I've spent several days now working on the beginning of what will now be the third book in the series. It does feel like a beginning and sometimes I have to stop and remind myself that it is the start of a new book. It's weird because I'm so use to thinking of it as one story arc. But as I've said before, it's all a matter of working the story harder.
Speaking of which, I suppose I ought to explain why I decided to break it into two.
As readers may guess after reading The Three Books (aka book 1), the second story arc is about the life of St. Steigan. There is so much to set up, more of the magical world to build, new characters, etc. Overall, there is a lot! I do work to develop my stories, so there's work to do to make sure you, my fabulous reader, has lots of paths to explore. What is truth and what is a lie? Is this character a friend or a betrayer? What really lies beneath the Temple in the catacombs? I'm sitting here with a wicked grin on my face. Already I'm ready to go get back to work on the story. I love diving into this world! Really, this story is not meant to be read only once. There is enough here to read multiple times and deeper levels of meaning found each time. Wonderful parallels are cropping up between book 1 and 2. I am delighted and surprised each time I discover something new.
Just today, in fact, I started writing about Laurient (see previous posts) and St. Steigan going out to fight the gargaxes and St. Steigan comes up with this brilliant idea to transfer magic to Laurient. I hadn't seen this coming, didn't have it planned, it just popped in there. But it adds so many dimensions to the story. Because of this one thought, I can now spider several more things (like some foreshadowing for events in what will now be book 5) into the story. I love it!
Some of you may be wondering what will happen to the release date of the second book now that the preliminary draft is done. That's coming soon, I promise. The good thing is that I actually finished the draft by the date that I had set as my deadline so right now the story is still on track. As for my working title, I've had to change it because it no longer works. The Saint and the Betrayer, when split into to becomes The Saint (first title) and The Betrayer (second title). Somehow this just doesn't inspire me in the same way. Sigh. However, I have a new plan for the titles. I'm giving it a settling period to make sure I like it, but I'll probably make the title known at the same time I announce the release date for the second book.
So wait eagerly for more to come!
Happy reading!
Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Friday, September 30, 2011
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!
Friday, June 10, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
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.
. 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.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
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?
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?
Saturday, May 7, 2011
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!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
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?
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?
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
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
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
Monday, March 28, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)