Ask the Author: E.M. Swift-Hook
Answered Questions (4)
E.M. Swift-Hook
Interesting question. It all began on Earth, though those living in the Fortune's Fools universe don't recall now where, exactly, that was. Nor do they know why it was that humanity, lacking any ability to conquer the speed of light at that time, sent out generational ships to all the exo-planets they could find. You can find a more in-depth answer to this on my blog scifiroundtable.org/emswifthook/updat...
E.M. Swift-Hook
This is a very interesting question as the answer has a bit of a story behind it.
The books were originally written in a much more abbreviated form to be the third part of a trilogy following the adventures of Avilon. However, those earlier books were definitely not of sufficient quality or quality for publication in any form, being good examples of my juvenilia, but not work I would ever want out on display. Transgressor alone had sufficient potential and maturity to be taken on into what I was already planning and formulating - the 'Fortune's Fools' universe and series.
About ten years ago I typed up the manuscript, developed the story and eventually turned it into the trilogy of today. This meant that the three parts were not planned as seperate elements in first draft.
Indeed, all my trilogies are a single story told over three books, rather than three sories with an ongoing arc. That overarching story-arc is the one which binds all three trilogies of Fortune's Fools togther.
Each book is written to have its own sub-plots, it's own featured characters, but there is no sense of final resolution until the end of the trilogy.
The books were originally written in a much more abbreviated form to be the third part of a trilogy following the adventures of Avilon. However, those earlier books were definitely not of sufficient quality or quality for publication in any form, being good examples of my juvenilia, but not work I would ever want out on display. Transgressor alone had sufficient potential and maturity to be taken on into what I was already planning and formulating - the 'Fortune's Fools' universe and series.
About ten years ago I typed up the manuscript, developed the story and eventually turned it into the trilogy of today. This meant that the three parts were not planned as seperate elements in first draft.
Indeed, all my trilogies are a single story told over three books, rather than three sories with an ongoing arc. That overarching story-arc is the one which binds all three trilogies of Fortune's Fools togther.
Each book is written to have its own sub-plots, it's own featured characters, but there is no sense of final resolution until the end of the trilogy.
E.M. Swift-Hook
The sort of research depends on the needs of the book. Writing space opera, which brings together science-fiction and character based stories, means I may need to be researching the nature of space-time one day and the psychology of someone with post trauma stress the next.
Normally it is possible to get the answers I am looking for online, I am pretty nifty with a search engine! But sometimes it needs something more esoteric or hard to find and then it may need me to resort to books.
Normally it is possible to get the answers I am looking for online, I am pretty nifty with a search engine! But sometimes it needs something more esoteric or hard to find and then it may need me to resort to books.
E.M. Swift-Hook
I would begin with the caveat that excellence in any art form is highly subjective. But, that said, like any other creative art, writing takes knowledge and skill as well as talent and inspiration.
Not everyone is born with a talent for weaving their creative inspirations into prose through the warp and weft of words. Those who are, also need the knowledge of how to do so - the vocabulary and grammar - and the skill to apply those to good effect. Skill requires learning, hard work and lots of practice - which not everyone is able or willing to undertake.
If all these come together, there is then a chance of an excellent book being the result
Not everyone is born with a talent for weaving their creative inspirations into prose through the warp and weft of words. Those who are, also need the knowledge of how to do so - the vocabulary and grammar - and the skill to apply those to good effect. Skill requires learning, hard work and lots of practice - which not everyone is able or willing to undertake.
If all these come together, there is then a chance of an excellent book being the result
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