A different kind of tree hugger

I'm already laughing.

I have hugged my book. You know, paper comes from trees, so there's my tree hugging!

But it's all I have. My book. The only proof that me story is real. Characters that exist only in my imagination but seem more real to me than some people I know. Living in this created world which often holds more appeal than this one I live in now. This story is a large piece of who I am. This story is my legacy.

I am the #1 fan of my characters, of this tale. I believed in it first.

I wonder if J. K. Rowling ever just say in awe of her published book knowing that she was on a larger path of seeing her visions becoming a reality? If she ever just picked up her book and hugged it, letting it give her a moment of security in its reality?

Or maybe it's just me and I'm crazy. Like the last crazy queen of Lilinar. Yes, I will keep hugging my book in between telling my story.

It's just not the same to hug a Kindle.

Plotting and replotting

For the second time I've thrown out several chapters of the book and started again.

The first time I was about chapter 22 when I threw It all out and started again. This time was at chapter 32 and went all the way back to chapter 14, though I did add in a chapter 2.5 and rewrote major sections of earlier chapters.

It's part of that "making the story harder" I spoke of in the last post. I really do love the levels it's getting. It may take being a writer to understand that concept. So many jobs in today's society only have one answer, one necessary outcome. Flip the burger and make sure it's fully cooked. Sell the widget, meet the monthly quota. I could have even written this story once and shipped it to the world.

But you'll love it more because I peeled back the top soil to see what other beastly little plot twists lay wriggling in the dirt.

Making the story stronger

I have a sign in my writing office which reads, "Make your story stronger. Show it slowly. Show it thoroughly. And always show your characters doing the action. Then make it harder for them."

It's that last line that always gets me.

I enjoy making the story harder. If I have to really think through my plot, especially when I keep in mind that everything has to make sense across three time lines, them I know my story is getting deeper. Yes, it already feels bigger than me. It needs to. Let's face it, if it were simple for me then why would I need to be writing an epic fantasy? I want a world that engages the reader and makes you think. So, it's got to be tough for the character.

Then there's the thrill when your character rises to the occasion and proves himself to be he very hero he was created to be. When he devises a way out of the sticky situation. When the writer stands up and cheers in victory with the character. Yes, those are the moments!

A challenge to my hero equals a new level to the puzzle for me which equals a greater thrill ride for the reader. Ah yes, those are indeed the moments.

Laurent appears

I actually wrote the scene this morning where Laurient takes the stage and I think he stole the scene. Centaurs! Gotta love how they just take over. If you've read book one, you know what I mean.

Then, afterwards I was talking to my number 1 fan (aka my youngest son)and he said he thought there was a Laurient character in Lord of the Rings guess its time to research.

I purchased a copy of The Three Books today at Barnes and Noble for their Habitat for Humanity donation. I told the clerk, the lovely Christine who helped get my book in (yeah, she's my best bud now!), that I was donating it and she said, "Aw, that's the Christmas spirit." I laughed and replied, "What, to be total self-serving?!" Fortunately, we both laughed at the joke.

Happy holidays, my dear readers. I hope you have a good, safe time! Blessings to you all.

Evolution of a character

When Laurierent first came to me, the last thing I imagined was that he would be another character in my Sacred Knight series. But once he was,the trick was to figure out how he fit.

I know I had originally pictured him as half elven. A kind of Legolas image. But obviously that is so been-there-done-that. So how to put a spin on that?

I won't say that I'm anywhere near having his character figured out, but I'm on the road.

I'd hate to give away any spoilers, but I will say he is of mixed cultures. Too many of my characters already have abnormal backstories so I've decided to give him a good, normal childhood, one that let him become a lovable, flamboyant, regular person. He's a leader and a loyal friend. A got-your-back kind of person.

It's starting to feel like this world has never been without him.

But how does a character actually evolve from name to character, especially when there's already an established plot line? There's no easy answer. I'm sure everyone also has different ways too. For me, it almost always begins with "what if?"

For the development of Laurierent I asked myself what of he was an archer, but not half-elven. What could he be? I soon had an idea. He was half centaur. Hence his mixed cultures. It put him in the exact place needed a character in book 2. I also realized that because of the magic mythology already stated in the series, I could have him do some things here which will foreshadow other events in books 3 and 4. It was
Coming together wonderfully.

Then his name changed again. It shortened down to Laurient. I don't know if this is a permanent change. I might very well go back to the original by the time I get to him in my draft. Author's prerogative. Of course you could always write me and let me know which version of the name you like best. Get your say in!

A Character Comes to Life

As I said in my last post, spam email found me a new name, but what can one do with a name only? Not much.

Laurierant. That was all I knew. Where did he fit? Who was he?

Have you ever heard the saying that to give something a name takes away its power, or makes it less scary? For me, giving something a name is a clue for me to get creative and discover the story. So who was this character? I knew he had to be male since that had been an initial factor.

With a name, the beginnings of a image for the character develop. I saw him as blond. I knew he wasn't too muscular, but he had pizazz and attitude.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Laurierant de Santz, come to grace us with his presence, have ya?" was the first line I heard spoken. Something still didn't feel right, but I was on the right track.

I started to see an elven archer. I've been wanting to write a story about an archer for the last month or so, so I wondered if the time was finally right to get the story. But it still didn't feel right.

Now let me tell you what it's like to write an epic saga. Epic sagas generally have a lot of people in them. I'm still discovering characters and plot twists as I write. A few people have heard me talking about how I'm thinking of breaking the second book into two (it's either that or let the movie studio do it for me when they get their hands on it! Since that's the latest trend in Hollywood as well as my wishful thinking.). Seriously, there is a lot of material and I'm not feeling I'm doing the story justice right now. However, breaking it into two also means more developing of other characters and scenes. Push the story. Make it harder for the characters. Those are the two most important rules of storytelling, in my opinion.

Another thing I always have to be aware of is the plot line continuing into the books that will follow. Even though I have a fair idea of what's going to happen, every time I push the story adjustments need to be made. It's like a big game of chess where you can plot your moves ahead but you might have to adjust based on what your opponent does.

So here I was thinking about book 4. I had already made several adjustments. Looking backwards and forwards at a timeline from several different angles will certainly occupy your brain for a few days! In the end I realized I was going to need more characters.

Brain kicks in and says, "Remember Laurierant?"

How could I forget? He was the reason my subconscious was not working on the right story!

"I beg to differ," the brain argues. "Remember the blond elven archer you wanted in book 4? Hello, that's Laurierent." Please note the change in spelling. Yep, it really did happen that way.

And so Laurierent was born. His evolution remains another matter.

Can spam email be good?

I, like you, get a lot of spam. Who doesn't these days? So is it possible that spam could ever be a good thing?

I certainly didn't think so until earlier last week. That's when I got an email that gave me an idea. All I could read on the email line was From: reverend father laurie...

Needless to say, it made me laugh. A "father reverend" with a girl's name of Laurie? Really!

Of course that got my brain to thinking. What if the rest of the name "twisted" to make it masculine?

Brain playing some more. Can you hear it?

I knew it was from that familiar little tickle that I get when something is working out. So I waited and let my subconscious mix it around. Worse, I left the annoying little spam blocker notification in my inbox just so I wouldn't forget what my brain was mulling. Usually that's the first thing I get rid of during the day.

Then, late in the morning, the tickle turned to a "ding." Just like toast popping, a name came out of the machine: Laurierant.

But if I thought I was done there, I wasn't. A character was about to be born.

So, has spam ever been a good thing in your life? Or have you had a similar experience? Keep your eyes open. You never know what you might see.

Call for videos

Hey Sacred Knight readers, your help is needed!

Help to get the word out about The Three Books and its upcoming sequel. Please make a short video in one of the two following areas:

From now until 12/15/11, make a short video of you wondering when the next book is coming out. Something like, "Hey Dawn, when is the next book coming out."

Until 12/31/11, make a short video of what you thought of the book and why you would recommend it to a friend.

Please just keep it simple. It doesn't need to be anything fancy as I'll do editing to fit it into promotional videos I'm putting together. When you're done, just email me the video at dawnATmorningskystudiosDOTcom (of course, you know what to do with the "at" and the "dot" right?!) Make sure you put SK Video in the subject line so I don't accidentally delete it.

At any time, you can also put a review on Amazon's or Barnes and Noble's websites.

Great! That's it. Let's get the word out. Thank you so much for all your help. My readers, you are a great bunch!

Reading tomorrow

I'll be giving my first ever reading tomorrow (Saturday, October 1st) at 11:20 at the Magic Valley Arts Council building out on the canyon rim in Twin Falls. Right now, I believe my selection will be where Steigan discovers more secrets about his namesake, Saint Steigan. Now the full secrets of Saint Steigan's life are revealed (well, okay, maybe not all his secrets) in the second book of the series. So come on out now and listen to my reading to start your journey!

Writing

Seth Godin's blog today is a good one. If you haven't read it, here's your chance. If you don't read his blog regularly, I suggest you do. You don't have to agree with everything he says all the time (I certainly don't, and it aggravates me when I want more from him and he doesn't nudge through with just that little push), but he does have a unique view of the world that will open your mind.

Then, after you've read his blog for today, go write something! I did.

Fitting into today's world

At the heart of my Sacred Knight series is the metaphor that we are all looking for a place to belong within the world. Steigan, my main character is an orphan who has been taken in by the Temple, by his mentor, and by a family in a nearby town. He loves each of these deeply and realizes that he owes his life to all of them. But he also doesn't feel like he belongs with them; he still feels separate and that he has to work hard to please them.

I think we're all looking for that in our lives. We want to be part of something. We want to have something that we believe in, something we can support, something larger than ourselves.

The work always begins in our own lives. There is nothing out there in the world that we can be part of -- that which we seek is in ourselves. We always hope someone will come to rescue us, that we'll go somewhere to belong (why do you think the Cheers tv show ran for as long as it did? The lyrics said it all with "Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name."). But that space is never ever out there. It is inside you. You have to know why you feel like you don't fit into the world. Once you know why, then you'll realize the change you want to see in the world. With this knowledge, you can be the change. Then you'll fit in. You'll find the message that you need to take to the world and you'll find the people that need to hear it.

So look inside yourself to find out why you don't fit into this world and challenge yourself to make a difference so that you do fit in. The world needs your courage now more than ever.

Is summer over?

I'm going to miss these nice summer and fall nights. They are passing by too quickly.

My youngest son and I have spent several nights outside talking about the Sacred Knight series. We sit on the swing and look at the stars. We wait to watch the International Space Station fly overhead on nights that it's visible. And we dive into where I'm at in the manuscript. There's some things I don't want to reveal to him because I want to keep him as an engaged reader too. But it's still been fun working in-depth over the storylines with him. It keeps me on my toes, makes sure I'm not missing obvious things.

Most importantly, it's been good time we've spent together. I am so going to miss it.

Getting the job done right

Starting off the second book has been more of a challenge than I thought it would be. Because book two is about the life of Saint Steigan, I knew exactly how it needed to start, where I needed to begin, and what exactly had happened to the character before hand. But when you start writing about a character who keeps fading in and out of consciousness it gets a little hard. After all, how much is that point of view character really getting.

So, it seems to make sense to flash forward to a time when he's more conscious. Easy enough to do. But then how do you let on about the backstory up until that point?

There's a barn burning scene in the first book. As I was working along on the second book, I realized that what I had going on was another barn burning scene, except without the barn or the burning. I just had the same information gathering feel to it. I suppose that's a good thing. It should feel like the first book if I'm doing my job right.

My fan fiction

Last week my boys pulled out my old laptop and were looking around on it (you know, because Windows 95 so retro!)

My oldest son, who has lately become very addicted to Star Trek -- he's such a fanboy, found an old Star Trek story I wrote for a contest. His comments: Wow! How cool. I didn't even see the end coming.

Of course it took a few minutes to catch up to his babbling because I'd forgotten the story and he had to refresh my memory.

My younger son then started to read the story. His comments: So?

So? That's all! I'd gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. So I sat down with Little Thing 2 and asked why he had this reaction when his brother had been all fanboy starry eyed and actually impressed with his mother.

Little Thing 2 proceeded to tell me that The Three Books had quality writing and a better hook. He said I'd grown as a writer since doing the Star Trek story. Of course, Little Thing 1 wouldn't know about that because he rarely reads things I write (with the exception of my Doctor Who fanfic, which he wishes I'd do more of).

Ah, such is the life of a writer, desperately trying to get the public to know what you're doing now!

Where does the magic begin?

Agreeing with Barnes & Noble's ad, it all started with a book.

Do you agree?

Where do I go from here?

The act of writing and putting your manuscript together is enough for some people, but most then ask, "How do I get it published?"

Just yesterday I overheard a conversation where a wanna-be writer was asking this very question to a bookstore worker. He seemed disappointed when she couldn't tell him "The Secret." He told her he knew what he needed to do: get on the Internet and start researching agents, but in the end he left the store shortly after his disappointing conversation.

Will he go home and seek his answers online? Probably not. Will he go harass someone else to see if they can give him "The Secret"? Probably. Will that help him? Probably not.

There is no map to getting published. You have to find the road on your own. Even your road may give tips to others, but it won't be the path anyone else takes in exact precision. While having these questions is hard, seeking the magic secret is a waste of time. Just start doing and forge your own path. In the end, that's "The Secret."

Feeling your harmony

Writing is a sublime passion. We find the "hole in the paper" and slip through to another world. We love being there in that world of our creation. Story surrounds us and we are in deep. In that moment, we understand the truth: harmony reflects passion.

If your writing has become a struggle and you're not feeling in the zone with it, is it time to rethink the plot? Go back to that last moment where the writing was easy and start again. Let your passion for the story tell you if you've gotten off track. Then you can get going again and finish your story.

Where's your focus?

Seems that today people are dividing into two different groups: those who are career focused and those who are project focused.

I hope that writers are project focused. It's too easy to get distracted by thinking "I am a writer," but then never writing. Then comes the critic yelling, "You can't call yourself a writer. You're not writing! Writers write. So if you're not, then quit calling yourself a writer."

But if you focus instead on your projects - those manuscripts you keep dreaming about doing - put a deadline on them for getting them done, then you start focusing on the building blocks of your career. These get done. Books and articles get written. Before you know it, not only will you be a writer, but you'll "have written" as well.

Adventure Started

I received my first bookstore review. How exciting! Check it out here. So far I'm hearing a lot of good feedback from people who are reading it. Really makes me want to have the second book done.

What I Aspire To

I was reading blogs and came across this video for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel -- two of my favorite shows. I thought I'd also share the video here.

Yes, it's what I aspire to -- to have a story so interesting and compelling that fans become fully invested in the characters. Of course, that starts with me. Can I say I'm a fan of Sacred Knight? Oh yes! After all, I've been working on it for 17 years. You can't work on a story that long without have some connection to it and the characters.

And now, the Buffy/Angel video:

Website update

I've updated my website to include the artwork for Sacred Knight. Take a moment and check it out.

Thanks!

Earth or non-earth, that is the question!

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I gave an online, one-time workshop about the settings for fantasy worlds.

It seems almost like a different lifetime. It practically was.

As I was preparing for the workshop, I learned one little piece of information that I've found utterly valuable in creating and discussing other fantasy worlds. What was this little revelation? Well, it's all based on this little planet we live on called, "Earth."

I realized that all fantasy and science fiction universes had to answer this one question either consciously or unconsciously: Is the setting in an earth-based universe or a non-earth based universe?

It's best if you can answer this question consciously because if you're aware of the issue then when situations arise in the writing, you can reflect on your answer to this question to best learn how to deal with it.

How do you know what's earth based or not? Well, is earth mentioned? Take a look at the lead in to this blog. Chances are you realize that it was a knock-off from Star Wars. So, is Star Wars earth based or not? Hopefully you're answering, "Earth based!" A galaxy far, far away automatically implies that it's in a galaxy several light-years from earth. Star Trek is easy because earth is referenced many times and they even brought whales back to San Francisco. Now, the new Star Trek movie allows for alternate timelines or realities (which I think they did an excellent job of spoon-feeding the audience a "newer" crew), but that's still an earth based universe. In a non-earth based universe, there is no reference to earth in any way, shape, or form. In these, earth seems not to exist.

So, how does this help you with writing your universe? This means that earth based universes have to follow the rules of earth as we know them. Planets have gravity. Not all planets in a solar system have life. Life is carbon based. Water boils at a certain temperature. In a non-earth based universe, you can break all these rules and create your own. It doesn't have to the same as here on earth as long as you can make it make sense to the reader. So let's say you have an issue with the trees on your planet. Let's say you want them to sing, really make music. We've all heard leaves blowing in the wind. Think about what that sounds like, especially quaking aspens. Close, but not really singing. In a non-earth based universe, you could easily say it's the wood or that the leaves are folded in such a way that makes them whistle. Great, make it plausible and use it. In an earth based universe though, we need to work harder because leaves have a specific purpose and a bend in them would defeat that purpose. What if there were spiders that made their homes in these trees? Now, we all know what happens when a string is plucked on a guitar -- it makes a noise. Well, the wind blowing through the spiders' strong webs act like fingers strumming a guitar. Ah, can you hear the music now?

What about magic? We don't have magic here on earth, so how can worlds with magic still be earth based? How can the Force exist when we can't physically draw objects to us by thinking about them now? Do we know everything? Are there not experiences that people report having every day that defy the logic that our world currently gives us? Miracles have been recorded. When you sit at the base of a tree and close your eyes, can you not feel the hum of nature around you? I think if you're reading this and/or you write fantasy, it is because you already believe there is more in this world than can be seen or proven.

Sacred Knight is based in an earth based universe. Yes, there's magic (or I should say magic is returning in the first book). Though I really don't get into the heart of magic until the second book, I know that on Steigan's world it is something that surrounds everyone. It comes from the life force of the whole planet. If we had magic here on earth, that's exactly where I'd expect it to come from.

So, go pay attention to your favorite sci-fi/fantasy worlds and see if they are earth or non-earth based. Then go back to your manuscript and see which you have.

Notes, Notes

I was busy cleaning my office last weekend and I came across several notes for Sacred Knight. Oh my gosh! Everywhere, notes! Some compiled in three-ring binders. Some in journals. So on scraps of paper. Some in files. Some on envelopes. I'm surprised that I didn't have notes written on the wall.

Wow.

You know you're writing an epic story when you can't even take a step through your house without running into something related to the story.

I hope I'm not missing any epic thoughts! I'd hate for that paper I just crumpled to be the gem that is the winning touch. Yikes.

I have to believe that any good ideas are going to stay with me.

What do you think? What's the oddest thing you've ever written a note for your book on?

An early image

Several years ago when I first started thinking about drawing Steigan and I was just learning how to color in Photoshop, I drew this:

Preparing For Battle 

Digital Image 

© 2007 Dawn Blair

Not too shabby for a beginning. I learned and that's what counts.

But as I came across it not too long ago, I realized that it had a close name as the track by Nathan Chamberland I purchased for the video music from AudioMicro. Very strange. But I loved the Prepare For Battle track ever since the first time I heard it. Whenever I needed inspiration, I'd go out and listen to it. It's like the music fit the story so well as though it were written with it in mind. When this gets made into a movie, I hope Nathan Chamberland can do the film score! That is my greatest hope. To me, Chamberland is the John Williams for Sacred Knight. All I have to do is listen to the music and scenes from this story flow through my head and I get goose bumps down my arms.

Really, with Prepare For Battle, I couldn't have asked for better trailer music and something to build my brand around. If you haven't watched the two book videos, click the YouTube link on the right and go do it now. Enjoy the music!

Thoughts and Passions

On my books for artists blog, I've posted a review for Seth Godin's Poke the Box. The one thing I didn't mention there was how I felt the book related to my own.

This whole Sacred Knight project has been my passion for such a long time. Godin talks about how you've got to try out ideas and you'll probably fail most of the time. But if you don't poke the box, you'll never find out what will happen.

Seventeen years I've spent with my characters, mainly my hero. Multiple drafts I've tried, restarted, written bits and filed them away, tried, failed, wrote more, failed, kept writing, failed, etc. But each time I learned more. I made a few mistakes, but I learned a lot about the story. How could I have grown it if I hadn't kept trying? There were times when I wanted to throw my large storage box of notes off the Perrine Bridge just to hear it splash in the Snake River. Or how about a barbecue in the back yard -- you going to bring the marshmallows?

When you're creating a fantasy world, you're making up everything: religion, culture, speech patterns, fashion, food, history, atmosphere, animals, plants, architecture, everything. It's not a small task. You've got to experiment. It's nothing but poking the box until you find what works.

To stay at such a project, it's got to be a passion. If it's not, it's allowed to fade away. So yes, this story is my passion. When you're reading it, you're seeing the collection of many failures until I had enough faith in it to let it be a success. Is it perfect? No, it's not. But I'm not referring to success here as meaning that it's perfect. Yes, I've already thought of lines I wish I'd been able to put in the book. Oh well, the book lives on and so do it. It is a success because I've put it out there and it speaks my message.

One other point that Godin makes is that too many authors are waiting for someone else to approve them. First they have to get an agent to take them on, then a publisher. He goes on to talk about an event coordinator who would be better off being a promoter -- saying that as an event coordinator, this person is at the mercy of the promoter who holds all the power, so why not move from being an event coordinator to being a promoter? I wish he'd carried through with analogy and just said what I know he wanted to say: why doesn't the author quit waiting for permission from the publisher and just become the publisher. In this day and age, it is easy to jump into being the person in power. It's a matter of remembering that you can do it, then doing it. I can understand why people don't do it too. It took a lot of effort to put together a book, especially carrying all the jobs from writing to editing to cover design. But if it fails at market, I have no one to blame by myself.

Want to know a secret? It can't fail.

My passion is in the story, in releasing it to the world for others to read. Guess what? That's already done. Well, book 1 of 4 is done. Book one is a success, and I'm committed now to finishing books 2-4. Each book will further that success to my commitment to this story. It's a cycle. Passion, commitment, success.

Where are you at with your story? Are you letting your passion fuel it even over hardships. Notice I didn't even mention failure in the above formula. Failures are temporary. When we're learning to walk, we fall down a few times. Being able to walk from one room to another keeps a baby trying. Seeing a published book on the shelf should fuel you to get your own done no matter what it takes. Don't wait for anyone else's approval. Do it.

Webcomic, Abbreviations, and Writing Tip

I was so bad! I forgot to put the next page of Sacred Knight up on the site last night. It hadn't started off very well, but let's just say that two Tylenol, two St. John's Wort, and a Valerian Root made things much better. Half an hour later and the world was once again filled with relaxed and sleepy colors. Didn't bode well for the things I wanted to get done though. I have put the next page up now though and I'll try to be better (no promises).

Don't worry. I did spend some time working on the second book. You know what? I'm getting tired of phrasing it that way. The working title (and most likely the title it'll end up with) is The Saint and The Betrayer. From now on, I'll reference it like I do when I'm making notes -- as SKL2 (meaning Sacred Knight - Legend 2). I started calling my chapters as Legends because in mangas like Immortal Rain, I saw that the artist titled each chapter as Cross 1, Cross 2, etc. and I really liked that. First I did it with Weblinks, calling each chapter a "Bite." It took me forever to come up with "Legend" for Sacred Knight. So, I started calling each chapter a Legend when I was working on the graphic novel. Just to confuse myself, I started calling the book SKL1 (meaning Sacred Knight - Legend 1). I hope that I remember that L1 mean the chapter 1 whereas SKL1 (in most circumstances) referred to the book. Nothing like the author trying to confuse herself! Now, when I talk about it, you'll understand my abbreviations.

Do you ever have obvious syncronicity in your life where you know you're getting a message for a reason? I do often and I'm learning to trust that feeling more. Last night I was looking for an art book. I came across another book that is called Trust the Process. It's about letting the creativity just flow in the direction that it wants to. Sometimes it gets a little too analytical for me, but maybe that's because I'm usually reading before bed and big words on a tired brain is never a good thing. Maybe it's because the visual art that's entered my life really has made me into more of a right brained person. I paused to really look at it and read the title. "Trust the process." It seemed to speak to me and I knew I had to let something flow.



A couple nights ago I had started writing a part of SKL2 that felt weird. While writing, I got an idea that would make a significant change to the story. I let it go until I decided if I wanted to keep it or not. Every so often through the next day, I let my mind ponder this change. I talked with my youngest son about the change. Of course that's hard because I don't want to give him too many spoilers -- I want him to find surprises in the story as he reads it too. But this was too good to keep to myself.

So last night with this message delivered to me, I'm writing along and I'm still not sure about this change or not. Writing, writing, writing. Then BOOM! I know I have to make the change. I'm still not sure why though. I'm not even sure at this point why I'm writing this -- I don't even like what I've written. My characters have taken control and won't give it back.

Then while getting ready for work this morning, it hits me! If I make the change, then it adds this extra dimension to my heroine. She's not stupid, she has already figured out what I'm just beginning to realize. Now I really don't have the choice, but to make the change -- she's made certain of that! Outsmarted by the characters - doh! But now I have more insight into her motivations and her fears.

More than that, when I was driving home today, I realized why I was writing the scene I was on. I didn't know where it was going and what purpose it served, but I was trying to build up one aspect of the story. What I didn't realize was that the heroine was also positioning herself in such a way that aids me in the getting a fact to the reader that will be a necessary clue later on. It amplifies the change I need to make. The whole thing came together like a knitted piece.

None of this would've been possible if I hadn't just trust the process. Sometimes those characters have to get away and go running in directions you don't expect. Trust them. Usually they know something you don't. So much of this whole story has been written because I was just trying a situation out with the characters. I'm glad that the several times I questioned where I was going with the story, I didn't decide to start a new draft, but kept pressing forward. I didn't have the feeling that I was absolutely off-track. A good friend of mine once told me that if I was off-track, just go back to where you last felt you were on-track and move forward from there. It's been good advice I've listened to often.

So, writers, if you feel off-track with your story, make a new draft and go back to where you last felt comfortable with it. Otherwise, trust the process and keep moving forward. You might be surprised where it leads you!

91% can't be wrong!

Yep, that's right. 91% of voters wanted more!

Okay, so you're wondering what's going on. Well, let me explain.

A long while ago I began uploading the first chapter of Sacred Knight as a graphic novel as a preview. It was only meant to be a few pages, but then I started thinking about uploading the whole chapter. Since I wasn't sure if anyone really wanted to finish reading it, I put up a poll to ask the people who mattered -- the readers.

A lot has happened since I first started that poll. For one, I wrote the whole novel (which started out as drafting the the script for the graphic novel) and I've made the decision to redo this whole chapter with color (thanks to Manga Studios 4). Hopefully some better art too -- hopefully I've learned something in this time!

Still, 91% of the voters wanted to see the rest of the first chapter. I don't want to disappoint. So, I'm continuing to post the first chapter in all its "basement art" wonderfulness! We all have to start somewhere.

Here's your preview. Enjoy.

Fear Settling In

Now that The Three Books is out to the world, there's fear now settling in.

For years it's been, "What if this happened to Steigan?" or "What if Steigan did that?" or "What would Steigan do?"

Now it's, "What if no one likes the story?" and "What if it's not nearly as good as I think it is?" and "What if it really wasn't ready?"

Should I have read through it a couple more times? Should I have made sure I that I had pushed the story as hard as I could?

I presume having this kind of fear is normal, right? A parent always worries about their child, right? Releasing a book is a monumental undertaking and when you've been working on it, thinking, and planning for so long, it's only natural to feel a certain amount of let down once it's done, right?

I can either wait for feedback or I can keep working on the next one. Hmmm. Marketing seems so hard when questions keep the fear inside. Steigan would hate for me to make statements that weren't true or fell short of the claims.

So I turn now and work on the next book. Soon, very soon, the fear will disappear and I'll be feeling back on top. I know this because this always happens. I must work through the uncertainty and feedback will come. I'll do shows and signings and get the marketing done. One piece of the puzzle at a time. Fear of failure isn't fatal, just a lesson in patience, don't you think?

Already I can hear Steigan telling me that one never knows what one is capable of until one tries. He'd tell me to keep moving, one foot in front of the other.

What do you do when fear stops you silly?

The Three Books Has Escaped!

“You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don't have that kind of feeling for what it is you are doing, you'll stop at the first giant hurdle.” -- George Lucas


Sacred Knight: The Three Books has escaped!

Physical copy here.

Coming soon to Amazon, only because it takes awhile for them to list the title after my approval. It'll probably come to my Amazon store the fastest.

eBook versions available for NOOK and Kindle.

For all versions, keep an eye on my publishing website as I'll list all the links as they become available.

Yada! It's party time!

And now for the Kindle

Yep, here it is! Yada!

You know, yesterday I was writing (working on book 2) and I needed to check a fact. Instead of opening up the file like I normally would have, I grabbed my proof and flipped to the passage I needed to reference. It was so cool!

Speaking of proof, I have the second one ordered. I certainly hope I don't find issues with it. I hope I'm nearing getting the physical book available. I've had a lot of requests for it -- starting to wonder if I should plan a book launch party! Thank you everyone for your support.

The Beginning!

The Three Books is now available for the NOOK!

I have to say that I'm really not surprised that the universe ended up getting the NOOK version out first. I do love Barnes & Noble!

If you have yet to decide between the NOOK and Kindle, let me just say that both my books look better on the NOOK. There's something strange about the formatting on the Kindle that makes my books just not quite right. I need to borrow a Kindle to see how other people's books look on it. I'm sure I just need to learn more. Still, if I had to only choose one ereader to format my books for, it'd be the NOOK just because of the simplicity.

Well, if you do own a Kindle, hopefully that version will be out by the end of the day. Still waiting on the print version.

Overall, I'm glad that I took the extra time to go through the book again. You'll have a better quality product for it.

Argh!! Postponing Due To Frustration

I'm delaying the release.

I'm so frustrated about having to do this.

While reading the proof over the last couple days, I found a couple problems in the text. After thinking about it, I decided that these were small issues and didn't hold enough weight for me to worry about. I was going to go ahead with the release.

I almost didn't read any more -- I'd convinced myself that there couldn't be any more errors in the book. After all, I've read it 11 times since the beginning of the year. What else could possibly be wrong?

But I knew I was just avoiding the possible truth that there were more issues.

Besides, I'd found out during my last couple times through the draft that I had corruption going on. About a month ago, my file closed down on me suddenly and wanted to recover the document when I opened it back up. Stupid me told it to recover the document. Come on, I know better than that! Especially since that's exactly why I have my autosave on. Anyway, as I went through the draft this last couple of times, I'd find sentences that were half rewritten or words out of place that I knew I'd already fixed. I started wondering if the corruption in my file made it confuse the editing versions and was "doing its best" at piecing together what it had.

I thought I'd caught all of them. Obviously, I've been very tired this last month.

While reading the proof tonight, I found two very huge errors -- one's I just couldn't ignore. They had to have come from this corruption quilt! When added to the other errors, I just couldn't release it that way. I fully accept that the book will never be perfect. George Lucas, who I've been quoting a lot of this week, basically said that movies aren't released, they escape. I truly feel that this book needs to escape because I know I can never make it perfect. I wanted it "close enough." Right now, I'm not there.

So, I delay. At least with the print copy. I do want to go through the proof just to make sure. I'd rather postpone than have a product so inferior as it is now.

However, I thought I would release the NOOK version because that I can update easier than anything else. I went in and dropped in my changes that I already knew I wanted to make, reformatted the epub version, uploaded it to the website, clicked to put on sale now, and...

"We are experiencing technical difficulties. Please try again later."

REALLY?! You've got to be kidding me!

Obviously the universe is telling me to stop rushing, that there is another big issue with the book that needs my attention first. I have enough experience here to know that I need to listen.

While I'm unhappy that I have to wait, that my big release has fizzled, I know that this will ultimately bring about a better book overall. In the end, having a worthy story is what I want. I can wait a little longer. Soon. It's still coming. Very soon.

I'll keep you up to date on what happens. Maybe I can still get the NOOK version out today. As for the rest, I'm going to go get some sleep now and start in again in the morning.

Writing in Layers

I was asked recently how far into book 2 I was, if I'd even started writing it yet. While I admit that I've spent a lot of time formatting the first book, yes, I'm currently on writing the second book and am in chapter 12. So does that mean I'm almost halfway done? No!

Part of the time I spent writing this whole story has been just writing draft after draft. If anyone thinks that writing a fantasy novel is easy, well, it's not. If you're creating your own world like I did, you've got to think about culture, politics, religion, clothes, language, food, interactions with friends and family, planetary orbits -- in other words, everything! Sometime I'll talk about the different kinds of universes a world can be set in -- it's actually an online seminar I gave a long time ago. I spent a lot of time just getting to know my world and test things.

But once I knew the story, the actual writing came down to writing this story in layers. It's too hard to remember all the rules of writing at once. That's why manuscripts are created in drafts.

I admit. I was once a 15 year old author who thought every word I wrote was golden. I'm so glad now that I didn't actually get published then. I wasn't ready. I didn't have the life experiences I needed, nor did I really understand the craft of writing. Oh, I wrote drafts, but I didn't understand their purpose. I thought I did. I was so wrong.

It wasn't until I really experimented with writing different types of manuscripts (romance, children's, screenplays, short stories, etc.) that I realized that I was decent at writing dialog and immediate actions. Descriptions and pacing were other issues.

When I decided to change this to a graphic novel so I'd only have to write quick descriptions and dialog, all of a sudden my job felt easier (okay, drawing the dang thing is another issue!). I flew through writing the story this way. Talking heads, okay, I can do that.

Then, while I was drawing the story, I got an itching to write the novelization. Fine. A novelization. Writing a book was a hard project, but writing a novelization of the graphic novel much simpler.

Using what I had, I came back to the story. Now, all I had to do was add a little bit of setting and some more actions to the basics that I already had. After that, another draft to add a bit more. A few tweaks to the story in the next couple drafts. Soon, I'd been through it several times and added a little more each time.

As I built the layers, I would go through and try to apply "rules of writing" as I went. I'd try to note places where I was telling the story instead of showing it. I'd mix setting in with the dialog to break up the talking heads, but I'd also try to mix the setting into the action as to not stop the story.


Now, sitting on the other side of editing and having my proof copy in hand, I can tell you that there is something else I wish I'd done -- one more layer I'd gone through. I wish I'd actually printed out my story and run an editing draft on paper. I tried to do it all on my computer to be green and save the environment, but now I see that the paper draft would've helped me see a few things I missed. I'm not going to hold up the release of the book though I keep wondering if I should. I do see things that are wrong (and at this point I've only managed to read through chapter three). Of course, they may only bug me because I know better. After all, I've seen what passes as a published book these days -- books where the word "was" is a special candy to be used as many times in a sentence as possible like it was some fancy drug. But this is a lesson learned and I'm sure I'll have more to impart later. I plan on putting out a free PDF about the lessons I learned in writing The Three Books which will have these handy tips and more. I figure that'll be released in a few weeks.

In the meanwhile, if you have any questions about writing in layers (or any writing questions at all) let me know. I'd love to know what writing issues you're facing and maybe (because I have 35 years of writing experience) I can help point you in the right direction. But you can't get help if you don't ask.

A Little Word Known as "Was"

I'll tell you now, I have a hatred for the word "was." Such a little word, get every time it crops up its tiny head, I want to scream.

Here's a challenge. Pick up any fiction book you have by you. Go to the beginning, regardless of where you're currently at in the book and start reading. How long until you find a "was" in the text?

I'm better you encountered at least one in the first paragraph. Go on, tell me I'm right!

Here's a secret about "was" -- nearly every time you see it, it's a red flag that the story is being told not shown.

"Was" is the the linking of hands between the reader and the writer where the writer takes over and guides the reader down the path. "Oh gentle reader, take my hand, and let me tell you a tale of murder most foul." Worse, it assumes that the reader is too ignorant to figure out the story if the reader wasn't being told.

So I set up a challenge to myself in The Three Books. I swore that I wasn't going to use the word "was" in the narrative. You'll find it in the dialog - mostly because I wasn't going to change how these people speak just to get rid of my pet peeve -- that would be another crime. So, as you're reading, just see how long it takes you to find the word "was" in the narrative. Here's a hint. You won't find it until the very last sentence. Oh, and yes, that was me being a little spiteful.

I challenge writers to kill the word "was" from their manuscripts as I have in The Three Books. I'll tell you, it wasn't always easy and there were a couple times I thought about breaking my rule -- "Oh, just this once because I can't figure out what to write." There are still a couple spots I find shaky because it probably does need the inconspicuous little beast. I admit my surprise at how often it crept in even when trying hard to write without it to begin with.

Strangely enough, it doesn't bother me as much in nonfiction. I do cringe when I read my own blog posts and see every "was" in there. But nonfiction is more meant to be told -- it's a passing along of information and since you and I are separated by space and time, I'm not there to actually show you the information I'm trying to pass on. Still, I do try to get rid of it whenever I can.

So, here we stand with just over a day left until the release of The Three Books and I'm here to tell you that it's a book with only a single narrative "was" to it. I've taken my challenge and I've succeeded at least on that scale. I won't say the writing's perfect. Oh, heck no. I even thought about delaying the release when I found issues in my proof copy. But I decided to get the story out there -- the story is more important than the writing specifics anyway. So, go enjoy the story.

As for me killing "was" in the second book just to see if I can repeat this success, I'm not sure if it's a challenge I want to rise to or not. To do it once seems like enough. But... have I set a standard now? What do you think?

The Three Book's First Review

I've received my first review and I'm absolutely amazed. Here it is:

(5 stars) "By Reason of Insanity" -- https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1076401 April 23, 2011

Your overall impressions?
Brilliant!

Would you continue reading? 5 stars = definitely!
(5 stars)

Would you recommend this book to others?
Without question!

Thank you to Bridgette Meddis Emery who posted the review -- you've made my day!

First Chapter Available

I've just uploaded the first chapter of the book so you can preview it. After you've read it, please leave me a review so I know what you think.

Here's your link!

Happy reading!

Think Only As You Can Think

I subscribe to Notes from the Universe from Mike Dooley at TUT.

Aside from me being very jealous that he's got the cool domain name (I'm a big fan of King Tut!), I love getting the Notes, especially when there's one that strikes a chord.

Today, I received just such a message. Here's my message for today:


It's the way you think. That's your purpose. It's never been about what work you choose, what gifts you develop, or what niche you fill - let these be for your pleasure.

Think as only you can think, which will lead to feelings that only you can feel, from which connections will be made, lives will be changed, and worlds will come tumbling into existence.


As writers, we have something we want to tell people, whether it's about a character, a theme, a message, or just a story. It is born inside us and needs to come out. I really liked the part about worlds tumbling into existence. Even if your story isn't a fantasy, you create a world. It starts off in your head. It is your thoughts that begin it. From there, yes, it is something you start to feel because from those thoughts manifest a change within you (and change always evokes an emotional response). Just as people then seek out like-minded friends, writers create like-minded characters to populate their stories. Of course, then comes the foes and foils that stand against the character(s) and thus the world is born. In that moment of being able to sink into that world that is entirely the writer's own, pure bliss is discovered.

I've likened this to a hole in the paper -- I've often told writing friends of mine that there is a hole somewhere on the paper (or screen for those of us who write on computer now -- it wasn't always this way though!) and you just need to find that hole to slip through to the other side. Once you're through and you're soaking in the world you created, don't you just feel like you're home? I do. Maybe that's why I get so cranky and have a tendency to throw things when someone disturbs me while I'm writing! Could it be? For me, being yanked out of my world is like being dropped from a hangman's noose. That choking, suffocating drop. Yep, just thinking about it makes me irritated! Always leaves me with the "I want to go home!" feeling.



Now I admit, the last few days have been really hard because I've been working very hard on getting my manuscript formated for publication (Boy do I have stories about that, but you'll hear them later). So I've been several days now without writing or painting. I can feel myself getting antsy because I want to get back in the game, yet I know this is a process I have to go through. In some ways, it's also been good because I've had time to work on my projects just in my head (what I want to paint next and the composition of the piece, as well as a change I need to make in the second storyline of Sacred Knight, which is going to mean a rewrite/edit, but not a severe one). It's been nice to have a moment to see an overview of all my thoughts. Maybe it was TUT that inspired me to look beyond what I was seeing.

And speaking of Tut, I was also thinking about my plans for the next few years. I know Sacred Knight will keep me occupied for a little bit (ha ha! 4 story arcs, busy for a bit, you think?! Especially if #1 son has his way and talks my subconscious into creating another arc or 2). However, there is also an Egyptian historical fantasy that's lingering around. I was just talking about that story over this last weekend. Maybe it's a sign that it's going to be next on my list. There's also my genie story that I've actually been working on longer than Sacred Knight (yes stories need time to percolate, some more than others). Not to mention the story I was working on right before I was struck with Sacred Knight.

Or maybe they were all meant to be manuscripts forever hidden away beneath my bed. Never meant to be seen by anyone.

I guess it depends on if I can find those holes again and slip back into those stories.

Well, I guess I'll just have to think about it and see if worlds come tumbling out.

Fodder

While I'll go into this more in a Creator's Journal moment sometime, I wanted to have a quick post about artists and their lives.

I've had the great fortune of knowing many artists and have always been surrounded by those who like to create. My writing mentor, who I miss dearly, had written not only her book, but the script and complete musical score for the movie. Her untimely death brought that to a halt, but she had been in talks with a studio at the time. She also created toys. I've added a link for her work, which is a shame you can get it so cheaply on Amazon right now, but maybe good for you if you need a book to share with your kids: Search Amazon.com for trish reinius

But to those who don't understand an artists dire need to create, artists look crazy. Sometimes our art pushes us so much we can't think of anything else. Worse is when the tragic moments in our life make us think, "Wait, I have to write this down. I'll need it for this scene in my book."

It's rare for humans to truly reflect on our emotions, but artists do it constantly. We analyse how things feel. We realize that though the circumstances may be different, emotions are universal. So we take our own feelings, rip them to shreds, and piece them back together on our characters. Or we pour that emotion into our painting or sculpture. We use our emotions as cannon fodder for our art.

Is it no wonder that so many artists have gone crazy?

Maybe you have to be in order to desire to create. But standing at this point now, I wonder why any non-artist would ever look at an artist and say, "Gee, I wish I could paint (or write, or sculpt, or whatever) like you do." I've said on my other blog several times that anybody can be creative. I still believe it's true. But maybe the ones who don't want to see the truth in it are the lucky ones.

Or maybe not because they aren't the one who will ever save the world! Creativity is a blessing - share yours with the world.

Creator's Journal (or how I can best make fun of myself!)

I had this wonderful idea when I started this blog to post videos talking about my journey with Sacred Knight. I thought I'd be able to share my experiences with writing, especially writing the epic saga (I have mentioned that I've been working on this story for 17 years, right? That's a huge chunk of my life.).

With the weather being so cold and usually starting to snow or rain when I had a moment to record, not to mention my own failures at being on camera, it wasn't coming together. I knew I had to loosen up and do what was authentically me. Of course, that's going to end up weird! But once I got going and started laughing at myself, well, the ball began to roll.

Welcome to the Creator's Journal. Please, go check out the video. Let me know if you love it or hate it.



 I do really want to do more vlogs, but I'm such a writer not a performer that it terrifies me to look at the camera. I'm use to being on the other end. However, I do enjoy the process of putting the video's together -- must be the storyteller in me. I've found another mode -- a more visual, intimate, and immediate mode of storytelling.

After the first book gets released, I hope to release more videos talking about the writing and editing of the second book. It'll be more of a progression with the story. I really hope it helps other writers out there, let's them know that they aren't alone in plugging away endlessly at their manuscript with stars in their eyes. It's this mission that made me really want to do the Creator's Journal no matter what. Even if I ended up with stupid videos where I just laugh at myself.

"Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction." ~ Harry Truman

Progress on Second Book

I have to admit that I thought writing the second book would actually be easier than the first. It's not like this is my first "cake walk." I've got several manuscripts under my bed, so to speak. I have been writing since I was four, after all.

I knew that most of the second book would be a total rewrite from what I already have, but I also knew I'd be threading in a lot of the material from my earliest drafts of this story. So what's happened?

I'm on chapter 8 of scripting this out. I realize I have a lot of talking heads. If nothing else, thinking about how I'm going to put this into a graphic novel eventually has made me more aware of character interactions and settings. Pick up any comic or manga and you'll see intense action on nearly every page. It is harder to maintain that level in a book. I also realize this is my very first draft of this and there will be much rewriting to be done so I'm not even real worried about pace right now.  There's something more bothering me.

I wish I could put my finger on it. Maybe I'm anxious because the first book is so close to coming out. Maybe it's because I don't feel ready to put a deadline on the second book.

I use to never understand authors who had writer's block. I never believed in it. Until I faced my own.

Am I scared of getting into this and facing another block? Am I afraid that I'll have a failure to launch with the first book and no one will even care about the second book?

It really is times like these when my main character, Steigan, gives me strength. I can hear him telling me to circle round my fear instead of letting it circle around me. To do the latter means that fear takes my strength, but in the former strength is gained from the energy of fear. It forces you to be your best, to think things through, to stay sharp. Yes, he would say, there is a mind-shift that occurs when one turns the tables on fear. Even now, I can feel it like a seed within me.

My first draft doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be material to start with. Yes, I know what's going to happen in the story -- I should after all the time I've spent on it.

Good, strong characters come from the core of the author. Steigan is my core. When I feel like I'm going to shoot off in a million directions or fall to pieces, he steps in and reminds me to be who I am. He is my balance, my center. As long as I've listened to his noble advise, he's never led me astray. I'm glad to be telling his story.

New Video for First Book Posted

I've posted a new video for the first book of the Sacred Knight series. In the video is the cover of the book, which has changed since the last post. Why don't you go watch it now, then I'll have a story.

So, after I announced my book cover to the world, I started asking some more people about the book cover. I really had an issue with the flare on the cover. To me, it made the light source look all wrong. Everyone I asked for an opinion said pretty much the same thing. 

Now, what I found funny was that the males I asked like the flare and the females didn't. Doesn't that pretty much equate to men liking the bling and the women not liking the bling? Yeah, yeah, who said only girls like sparkly sparkles? Anyway, the flare is gone. I'm feeling much better about the cover. 

At least I feel better for this moment in time. I still have another month to change it. Hmm....

If you like the videos, please "like" them and share them with your friends. Let's get the word out. Thank you!

Book Cover

It's done! The cover for Sacred Knight: The Three Books. I painted it myself. I really like being a Do-It-Yourself girl. Let me know what you think.

If you want to see the painting in progress as I built it up, check out my Facebook art fan page.

Time is growing close. April 28th is coming. Things are coming together. I'm so ready!

What about the graphic novel?

If you've been following along on my other blog, or on my Sacred Knight facebook page, or have been one of my friends on this long path of developing the story, you might now be wondering what's happening to the graphic novel.

If you're new to the Sacred Knight world, then here's a bit of backstory. I had a long battle with myself about whether to do continue writing the novel or not when I changed it to a graphic novel. I finally decided to do both. Of course, that meant time. It does take awhile to write and to draw a comic (especially one that's an undertaking of this magnitude). I also didn't feel my art skills were where I wanted them to be to draw this story how I want to. In order to do my passion justice, I needed time to learn more and gain confidence.

I did release the first chapter as a segment, but after some distance from the story, I realized it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. I still needed more time.

So, I decided to work on the book. Even though I had it all scripted out for the graphic novel, I knew it might change when I wrote the book. So, again, another battle with myself. Did I just need to write the book first when I so badly wanted to do it as a graphic novel?

At long last, I decided to just write it. I had the dialogue and basic actions. I knew where I was going with the story. Really all that was left was to add some narrative and setting to it.

Well, that's all fine and dandy. It worked well until I started editing the manuscript. Then I realized dialogue needed changed for clarity. So I've been going back and forth between my manuscript and the script making sure that the dialogue is the same between the two.

Even the dialogue in chapter 1 changed. This means that the first issued segment will need redone (not that I'm shocked, surprised, or even disappointed by this). In fact, I'm rather glad. I'd already decided to use the first part as a storyboard and redo it. With Manga Studios 4, I'll be able to color the graphic novel (which has been another thing to learn).

What does this mean overall? Well, I have a few physical copies of my first chapter of Sacred Knight left. If you want a copy of the original black and white with the hopes that it becomes a collector's issue, head on over to Morning Sky Studios to purchase a copy. I believe I only printed 50 copies. Imagine if you could go back and get a first edition Harry Potter Year 1, or a rough draft of Twilight! This might be your last chance.

You can also check it out on webcomicsnation. Starting this weekend, I'll be uploading the remaining pages to the first chapter.

So, I'll keep writing the books for now and working on the graphic novel revamp. I hope you'll go out and share this story with your friends. Together, we can make this grow together.

Sacred Knight - story overview trailer

Welcome to the Sacred Knight blog.

How about a quick overview of what the story is all about.

Watch for more videos the the release of the first book in the series (The Three Books) coming April 28th!