Progress Update

Now that I've decided to break the second story arc into two books, I've been writing away at the third book in the series. I really want to get it all written so I can make sure there's nothing I'll need planted in the second book for the third.

I'm afraid that that writing out this whole story arc at once is going to delay the release of the second book from my original target date, which is why I never announced it. On the bright side, as soon as I finish the draft of the third arc, then I'll have a better idea of when I can have the second book out, as well as the third. These two might hit very close together. For readers who like series books, this is good news. There's nothing like having to wait a whole year or more between books.

But, how about a sneak peek? Mind you, this is in absolute rough draft state. Right out of Celtx. By the way, it looks like their Android version is now out, so the second I finish writing this blog, I'm off to look for it - Yippee! Anyway, here is your sneak peek preview of book 2. Enjoy.


Steigan awakens from dreams of fighting gargaxes among wood, stone, and fire. He looks around the room searching for enemies in the now familiar room. Morning light pushes against the curtains in the window.

Getting up, he gets dressed and leaves his room. He quietly slips down the hallway and out the door.

He heads into Searn's barn and finds an empty stable toward the back. Inside he closes the gate behind him, puts a rope over the door post, a squats down in the corner and covers his face with his hands.

Steigan (thought): Not today. Not now. Control it.

His body starts to shake. Already he knows it's going to be bad. His throat still hurts from the dry screams of two nights ago when he'd been awoken in the middle of the night. He hadn't made it out of the house then and had feared that his thrashing would awaken Searn and his wife. Searn had enough to worry about without knowing about Steigan's nearly nightly tremors. He grabs his ankles and puts his head on his knees, starting to rock back and forth. The pain racks through him.

His first scream is silent, head thrown back against the wooden wall. His breath comes in ragged gasps. For a moment, just a moment, he feels released. Maybe it won't be as bad as before. Maybe he's overcoming whatever this is.

His arms start to tremble anew.

Steigan (whispering): Miex'calidori.

The alien sound of his own voice frightens him. He tries to whisper the word again, but no sound comes.

Pain stabs through his gut. He chokes on the sound of a scream that wants to come out. He next scream seems to come right out from his feet, pulsing pain through his entire body.

He closes his eyes and wills the pain away, but it doesn't go, rather instead coming on with another powerful wave.

Steigan awakes with a start, not realizing that he'd passed out from the pain.

Searn peers over the top of the gate.

Searn: Steigan, what are you doing in here? Are you all right?

Steigan tries to speak, but no words come out. With a shrug, he nods and gets up.

Searn: Seriously, what are you doing out here? You can't tell me that a pile of straw is more comfortable than your bed.

Steigan shrugs again.

Searn: You don't know what you're doing out here?

Steigan nods.

Searn: Sleep walking?

Steigan nods again.

Searn: Don't worry. I did the same at your age. You'll grow out of it.


If you liked it, let me know. If you sweet talk me, I might just release more! :)

My workspace

I thought you'd like to see a snapshot of my workspace, just for fun. I've even added captions! :) Click to expand. Enjoy.

From Sacred Knight

Peek-a-boo Moon

I admit it. I have a love for the moon.

Just last week I was driving home and looking out the window at the moon (so much for watching the road!). A fast moving storm was pushing clouds over the face of the moon. I'd look up, see the moon, look back at the road (yes, I really was watching), then I'd glance back up at the moon which would now be hidden behind the clouds. It was like the moon was playing peek-a-boo with me. Really cool.

When I designed Steigan's world, I decided to have three moons around the planet. I often wonder how three moons would effect an earth-like world. I wonder what it would be like to sit on Jupiter and watch the moons from there.

I'm half afraid someday someone with some astronomy knowledge is going to come along and tell me that my world just isn't plausible for this reason and that!

Is that a reason to not write the story? No. Not a good one at least.

 If you hide from your fears you'll never get to chasing after your goals. You can't play peek-a-boo with your fears. It's best to stay ahead of them by keeping the action moving forward and your eyes on the road.

Working through your fingers

Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers. --Isaac Asimov

I really like this quote. Maybe because I can relate to it so much. I have to wonder though, does this count when good ideas come to me when I'm driving?

Where do you feel you get your best ideas?

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.