R.J. Madigan's Blog

Simon Williams Q&A with R J Madigan author of The Sword of Air.

Maev The Raven Queen

Simon Williams author of ‘Dark Summers Water,’ interviews R J Madigan about her incredible debut ‘The Sword of Air.’

Interview with R J Madigan

Posted on Jul 19, 2015 | 

Here it is- the low-down on talented fantasy author R J Madigan’s stunning debut the Sword of Air.  Published as an interactive iBook it is unlike any book you will have experienced before.

Author Q& A with R J Madigan

View the awesome trailer for The Sword of Air here.

Let’s start with The Sword Of Air. How did you come up with this concept/ what originally triggered the idea, and what challenges did you encounter in the process?

Character Map from interactive iBook.

I was studying for an MA in Creative Writing in London and it was dissertation time. I was sitting in the university’s children’s library thinking what the hell am I going to do? I went to the section for mythology and found a book of Irish legends that had last been taken out of the library in 1983 and I remember thinking how sad and sat down and started reading about the Fae. My dad’s family are originally from Dublin and I have a love of Irish mythology. That’s where it all started. I decided to write the three opening chapters of a fantasy novel for teenagers right then and there. That was the very beginning of ‘The Sword of Air’.

The decision to publish as an iBook came much later, after the dissertation. It was inspired by my interest in the use of interactive technology in storytelling, which I had explored a little at university.

There were many technical challenges that I don’t have the space or time to go into right here. I wrote a blog post on the challenges of producing an iBook if you’re interested in this topic. – http://aliisaacstoryteller.com/2015/03/20/guest-post-multi-touch-technology-and-the-future-of-ebooks-by-r-j-madigan/

Jareth Crown Prince of the Fae.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly the overall challenge for me has been the resistance of some people to accept interactive iBooks in the same way they would a printed text. I am an early adopter of this technology so I knew it would always be a tough challenge. I get some comfort from the fact that lots of artists who changed the way people think in a significant way were put down at the start. David Bowie, Andy Warhol and Jimi Hendrix immediately spring to mind.

People can see the importance of film and television as an interactive form of storytelling but sadly it is not always the same for iBooks.

The Fomorians

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is frustrating as an artist because iBooks have been welcomed with open arms in education as teaching aids. Children use iBooks on platforms such as interactive whiteboards, iPads, Macs and PCs all the time now. Such technology is an important development as many people are visual learners. This development is particularly important in the academic progress of young boys where it has been proven that for many the traditional method of academic teaching is not ideal. How can anyone argue that iBooks do not have their place if they can help a child excel at school?

Bran

Thankfully some agents such as the Madeline Milburn Literary, TV & Film agency are forward thinking in realising eBooks and interactive iBooks are important if not paramount to the survival of storytelling. The feedback from publishers, agents and other authors has been very positive.

Who would your three favourite authors be, but more importantly, why?

That’s a tough one so I’m going to cheat and say these are just three of my favourite authors (I read far too much lol!).

For Children’s or YA literature it has to be Patrick Ness. ‘A Monster Calls’ totally blew my mind. I love the eerie line drawings by Jim Kay. No one can spin a tale quite like Patrick Ness and he deals with the subject of a child losing his mother to cancer in a respectful and thought provoking way in his award-winning novel.

Daphne du Maurier. If it’s good enough for Alfred Hitchcock then its good enough for me! ‘The Birds’ and ‘Rebecca’ –say no more. Rebecca probably has to be my all time favourite gothic novel. I am obsessed with gothic literature. You will see some of these influences when reading The Sword of Air particularly in my depiction of Maev ‘The Raven Queen’. I’m not one for re-reading books but I’ve read Rebecca again and again and it still haunts me even now.

The Grouch’s tree house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlotte Bronte. You can’t be a true fan of gothic literature without mentioning Jane Eyre. It’s probably the most famous example of Victorian Gothic Literature and was a huge influence on Daphne du Maurier when writing Rebecca. Jane Eyre has influenced my own gothic style in ‘The Sword of Air’. One of my lecturers once said Jane Eyre is a novel you should read at different stages in your life, as you’ll take different meanings from it depending on your age and where you are in your life at that point. I couldn’t agree with her more. Every time I read Charlotte Bronte’s great novel I learn something new.

Do you listen to music while writing, or prefer silence? If you do listen to music while writing, what genres do you prefer?

 

 

 

 

 

Good question and one that fascinates me as I also play guitar, saxophone and piano. I remember my saxophone teacher saying once when I was very young that to a musician there is no such thing as background music. At the age of 14 this went over my head and now I get it. We all listen to music and have our favourites. However if you’re musically trained you can’t ignore the piece of music that is playing in the background as your ear has been trained to analyse it. After saying this I imagine there will be a wrath of response from other musicians who are able to listen to music and write at the same time. LOL! Of course, it always differs from person to person depending on how your individual sensory system works. To answer your question I always write in silence.

I love all kinds of music. My favourite classical guitarist is John Williams and I love John Etheridge for Jazz. I listen to everything from Elgar, John Coltrane, Eva Cassidy, and David Bowie to a yoga musician called Jack Harrison.

How important do you feel illustrations are in (a) writing for adults, and (b) writing for children and teens?

This is another fascinating debate that has influenced my decision to publish my first fantasy book as an interactive iBook. ‘A Monster Calls’ is a great example. The novel is classified YA but is also a cross over novel because it has been enjoyed by countless adults including myself. Patrick Ness carried out research with his team to explore these kinds of questions. They found adults and teens do miss the illustrations and this is exactly why Jim Kay’s line drawings are as important to the narrative of ‘A Monster Calls’ as Ness’ text. I personally agree. I don’t mean to bang on about music again but you only have to look at opera to know that music can express a story and I would argue the same for any kind of artwork. The progress in technology that we see around us every day is also making the society we live in more visual. This is exactly why I decided to include the stunning photography, HD film and 3D modelling in The Sword of Air along with a cinematic soundtrack. Technologies such as the Internet, iPads, and computer games are part of childrens’ and adults’ consciousness now and it would be silly to ignore this fact. If you are interested in this subject further please read the blog posts I have written on www.swordofair.net exploring iBooks further.

Do you feel that there’s any sort of future for books (in any format) and for the art of storytelling?

Definitely. I strongly believe that books and the art of storytelling will never die. Personally I think storytelling is a fundamental part of what makes us human. You only have to look at Robert McKee’s screenwriting bible ‘Story’ which is heavily influenced Psychotherapist and Psychiatrist Carl Jung’s ‘Theory of Archetypes’. To cut to the chase the hero’s journey or the heroine’s journey (in the case of The Sword of Air) are a fundamental part of the human consciousness. Each community of people across the world has their own myths and legends that feature archetypes such as the hero, the ally, the threshold guardian etc.

Abcans boat to the fairy realm

 

 

 

 

 

Telling stories is how human beings communicate and this will always be the case in one way or another. I think the one thing we have to accept is that whether we like it or not technology is becoming more and more important in storytelling as modern society progresses. A wonderful example is Terry Pratchett’s daughter Rhianna Pratchett. She is an award winning scriptwriter, story designer and general narrative paramedic (lol!). She aims to help developers embrace story telling in games and improve ways in which interactive narrative is defined, integrated and received. I’m a fan of the way she works and is why I wanted to experiment with Apple iBook technology for ‘The Sword of Air’. It really is unlike any book you will have ever experienced before.

Do you have any talents other than writing, which you’d like to tell us about? 

I’ve already mentioned music. To relax I like to cook, it’s my meditation after a long days writing in a way.

Kalen King of the Fae

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m also a huge fan of the outdoors and you will see this influence in ‘The Sword of Air,’ as Niamh my heroine battles to save the natural world from the Raven Queen’s determination to destroy everything of real beauty and meaning in the world around her. I particularly wanted to explore the conflict between the natural world and the modern industry in my novel, as I am a keen kayaker, walker and caver.

I believe everyone has some kind of talent or talents if they dig deep enough even if they’re adamant they don’t.

Is there one single book in your life that stands out, or provided some kind of turning point, major change, or affected you so deeply in some way that it changed the course of your life?

This is such a hard question because I am a total book geek and have read so many books that have affected me in one way or another. I’m going to cheat again to make this easier and talk about the most contemporary novel that has affected me deeply if that is ok just to make your question easier to answer :) 

I absolutely loved Matthew Quick’s ‘Silver Lining Playbook’. Anyone who found the film version with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper a bit cheesy please do not be put off reading the book. It’s so much better. I wouldn’t say it changed my life but it was very thoughtful and sensitive in the way that it handled the mental health issues it explores.

Niamh. Find out whether the Fae are her friend or foe?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, what new projects do you have in the pipeline / on the horizon? Which are the most important works-in-progress right now?

I am working on an updated version of ‘The Sword of Air’, mainly because the Apple iBook technology is updating every day and there are a lot of cool features I can now add in to make the readers’ experience even more visceral.

Abcan -The dwarves greatest warrior.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course there will be a sequel to The Sword of Air so keep watching my blog for news of that in the next year or so.

I have writing fever again as I’m about to start a new project, which I don’t want to say too much about right now. All I will leave you with is it’s not fantasy. The novel will be very much set in the world we live in today so if fantasy is not your thing this may be the R J Madigan novel for you!

Finn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join R.J Madigan in the punk publishing revolution by following on…

Blog Featured on WordPress Freshly Pressed!

Facebook

Goodreads Gaining Five Star reviews!

Pinterest

The Sword of Air is available for purchase from the iTunes store. Click on the front cover below to download the first three chapters of this this exciting new iBook for free.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See what awesome vlogger ‘The Bookish Blonde,’ has to say about ‘The Sword of Air all the way from South Africa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua1Q5h88Pn0

The Sword of Air is available now to read on iPhone, iPad and all Macs (latest software update required)

A sneak preview of the end movie for chapter five! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvUbCJMsmSc

Breena Queen of the Fae

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you have read the Sword of Air please contact me at my blog or Facebook page to tell me what you think of the writing and the interactive technology. Your feedback is important to me. R J Madigan.

The Sword of Air – Now available on iPhone.

The Raven Queen

The stunning new multi-touch iBook by R.J Madigan is now available to read on iPhone due to apples update in technology.  The Sword of Air includes breathtaking photography, HD film, an incredible cinematic soundtrack and 3D modelling.  Gaining 5 star reviews on goodreads, feedback from other authors has been ‘that the novel is beautifully written and the book is unlike anything you have experienced before!’

Check out the trailer here

Don’t believe me then hear what awesome vlogger ‘The Bookish Blonde’ has to say about The Sword of Air all the way from South Africa.

Click on the front cover below to download the first three chapters of The Sword of Air for free.

When you have read ‘The Sword of Air,’ please contact me at www.swordofair.net to tell me what you think of the storytelling and the apple iBook technology.

Check out a sneak preview of the end movie from chapter three here.

Or you can follow me on

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q&A with Simon Williams author of Dark Summer’s Waters.

 

I am very excited to host this author question and answer with the immensely talented Simon Williams.  If you are looking for a children’s book unlike anything you have ever read before then I suggest you grab a copy of ‘Summer’s Dark Waters,’ from Amazon now!  Read on to learn more about Simon Williams and his work.

Simon Williams

Why did you start writing?

 

I honestly don’t know, because it really was a long time ago. I started scribbling down stories from the age of five (albeit infantile ones, naturally) and never really stopped. As time went on, I also discovered that I didn’t really have any particular talent for the world of “proper work” so I guess that made me even more determined to stick with it.

 

If you could meet any author dead or alive who would it be and why?

 

Alan Garner, if only to let him know how his books really changed my life when I was around 9 and 10. Thinking back, it was reading his books that really made me determined to be an author.

 

 

I love Alan Garner too.  When you are not reading or writing what do you enjoy doing?

 

Unfortunately, like many authors I have to spend far too much of my time marketing and plugging one book or another something I really don’t enjoy, but generally speaking if you don’t help yourself then you shouldn’t expect help from others, so I just get stuck in and get on with it.

 

I tend to just read if I’m not writing or on social media. I don’t have much appetite for television I watch the news (to remind myself about the nature of humanity not that one needs too many such reminders) and some sports, maybe a film now and then.

 

I love the illustrations for ‘Summer’s Dark Waters.’ What made you choose to work with artist Ankolie?

 

I was already familiar with her work as we’d been connected for a few years, and I absolutely love her style. I thought she would be perfect as my collaborator, and as it turned out she somehow managed to get the various characters so spot on that it sent shivers through me when I received the first proofs of the drawings for the book. There’s no explanation that I can think of for how she managed to draw them pretty much exactly as I imagined them. But the whole “putting together” phase of developing the book was an amazing experience, and the good news is that she’s agreed to work with me on a few more projects.

 

While I remember, it would be timely to plug her website www.ankolie.com

 

So now the exciting bit – tell us a bit about Joe and Amber the protagonists of the story?

 

Well, they seem to be pretty ordinary kids to begin with but it quickly becomes evident that they have special abilities but there are a few twists and turns in the story before that becomes evident. I try to make the reader (who would more than likely be a young teen or tween) think about what conclusion *they* might draw if someone starts to behave oddly or erratically so although it’s very much a sci-fi / fantasy adventure, Summer’s Dark Waters does explore a whole range of other themes that anyone can relate to- things like fear, prejudice, difficult decisions, and most of all how you feel when it seems like your world has been swept away from under your feet.

 

It’s also very much about the importance of family- neither Joe nor Amber are members of what society once called a “typical” family- and I suppose in essence I wanted to explain the characters rather than just “have stuff happen to them”. All my work is broadly character-based. It was a little more difficult writing about them at first, but in the end I found it (surprisingly) easier than I expected.

 

I know this is an annoying question but where did the idea for Summer’s Dark Waters come from?

 

It was originally based on an idea that my niece Danielle and I came up with, which at the time was quite different. The story was basically about a boy who had to hide himself away sometimes because he turned into a kind of crocodile-boy hybrid (with super powers). Clearly the story changed almost completely, but that was the starting point and some things from the original idea have survived the lake in the woods, and the names Joe and Amber, a couple of other things.

 

How has your current job informed your writing?

 

It hasn’t, is the short answer! The jobs I do are really just to earn enough money for food and rent. And on the flipside, I don’t really think of writing as “work” even though it is very hard work a lot of the time- at least, it can be a struggle. I see it more as a calling.

 

I am fascinated by the writing process itself.  What are your least and most favourite parts and why?

 

Editing can be a real chore because that often involves going over things meticulously again and again, which for me always feels like quite a technical, mechanical process.

 

My favourite part is probably when I’ve just had a (hopefully) great idea and rush to write it all down- whether it’s a hundred words or five thousand. That’s always quite an experience.

 

Marketing is a difficult and frustrating part of the self publishing process. What has worked so far for you and what tips would you give to a new author with regards to marketing?

 

The problem with marketing is trying to figure out not only where to target it, but how much and how little to do. There are many authors who frown upon other authors constantly marketing their works- but then again, they tend to do it because they feel they have to.

 

It’s difficult to know which approach has worked for me because I use several different social networks and do a number of different things- I suppose it’s a scattershot approach, but broadly it’s worked. The tricky thing is knowing which networks and which specific approaches work and which don’t- because that’s very challenging to work out from book sales.

 

For new authors, I would say don’t be afraid to market your work if you feel it’s good enough- after all, no one else will do it for you, at least at first- but at the same time don’t be too pushy about it.

 

Thank you for the valuable advice with regards to marketing.  Will there be a sequel to Summer’s Dark Waters and are you working on any other writing projects that we can look forward to reading in the future?

 

Aona Series

Yes, in fact I’m writing the sequel to Summer’s Dark Waters already and I’m hoping to have it completed by the end of 2015. Ankolie has agreed to do the illustrations again.

 

Other things I’m working on:

 

The fifth and final Aona book, “Salvation’s Door”, which brings to an end the Aona saga. This could end up being quite long…

 

A collection of short stories- some old, some new- which should be out very shortly. My stories don’t really belong in any genre and I’m not sure putting them together in a single volume is the best idea-

but I don’t believe in selling something that small individually and at the same time I’d like to think they’re worth a few pence.

 

A new book for kids around ages 7 to 9 (roughly), a fun but thought-provoking fantasy about which I can’t (or won’t) give any more details yet, mainly because I’m amused and enthused in equal measure about the whole plot and concept. I’m hoping that Guess-Who will be doing the artwork for this as well.

 

 

Thank you so much Simon for giving up your time to answer my questions here at http://www.swordofair.net.  It has been a pleasure to host this question and answer with you.

You can learn more about Simon and his work here on the internet:

Blog: www.simonwilliamsauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Simon-Williams/167649143291810

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094097.Simon_Williams

 

R J Madigan

Catch Up with The Sword of Air.

 

Catch up with R J Madigans stunning debut The Sword of Air on Wattpad!  Click icon below to start reading Chapter 7 Part 2 now!

 

This exciting multi-touch iBook is available now from the Ibooks store.  Read the first three chapters for free.  Click the link below to discover a book unlike any book you have ever experienced before.

 

Follow R.J Madigan on Facebook by clicking the link below.

 

What About Wattpad? Wonderful or Wicked? What do you think?

Lots of authors consider Wattpad. Millions of readers, the hot website for right now.

Wattpad is a writing community in which users are able to post stories, poems and fan fiction. This includes works by undiscovered writers, published writers or people just looking for somewhere to write their ideas down.

But what should you do with it? Continue reading here:

http://swordofair.net/2015/05/04/what...

What about Wattpad? Wonderful or Wicked?

 

Lots of authors consider Wattpad. Millions of readers, the hot website for right now.

Wattpad is a writing community in which users are able to post stories, poems and fan fiction. This includes works by undiscovered writers, published writers or people just looking for somewhere to write their ideas down. Members are able to leave comments and ‘like’ stories.

With Wattpad you serialise your novel rather than posting it up all at once. This hooks into an old tradition in literature. Many of Charles Dickens’ novels were serialised in newspapers. This structure is reflected in his stories. It’s funny but there’s something more intimate about releasing one part per week. Building up that tension and anticipation with your readers. In some way I feel more connected to them. Even though I don’t know who they are for the most part.

Wattpad is free and there’s no option to sell your book, so everything you put on there, you get nothing for other than the glory of lots of ‘reads’ – if you’re lucky.

On the plus side there’s the opportunity to gain a potential audience and exposure. There are news articles of people getting publishing deals off the back of Wattpad.

But…

What kind of audience are you generating? People on Wattpad like reading, but are they prepared to pay for it? Or at least will they become your cheerleaders? Telling all their friends and family about how great you are? Both are difficult to judge.

Those authors who get publishing deals had millions of reads. I was very happy with getting a few thousand reads until I saw that others were getting hundreds of thousands or millions of reads. I don’t know if that tells you more about me or the transitory nature of happiness.

Wattpad is another iron in the fire. It certainly generates views and interaction. In many ways it’s a better platform than other forms of social media because it is fundamentally grounded in your actual story rather than ‘what I did today’ type of updates.

One view of it is that Wattpad is another giant force helping to devalue writing. Because it’s free, people get used to the idea that all writing is free. However I hope that it creates a funnel for readers to find my work and ultimately buy it. Overall I like Wattpad and will persevere with it.

 

Only time will tell…

Tantum tempus narrabo.

 

 

 

 

Check out the Sword of Air on Wattpad. I post a new chapter every weekend. Just click on the wattled icon below to start reading now!

What’s your experience? Do you love Wattpad? Have you ever bought anything after reading it on Wattpad?

Are you an author? Has it worked for you?

Post your thoughts in the comments section.

—

Chapter 4 Part 2 ‘The Sword of Air,’ by R.J. Madigan – now available on Wattpad!

You can read Chapter 4 Part 2 – Niamh & The Fae – Now Available on Wattpad!

 

Click the Wattpad link above to start reading now!

 

Support the revolution in Punk Publishing and download the stunning new multi-touch iBook by R.J. Madigan today.

Click on the front cover above to download a book unlike anything you have ever experienced before!

 

#Official Sneak Preview 6 inside The Sword of Air by R.J. Madigan!

Check out the #6 official sneak preview inside the stunning new iBook ‘The Sword of Air,’ by R.J. Madigan.

For all of you out there who do not own an iPad or a Mac Chapter Four Part One of ‘The Sword of Air,’ is now available to read on Wattpad.  Just click on the link below.

 

Support the revolution in punk publishing and download ‘The Sword of Air,’ today from iBooks by clicking on the front cover below.

5 Reasons Why You Should have Your Story on iBooks.

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of people have asked me why I published on iBooks. OK well I’ll hit you with 5 amazing reasons why the iPad rocks and is here to stay for books:

1. When it was announced, the late, great Steve Jobs called the iPad a magical and revolutionary device. And you know what – he was right. You can do things with your story on iPad that are impossible on any other device.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. The iPad holds the Guinness world record for the fastest selling consumer electronics device in history. More than a quarter of BILLION iPads have been sold in the last five years. That’s an awful lot of potential customers!

3. The iPad killed the netbook category because it was just so good. Why would people bother to buy an ultra cheap laptop when they could have an iPad? Answer – they didn’t. Netbooks are dead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Of all the devices in the Apple stable nothing is more amazing than the iPad. It’s the world’s most popular tablet. A device all users love. An elegantly simple 1lb amalgamation of aluminium and toughened glass. It doesn’t break, crash, or overheat. It will work whether you’re on WiFi or 3G. It’s so easy, even a child can use it, and they do. From 5 to 105 anyone can use the Sword of Air on their iPad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. When someone reads your story you want them to be wowed and entranced. By swiping and interacting with the story by touch, it breaks down the ‘fourth wall’ in your mind between yourself and the novel. The music, the imagery, the video all contribute to the enhancing the fantasy world. In short it makes it all more real in your head.

The iPad. The very best there is. When you absolutely, positively have to kill every competitor in the room. Accept no substitutes (:

We’re in a world where publishers wont speak to you unless you’re a celebrity, are an established writer or have an agent already. Agents get sent 100’s of manuscripts a week and unless you’re the lottery ticket winner who gets picked out of the slush pile – where does that leave you?

On. Your. Own. Floating in an ocean of stories and the many brilliant writers out there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I thought – TEAR IT UP! Do something amazing. And make them come to you.

I had to do something inspiring, different and which gave me a Unique Selling Point (USP) compared to all the other books out there.

The Sword of Air trailer has over 5,000 views already:

There are two 5 star reviews on Booktube which have another 5,000 views by Bookish Blonde and Little Library.

 

The Sword of Air is now available for iPad and Mac on the iBookstore – click the front cover below to download the first three chapters free:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or get the whole amazing multimedia epic book experience for only 99p!

Not ready to commit that kind of cash quite yet? The Sword of Air is being serialised weekly on Wattpad.  Click on the link below to start reading today.

 

 

 

 

 

Get into The Sword of Air world with imagery on Pinterest.  Click on the Grogoch’s treehouse below to see our boards on Pinterest!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AWESOME original music on YouTube.  Click on record player below to listen!

 

 

 

 

 

Remember to like this post and subscribe to my blog! I put out new posts every week!

#5 Official Sneak Preview inside The Sword of Air by R.J.Madigan!

Here is the 5th official sneak preview inside the stunning new multi-touch iBook by R.J.Madigan.

See what awesome vlogger ‘The Bookish Blonde,’ has to say about The Sword of Air!

 

Support the revolution in punk publishing by clicking the link below and downloading The Sword of Air from iBooks today!