Michael R. Baker's Blog, page 15

SPFBO Author Interview: Gabriel Michaelson “Hunter”

Very kindly got reminded that I still had this interview tucked away! This one is with Michael Allison (Gabriel Michaelson) , author of Hunter. The cover is pretty nifty!

It is a cold Tuesday morning, I need coffee and I need to work out my characters. Enjoy the interview!

 

 

 

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write? 

 

Well, I write fantasy. All jokes aside, my name is Michael Allison – I write under the pen name Gabriel Michaelson, and I write adventure fantasy about superhumans travelling around their world searching for an object and the pitfalls they experience along the way.

 

How do you develop your plots and characters?

 

I’d like to say my plots and characters come to me as I write. One thing I appreciate especially is creating villains. I think, “why would this character do this obviously evil thing”, and then I draw that out in the story. Whether that becomes a flashback chapter or not is dependent on the importance of the character. For instance, in Hunter, one of the primary villains has two chapters dedicated to him. Other villains get developed through there as well, but you’ll find the focus is on one character.

As for my plots, it is very much a Point A (1 million Zig Zsgd) Point B thing. It’s like if someone wanted to go to the fridge to get a glass of milk, it can’t be that straightforward. Perhaps her roommate Chad drank all the milk. Damn Chad. Now she has to go the grocery store, but that’s closed because it’s a Sunday, so she has to head deep into town and then dragons attack. You get the gist.

I plan ahead, like way ahead. I have the end written out in some form, much of the muddle, a lot of the first three books done and all I have to do is to hit those points. The characters and plots that inform those characters now form themselves as I write them. The consequences of an action may present itself in book 3, or an action that I want to take in Book 2 may need to be set up in book 1 and so on, which is why I plan ahead both forward and backward.

 

Tell us about your current project.

 

Hunter is something that I’ve always wanted to write. When I first thought of it as a child, it was named “Cicada” and I had the idea of a massive quest spanning planets at first with a treasure at the end of it. I scaled it down to continents,and everything just kind of fell into place. I wanted Knights to play a part, so the Rune Knights were born. I wanted massive god like enemies, and thus we have the Orisha.

The Nephilim (previously known as the Ten Princes in planning), were created as a teaser for the Nephilim, but grew to have sagas crafted around them as antagonists.

Right now I have the overall structure of Hunter plotted out into three main sagas, that seems a good number. I’d delver into them, but…spoilers.

 

Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them!

 

Derek is the main character of Hunter. I’d say he’s a very earnest character. He’s been very isolated for most of his life, so when he finds friends or people he likes, he’d love to help them. He’s also someone who – due to that isolation – does not place much value on his own life, so he’d be willing to throw away his life to help others.

He’s not aware he’s in a novel or a story where his successes or failures are  (for better or worse), preordained so while he has an end-goal in mind, he’s not going to throw away any more prudent, more immediate opportunity that presents itself.

However, Hunter is also an ensemble cast, and the other characters that Derek finds himself allied with drive the plot just as much.

What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?

 

Be like Derek. You’ll never know until you try, and if you don’t try, you’ll always wonder what if.

 

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?

 

Well, my story is very much inspired by mythology when it comes to the world building aspects.

The Orisha for instance, are named after the Yoruba deities . I thought it was very common to see people draw from greek or roman cultures for fantasy, and I thought it would be something to try, pulling from a culture that I am part of which is very underrepresented in the fantasy world (and the world at large.)

For the Rune Knights and some of the weapons of the main characters, I draw inspiration from celtic mythology primarily. This reflects in the names of their weapons in story, in my head I also imagine celtic runes when someone uses runes in the story.

A fun fact, the name godspark comes from the Higgs boson and its somewhat tongue in cheek name as the God Particle. I’d written a story about that ages ago, and when it came time to pen Hunter – godspark seemed a natural name for a power.

 

What inspires you to write?

 

Well, I do want to sit down and read my story, and I discovered that beaming my thoughts at peoples head wouldn’t work so –  I had to get into it myself. If you have a story to tell, no one’s going to tell it for you.

 

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

 

Starting. Finishing. Hitting publish. All of them equally hard. The voices in your head tell you you can’t do it, and that no one will read so it’s up to you to hunker down and beat them back with a broom if possible.

 

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

My favourite parts to write were two self contained chapters that delved into the characters and the world of the story. It’s the part of the book where you get to ask a character, “who are you?”, and then they tell you for better or for worse. “This is who I am. This is why I am. Here’s some tidbits about the world as well.”

 

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?

 

I learned that I could stay up all night writing books and not die. I also learned how hard, and how easy it was to write. Self discipline is a difficult thing to train, but once you have it, you have it.

 

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?

We learn more about people when we see the situations they get put into, and i believe that’s the same for fictional characters as well. Little by little we get a sense for what a character would do in one situation as opposed to another. Once I wrote a scene where a character would have acted out of character to resolve that scene, when it came to writing it, it was like the characters scolded me. “I can’t do that, don’t make me do that,” they seemed to be saying.

 

What are your future project(s)?

I’m currently working on my second series, Strikers (Tentatively titled Sentinel Book 1: Masked) for release soon. I’m also working on Hunter Book 2  – Target right now, and I’m hoping to have both of them out by Christmas this year.

 

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

I’d say if I couldn’t talk about imaginary people or things my ideal job would be a journalist, someone who tells stories about real people, or real things.

 

What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

 

I’d love to be followed on Goodreads, and a kind word via email (Gabriel@gabemichaelson.com) never went amiss.

SPFBO Finalist Interview: Angie Grigaliunas “Sowing”

I’ve nearly ran out of interviews! Gotta keep these going! I do have a few I’m waiting on, but I am coming towards the end of the ones I do have. I think I have a couple left in my inbox. If anyone has sent an interview in and hasn’t had theirs put up, just let me know.

Today’s interview is with Bookworm Blues well deserved finalist Angie, with her amazing dystopian book Sowing. I can gush about both this book and Angie as a person for hours on end to the point of it being slightly weird, but all I can say is I know Angie quite well personally, she’s an incredible writer and the love she puts into her world and characters ranks up with some of the best I’ve seen by anyone. She also loves cats.

I wish Angie the best of luck with the Finals and I have huge expectations for her writing career. Seriously, it’s so well deserved.

Little Post about me:

So I did get eliminated from SPFBO at the first hurdle. I fully expected it, and I’ll be the first to admit it hit me a lot harder then I thought it would. (Funny how dumb emotions work!) I feel a lot better about it now and I’m just happy I took the plunge. It literally saved me from going down a spiral into nothing, so I can only thank it for that.

Expect more from me in 2019. But let’s get back to the main event!

 

 

 

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?

Hi! I’m 28, married, love cats (and most animals)… Erm…yeah… I’m really short/small, kind of dorky and klutzy, I’m scared of bees and heights, not scared of snakes or spiders (if they’re outside)… I’ve never been farther west than Missouri. No, wait, Texas. Unless where I was in Texas wasn’t as far west as where I was in Missouri. Now I have to find out. Hang on. *finds a map* Okay, the place is Texas is slighter farther west. Mystery solved.

Did I mention I’m slightly crazy? Ha! I should have…

Also: ice cream. I need it. Cookie dough. If you want to be my friend, give me ice cream. I may or may not be easily bought.

Also also: sarcasm. I don’t know if I can speak without using it. I mean, for an extended period of time. Unless I’m not speaking. Though, I’d probably still be thinking in sarcasm… (And we wonder why my characters are sarcastic. Just kidding. No one who knows me has ever wondered that… Ha!)

I write fantasy/dystopian. More dystopian than fantasy, though there are different races and such. It’s also medieval. Beyond that, I have a more fantastical story (with magic and dragons!) as well as an Ancient Rome-thingy in the works. I pretty much just write what I’d like to read, so…

How do you develop your plots and characters?

Oh, gosh. They kind of develop themselves. The plot often grows out of “what if?” questions, but the characters have minds of their own. I have almost entirely given up on trying to make them be what I want them to be. Every time I say, “This person is going to be _____, _____, and ____,” they decide to rebel and be the opposite. -_- How dare they. This is what I get for writing a dystopian story about rebellion…

Tell us about your current project.

Sowing is the first of a planned series (eight books!); it follows two sisters as they try to navigate and find their places in their oppressed, war-torn world. Here’s the blurb:

They can take your house, your daughter, whatever they want.

For Ariliah, life under the militarized Hulcondans is one of order and safety. Despite the soldiers’ ruthless policies, she trusts their judgment. They alone provide protection from the enemies lurking beyond the city wall.

For her older sister, Rabreah, every glance from a Hulcondan is a threat. Though even a whisper against them is treason worthy of death, Rabreah is determined to end their tyranny. Joining an underground resistance is her only hope – until she realizes she doesn’t know the people she’s aligned herself with at all. Unsure who to trust but unable to back out, she must work alongside the attractive yet infuriating rebel leader who reminds her far too much of the soldiers she hates.

But with subversive posters appearing throughout the city and people dying on the blade of an unknown assailant, the sisters’ world begins to crumble.

And as the line between friend and enemy blurs, both girls must face the truth: everything is about to change.

Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them!

I feel like I have four: Ariliah, Rabreah, Sorek, and Masrekah. 

Gaming of 2018 – My Top 10 Part 1

This has been an interesting year for gaming, and I’ve managed to play quite a lot this year as well! This should be a fun series for the end of 2018 that gives a bit of insight into what I’ve been doing when I should be writing my books.

This is about video gaming, and the immense juggernaut which shows no signs of slowing down. Problems in gaming still remain of course, but I’ve rather enjoyed the new games this year. Being able to buy games I’ve wanted is also a huge boon, and now I finally have a current console (if only the Switch), I’ve been able to catch up somewhat.

This year my annual gaming awards in December will come in several parts. My top 10 games of the year split into two articles, then another article talking about my Honorable and. . .less honorable games that pissed me off. Trust me, there’s a few of them this year. In a change from previous years, I am now adding these new rules.

1. The games have had to have been released in 2018. For the first time, this rule also applies to Early Access titles that have had a 1.0, fully playable release. The catch? I have to have played the vast majority of the game this year, or bought and played this year. The reason I am doing this is because there have been a swathe of incredible games that have hit version 1.0 in 2018 that really deserve a spot in my list, and it’s finally time to talk about them.

2. No Remasters or Remakes of any kind in the Top 10, although I can add them to Honorable Mentions. Sorry Crash Bandicoot. You were fun, but didn’t quite make my list this year. Sadly, no Spyro, God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2. Still don’t have a PS4 or Xbox One. If I don’t have the game, I cannot review it nor can I judge it. Only idiots write about games they have never played.

3. No Ports either. Sorry Diablo III. I’ve never played you until this year on the Switch and you would have scored highly, but I had to make this rule to give others a chance. You will get a review at some point, because I love the game.

 

10. Octopath Traveler

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The only Switch game on the list (or indeed, non-PC) besides some really pimping ports (Points and coughs to Diablo III

Initially I put this game down plenty of times, turned off by the combat. It felt slow, sluggish and I tried to get back into it. Over time, it got with me and it really started to pick up pace, with a lot of depth that justified me playing on the Switch for long periods: the only game this year besides Diablo III that pulled that off.

While this was an enjoyable game, it did have problems. I found myself virtually restarting the game each time a new character turned up, which reset the games momentum completely. It’s. . .slow. Usually I don’t mind that, but some of the characters were a bit of a slog to get through, and this was draining on me. And while the combat became decent, it never got really enough for me to become addicted. Despite this, the world and setting are excellent and it’s a game I look forward to getting back to when my backlog is down. A worthy 10th place on my list, and once i’m no longer addicted to Diablo III and Hollow Knight on the Switch, I’ll be back to this.

 

9. BATTLETECH

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First of all, let me discuss BATTLETECH. I wish this game was higher in my Top 10 this year. I really do.

It took me a while to a) get the game and b) get into the game. I’ll say this now, Battletech is a pretty damn nice combat simulator, one of the best I have played in years. There was also a time in the year when I genuinely thought this was going to be a challenge for the best game of 2018. However…that did not happen, hence why this is sitting on Number 10. This is for a combination of factors. The first thing is recency bias, and a slew of better games got released between April and now. The second reason being that it has a lot of really severe flaws that bring it down. (This is repeated with many games I’ve enjoyed this year, to be honest. Doesn’t stop me loving most of them though!)

Now don’t get me wrong, I do like this game a lot which is a reason why it’s on my Top 10 list. There’s a ton of customisation and ways to spiff up your mechs, and the basic game-play is a treat, with difficult fights and good tactics to think about in battle. We don’t get enough new strategy games these days, so this is nice to see. Playing as a freelance mercenary company can be a lot of fun as long as the game lets you.

Now, let’s talk about the games downsides. One serious issue I had was performance. Let’s be frank: its not the prettiest thing ever. It should by no rights be as demanding as it is, but Unity is a performance hog and it makes things really groan, with a bad saving system and terrible optimisation. When something so simple as clicking on a fucking menu can take 10-15 seconds per go, we have a major problem on our hands. I don’t understand how something as basic can have so many problems.

The devs have made things easier with patches, but it’s still nowhere close to what it should be, especially for a game with as simple a visual design as Battletech. Then there’s all the wasting time issues with slow animations and the terrible repeating loop transitions during space (which you cannot skip or speed up, I might add), crashes and bugs and other nasty little things. This all slows the games pace down to a crawl, although the little events between add some depth and choice. I really hate the travel, even though I understand why this is.

When this is backed up by a really unfair balance at times, limited map size and the AI throwing insane odds at you (you only can bring 4 mechs, against as many as a dozen with supporting tanks), the game really began to grind my gears. The campaign’s story is cliched and you’re spent having to grind random missions to keep your money afloat, although the campaign maps are a lot nicer and shows they have some care. Once you’ve finished the campaign, the game opens into an open-ended run, but by then all endgame content is done. This isn’t helped by a IMO overpriced Season Pass (I hate the idea of paying for content in advance with no information of later DLC, risking wasting money), and its first DLC Flashpoint doing a couple of cool things but struggles to meet its pricetag in my eyes. I’ll hold judgement for its later content.

It sounds like I’m ragging on this game a lot, and I am. But I really like this game. More support is coming, and hopefully more content. While there’s no official mod support, the game is very moddable with a ton of options, including the extremely popular roguelite total conversion Roguetech, and with sandbox maps available, this game has a lot going for it. This game got a 7/10 for me overall, and I did really enjoy what I played. Back in July it was battling Kingdom Come Deliverance for my Game of the Year. There is a good reason that it still makes the Top 10 list in spite of all its issues.

I’ll probably get back to this at some point in 2019, but I’m happy to wait. I have plenty of games in my backlog, new and old.

 

 

8. CrossCode

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Boy oh boy, this was the second latest game I started this year that made it into the Top 10. I got the recommendation from a friend of mine online about this game, and I figured I’d pick it up, not expecting too much. Launching fully this year from a while in Early Access, it has made waves online and for good reason, but I went in not expecting to like this. I thought “Let’s give this a go. Even if I don’t like it, it’s only £15.”

How wrong I was. For a 2D game this really packs a punch with excellent visuals and a fascinating setting. Set in an MMO-style world known as CrossWorlds, you play an NPC who has lost her memory, and is brought back in simulation to recover it.

There is no slow pace in this, and the controls back up the speed of battle. It’s so fluid I found myself having a blast just playing through the basic game. I’m admittedly not that far into the game with only 12 hours, but it’s some insanely fun combat and shooting mechanics with some really cool puzzles thrown in.

Like an MMO, there is a fair bit of grinding I’m finding, but so far early on there isn’t too much to drag me away. It’s really quite endearing in how it functions, and from what I can see there is a ton of content for its small price tag. I’m fascinated to see how this will go on, and it’s possibly the relative lateness in me playing it into why it’s low on my list. Overall though, it’s cool, it’s fun, it has few weaknesses and I like it. That deserves a spot on my list. For a genre I hardly play these days, I think it’s safe to say it’s done well on me this year.

Oh, and the music in the game is stunning. That too! Seriously, give this game a go. Like me, you might be surprised how decent it is.

 

7. Two Point Hospital

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Now this is how you revive an old game.

I loved Theme Hospital back in the day. A wacky, bonkers but lovable management game with a ton of weird diseases and shit to sort out. In a day and age where health is more important then ever, I was delighted to hear that Two Point Hospital was coming out this year.

A good example of a game of this genre is options and replay-ability (I will go into this more in my most disappointing game of 2018…sigh), and I have a lot of good things to say about Two Point Hospital.

It isn’t a massive game and the hospital size is a bit limited, but it oozes charm from every orifice. It’s not even a remake, but an idolized painting of times long gone. It admirably brings Theme Hospital back into the current era and it does such a good job at it. It’s just familiar enough to bring back nostalgic fans and it’s new and modernised enough to bring in the new fans.

At launch it had a few niggling issues like bugs and no sandbox mode, but now these have been fixed, it’s one hell of a management game and has a lot of fun to it. Reminds me a lot of Planet Coaster when it just feels happy to play, and Planet Coaster won my 2016 GOTY if you recall! That’s a game which sacrificed management for incredible customization, and it still holds up well to this day. It’s a bit too easy at times and could benefit from a map/scenario editor, but that’s okay. Already I’m having a blast with this game and it’s an admirable addition to the management genre I did wonder if it deserved to hit the Top 5, but well…you will see when I show you the other games on this list. It didn’t quite make it, but it’s been a good piece of gaming for me. Overall, pretty damn good.

I’m looking forward to playing more of this game in the future.

 

6. Subnautica

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Wow. Just wow.

Holy shit this game is immersive and terrifying at the same time. Having spent a long time in Early Access, Subnautica came out in January this year for proper, and I only managed to pick it up in mid-November. I’d heard a lot about the game, but I never got round to it until the latter parts of 2018.

This game has blown me away on many levels. This game is seriously impressive and had I more time to play it, this could have been even higher on my list. It really feels like I’m an alien exploring a living ecosystem. I can’t even say there are enemies to speak of in this game. There are massive sea monsters that can and will fuck you up for certain, but they never felt like game bosses. It feels like I’m an outsider, looking into their world and intruding. No wonder they want to eat me.

This is technically a survival exploration game, but in practice it’s a horror game as well. The shock of playing this at 2am with the lights off, in my sub and a giant fuck off monster leaps out of the gloom is one way for me to jump the fuck out of my chair. This is one of the only games ever to make me do that. At times it is truly scary.

You start off crashlanding into the ocean and have to scrabble for resources to survive. The survival system is there but not too intrusive, though if you run out of oxygen you’re dead. The story is engrossing especially for a survival crafting game, which is something a lot of this over-saturated desert of a genre lacks. It’s truly a beautiful game and there are loads of ways to get down to business. Want to be an immortal god exploring the environment? You can. Want to play normally but not worry about eat or drink, you can. Want to be balls deep in the beyond and play with one life? You can.

No doubt, this stands above the other quaff in its genre, and it’s an incredible experience for me. One of the best worlds I’ve ever seen and I feel like an out-of-space explorer, observing an alien world with believable lifeforms. One of the best examples of Early Access, one true success story. The only reason it is not higher is me not playing it as much as others on this list. I feel if I got this back in January and spent more time with it, it could have easily cracked the Top 5.

 

 

2018 has been more difficult choosing a concrete Top 10 list then ever before. 2017 felt a bit like picking other games on the list behind DOS2, but I plan on releasing a revised version now I’ve had time to play more games. This year has been a lot harder to pick my GOTY. Who will win? You will have to wait.

SPFBO Author Interview – Staci Olsen “Defender of Dragons”

I might be coming to the end of my received interviews. I don’t think I have many left from those who did send in their responses. It’s been a great trip and we are nearing the end of SPFBO Phase 1. I’m not sure how many I have interviewed and posted up on this blog, but it has to be nearing the 50 range. That’s quite a large chunk of those who took part. It’s been a wonderful thing, but do not think that is the end.

My interviewing offer is open to everybody, whether you are a Finalist, Semi Finalist or you went out in this round. I would love to hear from you all and help bring you into the spotlight! Just get in touch with me, either through here or with my email: anduril38@googlemail.com. Once Phase 1 ends at the end of 2018, I will extend my interviewing offers to all authors, so don’t be shy. I can’t wait to hear from you.

Today’s interview is with Staci Olsen, author of Defender of Dragons. Here is my interview with her while I get some coffee and continue probing my manuscript of The Aegis Mora.

 

 

 

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?

 

I write YA fantasy. I would live to write adult fantasy, but for some reason, my voice comes out YA and I don’t know how to change it.

 

How do you develop your plots and characters?

 

I’m a pantser. I usually just start with a single scene. If it’s good enough, I’ll turn it into a novel. The plot and characters develop as I go along.

 

Tell us about your current project.

 

It’s an Alaskan mythological fantasy.

 

Who would you say is the main character of your novel? And tell me a little bit about them!

 

The main character of my published novel is Alskan, a 17-year-old girl. She’s noble, but has little value as a female until she proves that she can capture dragons.

 

What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?

 

Practice. Don’t give up when the words don’t come out the way you want them to. Writing takes just as much practice as playing football for the NFL.

 

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?

 

The setting is very much like the northern USA state where I grew up.

 

What inspires you to write?

 

I love making people respond emotionally to words.

 

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

 

Originally, I was pursuing traditional publishing and the publisher asked me to cut 20,000 words, nearly a quarter of the novel. I sat on it for a year because I had no idea where to begin doing that. By the time I finished, the publisher had moved on. But it’s a better book now.

 

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

 

The 23rd chapter when the villain is revealed. The scene flowed so naturally. It hardly took any effort.

 

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?

 

That’s hard to pinpoint. The entire journey was a learning process. I learned to accept critiques and follow advice. I learned that I’m capable of obtaining my dreams. I learned how to format a book for publishing.

 

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?

 

Some of them just come easily. They are fully developed people in my mind. Redrick was one of those. For other characters, I have to ask myself what he or she might do or say in a certain situation and think about it for a while.

 

What are your future project(s)?

 

The Alaskan mythological fantasy is what I’m working on right now. I’m really excited about it. After that, I think I better write a memoir about my unique childhood.

 

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

 

Actually, I was recently hired as an acquisitions editor for Immortal Works Press. I am very blessed to be able to do all my favorite jobs: writing, publishing, and wifing/parenting.

 

What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

 

I maintain my best presence on Facebook and I’ll be friends with anyone who has a connection of some sort.

https://www.facebook.com/staci.olsen.7

 

I’m also on Twitter in my professional role as acquisitions editor.

https://twitter.com/StaciOlsen12

 

My website is https://staciolsen.com and I’m also on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16971868.Staci_Olsen but I’m still learning how to be active on these sites.

 

SPFBO Author Interview: Steve Rodgers “City of Shards”

Whew. It has been a busy few days. My first year as a published author has come and gone, and it’s been interesting. Check out my review on that by clicking the link below:

 

One Year On: My first year as an Author

I am down to my final few interviews. I intend on interviewing all the submissions I get, so this will not be the end. Today’s interview is with Steve Rodgers, author of his awesome looking book City of Shards. I love that cover, by the way. It’s beautiful! His plot sounds really interesting as well.

 

 

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?  

I have been writing for quite some time, pretty much purely speculative fiction (Science Fiction and Fantasy). I have written about 30 SFF short stories, half of which have been published in on-line magazines and anthologies, a mix of pro, semi-pro, and token.

But my main writing endeavour is the Spellgiver series, of which City of Shards (book 1) is my SPFBO entry. Spellgiver is an epic fantasy series whose main protagonist is Larin, a slum dweller kid with a sort of magical tourette’s syndrome in which he shouts a three-word phrase. Those outbursts have turned him into a pariah in his gang-infested neighborhood, where he lives with his uncle, a drug-addicted warrior who’s uncommonly good with a sword. While his uncle protects him from the worst of the beatings, he’s not much for conversation, and has a mysterious past he refuses to discuss.

As it turns out, the words Larin shouts during his outbursts have meaning. Very important meaning. And those words set Larin on a course that will change everything.

The Spellgiver world unfurls into some something much bigger as the book goes on. We realize that Larin is a very small cog in a very large and very old continent-wide conflict between three fundamental forces: the human Gods, the indigen Gods, and a third set of gods people call demons. It is a triangle of enmity that splits the world into fault lines of peoples and cultures and religions.

To navigate this treacherous war, Larin will have to tread a narrow path between two evils, and come to grips with his servitude to one of them. Although there are many conflict points, if I had to pick a central conflict one for the book, it would be Larin’s struggle to come to terms with who he is.

How do you develop your plots and characters?

I started with the world itself. Although I didn’t write it so formally in the beginning, my world-building can be condensed into a few principles:

 

I wanted world that by its very construction, invited conflict. This is done by splitting the religions into those of the New Gods, Old Gods (indigen Gods), and demons. This is a trifecta of animosity that drives conflict throughout the book.
I didn’t want Tolkien races or creatures of any kind. Also, no vampires, werewolves, etc. More specifically, I wanted the fantastical beasts in Spellgiver to have appeared only in my imagination.
I wanted a magic system with historical foundation, i.e. one that has a reason for existence. Even if those reasons aren’t completely known to the characters.
I tried to design a magic system with clear rules and details, and one that limits the spellcaster in some way.
It was important to have religions that naturally flow from the world’s conflict points.
And I wanted essential secrets that no one has explained, but which form a basis upon which everything rests. These are mysteries of the world that can slowly be revealed over time.

 

I know I just answered a question about plots and characters by describing the world. But to me, the plot flows directly from all these principles. Once the world was in place, the conflicts were clear, and from that came the plot.

As for the characters, they are very much products of their world, and this drives who they are. For example, Larin is at the exact center point between New Gods, Old Gods, and Demons, but his random outbursts are pulling him toward the one path he doesn’t want to go. This affects everything about his life.

 

Tell us about your current project.

Spellgiver books 1 and 2 (“City of Shards” and “In the Claws of the Indigen”) have been written and are available on Amazon (along with a prequel novella set in the same world, “Mountain Witch”). I am currently working on book 3, and am about 80% done. The Spellgiver series will be a total of 4 books, and then I’m done. So one more. There will also be a second prequel novella that I plan to write after book 4.

 

Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them!

The main character is Larin, who is a young man through most of the book (though he starts off younger).  The force that rules Larin’s life is loneliness, because his random outbursts have made him a laughingstock. But he contributes to his own misery by refusing to back down when attacked, even when he’s clearly outnumbered. This has turned him into something more than just a silly clown to the local gangs—it’s made him their active enemy. He’s kept marginally safe by his uncle, who’s good enough with a blade to single-handedly keep part of the district clear of gangs, and this only adds to their hatred. Despite all that, Larin does make a few friends. But his demeanour alternates between boldness and resignation at his fate, and his humor is often dark. As events sweep him into larger wars, his boldness is the only way he can survive.

 

What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?

 

Use your imagination. I love to read strange and alternate realities, but all those require hard work on the part of the author. It’s so easy to fall into traps—the stereotypes and the obvious answers and the basic motivations. But it will be so much more of a rewarding read if you can subvert our expectations, and give us something beautiful and new.

When developing characters, one way to do that is to give them strange traits. Don’t introduce us to people we could meet in the supermarket. Give us people with strange and terrible afflictions, who are smart but myopic, both larger than life but horribly flawed (maybe that’s a cliché in itself, but still true!). Give us the strange and the quirky, and you’ll go a long way to keeping the reader’s attention.

As far as plot: For me developing plot depends on the type of fiction. If it is secondary world fiction, my advice is to picture the world before you start worrying about the conflicts. A plot that is divorced from the environment in which it takes place will feel artificial.

If it’s set in the modern world (including urban fantasy), then my advice is to start with a basic premise, then think carefully about how your characters would react. Based on what you know about them, what would they do in response to that premise? And then what would the secondary characters do in response to that?

If you let your characters breathe, then the writing will feel natural. And by that I don’t mean complete seat-of-your pants writing. It’s good to have a high level outline. But be prepared to change it as your characters take on a life of their own. If you’ve ever heard an author say that their characters are deciding the story, it simply means this: When you write the details about what happens to a character, certain insights based on their personalities will occur to you. While you had planned action X, you’ll suddenly realize that action Y makes a lot more sense in the context of who they are. Action Y will then spawn Action Z, which you’d never planned for in any outline. This means that the characters are taking over. And that’s a good thing.

OK and no advice to new writers would be complete without the basics: Find a critique group, learn how to take critiques, and most importantly learn how to revise effectively.

 

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?

There are several themes in the book, centered on breaking free of our chains, making hard decisions in the face of impossible choices, loneliness and boldness. But I think one theme that I strongly believe in, and which plays a central role in the book is this: Beware of any group that promises social justice but uses terrible means to get there.

 

What inspires you to write?

The need to actively daydream, and to turn those daydreams into reality

One Year On: My first year as an Author

It is officially the first anniversary of the publication of my first book, The Thousand Scars. It’s been. . .an odd year I think. It’s had its up and downs. So I feel I want to take a trip down memory lane and talk a bit about my journey. From the first ideas in my head, through to Counterbalance’s early development, to The Thousand Scar’s publication and my future plans. It’s going to be wild.

Let me take you back to the beginning.

 

What started it all

As I write this on a cold Sunday morning, I’m 28 years of age and for most of my life have loved reading and writing fiction; it’s a great feeling being able to craft your own world and tales with a stroke of a finger on the keyboard or a pen. Back when I was maybe 10 or 11, I was creating a fantasy world around which eventually became the crux of the novel I am writing. I also wrote a story called Attack of the Silver Serpent, which I found in my room while I was tidying it. Here is a picture down below of the monstrosity.

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Michael…that is a green serpent. I cringe reading it now, but it was a fun little thing I wrote when I was ten.

The fantasy world I’ve built took a very long time before it took shape, “borrowing” writing books in my English class to type up the battles and lore. Unfortunately, it seems I have misplaced a lot of this, but I hope that some of it will be salvaged! Think Time Commanders with loads of information about the armies and battles. Most of it was not brought forward into my fantasy world of today, but some elements remain. Turns out you cant build an entire world on just the military.

The Catalyst

I graduated in 2011 with a degree in History, and quickly ran into the “I’ve graduated. What the hell do I do now?” dilemma. I admit, I took my degree out of interest rather than a business plan, but I never. . .really planned on my future. I just wanted to do what I wanted to do. I always followed my gut instinct on doing things I wanted to do, rather than conform to a life of work and death. Of course, work is vital, but humans should enjoy their life, not just spent the entirety of it training to work to pay bills then fade. I never wanted that.

Next came the slew of health problems. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is messy and really took it out of me during the 2011-12 period, and barely a day went by where I wasn’t in agony from stomach pains. Coupled with a very difficult year in 2012 with problems at home and my continued struggle in finding a job culminated in a nasty bout of depression, which I am not afraid to hide. It was a hellish year, but thankfully I was able to get help.

Dealing with the diagnosis…was not easy. I felt I was letting everyone down, and I had to deal with a few unhelpful people who tried the “people have it worse than you” card. *Slow Claps*. Well, no shit.

It was proving to be a strenuous and hard period in my life. In this mess and while I was starting to recover from the dark period, I watched the first season of Game of Thrones, and frankly it blew my mind. (Unfortunately, the series really dropped in quality. I’ll save my rants on the mindfuck of later seasons for another time).

With the help of useful friends, I secured the first copy of A Song of Ice and Fire and begun reading. Reading George. R.R. Martin’s work changed me for the better. Furthermore, it got me thinking of my fantasy world and won red if I could make it a reality. By this point, I had not touched the world in nearly a decade, but I had already had some experience with writing long fiction, but that was mainly fan-fiction. (Very poorly made fanfiction, I might add, but it was popular at least) In the middle of another failed rewrite of it, I realised I could use that knowledge and lessons learnt to work on my own novel.

I thought: “If people could do it, I can too!” And I began my journey then. Call it a rebirth, but it was the start of a long, enjoyable and frustrating journey.

 

The Beginning

 

So. In October 2012, I decided to give novel writing a go. George R.R Martin and his bloody Westeros really got me wanting to write something. I had a world of sorts I wanted to further enhance, and some elements from my fanfiction I liked the idea of. (That was a 200k torrent of bullcrap, but at least some parts of it got revived into this world.) It took me six months to work out some kind of storyline, and some kind of world. The fantasy world I had made from my teenage years was still viable but would need a complete rebuild to be even close to ready. I had learned an awful lot.

I will not lie in that this was a gigantic undertaking. It has gone through many different forms. I originally was going to write a massive epoch exploring the politics (using Game of Thrones as heavy influence) on all the manners of Harloph (The birthplace of my fantasy world, and the hub of this series) before the Great War which develops between the Bale Empire and the United conglomerations of the Selpvian Dominion.

This was the early idea before I realized in late 2013 that it was way too ambitious. For my first novel, and when I had no clue what I was getting myself into, this was out of my league. I got about 30,000, maybe 40,000 words in before I hit the wall, so I decided instead to scrap all of that for Counterbalance, and decided to focus solely on the final year of the threatened Great War, which leads into the Counterbalance series for real. It is cool seeing all my notes and watching how it all evolved, however.

(Disclaimer. I’m aware I’m still probably out of my depth. My very first book is now a six-book planned series. Whoops!)

The Abandoned Storylines

So, I really bit off more than I could chew on the original plot. A massive combination of politics, archaeology and civil war might have worked for a more experienced writer, but for my first go? A tad too ambitious. I recognized this and decided to reign it in just a little bit. Here was the overall gist of Alpha Counterbalance, as I now like to call it:

 

The gradual immersion of the scholar/archeology school in the city of Valare, which eventually links into the Counterbalance storyline. It was going to use a lot of ideas that were taken into the new (published) version and also go into Valare’s history and detail a bit more. Tyrone Cessil and Tyir the necromancer were created around this point.
The Kahal Civil War in which a fierce rebellion against the Pharos Order is underway, with three POV’s in an intersecting account of the war itself. This ended up being placed in the background.
The Empire and its politics, culminating in Lance Ironheart’s manipulation of the Empire to fight a war it cannot win.

 

Yes, one of my major protagonists in the real Counterbalance series was originally going to be a villain. Some elements of this were taken and refined, but I had to scrap it in the end. It just felt too complex, you know?

Now, here is my main piece of advice: KEEP ALL OF YOUR WORK! No matter how bad it may be, keep your work! I have never deleted a single word of my writing throughout my 4-year long adventure, and for how many years I have left, I will not delete anything. Save it. Put it aside. You’ll never know how useful it may be for later!

And this is exactly what I did. The first version of Counterbalance was shelved, but all of it was kept in separate folders. I have already planned on writing a novella based on one of the key plot arcs from that alternate timeline because it happens in the lore around 20 years before the events in Counterbalance. It explores the Kahal civil war and the rebellion of the Kahal tribes against the might of the fanatical Pharos Order. It was meant to have two POV’s on either side of the war, and alternate through the storyline as it went. While this won’t happen in the new Counterbalance, it is still an important part of history and lore, and it shapes tons of the characters even into this day.

Then I went through two years of writing the new and improved Counterbalance. Originally just one whole book (A stupid idea since I was around 140k in, with no end in sight) I was getting there, but the work was awful. I freely admit that! I still have the June 2015 version of Counterbalance before my huge overhaul, and it is a load of bollocks. Just look at this bit:

Hardenne looked about himself nervously, as he waited at the foot of the stone steps; shivering. There was an ominous chill, and he didn’t like it. He felt something brush against his ankle and he started, his hand reaching for the sword by his side, but he found the tail of a rat slip past, and felt his face reddened with embarrassment. Coward, he berated himself, half amused and half annoyed with himself. What was making him so jumpy? He never liked the shadows, even as a child. When he was twelve years old, he and his siblings used to explore the caves and rooks of Bawsor, stepping into the deep underground tombs of the capital. He always hated it, found the catacombs terrifying. They laughed at him for that. He looked up above his head at the midnight sky, a beautiful, cloudless night, but he could feel the bite of the cold even through his woolskin tunic. Hurry up Aldmer, he thought irritably. Why did he want the council to meet in here of all places? He was an elite member of the high council, not a gutter rat.

 

Abandoned POV, 2015. 

Really. What the fuck was that? First draft, but it was pretty appalling. Right up until June 2015, I was making slow progress, but I really did not have a clue. During my parent’s holiday away during the summer of 2015, and while my girlfriend was staying with me (I usually stay home during their little jaunts.)

Then everything changed.

Slow but Steady

So, 2015. Counterbalance was still going. Slowly, but it was getting there. Or so I thought. I look back and laugh now at how naive I was at the time, because it was barely worth a first draft, let alone be anywhere near publication – worthy. It was bad. On a level of Ride to Hell: Retribution bad. Yes, I went there. I still have that 2015 version. I might even show it in future.

So, it was June 2015, and my girlfriend Vicky was staying over at mine for the week while the old ones (the mum and dad) were on holiday. It was an ordinary day, and I came across a post on a random Facebook writing group I was on from a certain Michael Kobernus (of Nordland Publishing). A small writing press, very small. As I say, this was completely out of the blue meeting. He was wanting to know about people’s writing, because of a lot of Facebook groups just have people spamming their book links. I posted regarding my book being 140k and “no end in sight.” I hadn’t a fucking clue what I was doing.

Naturally, he was intrigued and we connected on messenger, where he told me a bit about himself, Nordland and wanted to know more about my writing. Finally, someone else can rip apart my stuff and give me the kick I needed to improve! Poor Vicky spent three hours downstairs on her own while I went on Skype with Michael. She is amazing, she is. (She knows where I live. I must be nice.)

Strictly put. I had a lot to work on. And I mean a lot. My chapters were terrible, the opening had about 6,000 words of nothing before anything started. I barely had any meat on the bones throughout the “book”. Remember, it was barely half done. I had so much to do. Michael kindly but firmly advised I make it a series, split it and strip it all down from the beginning. It was exactly what I needed and wanted to hear, and the long journey began from there.

The Rocket into the Limelight

I took advice and split the novel from one book into three. It involved stripping the whole book and rewriting pretty much everything. It was the hardest lesson, but I cannot enjoy it more. The book turned from something which was a fragmented mess, into a (still in my eyes) fragmented mess, but one which is far superior to what it was.

It eventually turned into publication, and without that initial support, I probably would still be floundering like a fish in a dry pond. The Thousand Scars launched December 7th, but not before I got to meet one of my inspirations in Brandon Sanderson the week before. I got a photo of him with my book!

 

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My First Year: Struggles, and Fighting from the Brink

Now we come to the main event.

After everything, The Thousand Scars launched, on December 7th 2017. I did it. I achieved what I set out to do from that dark place in 2012. Somehow, I managed the mindfuck.

Then the Launch Party happened on Facebook…and it fizzled. Barely anything. I messed up. I put a ton of attention on the Cover Reveal the week before and in honesty I should have just made the Launch it. I didn’t do any ARCs and it was a struggle getting the manuscript ready for launch. So it ended up launching with barely any fanfare, a mistake on my part.

I should have been happy, or proud, or elated. Instead I just felt exhaustion, numbness. I even felt deflated. I remember doing the launch reveal and just being so drained I ended up cutting the livestream early and going to bed. There weren’t many people watching it so I don’t think it mattered.

I achieved what I planned, but now what? Then the doubts started. Did I release it too early? Did I know what I was doing? Was the book any good?

The first few months were rough. I was trying to market, but it was tricky. To make money you need to spend money, generally through ads. I didn’t realize how expensive and vital the marketing was going to be. That’s a luxury I don’t really have. Of course, this was something I learned from this year, a painful lesson, but one worth learning. Connections and community building is something I’ve worked on for years, but perhaps I was in the wrong places for that. I’ve done a lot this year to contribute more to the community that matters, and I think it was working.

Reviews and feedback were few, sales even fewer. I started wondering if it was even worth doing anymore. Publishing The Thousand Scars nearly broke me emotionally. Then I did the stupid thing of comparing myself to other authors…why did I do that? I needed to focus on myself.

The Thousand Scars was selling poorly, but feedback at least was mostly positive, for a first book by a new author I guess. I’m not in this for money otherwise I’d just do a standard job so money is not my motivation. I wanted to show it to the world, but I was so drained by it and its lack of success that I was close to giving up. I still had the second book in the series to work on, and it was getting ballsacking difficult. I had few fans, but I didn’t want to let them down. I did get a lot of support from fellow authors in the indie community, urging me to keep fighting. I did so. I have severe ME, and job-wise I don’t really get many chances. Writing and cartography is all I know how to do. I couldn’t give up, not now. A word of advice to fellow writers. Connect with others and support each other. They are not your rivals, but your allies in this fight.

I wanted to go further. There had to be something I could do to pull me from the brink. I was so close to giving up. I have a world I love to write in, but did I have the ability to continue? That was my challenge. So I drafted ideas for another novel set in the same Counterbalance universe but a standalone, something different. Something to take to agents. Something to prove I have improved. I started work on it in April and it surprisingly began to take off. I made progress.

Then SPFBO began in its latest version, a massive blog-contest for debut indie authors founded by the awesome Mark Lawrence. I signed right the fuck up with The Thousand Scars, thinking that even if I didn’t have a chance of progressing, even a little more exposure would do the trick. After all, I had fuck all to lose at this point.

It ended up being the lifeboat I needed. I landed more connections, and my interviews for my fellow authors really helped increase exposure for them and myself. I even had a few people backing me for winning my group. . .*snorts out drink*

More people read The Thousand Scars. More people added it to their reading lists. It got some pretty damn good reviews and feedback. I made some Top 10 lists, got some stellar reviews on Booknest and Fantasy Book Review. I even got Longlisted in Booknest’s End of the Year awards for Best Debut! I still don’t know how in the name of Horse’s wrinkled ballsack I pulled that off.

Before SPFBO started in June, I had 6 ratings, 5 reviews and perhaps 20-25 people had my book added to their lists. By the time I write this article, I have four times the ratings, 12 reviews and the adds have increased tenfold. Still small potatoes, but a huge improvement on before. Connections change things. People got excited for me and my future. I’ve been learning a lot about self-publishing. I really didn’t know what I was doing.

I even successfully finished two full first drafts this year, one being The Aegis Mora, the second my standalone that I started in April. To give you guys some hindsight into my madness:

 

The Thousand Scars took 4 and a half years to reach a finished first draft.
It’s sequel The Aegis Mora? 2 and a half years.
My standalone? 5 months, on and off throughout this year. It is a huge improvement.

 

 

Future Plans

In 2019, I have two major plans. Hopefully release The Aegis Mora, and get my standalone The Skeleton’s Eye ready to submit to agents. That is my current goal.

I have a new editor for The Aegis Mora in the awesome Tim Marquitz, and I’m excited for my cover design. Still uncertain who I am hiring for that yet. I have some really good choices. Things are looking up for me I think. This year I began mentoring other authors for the first time, something that has really taken off. Hopefully my Patreon and cartography services will continue to make progress as well.

As to The Aegis Mora, I will probably self publish unless I get an offer from a press. I feel sending it to agents will not work, seeing that The Thousand Scars has not sold well. Unfortunate. I have already started writing the yet untitled Counterbalance book 3, and I hope to have a finished first draft by the end of 2019.

The Skeleton’s Eye is something I am really excited for. With time, I wish to make it good enough to submit to agents. My target is the end of 2019.

Interviewing authors I will take to the next level, and for 2019’s SPFBO contest, I intend on applying for a judge position. I place myself at the community’s disposal.

 

Conclusion

It’s been brutal, but I’m still going. As long as ME doesn’t shut me down completely, I will continue doing what I do. It’s been a hell of a ride so far, and I’ll continue riding the highway.

 

 

SPFBO Author Interview: Meagan Hurst “When the Kingdom Falls”

Another interview for you guys! Stay tuned for a special post featuring yours truly this weekend. . .

Today’s interview is with Meagan Hurst, author of her awesome Journey of an Arbais Mage series. Here is the link to her first  in the series, When the Kingdom Falls!

 

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?  

 

Hello! Thanks for taking the time to do all of these interviews, it’s been a joy and a blast to read all of them.  I’m Meagan and I currently dabble in epic fantasy novels. My current series has two novels live in the world: When the Kingdom Falls, and The Price of Survival, and I am hopeful to be able to release the third in the series sometime in 2019. And…as a forewarning, some of my answers might end up being novels as it’s a flaw I have.

 

How do you develop your plots and characters?

 

That’s a tough one. With characters, they tend to come fairly easy. They just seem to show up out of the blue and have their own personality. Unfortunately this often comes with a massive backstory/history I would love to include in-depth (I’m a sucker for world building/character building in anything I read.) As for plot…I’m another person who doesn’t outline. My few attempts to outline even report papers always ended up in failure (I had an outline and then I had something that had nothing to do with said outline) so I just wait to see what happens as I write. This occasionally has me arguing very colorfully with my characters about their life choices but, what can you do?

 

Tell us about your current project.

 

I’m currently working on novels 3-6 in my current series. The first drafts are there, but now I get to go back and see what exactly is in them since it’s been a while. Book three is my main focus, but I’m terrible with focusing on one project at a time so being able to work on several at once is always a huge help.  I’ve also been writing a few “short stories” (which seem to mostly slide into novel size) about back history or particular events in the world that are mentioned in passing in the main series, but those have been mostly to give me something to split my attention on as opposed to something I intend to do anything with.

 

Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them!

 

I’m bad at describing characters…and I took a gamble with my MC because as she emerged, she was who she was, and I refuse to try and force characters to act/think/be something they’re not. So, my earlier warning of small novel answers to questions? That applies here. Sorry!

 

Zimliya de la Nepioa (who prefers Z) is the main character the series follows. She’s distrusting, mentally/physically scarred, and has the unfortunate habit of reacting violently when startled. She’s also slightly suicidal and she’s always waiting for a betrayal from everyone she interacts with. She’s spent a long time prior to the start of the series (…again, massive backstories) getting her reactions under control and it’s going to be something she continues to struggle with.

Since I know so much of everyone’s past, I debated where to start the series and choose when Z’s in her early twenties. Despite her shortcomings—mostly in the social interaction/trust category—she’s spent the last fourteen years trying to reestablish alliances between the kingdoms. She’s mostly succeeded by way of the heirs of the kingdoms, but due to her past Z can only trust people as allies as opposed to also considering them friends. She likes just about everyone, and she doesn’t hold grudges for the usual reasons—an assassination attempt by certain rulers in certain kingdoms is a test and it’s not personal, so it’s fine for example—but she just cannot trust, so she struggles to accept or ask for help.

But the people who took her in are called the Rangers (well, officially Nishienes, though that name is now only used by one immortal ruler when he wants to be an ass) and they broke away from a human kingdom four thousand years ago in order to combat threats to the world as they saw fit rather than risking the fate of the world to the self-interests of each kingdom. As such, Z was raised from the time she was eight on with that mindset and it gave her something to hold onto and strive for. But…she’s broken, and it’s sheer willpower that’s forced her to crawl out of her past and her shortcomings, and both of those have a habit of returning to anyone at horrible times.

Annnnnd, I’ll try to make this one shorter (sorry!) Though the series follows Z, I was informed by several people who have read book 1, 2, and they’ve also read a good portion of the work-in-progress book 3, that I have to mention someone else as a main character. So, I’m bowing to their demands.

Nivaradros (and random side note: I absolutely love his name) is apparently my secondary main character strictly because he’s around a lot. He’s a Dragon, he’s over four-thousand years old, he’s been exiled from his people for most of his life, and he’s attacked every kingdom in some manner at some point in his history because he pretty much hates everyone, even his own kind. While Z’s made the attempt to learn why Nivaradros was exiled from his people’s home, the Dragons and Nivaradros don’t like to reveal anything, much less personal details.

There have been several attempts to kill Nivaradros by Dragons, other immortals, and humans alike, but Nivaradros has always survived and ever since Z met him there has been a bit of a do-not-attack freeze out there; Z protects allies and she considers the temperamental Dragon to be one. But, since Nivaradros is a Dragon and does not play well with others, his recent decision to join Z and whomever else she drags into whatever she intends to do for the foreseeable future is causing a lot of friction with her allies.

Up until this book, however, Nivaradros has largely left Z’s past alone because Z actively avoids all thought or mention of it. Where things start in When the Kingdom Falls though, Nivaradros decides on his own to join and assist Z, and when another ally of hers hands off protecting her to the Dragon, Nivaradros takes the job way too seriously and starts pushing to find out just what happened in the kingdom Z fled as a child that left her so shattered. Upon discovering this was Nivaradros’s main goal, I may have thrown a book or two at him—Z just spent a good portion of the book trying to stab him.

 

What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?

 

Remember everyone’s process is unique. Listen to others on what works for them, try it even, but if it’s not for you then try something else. Your writing system has to work for you, not for anyone else. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a while to figure out what works for you either, writing is a process and part of that process involves actually doing it.

 

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?

 

Uh, the fact that there are multiple kingdoms and different cultures/thoughts/opinions? And the fact that people—beings of all races—act like people. They have good and less-than-pleasant bits to them. Other than that, I honestly have no idea because I didn’t consciously drag anything from the real world into the series by choice. I am certain there are several things, but I don’t have anything that leaps out at me because I am terrible about noticing or caring things like that outside of the whole “find out all the character’s whole lives” thing.

 

What inspires you to write?

 

I’m not sure. I was always a huge reader. I kept four to five books in my backpack to help get me through the school day, and fantasy ended up as my favourite. Z’s story has been in my head for years though, so people eventually convinced me to start writing it down and once I actually started it, I realized I did really enjoy it.

 

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

 

Going past the writing part. I was really happy with this series hidden on my computer, but people who glanced at it over the years insisted more be done with it, so here I am. Though, I’m starting to wonder if my original thoughts on the whole thing are in fact correct. Too late now to change things.

And then the relationship between Z and a villain in the series has always been a struggle because it’s just…odd. And wrong. Z’s past has made her look at the world in a manner I cannot and it’s made her interactions with that character occasionally mind boggling.

Oh, and titles, I hate coming up with titles with a passion. When the Kingdom Falls sat without a name for quite a while—honestly, I still don’t know how I managed to actually name it.

 

What was your favourite chapter (or part) to write and why?

 

Not sure I have a favourite (or at least just one) but I do enjoy writing the interactions between the many different characters that exist and, since I know the history between them, some of those interactions surprise me. And the interactions between Nivaradros and Z tend to make me smile because the two of them interact surprisingly well together which was something I was doubtful of when they first met and Nivaradros was dead set on killing her.

 

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?

 

I learned several things, but most importantly I reaffirmed the fact outlines are not my friend and that I have no control over any of my characters. I’m not alarmed or worried about the lack of outlines, but there is nothing more horrifying than being 100% sure you have finally figured out where things are going only to have all of the characters you’re working with suddenly splinter off in different directions. Saying certain words while I go sprinting off after them though helps.

 

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?

 

Ah, arguments do wonders for understanding characters. Actually, that’s a lie, but arguments do drive home the point that my characters at least are individuals and they rarely act how I suspect they might. Most of my characters have a strong enough sense of presence that I know more than I need to, even if they only show up once in the series. Z’s outlook of the world is so…odd to me though that I’m both impressed and alarmed by it at times.

 

What are your future project(s)?

 

At the moment, book three in theory. I have side projects as well, and other books in this series, but I have no idea if/when I’m going to do anything with most of them.

I really, really like how book three shaped up to be though, and I’m hopeful I can release it in 2019 because of everything that goes on within it. Finding a title, however, was a disaster. Though I’m pretty sure the one I landed on will stick, especially since I already got the novel a cover.

 

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

If I had magic and could shrink…I always wanted to be a jockey, so I’d go for that. Magic aside, I’d love to work in a library.

 

What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

 

I’m really bad at social media interactions. Facebook is generally a fail, and though I recently joined Twitter, I’m pretty much silent on it.

 

So, the best way to reach out to me is either through my website: https://authormeagannhurst.com/

 

Or my Goodreads account: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17143787.Meagan_Hurst

 

Though, since I mentioned Twitter, here is the link to me there as well: https://twitter.com/meagannhurst

 

It’s likely I won’t have another SPFBO interview up until Monday. Stay tuned for a special post on the 7th December. It is the first anniversary of my launch of The Thousand Scars, and I have a year retrospective  to show you all. Stay tuned!

November 2018 – Roundup

The last month has gone so bloody fast! It’s been quite a good one I think. I’ve done a lot of writing and posted a lot of interviews. Overall, I am quite content! So today is a roundup of all my posts this month. They are all interviews!

December is. . . going to be different.

I’ve received a few more interviews this week which is great. For all those who are in doubt, I am always here to interview authors. This isn’t a time limit thing. If you would like a chance to talk about yourself, you will get a slot no matter how long it takes 

SPFBO Author Interview: Lorri Moulton “Magic’s Betrayal”

Back with a new interview! December is going to be a bit slow for my SPFBO posts, as I will be dedicating a lot of it to my anniversary of The Thousand Scars launch as well as my annual gaming articles for 2018. It’s been an interesting year for certain.

Today’s interview is with Lorri Moulton, with her book Magic’s Betrayal. She owns Lavender Bass Books and that book cover is quite nice

SPFBO Author Interview: Russell Cullison “The Hidden Ones”

It has been some time hasn’t it? We’re nearing the end of November, and today I bring you an interview from Russell Cullsion, with his book The Hidden Ones. No witty remarks from me this morning as I’m in need of my morning coffee, so let’s get this started!

 

 

 

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?  

I’m a stay-at-home-dad and writer (when I can manage it). I write fantasy and sci-fi novels, and short stories that either go fantasy or horror. (A contemporary fantasy example here: https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/629152)

 

How do you develop your plots and characters?

I try to make them feel like real people, so I take bits and pieces of people I’ve known throughout my life and shake until something interesting comes out. For plots, I work backwards, generally coming up with the ending first, and then working step by step to figure out how things got to that point. For The Hidden Ones, I came up with the ending first, without any idea who the people were or why these things were happening. Sort of like stumbling on an evocative painting and inventing a story to explain the scene.

 

Tell us about your current project.

I’m writing the sequel to my first novel The Hidden Ones. There’s not much I could say about it without spoilers, so basically it’s what happens next. It picks up immediately after the first book. I envision this series as being two long books.

 

Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them!

Sera is the main main character. At the start of the story, she’s 17-almost-18. She was born with highly problematic magical powers that would make her an outcast if anyone found out. She lives in a little village on the edge of the continent where she can stay hidden, but even that will soon be a problem with the coming expectations of adulthood. Saving her the pain of having to figure out how to deal with this, her world is instead helpfully invaded by otherworldly creatures that exhibit powerful versions of her magic, and everything is well and truly ruined. And those things show up in chapter 1.

 

What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?

Read a lot, and not just in your preferred genre. Branch out. If someone recommends an author you’ve never read before, give them a shot. Finding your own place means first understanding what sort of places there are.

 

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?

For the overall aesthetic and technology level, I went with the mid- to late-1700’s colonial America. The book is not set there (or on Earth at all), but that was the starting point. The world is different and they are late to the game when it comes to some technologies (for in-world reasons). For example, they don’t have factories yet, and guns are fairly recent. The magic is all mind-magic, so I read up on all manner of psychic phenomena when making mine.

 

What inspires you to write?

I love to read. When I’m reading a really good book, I might just zone out and let my imagination run free with whatever I just read. It would look like I’m just staring at the same page for minutes on end, but that’s because I’m temporarily not there. At some point, growing up, the thought occurred to me that maybe I’d wanna write someday, something that could let other people’s imaginations run free. It took a while, but here we go.

 

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

Learning the self-discipline to complete the process. Prior to this, I’d worked for corporate America for 17 years, always on someone else’s schedule. Suddenly having the freedom to completely self-manage meant a lot of wasted time. I mean… a lot. I technically started writing this book in 2009.

 

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

There is a chapter in the middle of the book where three characters (one major, two less-major) are pushed past their breaking points. They break in very different ways. The event is huge, in terms of the story, because everything is different from then on. I can’t really say if it’s my favorite, because it was hard to write.

 

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?

I learned a ton about the writing process itself. I wasted lots of time rewriting the first few chapters over and over. I finally forced myself to just move on, and after I’d written the entire rest of the book, I ended up rewriting those first few chapters anyway (shaking my head the whole time). The lesson: Write the whole book. You probably won’t even know what those first parts should look like until you’ve seen the whole thing. I also learned I need to keep better notes so I don’t screw stuff up within the text, introduce plot holes, have characters mysteriously know something they shouldn’t (or forget something they should know), etc.

 

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?

The hardest part is when I’m first writing the character. It takes some experimentation to get something I want to keep. After I’ve been at it for a while, I get a feel for them, and I can go back and fix the earlier parts to match. Once I’ve written their POV for a while, I can get back into their head by re-reading what I’ve already written.

 

What are your future project(s)?

After I finish book 2, I have a sci-fi novel in the early stages, and other fantasy novels in various idea phases. When I started, I worried I only had ideas for my first book, but as the years go by, I’ve come to realize I have more ideas than I’ll ever realistically be able to use.

 

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

I’m a creator at heart. For my own personal happiness I need to be making things. I love painting, both on the computer and with the real thing on canvas. My jobs before this were just jobs; things I did to pay the bills. I couldn’t see myself doing that forever and didn’t like thinking about it.

 

What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

 

I’m most active on Reddit in /r/fantasy. My username is RussellCullison

My other links of note:

https://www.goodreads.com/RussellCullison

https://rscullison.wordpress.com/

https://twitter.com/RussellCullison