they couldn't quite deliver as I desire.

I don't think I'm in any kind of position to compare my book to any other, no matter how published. I'm far too invested and couldn't possibly remain objective. Also, I don't get too hung up on such things. If a reader likes my book, great, if not, fine. I've had some wonderful feedback and that's good enough for me. Moreover, I find people judging artistic works as either good or bad quite pointless and often pretentious. What one person likes, another dislikes, and vice versa, it's all subjective, it's all personal taste. For example, so many folk put effort into dismissing Dan Brown's works, but, in my opinion, if they've entertained millions of people they're great, as they've done exactly what they should.

There are lots of unethical practices in publishing I despise. The worst are probably publishers who charge significant fees and deliver almost nothing. If they're a vanity publisher, they should be clear about such. Personally, I resisted all the temptations and didn't spend a single penny on Travelling Without Moving.

5/4/2022 10:50:49 am

You are welcome. I love to share useful information.

You are right. Subjectivity is everywhere and that has to be accounted for when considering the judgements of others. Subjectivity is the norm in reviews of course. The reviewer should answer two questions, at a minimum. Did the reviewer like the book or not and why? If those two questions are answered with a reasonable amount of clarity, then other people are able to make a judgment about buying the book for themselves.

I haven't read Dan Brown's books. Based on the movies, I think I would enjoy his books.

The vanity publishing niche has been around for a very long time. They have filled a need in the marketplace. You are correct. Some are out to empty a person's wallet, even worse, in my mind, are those that try to steal all the rights to an author's intellectual property. Some of those publishers are upfront about their fees. Some call themselves a hybrid publisher, and they describe their business as a partnership with the author and sharing the costs of publication. Many have ala carte pricing for all of the services they offer.

New questions.

Is there a book that causes strong emotions to come up no matter how many times you read it?
Do you have a favorite book by another author or just favorite authors?

5/4/2022 11:06:20 am

I'm not a big re-reader. I've only read a handful of books more than once. Life is too short and there are too many books. But if I did, I'm sure I'd be just as emotionally affected as I was the first time I read it. I haven't cried reading a book since I was a child, though. Stephen King's It did that for me.

Jeff Noon would be my favourite author simply because his work inspired me to write, but that's not to say I think him better than all other authors. I enjoy the writing of lots of different authors, for a host of different reasons.

5/4/2022 12:29:10 pm

I did a lot of rereading as a kid, but that was due to a lack of unread books. I lived on a small farm in a small town. The town had a population of less than 2000.

Since then, I have done very little re-reading. Like you, I know there isn't enough time to read all of the books. Though I wish I could. That was my goal when I was around 10 or 11.

That is a great reason to have a favorite author. Unlike you, I have never felt inspired to write a book or even a short story. I simply want to read what others have written. In high school, I struggled with the creative writing segments of the curriculum, unless the writing was very short. Poetry forms such as haiku wasn't too hard at the time.

New questions.

Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you, does it energize you or make you feel tired?
Why is it important for writers to tap into the emotions of the characters?

5/5/2022 02:50:07 am

Wow, those are some heavy questions.

I'm certainly not religious and have found myself becoming less spiritual as I age, so writing doesn't have this component for me, no. It neither tires nor energises me either. But I do believe it heals me insofar as it helps keep me stable and sane. It's extremely good for my mental health. It keeps me busy, motivated, entertained, and provides a sense of achievement.

If a writer doesn't tap into the emotions of their characters, they're not going to produce work that engages anyone. This isn't a 100% rule, but it's damn close. Characters without convincing emotions, for me, appear almost dead, and aren't much fun to follow around. But one has to consider neurodivergent authors who have difficulty understanding or interpreting emotion ... it can be faked, and faked well.

5/5/2022 07:49:23 am

Very good.
Some writers report that they feel quite tired after a successful writing session, they feel drained on one hand and happy tired on the other. Others have mentioned feelings of success or achievement. I have heard some writers say they have to write, to keep the voices quiet.

You are right. Characters without emotions are flat, like a piece of cardboard. Nothing at all like the characters in your book. The emotional component or the lack thereof makes a great difference.

Your last phrase intrigues me, "it can be faked, and faked well." Do you mean the writer can fake the emotions on the page or do you mean the neurodivergent reader can fake understanding the emotions expressed by the characters on the page?

More questions.

Have you ever done NaNoWriMo, National November Writing Month?
If you have, what kind of preparation do you do before it starts?

5/5/2022 08:09:16 am

I mean the neurodivergent author can make their characters act convincingly emotional, without really emphathising with them.

I haven't done NaNoWriMo, but if I hit my writing targets this year, I'm gonna give it a go, try and write that light hearted fantasy I mentioned. I have a basic concept in my mind, and may outline the plot beforehand.

5/5/2022 10:34:44 am

Thanks for explaining that, it makes sense. That is one of the functions of imagination, after all.

Many authors use NaNoWriMo to jumpstart a novel, even if they plan on a book longer than 50k words. Quite a few authors join groups for fun and mutual encouragement. Many plotters use the time leading up to November first to lay out their book. Of course, there are different levels of plotting. Some write down a sentence or two for each chapter, others create a more in-depth outline and plot the arc and even the scenes within the chapters. Still others focus on the characters and their development.

New questions.

How much plotting do you do before NaNoWriMo starts?
Are you an under-writer or an over-writer?
When the first draft is done, do you need to add more to it to flesh it out or do you have to cut material because there is too much?

5/6/2022 02:37:44 am

I haven't done NaNoWriMo yet, so I'm not sure how much plotting I'll do.

I'm an under-writer. Each edit seems to add more words. I also edit as i go. Write, edit, write, edit, write, edit, so there aren't any really clean lines between a first, second, third draft, etc. Everything kinda blurs.

5/6/2022 07:22:52 am

I hope you enjoy the NaNoWriMo experience. Many authors seem to have fun with it.

A number of writers have mentioned they write in a similar fashion.

New questions.

Do you think you will join a NaNoWriMo group or fly alone?

Do you add mostly descriptions, action, dialogue or whole chapters?

5/6/2022 07:56:33 am

I didn't even know there were such things as NaNoWriMo groups.

When I write, I add whole chapters, and when I revise, I add more detail and nuance.

5/6/2022 09:14:49 am

Yes, those groups are real. People start organizing them in September or October. Try using the hashtag #NaNoWriMo2022 or something like that in those months. I bet you will find others who live in the UK or write in your genre.

Those additions are always necessary because a perfect first draft has never been written. Its sole purpose is to exist. You can't edit something that only exists in your mind. It has been said that a great book is not written, it is rewritten many times.

New questions.

Have you ever used yourself as a starting point for a character in a story? Would family or friends recognize you in the story?

5/6/2022 10:23:51 am

There are elements of myself in lots of my characters. I imagine it would be difficult to avoid doing so entirely, but I've never used myself as a starting point. I may have used other people, though, lmao.

In my latest book, Skinner, the main character, Dayne, shares many experiences with me, and friends and family have noticed such, but, essentially, we are very different people.

5/7/2022 01:28:31 pm

I think you are spot on. Most of the time, an author approaches events and characters in a story from the author's point of view. I don't think it would be possible to do otherwise. Then imagination kicks in and most everything is on the table and fair game within the constraints of the genre and story.

Many authors have told me that they have been inspired by merely a glimpse of someone or a snippet of conversation. It seems that it doesn't take much to get the muse excited sometimes. Then, all kinds of things can happen, a block to a story can evaporate or an inspiration for a totally new story can appear. Of course, sometimes having an odd duck of an uncle or aunt can provide a lot of grist for the mill also.

Thank you, Nathan, for being my guest on the Word Refiner channel. I have enjoyed our conversation. I wish you success in your writing and publishing adventures.

Travelling Without Moving by Nathan Jones

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