Michael R. Baker's Blog, page 20
July 4, 2018
SPFBO Entry Interview: Aaron Cross “Robocopter Ski Patrol”
Here I am with a new interview, this time with Aaron C. Cross, author of many although he’s entered the SPFBO this year with his awesome comedy novel Robocopter Ski Patrol! Down below is the interview I had the pleasure of conducting with him as well as the link to his book! I’ve just started reading it and it’s a blast!
Previous SPFBO Interviews:
SPFBO Entry Interview: Mike Morris “He Who Fights”
SPFBO Entry Interview: Matthew Olney “The First Fear”
SPFBO Entry Interview: Kayleigh Nichol “Sorcerous Rivalry”
SPFBO Entry Interview: Scott Kaelen “The Blighted City”
First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?
My name is Aaron C. Cross and I write all sorts of books. The entry for SPFBO this year, though, is Robocopter Ski Patrol. It’s a comedic action/adventure/fantasy romp with stupid characters doing stupid things. I have two other books in that series, but I’m also looking to/working on expanding my range into other types of writing (like a noir, a serious fantasy, a comic fantasy, a pirate story, a few westerns…). Yeah, I know it’s a lot.
How do you develop your plots and characters?
Honestly, they just come to me. For Robocopter, all of them came up through chatting with some fellow playwrights at a workshop/festival thing back in 2009. Untitled Spy Story, on the other hand, was from drinking and talking to my brother. I wish I had some funnier explanations, like ‘I go to a mountaintop, breathe in the crisp, cold air, take some ayahuasca, and write down the swirling dreams that come to me’ or whatever, but it’s entirely at random. I’m just lucky that I keep something to write with nearby at all times.
Tell us about your current project.
My current project, such as it can be called that, is an attempt at a serious fantasy novel, for once. I’m not ashamed to say that I took many of the characters from a D&D campaign I ran, but it’s not a LitRPG. I’m still in the process of figuring out exactly where to go with it because, for whatever reason, I can’t make book worlds simple. It’s fun but can be tricky when it comes to the actual writing.
For Robocopter, it was very much going into book-writing blind and figuring it out as I went. Originally, the entire concept was planned out as a stage play , complete with a very funny scene involving Robocopter and a toaster. Sadly, when it came to book form, that had to be left out. In a small way, I miss writing the way I did it then, which was utterly without controls on what I put down or on where the story was going to go. It was freeing.
Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them!
Honestly, there really isn’t one main character of the novels. The three books out right now are in the same universe and do have some overlap in terms of characters, but there isn’t one MC. Each book has its own story and its own characters. Now, for those books, the MCs were very different. Robocopter had Adam Bitchenstein, who was dragged kicking and screaming into the plot, mostly because the lady he had a crush on was getting involved. Untitled Spy Story had Will Texas, who is in the same amoral, id-driven, super spy category as Sterling Archer. Ruben’s Cube Alaska had Lance Breckinridge with Bartok Benoit. It…makes more sense in the story. Kind of.
What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?
I’m not the best for advice here, but I would say there are two critical pieces. First, you have to have the fundamentals down (grammar, spelling, punctuation, tense, etc.), even when you’re doing the first draft. If you want people to read and edit and help you out, making it easier on them helps a lot. Second, just do it! Sit down, write, and let your mind go. One of the toughest things for every writer to get over is just doing it.
What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?
If we’re talking about authors, definitely Terry Pratchett. His big, interconnected world really speaks to me. For non-authors, Mel Brooks, the team behind Archer, and the South Park guys all work as influences for me, especially when it comes to refuge in crazy. All of those writers understood that comedy can be more than a gimmick. It can be meaningful and can lead to deeper worlds than one might expect from ‘just comedy’.
What inspires you to write?
Each time I sit down to write, it depends on lots of things. How I’m feeling, my mood, the music choices, the drink of choice (alcoholic or not)…all of that contributes to how inspired I feel. More than all that, though, I get inspired when I see people talking about my work, reading my work, and especially when they talk to me about it. I love making people laugh and add that little bit of catharsis to their day. That makes it all worth it.
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
The hardest part for me was finishing the thing! If you’ve never done it before and have no real guidance, it’s tricky to know when you’re done or when the story is reaching its conclusion. Actually, when finishing Robocopter, I got the last thirty pages or so done in a mass writing spree over a day or two. Also, the whole pushing through feeling like a hack or that the book is terrible thing is tough to get around, for sure.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
My favorite chapter in Robocopter is absolutely the chapter where the gang is going over their cover stories and alter egos for getting into the Baron’s party. The names and descriptions absolutely wreck me to this day and the abject frustration on Adam’s part just puts the cherry on it. I won’t spoil it for new readers, but it takes the ridiculous to a new level. Of course, if we’re talking about all my books, writing Grigor in Ruben’s Cube Alaska was the best experience and he’s one of my all-time favorite characters of mine. I will have to bring him back at some point.
Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
I learned that writing a book takes a lot more time and effort than you may expect and that it differs depending on the book and the writer. Sometimes you can just sit and the words flow. Other times? You may as well just turn on Witcher 3 and play games because there isn’t a single word that’s going to be worth anything. That’s a tough understanding to come to – that you just don’t have it that day. We all want to be machines, but we’re human and sometimes we just can’t create and that is okay.
It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?
I let my characters tell me who they are. I know that sounds silly or crazy or nonsensical, but it’s the truth. I find that the more I let the characters do what they are going to do and say what they are going to say, the better the story is and the characters are. There’s one moment, for instance, in Robocopter where Ace – who has been the ‘Butt Monkey’ thus far, to use a TVTropes term – actually becomes kind of badass. The other characters are understandably shocked. Heck, I was shocked when I wrote it. It was a great moment because it wasn’t just that it was a stunning moment, but that it made perfect sense at that time. I wish I had more of those.
What are your future project(s)?
Well, to keep this list short, the serious fantasy and comic fantasy are near the top of the list. I also have three more books in the Roboverse in-progress, to say nothing of the basic plots of probably ten to twelve more. There’s also a noir story I quite like and a pirate story that I need to rework to make not terrible. Finally, there are a couple westerns that fit within the canonical Roboverse that are fun to work on. There’s also the whole ‘write a dissertation thing’ for my doctorate, which I think technically counts as a project, right? So, you know, there’s just a few things on my plate.
If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?
That depends! I’m actually doing one of them (working toward my PhD and being a professor), but I’d also love to be an actor or a lead singer in a band. Those are somehow LESS realistic than being an author, though, so I’ll stick with this.
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)?
There are few ways people can get in contact with me. I have a Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/RobocopterSkiPatrol/ ) , a website ( www.aaronccross.com ), I’m on Goodreads ( https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7037525.Aaron_C_Cross ) , I have a Twitter account (@daneatscatfood), and I’m always open to talk to readers or other writers on all of them!
Many thanks for the chance Aaron! I hope to return soon with another interview, most likely this weekend. Keep them coming, this is a wonderful thing to be part of.
July 1, 2018
SPFBO Entry Interview: Mike Morris “He Who Fights”
Whew, it’s a new month, and bloody hell it’s warm over here in the UK! Heatwaves. Now, if there’s one thing us Brits are good at (aside from everything), it’s our ability to complain about everything! However, I’m not here for that today. It’s a new interview, this time with Mike Morris, author of the Jack Fray series and the Nathaniel Rane series. His first in that, He Who Fights, is his entry into this year’s SPFBO, and he was very welcome to be lured into my interview dungeon. Ahem. Onto the interview!
Previous Interviews
SPFBO Entry Interview: Matthew Olney “The First Fear”
SPFBO Entry Interview: Kayleigh Nichol “Sorcerous Rivalry”
SPFBO Entry Interview: Scott Kaelen “The Blighted City”
First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?
My name is Mike Morris and I write fantasy books. I’m the author of the Jack Frey series (Cry Havoc, Cry Witch and Cry Fear) and the Nathaniel Rane series. He Who Fights, my entry into SPFBO, is Nathaniel’s first adventure.
How do you develop your plots and characters?
I used to be a real pantser, making it all up as I went along, but it’s time consuming and results in a lot of wasted words. Now I plan a lot more but still leave room for unexpected adventures as my characters take on a life of their own.
Tell us about your current project.
I’m writing the sequel to He Who Fights.
Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them!
Faced with defeat at the hands of a demon army, Nathaniel Rane and his fellow soldiers in the fabled Legion of Swords use outlawed magic to fuse their souls with their blades. Faster, stronger and all but impossible to kill, they turn the tide of the war and emerge victorious. But magic demands a terrible price and the real battle has only just begun.
What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?
Write a lot, read a lot. Do it because you enjoy it and everything else is a bonus. It’s a long hard journey, so the love has to be there.
What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?
At the moment, real life seems far worse than anything I can make up. If anything, it inspires me to escape into new worlds of fiction where the good guys (mostly) win in the end.
What inspires you to write?
I write because I love to tell stories. I get up at 4.45 each morning to write before my day job so my inspiration is the alarm clock going off, helped by my first cup of tea of the day.
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
He Who Fights was a tough book to write. I began work on it after signing with an agent, I then moved house, got pneumonia, lost my job, got a new job in a different country, lost my agent, moved countries, had another child, got pneumonia again, lost my mother, and finished it all off with a heart scare. At times, I wanted to give up on the book, give up on the dream of being a writer, just get a life again, get some time to myself and to the family, without this weight on my back. But I’m glad I didn’t. It turned out He Who Fights wasn’t just about Nathaniel and who he is, it’s about who I am too. Never give up, never surrender as they say.
What was your favourite chapter (or part) to write and why?
With every book, the last chapter is my favourite and the first chapters are the worst. I always find beginning the book the toughest part as I discover who everyone is and I love that moment when I type ‘the end’.
Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
I learned that I write because I love writing. Everything else is a bonus.
It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?
This might sound weird but I think it’s like getting to know anyone new. At first you get to know little things, normally the good bits, and it takes time to get below the surface and really get to know who they are. I just have to be patient until I find out what makes them tick.
What are your future project(s)?
So many projects. Too little time. Nathaniel Rane book 2, Jack Frey book 3, and then I have a super-secret project that I can’t talk about just yet.
If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?
I work in advertising in my day job as a creative director. But if we’re talking dream jobs (other than writing), then I’d like to be an illustrator. When I was a kid, I wanted to draw comic books.
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)?
My website is www.mikemorrisauthor.com, and I’m @scifimikemorris on Twitter and Facebook. My author page on Goodreads is https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17307283.Mike_Morris
Many thanks for the time, Morris, and I wish you best of luck! This is a great thing to do and I’m honored to be amongst so many great minds. Join me soon for probably another interview! And for all those who want an interview or a spotlight, my door is always open.
June 27, 2018
SPFBO Entry Interview: Matthew Olney “The First Fear”
This is going to get busy. I’ve received more and more interviews in from the entries, currently up to 28. That’s quite a lot of blog content! I plan to release at least two interviews per week as health and time permits, but it’s great to be back into this, I have to say. As much as I love writing about games, this is the reason I made my blog in the first place; supporting and pimping out my fellow authors. I will also link in all SPFBO’s interviews as each one goes in, so you wonderful people can read each one.
SPFBO Entry Interview: Scott Kaelen “The Blighted City”
SPFBO Entry Interview: Kayleigh Nichol “Sorcerous Rivalry”
I will relate again this is available for every single SPFBO entry for 2018. I want to hear from you all! So come contact me and we’ll get this sorted. I’ll still keep my blog open for any author who wants an interview throughout. Today I bring you Matt Olney, author of the Sundered Crown saga as the latest arrival at the Thousand Scars tavern. And no, he is not a victim…*innocent whistling* You can have a look at the link down below. I must say I am fond of the cover! His entry is the first book in his newer series: The Empowered Ones, The First Fear.
First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?
Hi! I’m Matt, a content creator by day and fantasy author by night. So far, I’ve written the first three books in my Sundered Crown Saga the first of which was an entrant in last years SPBFO competition. I’m currently working on book 4 in that series and book 2 in my newly launched Empowered Ones series. Book 1 in that series is in this years SPFBO.
How do you develop your plots and characters?
I base my characters on people I’ve met in real life especially their characteristics. Plot wise you could say I’m a pantser type of writer, I go with wherever my mind takes me. Sometimes it leads to some bizarre places, other times it works out better than I could have hoped for.
Tell us about your current project.
I’ve just recently launched The First Fear and am now planning out book 2 in the Empowered Ones series. As well as that I’m working away on book 4 of the Sundered Crown Saga which is turning out to be my most ambitious story yet in terms of locations and scale.
Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them!
The main character of The First Fear is Elian. He’s a young man who discovers that he possesses powers that he never really wanted. He’s a fairly quiet type of person who initially is terrified of his abilities and what they mean but he’s also incredibly loyal to his friends and will do anything he can to help them even if that means putting himself in danger.
What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?
Experiment and write as much as you can. Do what you feel is right for your story.
What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?
Well, The First Fear has been compared to the Mistborn books and I have to say that they were an inspiration. Aside from that I’m a huge fan of history and current events and tried to incorporate some of that into the world.
What inspires you to write?
I’ve always loved writing and the feeling of completing a project cannot be beaten.
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
I wrote this book during a particularly difficult period in my life. I had just been made redundant from my job and was in that horrible void between work. I was constantly stressed and fearful for my future but writing The First Fear allowed me to escape my troubles for a bit and release some of my own concerns. It’s the first time I understood that writing can be therapeutic.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
I love writing battle scenes and the one at the end of the book was no exception. This time I mixed things up by incorporating powers, guns and huge war machines. The scene where Elian and Vavius take on the massive Guardian machines was epic and thrilling to write.
Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
I learnt a lot from this book such as how to keep the story flowing without needless exposition, something I know I did in my previous books. Making contact with my fantastic cover artist Reza was also a highlight.
It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?
My main characters tend to be an extension of myself so I find those fairly easy to do. The side characters can be tough due to their personalities often taking on lives of their own. You have to be strict with them to keep them inline and keep the story going.
What are your future project(s)?
Aside from continuing the Sundered Crown Saga and Empowered Ones series I have plans for a historical fiction novel and of course more fantasy.
If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?
I work as a content creator and I love my job as it allows me to write and be creative. If I couldn’t write I don’t know what I would do!
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)?
You can follow me on Facebook at – https://www.facebook.com/Unconqueredseries/
My website at – https://msolneyauthor.com/
Twitter – @MSOLNEY
Many thanks for the thoughts, Matthew, and good luck with the contest. It’s going to be a great ride.
SPFBO Entry Interview: Matthew Olney “The First Fear”
This is going to get busy. I’ve received more and more interviews in from the entries, currently up to 28. That’s quite a lot of blog content! I plan to release at least two interviews per week as health and time permits, but it’s great to be back into this, I have to say. As much as I love writing about games, this is the reason I made my blog in the first place; supporting and pimping out my fellow authors. I will also link in all SPFBO’s interviews as each one goes in, so you wonderful people can read each one.
SPFBO Entry Interview: Scott Kaelen “The Blighted City”
SPFBO Entry Interview: Kayleigh Nichol “Sorcerous Rivalry”
I will relate again this is available for every single SPFBO entry for 2018. I want to hear from you all! So come contact me and we’ll get this sorted. I’ll still keep my blog open for any author who wants an interview throughout. Today I bring you Matt Olney, author of the Sundered Crown saga as the latest arrival at the Thousand Scars tavern. And no, he is not a victim…*innocent whistling* You can have a look at the link down below. I must say I am fond of the cover! His entry is the first book in his newer series: The Empowered Ones, The First Fear.
First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?
Hi! I’m Matt, a content creator by day and fantasy author by night. So far, I’ve written the first three books in my Sundered Crown Saga the first of which was an entrant in last years SPBFO competition. I’m currently working on book 4 in that series and book 2 in my newly launched Empowered Ones series. Book 1 in that series is in this years SPFBO.
How do you develop your plots and characters?
I base my characters on people I’ve met in real life especially their characteristics. Plot wise you could say I’m a pantser type of writer, I go with wherever my mind takes me. Sometimes it leads to some bizarre places, other times it works out better than I could have hoped for.
Tell us about your current project.
I’ve just recently launched The First Fear and am now planning out book 2 in the Empowered Ones series. As well as that I’m working away on book 4 of the Sundered Crown Saga which is turning out to be my most ambitious story yet in terms of locations and scale.
Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them!
The main character of The First Fear is Elian. He’s a young man who discovers that he possesses powers that he never really wanted. He’s a fairly quiet type of person who initially is terrified of his abilities and what they mean but he’s also incredibly loyal to his friends and will do anything he can to help them even if that means putting himself in danger.
What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?
Experiment and write as much as you can. Do what you feel is right for your story.
What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?
Well, The First Fear has been compared to the Mistborn books and I have to say that they were an inspiration. Aside from that I’m a huge fan of history and current events and tried to incorporate some of that into the world.
What inspires you to write?
I’ve always loved writing and the feeling of completing a project cannot be beaten.
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
I wrote this book during a particularly difficult period in my life. I had just been made redundant from my job and was in that horrible void between work. I was constantly stressed and fearful for my future but writing The First Fear allowed me to escape my troubles for a bit and release some of my own concerns. It’s the first time I understood that writing can be therapeutic.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
I love writing battle scenes and the one at the end of the book was no exception. This time I mixed things up by incorporating powers, guns and huge war machines. The scene where Elian and Vavius take on the massive Guardian machines was epic and thrilling to write.
Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
I learnt a lot from this book such as how to keep the story flowing without needless exposition, something I know I did in my previous books. Making contact with my fantastic cover artist Reza was also a highlight.
It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?
My main characters tend to be an extension of myself so I find those fairly easy to do. The side characters can be tough due to their personalities often taking on lives of their own. You have to be strict with them to keep them inline and keep the story going.
What are your future project(s)?
Aside from continuing the Sundered Crown Saga and Empowered Ones series I have plans for a historical fiction novel and of course more fantasy.
If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?
I work as a content creator and I love my job as it allows me to write and be creative. If I couldn’t write I don’t know what I would do!
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)?
You can follow me on Facebook at – https://www.facebook.com/Unconqueredseries/
My website at – https://msolneyauthor.com/
Twitter – @MSOLNEY
Many thanks for the thoughts, Matthew, and good luck with the contest. It’s going to be a great ride.
June 24, 2018
SPFBO Entry Interview: Kayleigh Nichol “Sorcerous Rivalry”
So here we are again! I have had a great response so far, with 15 responses already in hand. I plan to release at least two interviews per week as health and time permits, but it’s great to be back into this, I have to say. As much as I love writing about games, this is the reason I made my blog. I will also link in all SPFBO’s interviews as each one goes in, so you wonderful people can read each one!
SPFBO Entry Interview: Scott Kaelen “The Blighted City”
I will relate again this is available for every single SPFBO entry for 2018. I want to hear from you all! So come contact me and we’ll get this sorted. I’ll still keep my blog open for any author who wants an interview throughout. Well today we have a new visitor to the Thousand Scar tavern, a debut novelist as of April this year, and like myself she’s a first-time entry into SPFBO. I welcome Kayleigh Nicol!
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First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?
Hi, I’m Kayleigh Nicol! I wrote and self-published Sorcerous Rivalry, a swords & sorcery style fantasy adventure with just a hint of an LBGT romance. Sorcerous Rivalry is my debut novel with (hopefully) many more to come!
How do you develop your plots and characters?
Characters are usually the first and easiest part of any story. If my characters aren’t real enough to pull up a chair and just talk to me, then they aren’t developed enough to go into one of my books. That doesn’t mean I don’t struggle with them from time to time, (especially when trying to name them) but most of my stories will start with a few characters even before I have a plot or a world.
My plots are largely character-driven, so often even when I have a rough idea of where I think the story is going, my characters might hijack it and go off a way I wasn’t expecting. I do attempt to sketch out an idea or two before I start a project, but if a better idea comes along while I’m writing, I’ll follow it to see where it goes.
Tell us about your current project.
In Sorcerous Rivalry, magecraft has been outlawed and any known mages have been hunted down. The only hold-outs are the king’s own seven bastards by his mistress, who had hidden her identity as a sorceress. Mage hunters scour the kingdom, searching for the seven mage-born bastards to collect the bounties on their heads.
Reshi has grown up believing himself to be an orphan, only to discover he is the youngest of the seven bastard children. After trying to hide within a quiet village, his identity is discovered by an intense and mysterious mage hunter named Kestral. Reshi flees to the relative safety of his sister—only to discover that his brothers and sisters have begun a battle royale to steal each other’s magic through murder! Reshi and Kestral make an uneasy alliance: Reshi for protection, and Kestral for bounties. But perhaps it could become something more for the both of them.
Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them!
Reshi is a little wild, a little roguish and a huge flirt. He’s openly bisexual and has an easy manner that can put just about anyone at ease. He’s not a very strong fighter, either physically or magically. In fact, his only magic is shapeshifting and even that is limited to a few small forms. He’d rather talk himself out of a situation, when he can, or cause a diversion and run away when he can’t. Beneath his smiles and flirtations, Reshi hides a dark secret, one he’s reluctant to have brought out into the light.
What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?
This isn’t at all original, but it’s the truth: Read Everything! Not just within the genre you want to write in, but everything you can get your hands on.
What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?
There’s a scene in Sorcerous Rivalry that takes place on a rocky plain full of steam vents. When I wrote that scene, I was drawing on a visit to Yellowstone National Park. If you’ve never seen a steam vent or a geyser in real life, you need to go and see them. These are truly marvelous sights and videos or pictures do not do them any justice.
What inspires you to write?
I have always loved to write, but at the same time I’ve always been extremely anxious about sharing my work. Of course, I’ve enjoyed writing it, but will anyone else enjoy reading it? I’ve actually scrapped more than a few manuscripts because I felt they weren’t good enough to share. What finally inspired me to self-publish Sorcerous Rivalry was the support of my family and close friends. I have truly loved seeing the reactions of my readers (love, sadness, anger and shock) and that inspires me to continue writing the next part of the story.
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
The hardest thing about writing this book was that my family was beginning a cross-country move at the time that I began writing it. For a few nights, the only furniture in our home was just a cooler, an air mattress and my laptop. After that, we drove from the midwest out to Long Island, NY in a rented RV with two greyhounds, two cats, an iguana and a ball python. And I get carsick, so I couldn’t write during the travel, but every night when we stopped at a campsite, I’d break out the laptop and continue writing. After the RV, we actually lived in a hotel room for almost three months before the purchase of our new home went through. I actually finished writing and editing Sorcerous Rivalry while living in the hotel.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
My favorite chapter had to be chapter six, where I introduce Reshi’s most badass older sister. I love strong women in fantasy and I looked forward to writing her introduction from almost the moment I began writing the book. I don’t want to give much away, but anyone who loves a warrior woman should really enjoy Kila.
Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
I learned that writing and editing are actually the easy parts. Marketing—getting people to actually notice the book—was (and continues to be) the hard part. It’s like shouting into the internet: “Notice me!” But softly, so you don’t anger the social media gods.
It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?
If something feels off about a character I’m writing, I’ll go back and try to find where I went off-track and why. Maybe I got a motivation confused, or perhaps I wasn’t in the right mood set for that particular voice. If I’m still having trouble, I’ll pull that character out into a short story and give them a personal challenge to see how they’ll react to it. It can be something silly like “go buy Starbucks coffee for a group of friends” or it might be more along the lines of “you’re stranded on an island, what do you do?” These exercises help me isolate the character and get a better feel for what they should be doing within the context of the plot.
What are your future project(s)?
Currently, I am in the midst of first-round edits on Book Two of the Mage-Born Chronicles. It’s slated to visit the editor at the end of July and hopefully (fingers crossed!) find a release date before the end of the year.
I am also in the middle of a series of short stories featuring Reshi’s brothers and sisters which I plan to release as an anthology. I have the rough drafts complete for four of the six siblings and outlines for the remaining short stories, plus one or two bonus stories. This has been a really fun project for me and a great mental break between edits.
In the distant future, I’m hoping to take a trip back in time and write the story of the Great Mage Hunt, a significant event that occurred about thirty years prior to Sorcerous Rivalry. This would take place in the same setting, but with a whole new cast of characters. It’s a distant concept right now, but one I’m pretty excited about.
If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?
As much as I love writing, my actual ideal career would be working with exotic animals. I volunteered at an aquarium for over five years where I fed, trained and scuba dived with harbor seals, sea lions, penguins and sea otters. I volunteered at a zoo for a little over two years and had the pleasure of working closely with great apes, monkeys, elephants, Australian mammals, cats and all types of birds. However, working in this industry is highly competitive and volunteering costs more than you’d think (gas, uniforms, boots, etc) so for now I only work with horses and other livestock. But don’t get me wrong—I absolutely love goats!
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)?
My preferred method of contact would either be at through my Goodreads page (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17906784.Kayleigh_Nicol) or on Twitter (https://twitter.com/KayleighNicol5)
You can also find me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/kayleigh.nicol.1)
And if Sorcerous Rivalry sounds like a book you might enjoy, please pick up your copy at Amazon!
June 22, 2018
SPFBO Entry Interview: Scott Kaelen “The Blighted City”
And we’re back! I am happy to say that I’m returning to author interviews with some force. To those who don’t know, I recently got into Mark Lawrence’s annual Self Published Fantasy Blog Off event, where 300 books are whittled down to one through judging and loads of other intimidating sounding things. Based on all the incredible authors and books in there, I don’t really have much chance, but this is a great moment for everyone involved.
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So, onto the cool stuff! I will be interviewing as many entrants into SPFBO as possible. I doubt I’ll be able to interview all 299 entries, but I’ll try and get as many out there as I can. Today’s unfortunate victim (wait, I said that? I meant to say, wonderful volunteer…*cough*) is Scott Kaelen, whose entry “The Blighted City” is a brilliant addition to this year. To pick it up, simply click on the awesome looking book cover down below.
First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write? So far, I’ve written an epic fantasy novel, an essays book, a poetry book, and half a dozen short stories.
How do you develop your plots and characters? I spent over a year chipping away at world-building, preparing for way more than the first novel in The Fractured Tapestry series. After giving various important characters some back-story, a couple of those insisted on becoming the first novel, The Blighted City. But really it’s during the writing process of an actual story that the characters flesh themselves out to the fullest.
Tell us about your current project. It’s a follow-up novel set chronologically one year after the end of The Blighted City and several hundred years after Night Of The Taking, which is a short story in The Fractured Tapestry series (and free on Amazon).
Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them! I suppose it would have to be fair to say that, although there are three main characters in The Blighted City, Jalis does take a bit of a backseat compared to Oriken and Dagra. The two guys are the closest of friends and, along with Jalis, part of a team of freeblades (sellswords). The contrast between Oriken and Dagra was interesting for me to write, with Dagra being very much religious and Oriken being scornful of religion. Either despite or because of their differences, the two stayed friends since childhood, but events in The Blighted City are enough to make both men question their faith (or lack thereof). It’s not all about that, of course; there’s plenty of bickering and black comedy and drama and heartfelt moments between the two, plus Jalis, and various other characters in the story. Hey, I know it’s taking a gamble at $2.99, but give it a chance and you might be pleasantly surprised or even blown away, depending on your tastes. Sure, you might also be disappointed, but even the best of books out there has disappointed someone at some time.
What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction? The best advice I can give is DON’T spend all your time trying to perfect the first chapter or first few chapters. I’ve seen it happen a lot. I did it myself. An author says, “Please read my first chapter and tell me what you think. I don’t have the rest of the book written yet and I haven’t really figured out much about the character…” NO. Just get on with it and complete the entire first draft. Let it be shitty. That’s okay, you’ll improve on it with future revisions. More importantly, find your AUTHOR VOICE. Chances are, you haven’t found it yet. An author’s ‘voice’ is like the layers of an onion – it gets clearer the more you peel away. And to peel those layers away, you need to cut your teeth on short stories (perfect these as much as possible, and experiment with your style), test scenes (which probably won’t end up in a novel), and of course the first novel itself. You want to perfect something before you’ve gained your author voice, make it short stories, not a novel.
What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book? The vastness of Tolkien’s entire world of Arda was much more of an inspiration for me than his actual stories. As for the world of Verragos (a small portion of which The Blighted City is set), I very loosely based the geography on Earth, but an Earth as it might have been if the flow of continents had differed somewhat, aswell as the flow of civilisation. There’s a race of beings called ‘jotunn’ in the novel (which many of you will know of from Earth mythology) which is based on what the extinct species Gigantopithecus might be like if they’d A) had human-equivalent intelligence, and B) survived to the ‘present day’ (of Verragos) along with humanity.
What inspires you to write? Escapism. Adding light, colour and darkness to a world I can see in my mind, while in reality not being able to see much of the real world (I’m legally blind).
What was the hardest part of writing this book? Perhaps the hardest part of writing The Blighted City was how the story kept unfolding of its own accord, forcing me to rewrite scenes, scrap scenes, and revise the personalities of various characters. For a first novel, it was a steep learning curve. I know I hit some pitfalls in the process, and I know I didn’t achieve perfection. There are elements I would like to have changed a bit, and elements I hinted at but just couldn’t expand upon for reasons of pacing and not wanting to throw too many types of herb into the soup. I’ve learned a lot of lessons from writing The Blighted City, and you really need to develop a thick skin and absorb any criticism you receive. An author who can’t do that, is not a good writer.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why? Oh, hell, I enjoyed writing every scene! But seriously, some of my favourite chapters/scenes were also some of the hardest to write. Some of those gave me writer’s block for a month or more at a time, gave me serious stress and sleepless nights. Again, it’s all part of the learning process. I enjoy edthe poignancy of certain death scenes, and I also enjoyed a sword battle between a main character and a cameo but prominent character. Over and above specifics, I’d say the most enjoyable aspect for me is writing the dialogue. You’ll see what I mean if you read the book.
June 19, 2018
Book Review: The Well of Ascension (Mistborn Series)
It has been so long! I’ll admit I’ve been terrible with reading this year. I set a very modest goal of reading new books for 2018, just fifteen. And you know how many I’ve completed?
One. Only one. *sobs into a corner.* It’s been horribly slow, but now I am back. I’m currently reading The First Law by Joe Abercrombie, a fantastic read so far and plan to review it on its completion. I also have another 50+ books on my priority reading list, particularly those in this year’s annual SPFBO. And I’m in it this year! http://mark—lawrence.blogspot.com/2018/06/spfbo-2018-phase-1.html
But I have another book review, this time continuing with Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series, this time with a detailed look into Book Two: The Well of Ascension. After the explosive ending to The Final Empire in which a god is overthrown by an edgy street urchin girl (mostly through dumb luck, but the ending was still excellent), we find ourselves in the aftermath of an empire tearing itself apart.
Like the fall of Alexander the Great, Caesar or Genghis Khan, great dynasties are only as strong as their rulers, and boy, The Lord Ruler Rashek’s death sends things up shit creek without a paddle, and our merry band of heroes find themselves in the crux of a long, drawn out siege, in which Elend Venture’s fragile government is under siege by not one, not two, but three armies. They’re in for the long haul, with everything to lose.
And my GOD, does the siege drag. A lot of people call out this book as the weakest in the series, and…they have a point. Middle Book Syndrome really shows in this book, and one of my biggest issues was that after the year time skip…everyone seemed to stop. Let me explain this a little better.
The worst example of this was during an emotional conversation between Vin and Elend (in which Elend compares himself to Kelsier. Man, I missed him in this book.), and he casually brings up that Kelsier saved his life when the Inqusitor tried to kill Elend in Book One. I closed the book for several hours in awe. Why in plain fuck would you spend a year to bring this up, Elend? It just felt like something you should bring up weeks into your relationship with Vin! Everything just seemed static, which is a rough beginning, and the romance is barely there. at least Vin points this out in a little breaking the forth wall moment, but it was grating for the first half.
Their constant struggles, Vin’s near constant fretting, then when Elend starts to grow a spine, thinks he doesn’t need her anymore. Sigh…but I can’t say it’s unrealistic. It didn’t stop me by getting pissed off with it. All the angst drags out the book, but the moment it all clicks was a beautiful moment. Now let’s talk about that love triangle. Zane…he was a bad character. I just did not like him. Edgy, Kelsier-like Mistborn that only seemed to exist to be cool and test Vin’s relationship. The revelation he was never insane, Ruin’s manipulation and his final fight with Vin was good at least, but you don’t need to force in a love triangle and YA-level angst that does not belong in this series. Angst, slow-burning romance and love triangles are only a few ways to annoy me. The last half of the book showed such improvement it baffled me why it wasn’t like this for the first 400 pages.
Now, let’s talk about the pace of the book. The pace was just a little bit slow in some places for me. As you may or may not know, I’m not normally very bothered by a slow pace, and indeed, sieges tend to be slow. There was quite a lot of cool shit happening here. All the political games and the plan to pit three armies against each other was awesome, and all the dangers of a siege was well realised. However, there were just a few parts here that dragged a bit longer than I found necessary. It takes a long time for anything serious to happen. Overall though, I didn’t mind the pace too badly. It’s methodical, it’s well done, and most of the information presented here is necessary. If you like fast paced books, this is not for you.
There is a fair bit of info dumping throughout the book that can be trying to get through, and he keeps shoving the rules of Allomancy in your face throughout the series. And boy, does he continue it in this book, repeating the information every single bloody time there’s an Allomancy fight! I know the magic rules already. Stop showing me them! I got it the first time. I listen to what I read. He kinda treats you like a newbie, and while his magic system is more complex then most, I know what I’m doing, Brandon. I’m not an idiot. I research this stuff!
On the plus side, the battle/action scenes are still awesome. Gut-wrenching (The assault on Luthadel by the koloss), and brutal all the way through. Despite my annoyance with his lack of trust of the reader, Allomancy is still fucking awesome, with amazing fights. Vin and Zane’s murder of Cett’s Keep, the fight in the Voting Hall, Vin vs the Mistborn and crew in the beginning, Vin vs Zane are all great. My fave fight though? Sazed against Marsh, who rapidly becomes corrupted by Ruin. Once again, the ending is incredibly strong.
There are new characters in this book. After the massive sausage fest we’ve been used to so far, we get some new female blood in Allrianne and Tindwyl, who are both introduced halfway through this, bringing some estrogen to the predominantly male cast. (Not a criticism, as I could use some lessons on this one!) One is frilly and extremely irritating, the other hardened and blunt as hell, but both are developed characters without being squashed in any particular role. Allrianne’s skill with Allomancy and her love for Breeze is quite endearing, and Tindwyl’s short romance with Sazed is a beautiful moment in the book, one of Brandon’s best romances. (Steris and Wax still win though!) But my favourite new character? Oreseur. I wont spoil it, but he was incredible throughout, the kandra remaining an awesome race and his growing loyalty and friendship with Vin makes up for the extremely slow start and annoying angst moments, and the usual cast remains fairly solid throughout.
In conclusion, even though I had some issues, I still find this book a recommended choice. Yes, it’s slow and it has problems, but the excellent action, good world-building, overall solid character development and the brilliant ending makes up for it. I’ll rate it a 4/5, just like The Final Empire.
June 13, 2018
Guest Post: Author Michael R. Baker on Worldbuilding
This was a nice spotlight I did over on my friend Cari’s blog, where I talk a bit about worldbuilding. I’ve shared it a few times on my blog now, but it’s always worth looking back at it!
I am SOOOOO excited to share the wisdom of writers in my circle with you!
My fellow writer and friend Michael Baker, who is also a published author, has so graciously agreed to share some of his worldbuilding knowledge with us all. I met Michael a few years ago now through a fantasy writers facebook group, and he is the one who introduced me to Author’s Tale, the writing group I am constantly hawking around here.
Anyway, he’s been writing fantasy far longer than me and has an immense wealth of knowledge. I loved reading this and I hope you will, too. Also, he’s from the UK, so read it with a bit of a British accent and enjoy!
This article I have been writing for almost a month, and its progression has been painfully slow: the art of worldbuilding.
So, let’s get down to it. To make worlds, you…
View original post 1,917 more words
June 6, 2018
My Top 20 Games #19: The Impossible?
It has been a while since my last article. May was an incredible upturn for my blog, with over double the views of the previous best. I found that I get a lot more views for my gaming articles then everything else. Guess what I’ll be doing more of? You’ve guessed it. I will still be conducting author interviews and book reviews.
(Edit: I apologise for the font. Some of it keeps switching and with a head cold, I’m struggling to figure out how to change everything to one. It’s going to look a little wonky!)
Speaking of that, I’ve been so slow with it lately. I have half a dozen books I said I’d review and read for you guys, and this year nothings working 
May 23, 2018
Gaming – May 2018 Retrospective
It’s been another one of those months, I’m afraid. But for once, it’s been because of other productions! I have been hard at work since the beginning of April, working on getting my books finished. In the last seven weeks, I have been working on a new standalone in my fantasy world IP, as well as making solid progress on the second of my Counterbalance series. In fact, here is a map of the former. I’m currently working on other maps for my Counterbalance series, but here is one for my new book in production:
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But that is not the point of today’s article. I have been playing a lot of games lately, partially thanks to a mentoring program I’ve been doing the past 6 weeks. It’s been a very good time for me lately. So I figured today I would talk a little about the games I’ve been trying out, and some basic thoughts. This is not a review of any, more my ongoing thoughts. I will review some of these in due time!
Divinity: Original Sin 2
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I’ve already posted a review lusting after this thing: Divinity Original Sin 2 – A Masterpiece?, and I’m happy to say I finally completed my first play-through. 117 hours of rough fights, respeccing my team and a lot of bullshit, I finally finished the game.
And I really enjoyed it. But my word, that final fight is hard! I had to redo it nearly a dozen times, with complete rebuild of my party once or twice. For those who haven’t played, the end game boss is a bit of a prick, summoning a giant fuck off Kraken who just iced my team every time with extremely powerful attacks that hit my entire party.
Originally, my team consisted of: A rogue-build with Tank and Dagger manipulation, a full on Summoner, a Fire and Storm Mage and an archer. This quickly proved futile as I wasn’t doing enough damage to kill off Braccus Rex. So I changed my team up.
The first two just weren’t cutting it, so I swapped their configurations into a full-on offense. Two-handed attacker, and Blood Mage.
The final battle turned out to be a brutal bloodbath. I decided to side with Lucian (going against my team’s wishes, but fuck it!) and the fight swung back and forth. Braccus Rex was destroying my new dickish allies, and my team was barely hanging on. I had to keep reviving my struggling team. Then, Braccus Rex finished off Lucian and teleported to my party. He left himself open!
With what I had left in my arsenal and cool-downs, I attacked him with everything I had. If he died, his summons and Kraken died with him. But I had one shot. My team was low-health, and strung out. His Black Ring army would destroy me if i failed.
It came down to my custom character, Braccus Rex on a sliver of health. I clicked Overpower and finally finished the job. And I breathed a sigh of relief. Over an hour, that last fight. I finally did it.
Guess what I did? Started a new game! This time, with all the Origin Characters I didn’t have last time, a higher difficulty, and a ton of new spell mods. With the Definitive Edition announced for late July, I have some more time to play around with this excellent game.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
I can’t wait to give this game a full review, but I haven’t played the main quest enough yet. That sounds odd after 42 hours into the game, but I want no stone unturned until I’m ready. I don’t like reviewing based on hearsay. I review on MY experience.
And what an experience it is so far. I was lucky in I only started playing last month, so I’ve avoided most of the botched bugs and crashes that others have suffered. I’ve had some texture popin, a few visual bugs like NPCs merging like some weird Chimera experiment, but nothing gamebreaking. Which is good.
And believe me, the game has had some problems at launch. It still does. It’s had quite the flak from people for its semi-broken launch and some more serious bugs, such as halberd stuttering that still hasn’t been fixed. But I haven’t played such an immersive, enjoyable 1st person game in a long time. The world-building is good but not overly saturated, it’s well researched, the systems in the game are excellent, and I adore Henry as a player character. He’s a burly, blacksmith’s son who likes drinking and fighting, and he’s just a blast to play as.
I love most of the systems, like the pickpocketing, rich combat system and the alchemy, but I do feel there’s…something missing. I want more, but although there are a lot of random events said, I’ve come across so few that the world, beautiful as it may be, can seem a bit barren at times. I love travelling in the world regardless, and although the game feels like it still suffers from Open World RPG syndrome, at this point in the game this isn’t a problem. It’s not a chore, and I enjoy that.
I just hope that Warhorse Studios continues to deliver on what is already a good game, as it does seem to be missing a lot of the content that was promised in the Kickstarter. That doesn’t stop me from liking the game, because I do. I know the difficulty of launching a first experience and getting judged for it, and this studio has suffered from political bullshit. Just…focus on the game and continue to improve it, rather then allowing these morons to get to you? This is a wonderful game so far and I hope it continues to be so.
Prey
No image to go with this one, but I bought it as a treat. (It was less then a tenner from Gamesplanet). I’m liking it so far. Full of things to do, the world looks well crafted, the story and characters are good, and the Gloo Cannon is great fun to use. I’m only a couple of hours in so far, so little to say.
A Hat in Time
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*Bounces happily in my seat.* I finally got a Bluetooth controller so I can play shit like this easier. Mouse and Keyboard just doesn’t go far enough for some games. And boy, am I happy I took the plunge!
What a wonderful game. This nearly, nearly took the number one spot for my top game last year, and would have done if not for some other Divine game.
It doesn’t look like much, at least at first to me. I don’t really play platformers, but this did speak out to me. I bought the game and tried it out. I was pleasantly surprised how fresh, adorable and playable the game is. You go around picking up hats!
A Hat in Time is more than a lovingly crafted homage to the world of platformers; it’s a delightful adventure in its own right, that brings creative innovation to the genre in an abundance of wonderful ways. . I had to go with this just because of how happy the game made me. It really was a fun event, all the way through. Good platform controls, a beautifully crafted world, plenty of secrets and stunning visuals stole the show for me. It has its faults of course. I found it a bit short for my liking and some of the level design was lacking a bit, but all in all, an excellent game. The control is wonderful, there’s a lot to do and there is even custom levels now! I’m looking forward to exploring this further.
Other Games
There is some development in what I’m playing next. Pillars of Eternity 2 looks like a blast, so that’s waiting patiently on my system. BATTLETECH is also high on my priority list, and I cannot wait to try out Jurassic World: Evolution. We need more Dinosaur theme-park builders! I have been dabbling with the excellent sci-fi sim Rimworld, playing around more with ELEX and waiting until I’m ready to try out Arma 3, a game I have wanted for ages.
My next game review is likely to be Kingdom Come Deliverance, but I will have #19 in my Top 20 games of all time coming up soon. You could say it is Impossible…
