Mayra Calvani's Blog, page 10

Talking Craft with Vasudev Murthy, author of ‘Sherlock Holmes, the Missing Years: Timbuktu’

Vasudev Murthy lives in Bangalore, India and writes on music, humor, management and crime. He has been published by Poisoned Pen Press, Bloomsbury, HarperCollins and Sage. His work has been translated into Portuguese, Korean, Japanese and Kannada. He is otherwise a Management Consultant and violinist with a passion for animal welfare.

Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, Sherlock Holmes, the Missing Years: Timbuktu. To begin with, can you give us a brief summary of what the story is about and what compelled you to write it?
A: In the Sherlock Holmes Canon (the compendium of stories), there is a period between 1891 and 1894 that’s called the Missing Years. This is a period where Arthur Conan Doyle stopped writing after killing off Holmes at Reichenbach Falls. He resurfaced in 1894 in the story – The Empty House. There is considerable conjecture about where he might have been in the interim.

My first book about this was Sherlock Holmes, the Missing Years: Japan, where I claimed that he was in Japan. In this book, encouraged by my excellent editor, Barbara Peters, I placed him in a mystery in Timbuktu, or more correctly in Africa, with the center point being Timbuktu.

Q: What do you think makes a good thriller. Could you narrow it down to the three most important elements? Is it even possible to narrow it down?
A: This is only my view, of course. I think it’s the following:
1. An unpredictable plot
2. Finally etched characters one can visualize as someone in flesh and blood
3. A sense of closure – because we need to feel that good finally prevails over evil.

Q: How did you go about plotting your story? Or did you discover it as you worked on the book?
A: I have the key milestones more or less ready when I start writing. But since this kind of book involves a great deal of complicated historical research, I do face the challenge or temptation of trying to incorporate something I discover along the way. An occasional rewrite is needed. An example of that might be the very interesting story of the Cathars of France, the details of which I used in my Timbuktu story.

Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist and how you developed him or her. Did you do any character interviews or sketches prior to the actual writing?
A: In my case, I have a different challenge. The protagonist, Sherlock Holmes, has already been sketched well and is often known to the reader before the book has been opened. That means I need to constantly adhere to the expectation of the user. But yet, it would be quite boring to have exactly the same persona unchanged since 1891. A little variation is needed – both to Sherlock as well as to the expected story line.

Q: In the same light, how did you create your antagonist or villain? What steps did you take to make him or her realistic?
A: I think there are no true villains. Moriarty has, of course, an aura of utter villainy, but his is a character that must not be exposed too much. Other villains in this book remain hidden for extended periods, and then surface. The villainy comes from the expression of extreme views, a certain contemptuous cold-bloodedness. And yet, a villain might show sparks of being a normal human being – you can’t expect him to be nasty 24 x 7.

Q: How did you keep your narrative exciting throughout the novel? Could you offer some practical, specific tips?
A: A chapter must end with an unresolved situation, usually via a completely unexpected event. You can keep the suspense going by refusing to proceed in a linear manner. In other words, you can help in delayed gratification. I think conversation, usually clipped, adds spice and creates a sense of involvement.

Q: Setting is also quite important and in many cases it becomes like a character itself. What tools of the trade did you use in your writing to bring the setting to life?
A: A historical novel must refer correctly to events in history and make the characters appear to be involved in them. Then the physical setting is also needed – the desert, the sea, the heat – we need to talk about this because it affects our characters. In this novel, I have done exactly that.

Q: Did you know the theme(s) of your novel from the start or is this something you discovered after completing the first draft? Is this theme(s) recurrent in your other work?
A: I did have an approximate plot but things did change along the way as I uncovered new historical facts. And no, this is a unique theme and does not recur. At best, I might say that both novels have travel intrinsic to the plot.

Q: Where does craft end and art begin? Do you think editing can destroy the initial creative thrust of an author?
A: What we do is assemble some clumsy blobs of writing. It comes to life in the hands of an editor who you trust and whose motives are quite sincere. I hope that answers both questions. I am not in agreement with the notion that a writer has descended from the heavens as a supremely gifted angel.

Q: What three things, in your opinion, make a successful novelist?
A: Stamina – to write and revise. A thick skin – to ignore pointless criticism and an apparently indifferent market. Interpersonal communication – learning how to ask for opinions in the right way and allowing others to feel part of the writing process; they would then be your book’s ambassadors.

Q: A famous writer once wrote that being an author is like having to do homework for the rest of your life. What do you think about that?
A: I don’t understand the question and will respectfully pass.

Q: Are there any resources, books, workshops or sites about craft that you’ve found helpful during your writing career?
A: Not really. It changes constantly. In this specific case, it was always useful to refer to the original stories to remind myself of the tone and language of the era.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers about the craft of writing?
A: I think writing in different genres is stimulating. Writing in only one genre is likely to make your writing predictable, though it may garner a loyal set of fans who become fanatical about imaginary characters.

Talking Craft with Chris Karlsen, Author of ‘In Time For You’

I was born and raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor and my mother was, and is, a voracious reader. I grew up with a love of history and books. My parents also love traveling, a passion they passed onto me. I wanted to see the places I read about, see the land and monuments from the time periods that fascinated me. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa. I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream. I write three different series. My paranormal romance series is called, Knights in Time. My romantic thriller series is Dangerous Waters. The newest is The Bloodstone Series. Each series has a different setting and some cross time periods, which I find fun to write.I currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and four wild and crazy rescue dogs. 

Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, In Time For You. To begin with, can you gives us a brief summary of what the story is about and what compelled you to write it? 

Sisters, Electra and Emily are horseback riding in the English countryside with Electra’s fiancé, Roger. The sisters go off to collect flowers and find themselves caught in a time warp. When no clue to their vanishing turns up, Roger, learns a disturbing truth about the specific area the women disappeared from: that there has been past incidents of a time passage opening and there’s a link to specific place and time. He realizes what has occurred. What neither sister knew, was Roger is a time traveler himself. He was brought forward in time from a medieval battle he was engaged in.

He knows he must go back and search for the sisters who face grave dangers in the medieval world they’ve been transported to. Complicating his search is the fact that they are in a time that England was a war with France and Roger is French. He was fighting the English when he was transported. If he is caught while searching for the sisters, he will face death as an enemy on English soil or imprisonment as a prisoner of war.

It’s the story of how the two sisters use their intellect and resourcefulness to survive and adjust to a very alien world. It’s about how in the craziest and most frightening of circumstances, love can make its way into our hearts.

*Roger was the antagonist in my previous book in this series, Knight Blindness. Although he was the antagonist, he was not a villain. He was a French nobleman fighting for his king and country. I liked Roger as a person and a character and at the end of Knight Blindness decided to give him a story of his own. Electra and Emily the two female heroines in In Time For You are sisters to the heroine in Knight Blindness.

Q: What do you think makes a good romance? Could you narrow it down to the three most important elements? Is it even possible to narrow it down?

For any genre, I’d say compelling characters. The author must be passionate about creating well-rounded fulfilling characters in order for the reader to be and that includes the antagonists. For romance, the story must show a genuine relationship between the hero and heroine. To me, it can’t be he’s so handsome and she’s so beautiful and the two are carried away by just the sight of the other. The two need to laugh and respect each other, more than making love in the story. Those scenes are a lovely addition but the story must show the love grow and develop. Third, I’d say a good romance has a well-rounded world for the characters to occupy. Whether it’s terrible or beautiful or both, they have friends and family and enemies, all sorts of people they come into contact with. They shouldn’t function in a vacuum, so to speak. I love giving a story a variety of characters. I also like to use setting as a character at times.

Q: How did you go about plotting your story? Or did you discover it as you worked on the book?

I start with an outline. I’m not married to it. I usually veer far from what I originally put down and will let a storyline take me to a natural progression. I like being surprised by my characters and how they react. They don’t always do what I thought they would at the start.

Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist and how you developed him or her. Did you do any character interviews or sketches prior to the actual writing?

I have four protagonists in this story, which is unusual I know. Originally, I planned on the story surrounding Electra and Roger. I didn’t have to do much on them prior, especially on Roger, as he had a great deal of page time in Knight Blindness and a lot was known about him. Electra had several scenes in it as well. What I found was I couldn’t ignore or downplay Emily. I had not done a lot with her prior to the book, in fact, almost nothing. She grew in personality as I wrote. I needed to give her a hero and I gave her Simon. Simon was the best friend to Stephen, the English knight who came forward in time with Roger, in Knight Blindness. Simon is seen a great deal in Journey in Time. He became the perfect hero for Emily. They were the unlikely couple. Simon wasn’t always very nice in Journey in Time and he’s a bit of a tough customer. Emily is the youngest sister and is rather naïve and sweet natured compared to Electra. They both have a steep character arc, which I enjoyed giving them.

Roger and Electra are powerful characters from the start. For her, I was able to show how someone in her position (a modern woman) might handle being dropped in such an alien world. Medieval times were not kind to women. With Roger, I used the situation to show his intellect and resourcefulness.

Q: In the same light, how did you create your antagonist or villain? What steps did you take to make him or her realistic?

In Time For You hasn’t a antagonist/villain per se. It is the time and place that are the enemy of the hero and heroine. When I’ve written villains in the past, I generally don’t write a straight up evil person with no likeable features. I think the most interesting villains are those we occasionally find ourselves liking, men like Tony Soprano come to mind.  I like to give the villains a setting as well. They have associates, likes and dislikes, often they are men and women of great taste-think of the James Bond villains.

I will mention odd quirks they might have. In my book, Silk, the killer couldn’t stand to be around people when they were eating. The sound of people eating drove him bananas. In Golden Chariot, I named some of the music the villain listened to and the heroine, to her disgust, discovered she listened to some of it as well. I also gave him a surprise scene where, even though he’s a brutal killer, he shows extreme kindness to a down and out war veteran of his country who is begging.

In Knight Blindness, where Roger, the hero from In Time For You was the antagonist, I wanted to present a man who believed in his cause. He saw the hero as his country’s enemy and it was his originally intention to kill him.

Q: How did you keep your narrative exciting throughout the novel? Could you offer some practical, specific tips?

The first thing I do when I start a chapter is decide what event is going to happen that in some way changes the story, it has to change the character(s) in some way or change the world around them. That is a great way to keep up the pace as they, the characters, must react.

Second thing I do is ask whether a scene is really needed. What am I accomplishing? Not every scene will be action packed but again this plays to number one, if the two people or more are interacting then there must be a reason. If idle talk must be used, then it is only while I’m moving them from one point to another. That said, I try to limit those moments. Those are good places to add a line of humor or a romantic observation, if the story is a romance.

Q: Setting is also quite important and in many cases it becomes like a character itself. What tools of the trade did you use in your writing to bring the setting to life?

As I mentioned in those same words, I see setting as a character. I like to bring in weather. With weather you get smells, sounds, feel, sight, and sometimes taste. If they’re in the woods, I use the trees: is there a canopy from the lush trees in bloom or is it winter? Does ice cover the bare branches and moonlight reflect off them or is it fall and the leaves are like an orange blanket, slippery when wet. Does the forest embrace the characters or drive them to find a clearing?

Are they on the water with a spray of salt hitting them, stinging them as they’re trying to escape somewhere? Is it making their desperation worse?

I like to bring in medieval architecture when doing time travels. The mix of natural light with torchlight, the smell of smoke from the torches and candles, the tall fireplaces with carved surrounds of mythical creatures, the imposing tapestries, this can be very intimidating to a person not used to that world. Does the room reek of body odor or smell like fresh cut grass from newly laid rushes on the floor?

Throughout my stories, I try to continually bring in the environment. I think how it affects the characters really helps bring the book to life for a reader. I want them to feel cold when the characters do and scared when the heroine is walking down a torchlight corridor of a strange castle. I want the reader to wonder along with the characters why the birds suddenly stopped chirping as they stepped from one place to another.

Q: Did you know the theme(s) of your novel from the start or is this something you discovered after completing the first draft? Is this theme(s) recurrent in your other work?

I honestly don’t think of myself as writing a “theme.” I just will have a story in my head that I want to tell and hope to do it in an entertaining way. If there’s a theme, and I’m not sure this counts, my theme is about writing heroines with great strength of character, they all have a lot of intestinal fortitude. They aren’t women who cry and sob and do nothing while they wait for rescue. They’re proactive. I like to write women who are equal to the heroes in intelligence and courage.

Q: Where does craft end and art begin? Do you think editing can destroy the initial creative thrust of an author?

Tough question. I don’t write for a major NY publishing house. I know some who do and an author friend has her stories deeply “redone” after editing. To me, and this is just me, that dances a little too close to stepping on an author’s creative process.

I’ve also seen writers who are slaves to rules. I like to follow them up to a point, but at the end of the day, to me, I think many can be broken if done well. If the reader isn’t confused and the story isn’t harmed, then I don’t see the purpose to slash and burn rules. Sometimes a sentence fragment is a creative choice! I think it’s okay to start a sentence (once in a while) with ‘and’ or ‘but’.

One of my favorite authors is a major violator of head hopping. She does it very well. I wouldn’t do it. That is one of the rules I do tend to take heed of but she’s exceptional. I believe editing her out of her stylistic approach would have her craft.

Q: What three things, in your opinion, make a successful novelist?

Commitment: be willing to sit your butt in a chair for hours and hours and write when there’s so many more fun things you might want to do.

Diligence/Learn the craft: diligence in doing research when it is needed and not just writing something off the top of your head and hoping it’s historically or otherwise correct. Diligence in learning the craft and learning what is lazy writing and what make compelling story telling.

Acceptance: accept that you must promote. Amazon has hundreds and thousands of books listed. You must promote to get your name out. Acceptance that not everyone will love your book and you will get bad reviews. Move on. Don’t lose heart.

Q: A famous writer once wrote that being an author is like having to do homework for the rest of your life. What do you think about that?

I like Oscar Wilde’s comments on writing. One of my favorites is: “I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning and took out a comma. In the afternoon, I put it back again.”

I also like Hemingway’s: “All writing is rewriting.”

Q: Are there any resources, books, workshops or sites about craft that you’ve found helpful during your writing career?

I like Stephen King’s “On Writing.” As far as workshops and books, Donald Maass has the best workshops IMO. I’ve been to his several times and they’re incredible. His books are available also. One is “Writing the Breakout Novel” and another is “The Fire in Fiction.” Another good workshop is taught by Bob Mayer. One of the best conferences I’ve been to if you write thrillers or mysteries etc. is Thrillerfest. They always have a great lineup of authors.

Q:  Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers about the craft of writing?

I would strongly suggest to all that you get into a critique group. You really need to have other “eyes” see your work. Your story will often not be coming across the way you want and having the group look at it can help.

Read a lot. Definitely read books in the genre you want to write in to get a “feel” for what reader expectation is.

When you read a scene you find especially well done and compelling, dissect it. By that I mean, as a reader look at it and figure out what it is you like the most, what makes this scene special for you and keep those qualities in mind for your own stories.

Develop a tough skin. There’s a lot of rejection in this business. There’ll always be people who dislike your book and there’ll be bad reviews. It’s the nature of the beast. Let it go and move on and don’t let the negative aspects get you down.

IN TIME FOR YOU is available on:

http://www.amazon.com/Time-You-Knights-Book-ebook/dp/B019JKXR5G/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-time-for-you-chris-karlsen/1123235174?ean=9781522714033

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/in-time-for-you-1

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/606238

 

 

 

Review and Giveaway: In Time for You, by Chris Karlsen

While horseback riding in the English countryside, sisters Electra and Emily Crippen find themselves trapped in a tear in time. Thrown back to 1357 England and caught by a local noble, they are in a place that is home but as frightening and unfamiliar as an alien world would be. With no idea how the tear in time came about, the one thing they do know is: they must stay together and stay near to where the event took place in hopes of discovering the way back to their modern life. That certain need to stay together is the first certainty taken from them when one sister is forced to remain in England and one is sent miles away to Wales by royal order.

There is one other hope for help the sisters don’t know exists. It’s Electra’s lover, Roger Marchand. A time traveler himself, he never told her of his past. When he realizes what has happened to the sisters, he enlists the help of a scientist friend to help him open the suspected passageway through time. Any effort to save Electra and Emily will likely cost him his life. This was the time Roger came from, a time when his country, France, was at war with England. If he is discovered on English soil while searching for the sisters, he will either be killed or taken prisoner of war. Any risk is worth saving the life of the woman he loves.

My Review:

This was a very entertaining read! Having read the earlier instalments in the series, I was familiar with the overall series plot and some of the characters. The book can be read as standalone, but I highly recommend you read the earlier ones for optimum enjoyment.

While the relationship between Roger and Electra is important in this story, I think Emily and Simon's love story takes center stage. Simon is one the court's knights and has been scarred terribly both physically and psychologically, thus the way their love evolves is both touching and compelling. I especially liked and sympathized with Emily. While I also like Electra, Emily seems the more kind-hearted, wilful and impulsive of the two.

There are two elements that made me love the book. One, the differences in speech and language expressions between time periods clash at times, resulting in many humorous scenes and comic relief between the action and adventure. Second, the author illustrates how women were prejudiced against and treated so differently during medieval times. We take for granted women's liberation, but it's shocking to see how very little rights women have had in the past.

The story moves back and forth between time periods to show how Emily and Electra are coping in medieval England and how Roger and his scientist friend--quite an endearing character, I must say!--come up with a way to travel back in time in order to bring them back. The ending was satisfying and felt just right.

In sum, if you're a fan of time-travel romance, be sure to pick this one up. It brings hours of fun, pure escapism.

GIVEAWAY
The author will give away the following prizes to 4 random readers who leave a comment below during the length of the tour:
*2 Amazon $15 gift card certificates
*2 ebooks
The winner will be announced on February 20th!

The Writing Life with Authors Leif and Jason Grundstrom-Whitney

Leif Grundstrom-Whitney is the proud co-author of the epical satire The Hidden Chalice of the Cloud People; the wicked and witty character known as Facinorous contained therein is a product of his multifarious mind. He has been published in several obscure poetry journals (hold your applause). To say that he is an edacious reader would be an understatement worthy of Hemingway. If he had a spirit animal, it would probably be a raven who knows how to play a Hammond B-3 organ.

Jason Grundstrom-Whitney has been a Social Worker and Substance Abuse Counselor in the State of Maine for many years. In this time, he has introduced meditation (tai-chi, qigong, yoga, and meditation) groups to teens when told he would fail. This was one of the most successful and long lasting groups. He developed a Civil Rights/Peer Helper course that won state and national awards (for High School) and has worked as a civil rights activist. He has also worked as a long term care social worker and now works as a Hospice Medical Social Worker. Jason is a poet, writer, and musician playing bass, harmonica and various wind instruments. Lover of all styles of music he has played classical, jazz, rock, funk, country, blues, and rap. He is very excited to play bass with his brother’s band and his son’s. He is very proud to have co-authored The Hidden Chalice of the Cloud People with his son Leif.

What’s
inside the mind of a Young Adult Fiction author?

The
idea that the impossible can become a reality is exciting! The notion that we
can empower with the words we use and the stories we write. I think that Suzuki
Roshi perhaps said it best when he said, "Zen Mind Beginner Mind."
This means that everything is a beginning. If we look at life as we did as
children, everything is new and fresh and filled with possibility. I think a
major goal of our writing is to bring this awareness and sense of possibility
to Young Adults (and everyone else). We also have a very zany understanding of
humor which drives the satire.

What
is so great about being an author?

The
idea of the ideal that your mind from stillness is creating spurs us.
Everything comes from this stillness. When you think about it, you start with a
blank piece of paper; what unfolds is coming from this deep well of silence and
latent creativity. Whatever you create is from you and your relation to this
moment which is filled with the experiential past and the pregnant possibility
of the future. To be a writer is to have this sense and to be "the touch
point of calligraphy" as they say in the East.

When
do you hate it?

We
hate when we don't have the time or other commitments take us away from our
craft. Writing is very sacred; it is an exercise of the soul that needs its
hygiene of daily care; without it, it is hard to not feel lost, adrift in the
day-to-day normative nature of life.

What
is a regular writing day like for you?

We enjoy writing in the early
morning and afternoon. A typical day is to sit at the living room table with a
beautiful pastoral view across from each other and working out the details of a
blueprint, story line, revision, or edit. It is a joy working together.  

Do
you think authors have big egos? Do you?

You
have to believe in yourself. In many ways the writer's life is a life that is
simple, humble, ego-less. In order to develop a story line or perhaps a new
sense of cogitation within a passage, a writer must listen deeply within to
cull from the experiential and learned knowledge of the past and strive from
this to create a work that is new and exciting. To us if your ego is too big,
perhaps you will not see the subtle nuances that go into creating a new piece
of literature. In our case you also have to consider you have two people
working, so there has to be a sense of common purpose and collaboration.  

How
do you handle negative reviews?

With
the same sort of vicious ferocity that a raccoon demonstrates when cornered. We
respond with a savagery unmatched in the realm of human affairs! However,
having said that, it should be mentioned that we take any criticism that is
honest, authentic (i.e. based on a thorough understanding of the material), and
constructive into serious consideration. At least one-third of this answer is
serious. You choose which third. 

How
do you handle positive reviews?

Positive
reviews are handled in an understated manner befitting the innate class,
dignity, and nobility of our characters. This usually involves rowdy bacchanals
that threaten to tear the framework of the sky asunder. So, you know; events
where temperance is the guiding principle.    

What
is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?

The
usual response is either one of abject horror or utter indifference. Seriously though, one of us has
worked as a musician for many years and the response generally for any of the
arts is, "Well, that's nice; what do you do for work?"  I blame
a culture that is not supportive of their artists for this. Consequently we
have seen such a drop in the level of creativity in all art. When culture tells
you that art is an avocation, then subliminally and overtly you constantly
question, "Am I good enough? Can I really do this?" So we have a
culture of artists who work in the arts as an avocation, not a culture
that fully supports the arts where artists can professionally work at their
craft.  

What
do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a
break?

Write no matter what you feel! On
some days it may not be the best of what you do, of what you are capable of
writing, but write anyway. The process of writing is important. Think about
someone who would like to be an Olympic athlete. The athlete takes steps each
day to reach his or her goal. Day by day, week by week, the athlete gets better
at his/her event. Some days the athlete might not want to run or lift or
practice, but it must be done to reach the goal. Writing is the same; we must
practice daily!  

Any
writing quirks?

Veering rather haphazardly into the realm of deeply personal questions, eh?
That depends on how you define a writing quirk. One of the defining peculiarities
of our writing method is its nonlinearity. Sections of the narrative and whole
sequences of action or dialogue are written in an unusual natural
progression-defying fashion; either starting from the end and moving back to
the beginning or starting from the middle and working to the end and then back
to the beginning or some other variation on this style.        

What
would you do if people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it
as a hobby?

One of us would likely shout to the
offensive detractor: “You better check yourself before you wreck yourself!” In
all seriousness, is anyone able to determine what his or her hobbies are?
Van Gogh painted for years and only sold paintings to his brother; are we to
seriously consider that he did painting as a hobby? There is so much cultural
misunderstanding about art and artists!  

Some
authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate? 

Sometimes
when you look back at a piece of work, you may cringe as it is not at your
current level. We might have thought at the time we wrote a brilliant poem;
then two months later we want to burn it. This has to do with a more objective
view you now have of the work which is facilitated by time’s gradual dulling of
the passions utilized and sublimated during the creation process. Does it mean
we should burn it or throw it in the waste bin? Absolutely not! The work we
have always stimulates something from within you as it is you. Later you may
wish to refine or revise or edit, but don't throw away!

Do
you think success as an author must be linked to money?

We all need food, shelter, clothes
and the necessities to live; so in one regard, yes, we have to make money in
order to thrive. It would be a blessing to be able to sustain our existence on
the income derived solely from an artistic dream job. This doesn’t necessarily
mean that success as an author has to be linked to money though. Writing is its
own reward. If the world stood against us and we were greatly constrained by
the horrors of impecuniosity, we would still write to satisfy the gnarring need
for creative expression.     

What
had writing taught you?

Writing
has taught us about the universe of creativity within. We are really remarkable
as human beings, able to take experience and knowledge and use symbols (writing
in this case) to relate this depth of inwardness. We have learned that the
universe of creativity from within is endless. We have learned that we can tap
this well and ride the current.

Leave
us with some words of wisdom.

We
leave you with some simple words of advice (this is geared towards all the
aspiring authors amongst your undoubtedly charming audience): Take your art
seriously; refine your abilities, hone your skills and develop a habit of
writing on a quotidian basis; not necessarily a piece of art that inspires the
pneuma and rattles the firmament but something that is at least adequate or
decent. Practicing your craft plays a crucial role in maintaining the
well-being and the liveliness of your mental character as well as improving
your writing abilities. Let the sensitive fabric of your psyche become
pachydermatous and persevere through all the vicissitudes that adversity can
muster.  

////////////////////////////////////  

Title:
The Hidden Chalice of the Cloud People

Genre:
Young Adult Fiction

Author:
Leif and Jason Grundstrom-Whitney

Website: http://www.leifandjasonenterprises.com/

Publisher: Amazon Kindle Direct
Publishing

Purchase
link: : http://www.amazon.com/The-Hidden-Chalice-Cloud-People-ebook/dp/B00RPTXQDC  

About
the Book: The Hidden Chalice of the Cloud People is a young adult fantasy
comedy novel written by a father and son writing duo for an intelligent general
audience. It is the first book in an upcoming tetralogy. It is a darkly
humorous, fast-paced, action-packed celebratory unification of the world’s rich
cultural lore through the lens of an inventive fantasy concept that stands both
as an occasionally subversive satire that satirizes the YA genre and an
anachronistic experiment on the fusion of storyline narratives (differing
stylistically and compositionally). 

When Tommy Dana is abducted into a fantastical realm called Lethia, where the
worthy stories of humanity are granted a physical reality, the social
media-averse thirteen year old must plunge through a multi-varied
meta-fictional adventure in order to save his, and the entire human world’s, imagination
from falling into the thieving clutches of the witty supernatural villain
Facinorous.

Interview with Robert V Baynes, author of ‘The Day the Dollar Died’

Robert V Baynes is concerned about the direction this country is headed. He wrote this first novel as a message to warn people of what could happen here if things continue as they are. In his spare time, he loves to spend time with his family. He also likes to vacation in new places, fish, read, garden and cook.

Twitter / Facebook / Website / Amazon

Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, The Day the Dollar Died. To begin with, can you give us a brief summary of what the story is about and what compelled you to write it.

A: My book is the story of an ordinary farmer and how his life has been very good in this country. Then things begin to change as the financial foundations of this country start to crumble. The main character, John, struggles with what to do and eventually loses everything he has worked so hard to build. He ends up having to make some very difficult choices to try to save his family.

I chose to write this book because I wanted to warn people of some of the dangers I see coming to this country if we do not change the direction we are headed.

Q: What do you think makes a good political novel? Could you narrow it down to the three most important elements? Is it even possible to narrow it down?

A: I think one of the most important aspects of a political novel is that it gets a message across. I think the authors’ point of view should be fairly obvious. I also think it is important for the novel to speak to current events. If it is not about current problems, people do not feel compelled to read it. Third, I think a political novel should be fairly easy to understand.

There could be other aspects, but I think these are the three I would narrow it down to.

Q: How did you go about plotting your story? Or did you discover it as you worked on the book?

A: I knew the basic story line I wanted to go with when I started the book. However, much of the story came about as I wrote. I felt like I just saw the story unfold and I wrote it as I saw it.

Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist and how you developed him or her. Did you do any character interviews or sketches prior to the actual writing?

A: My protagonist came about as a mix between my personality, what I would like to be and just an ordinary farmer. I didn’t do a character sketch prior to writing, but I just wrote what I saw in my head.

Q: In the same light, how did you create your antagonist or villain? What steps did you take to make him or her realistic?

A: For the antagonist, I chose a character that has an almost opposite point of view as myself and then tried to picture why they would think that way. This was an interesting exercise to do.

Q: How did you keep your narrative exciting throughout the novel? Could you offer some practical, specific tips?

A:I tried to keep the narrative exciting by trying to make everything as realistic as possible. I always tried to think about how a person would realistically react in each situation. I also threw in a few twists.

For tips, I think some of the best writing is as realistic as possible and is descriptive enough that you could picture yourself there.

Q: Setting is also quite important and in many cases it becomes like a character itself. What tools of the trade did you use in your writing to bring the setting to life?

A: I tried to throw in cues about what the breeze was like or what the character might have heard. I tried to throw in subtle cues about the setting as the book went along.

Q: Did you know the theme(s) of your novel from the start or is this something you discovered after completing the first draft? Is this theme(s) recurrent in your other work?

A: I knew the basic theme of the novel from the beginning. I discovered many of the details as I wrote. I am currently working on my second novel and the theme is similar but changed.

Q: Where does craft end and art begin? Do you think editing can destroy the initial creative thrust of an author?

A:I think you need both art and craft to be a good book. They have to work together. A good job of editing would enhance rather than destroy the creative work of an author. A good edit, makes a book easier to read and understand.

Q: What three things, in your opinion, make a successful novelist?

A: First of all, they have to be someone who can tell a good story. They also have to be able to stick with one project for years or months until they can get a project finished and to market. Third, I think they have to be able to figure out how to publicize and market their work after that.

Q: A famous writer once wrote that being an author is like having to do homework for the rest of your life. What do you think about that?

A: That point of view certainly has a lot of merit. An author is also someone who gets to tell stories for a living. However, being an author does take a lot of work that is not always fuin.

Q: Are there any resources, books, workshops or sites about craft that you’ve found helpful during your writing career?

A:I can’t think of any resources I used to learn to write. I have been an avid reader all of my life, so I think that has helped me to be able to write.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers about the craft of writing?

A: Writing is like doing anything else. It take some work when you don’t feel like it and the more you do it and get good feedback, the better you can get at it.

Meet Tracy Weber, Author of ‘Karma’s a Killer’

Tracy Weber is the author of the award-winning Downward Dog Mysteries series.  The first book in the series, Murder Strikes a Pose, won the Maxwell Award for Fiction and was nominated for the Agatha award for Best First Novel.

A certified yoga therapist, Tracy is the owner of Whole Life Yoga, a Seattle yoga studio, as well as the creator and director of Whole Life Yoga’s teacher training program. She loves sharing her passion for yoga and animals in any way possible.

Tracy and her husband Marc live in Seattle with their challenging yet amazing German shepherd, Tasha. When she’s not writing, Tracy spends her time teaching yoga, walking Tasha, and sipping Blackthorn cider at her favorite ale house.

Karma’s a Killer is her third novel. For more information on Tracy and the Downward Dog Mysteries, visit her author website: http://TracyWeberAuthor.com/

Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, Karma’s a Killer. To begin with, can you give us a brief summary of what the story is about and what compelled you to write it? 

A: Karma’s a Killer is a light-hearted yoga and dog-related mystery. The story opens at a fundraiser for DogMa, a fictional Seattle animal rescue. While teaching a Doga (yoga for dogs) class, yoga teacher Kate Davidson meets an animal rights activist named Dharma who has a surprising connection to her past. Two days later, Dharma is arrested for murder. The case seems cut and dry, especially since Dharma’s ID was found at the scene and her skin is lodged underneath the victim’s fingernails. Dharma, however, claims she’s innocent, and Kate vows to ferret out the truth.

In this, the third of the Downward Dog Mysteries, readers learn the origins of Kate’s pogonophobia—the irrational fear of beards. They also discover why she has, at least up until now, been so terrified of commitment. Although most of the book is about Kate’s somewhat inept attempts at murder investigation, her German shepherd Bella and her best friend Rene get her into plenty of trouble along the way. But the most satisfying part of the book watching Kate rediscover herself.

Many things inspired me to write this book. I’ve had a fascination with animals my entire life, and wildlife rehabilitation plays a large role in the work, as does animal rescue. However the most intriguing prospect in writing this book was truly delving into what makes Kate such quirky character. I always knew that Kate had a back story and that she needed to reconcile experiences from her past. Karma’s a Killer gave me the perfect avenue to explore them.

Q: What do you think makes a good cozy mystery? Could you narrow it down to the three most important elements? Is it even possible to narrow it down?

A: There are many important elements to good novels of any type. But with cozy mysteries, I think it boils down to relatable characters, engaging settings, and an intriguing mystery.

Recurring characters are especially critical, because they come back to visit the reader time after time, book after book. If your characters aren’t compelling, why would a reader waste their time hanging out with them?

Setting allows the reader to travel to places they might otherwise never visit. Well-developed settings immerse the reader in the “place” of the story using all five senses—perhaps even six. (See discussion on setting, below.)

Mystery is the backdrop of cozies—the guiding force of the story, if you will. Without an intriguing mystery, what’s the point?

Q: How did you go about plotting your story? Or did you discover it as you worked on the book?

A: My stories reveal themselves to me as I write, which means I never outline before I begin working on a book. Who has time to outline when you’ve got characters like Kate and Bella harassing you to hurry up and write them?

My process has remained relatively unchanged from book to book. I write the first draft by the seat of my pants, then sit down and get serious about plot, red herrings, and consistency in the second draft.

While I write the second draft, I outline what I’ve already written and identify plot holes and inconsistencies. I try to fix those in the third draft.  After that, it’s only twenty-seven more drafts until the finished product!

Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist and how you developed him or her. Did you do any character interviews or sketches prior to the actual writing?

A: Like my plots, my characters reveal themselves to me as I write. Some, such as Bella (the German shepherd in my series) are loosely based on animals and people from my real life. Most, like Kate (my yoga teacher/sleuth protagonist) take shape in my mind over time. I get to know them much like I’d get to know any other friend. Minor characters are tougher. Sometimes I write descriptions and back stories for them. Most of the time, I don’t. In many cases, I come up with minor ideas for these characters or picture them in my mind. Then I do Google Image searches. The images and websites that come up inform my understanding of those characters.

Q: In the same light, how did you create your antagonist or villain? What steps did you take to make him or her realistic?

A: I’ve gotten better at this the more I’ve written, I think. I try to make my killers more multidimensional now than I did in the past. After all, we are all the heroes of our own stories. From the killer’s perspective, they had a perfectly good reason for committing murder. I try to see the story through their eyes, as well as through the eyes of my protagonist.

What drives a good person to commit a heinous act? What about that act changes them forever? What stays the same? How do they go back to their normal life now that they’ve ended another’s? No one is purely good or purely evil. The gray area makes writing interesting.

Q: How did you keep your narrative exciting throughout the novel? Could you offer some practical, specific tips?

A: For me it’s about something I’ll call consistent variety. I get bored when I read scenes that have essentially the same sentence structure paragraph after paragraph. It feels annoyingly repetitive to me, like the ticking of an out-of-time clock. Then again, there has to be a consistent voice that sets a work and its writer apart from the six million other novels vying for readers’ attention. I work hard to vary sentence length, imagery, tone, and rhythm within my work.

Additionally, I try to avoid information dumps and back story. Nothing bogs down a fast-paced story quicker than overly long descriptions, info dumps about the author’s research, or too much unneeded information about a character’s history. Show us who the character is now. Let their actions speak for them!

Q: Setting is also quite important and in many cases it becomes like a character itself. What tools of the trade did you use in your writing to bring the setting to life?

A: As I stated above, I use all five senses when describing a setting: smell, sight, taste, sound, and touch. I also use a sixth sense that I can only describe as energy: Some places feel light; others heavy; still others, prickly. And the energy of a space changes based on the perspective and mood of the character inside it.

In Karma’s a Killer, my editor noticed that I described to the same setting quite differently in two separate scenes. At first she suggested that I change it, but when I pointed out the mood of the protagonist in each scene and how her experience of the setting would change based on that mood, she agreed that I should keep it as originally written.

Q: Did you know the theme(s) of your novel from the start or is this something you discovered after completing the first draft? Is this theme(s) recurrent in your other work?

A: I write a mystery series, so most of my writing revolves around solving murder. But ultimately, my books are all about love, whether it be in the form of friendship, romance, family, or the unconditional love of an animal. The primary characters in my novels are often very flawed, but they all have one thing in common: the mistakes they make, the risks they take, the regrets they mourn, even the idiosyncrasies they struggle to overcome—all have their basis in love, with a little obsession thrown in for good measure.

My newest book, Karma’s a Killer, is also about reconciliation. How would you react if a woman who’d abandoned you thirty years ago showed up on your doorstep looking for help? What if you found out that much of who you are—good and bad—comes from her? What if you have villainized her your entire life? Would you still be willing to help? And if so, how would helping her change you?

Those were fun questions to explore in Karma’s a Killer.

Q: Where does craft end and art begin? Do you think editing can destroy the initial creative thrust of an author?

A: It’s an interesting question, and an author would answer it much differently than an editor, I suspect. The biggest risk in editing is destroying voice. An editor’s work is to make the narrative crisper, the sentence structure more varied, the plot more solid—all without losing the author’s unique voice. A good editor makes voice crackle. A bad one dulls it until it is unrecognizable.

Q: What three things, in your opinion, make a successful novelist?

A: Imagination, perseverance, and probably most important, luck!

Q: A famous writer once wrote that being an author is like having to do homework for the rest of your life. What do you think about that?

A: Writing is hard work, but I don’t think of it as homework—more like a time to play with my imaginary friends. If I thought of writing as homework, I’d probably never do it. It is much too challenging to stay motivated unless you love it.

Q: Are there any resources, books, workshops or sites about craft that you’ve found helpful during your writing career?

A: I’ve benefited greatly from workshops that I’ve taken with the Pacific Northwest Writers Association, Sisters In Crime, and Mystery Writers of America. I have a bookcase filled with books on the craft of writing, but I haven’t read a single one of them.

Q:  Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers about the craft of writing?

A: Writing is as much about perseverance as it is about talent. Don’t give up, and don’t procrastinate. Write every day. Write what you love. If you spend every day working on what you love most, even if you never get published, you’ll have had a good time. Isn’t that what’s most important?

 

 

 

 

 

Talking Craft with Georges Ugeux, Author of 'The Flying Dragon'

 



A Belgian and U.S. national, Georges Ugeux is the Chairman and CEO of Galileo Global Advisors LLC, an investment banking advisory boutique.  Ugeux joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1996, as Group Executive Vice President, International. An adjunct professor at Columbia Law School, Ugeux is the author of a numerous nonfiction books about finance.  The Flying Dragon is his first work of fiction

Website / Twitter

Q: Congratulations on the release of your first mystery novel, The Flying Dragon. To begin with, can you give us a brief summary of what the story is about and what compelled you to write it?

A: I spent my entire life in international finance and was deeply shocked by the financial crisis. I wrote several “serious” non-fiction books on finance. Now is the time to expose the dark side of finance in a crime case. The novel was another way for me to express my feelings about the dark side of finance and I chose a young, Chinese woman as the leading detective (Instead of the men that usually dominate the world of finance).

Q: What do you think makes a good mystery novel? Could you narrow it down to the three most important elements? Is it even possible to narrow it down?

A: The plot, the characters and the setting. The plot of my novel is unusual and takes the reader to the Chinese world and exposes corruption. The characters are real - I feel them. I feel their anger, emotion and pleasure. The setting is Hong Kong, a huge financial center with global ramifications and huge human challenges!

Q: How did you go about plotting your story? Or did you discover it as you worked on the book?

A: I followed the characters and the story as if I were a reader. At the end, I was so nervous. I had to decide who was guilty, the motives and how to trap the culprit!

Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist and how you developed him or her. Did you do any character interviews or sketches prior to the actual writing?

A: I did not need to do character interviews or sketches to approach the development of the protagonist.  I am active in the Chinese world and worked closely with young Chinese women for decades. I believe I understand the elements that make them both strong and vulnerable at the same time. It was wonderful to use this knowledge and understanding to create a “new” person: Victoria Leung.

Q: In the same light, how did you create your antagonist or villain? What steps did you take to make him or her realistic?

A: I had several “villains” in mind as the story developed, but I was not prepared to decide who would be “THE ONE” until the very end. I followed the lies, turpitudes, fraud and aggressions..eventually they emerged as credible in their own motives.

Q: How did you keep your narrative exciting throughout the novel? Could you offer some practical, specific tips?

A: By keeping chapters short, and switching character perspectives, I presented something similar to a series of short stories. For a while, I was the only one who knew how they were connected and why they were there. It was a nice game of cat and mouse.

Q: Setting is also quite important and in many cases it becomes like a character itself. What tools of the trade did you use in your writing to bring the setting to life?

A: I have been fortunate to travel to many parts of the world. While this first novel takes place in Victoria Leung’s home, she will eventually travel around the world as well, solving darker mysteries. The settings will always be places I have spent significant time. However, as I did with Hong Kong, I will always reach out to local connections/people I know to be sure my descriptions of the specific locations are accurate.

Q: Did you know the theme(s) of your novel from the start or is this something you discovered after completing the first draft? Is this theme(s) recurrent in your other work?

A: I knew it would be about the trading room environment, what happens in this world, and would involve fraud. Victoria, a former auditor and fraud department cop, had the expertise to decipher these mysteries. This is a theme that I developed in my original non-fiction book (the Betrayal of Finance) and used as the source of a culture that has turned its back on its vocation in favor of individual greed.

Q: Where does craft end and art begin? Do you think editing can destroy the initial creative thrust of an author?

A: I hope that readers will love the story and Victoria Leung as much as I enjoyed creating them. The creativity is in me. Editing was and has been hugely helpful in ensuring the story was consistent and succinct. I never felt that my creative wings were “clipped” in any fashion.

Q: What three things, in your opinion, make a successful novelist?

A: Story telling is number one. A novelist who gets lost and cannot keep the story line under control will soon lose the reader.
Mixing real experiences with fiction as the circumstances of the mystery develop, without identifying the fact from fiction for the reader - it encourages curiosity keeps readers interested.
Whether I love or hate the characters, I am not indifferent to their fate and my emotions, as the author transpire in the book. The reader should be able to connect with the characters.

Q: A famous writer once wrote that being an author is like having to do homework for the rest of your life. What do you think about that?

A: Writing a novel, for me, is the reverse of homework. Homework is boring and tedious. I enjoyed every minute of this creative work. It is so different from the non-fiction world, in which tediousness can be essential. I truly enjoyed this journey.

Q: Are there any resources, books, workshops or sites about craft that you’ve found helpful during your writing career?

A: My inspiration is diverse and plentiful. My main inspirations are Georges Simenon and Agatha Christie. I read all of their books. I find mystery movies (like the new Sherlock Holmes BBC series) riveting. Also, my professional life has taught me not to trust everything as it appears – it is often necessary to investigate.

Q:  Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers about the craft of writing?

A: Imagination is critical: have pictures and movies in your mind. Speak and review what you write. Then, follow your instincts.

An Interview with Russell James, Author of 'Q Island'

Russell James grew up on Long Island, New York and spent too much time watching Chiller, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and The Twilight Zone, despite his parents' warnings. Bookshelves full of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe didn't make things better. He graduated from Cornell University and the University of Central Florida.

After a tour flying helicopters with the U.S. Army, he now spins twisted tales best read in daylight. He has written the paranormal thrillers Dark Inspiration, Sacrifice, Black Magic, Dark Vengeance, Dreamwalker and Q Island. He has two horror short story collections, Tales from Beyond and Deeper into Darkness. His next novel, The Portal, releases in 2016.

His wife reads what he writes, rolls her eyes, and says "There is something seriously wrong with you."

Visit his website at http://www.russellrjames.com and read some free short stories.

Follow on Twitter @RRJames14, Facebook as Russell R. James, or drop a line complaining about his writing to rrj@russellrjames.com.

Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, Q Island. To begin with, can you gives us a brief summary of what the story is about and what compelled you to write it?   

A: A virus that turns people into psychopathic killers breaks out on Long Island, New York. The government drops a quarantine and no one can leave. Melanie Bailey and her autistic son, Aiden are trapped there. Aiden becomes infected, but does not get sick. In fact, his autism gets better.  She realizes he may be the key to more than one cure, if shje can get him off the island. She has to get him past the crazed infected, past the government troops, and out of the hands of a gang leader who has his own designs on a boy who may be the cure.

Q: What do you think makes a good thriller? Could you narrow it down to the three most important elements? Is it even possible to narrow it down?

A: The first is, you must have good characters, ones that people can connect and empathize with. If the reader doesn’t care what happens to the hero, there is zero tension when he is put in danger.

In no particular order after that, a thriller has to move. No navel-gazing introspection, no four-page back story, no meandering conversations. Every chapter, every paragraph lives to advance the story. Then, thriller readers want a roller coaster with more downward rushes then upward pulls. I also like a thriller to have plenty of twists, plenty of “Oh wow!” reveals that sent the hero in a different, untraveled direction.

Q: How did you go about plotting your story? Or did you discover it as you worked on the book?

A: I am a discovery writer, seat-of-the-pants writer, organic writer, whatever you want to call it. I start with a situation, then I try to have some kind of plausible ending in mind. Then I create the main characters with some pretty broad brush strokes and start writing. Everything kind of blossoms as I write. About two-thirds of the way through, I have to go back and construct an outline so I know how everything is fitting together and that the timeline makes sense.

Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist and how you developed him or her. Did you do any character interviews or sketches prior to the actual writing?

A: Melanie Bailey went through several transformations. She starts out the story weak and dependent on her husband, a jackass stockbroker who gets trapped on the other side of the quarantine. She’s all alone with her special needs son and it overwhelms her. But she gets stronger through the story as she realizes she has no safety net, and if her son is to survive, only she will make that happen. Early readers didn’t think she grew enough, or couldn’t see the turning point in her life, so I had to go back and add several scenes and change others.

Q: In the same light, how did you create your antagonist or villain? What steps did you take to make him or her realistic?

A: There are villains galore in Q Island. A lot of readers tell me that the uninfected are more scary than the infected. One of them is Paul, an oddball survivalist who lives in Melanie’s condo complex. The people turn to him in their hour of need, and the power most certainly goes to his head. I’ve seen lots of examples where people are put in charge of something and they turn all Napoleon. I amped that up and let Paul’s sadistic streak bloom. You’ll love to hate him.

Q: How did you keep your narrative exciting throughout the novel? Could you offer some practical, specific tips?

A: If I got to a section where it bored me to write it, I guessed it would bore someone to read it as well, so I cut it out or shrank it. Q Island also follows a few different parallel stories, that eventually all intersect, so I had several people who could encounter something amazing and I could pick who’s turn it was to get riveting. I think that read better than having one point of view person who experienced every adventure. That just starts to feel unrealistic after a while.

Q: Setting is also quite important and in many cases it becomes like a character itself. What tools of the trade did you use in your writing to bring the setting to life?

A:Setting almost sank the manuscript. I selected Long Island because it was large and relatively easy to isolate. A tunnel, a few bridges, a few ferries. Close them and the only way out is swimming. But then I had to do the world building in the post-Paleovirus version of the island. I wanted it to be more realistic than a lot of post-apocalyptic works are. That meant I needed to answer a lot of questions like will the mainland still supply electricity? The world won’t let them starve to death, so how does food and gasoline and medicine get through quarantine? Some businesses will disappear, like the mom-and-pop store making gourmet dog treats. How will those people live? Some jobs have to stay filled, like water treatment operators and police. Who pays them when there is no economy generating money in the zone? The whole thing seemed unmanageable and I set the manuscript aside. Later I read some other post-apocalyptic stories that got it right, and I was inspired to get the story rolling again. I think I did pretty well with it in the end.

Q: Did you know the theme(s) of your novel from the start or is this something you discovered after completing the first draft? Is this theme(s) recurrent in your other work?

A: I don’t have a theme when I start a story. One usually surfaces. Sacrifice is about the bonds of friendship. Black Magic is about the strength of family. I really don’t notice the theme until I review the final product. I think more authors have theme running subconsciously when they write than people doing literary analysis want to believe.

Q: Where does craft end and art begin? Do you think editing can destroy the initial creative thrust of an author?

A: Wow. Can I answer something that deep? To me, art is personal. “Here’s an expression of my life and experience and inspiration.” It is made with little to no assessment of whether it will appeal to anyone else. It touches the heart of the creator. Commercially viable work is something that touches the hearts of the masses. An editor, understandably, wants the latter. That’s his job. In my experience with Don D’Auria at Samhain, and editor and a writer can collaborate and make certain that the finished work tells the story the writer wants in a way people would be driven to read. If an editor wants a writer to turn the whole story upside down, the writer should probably find someone else more aligned with the initial creative vision that drove the work.

Q: What three things, in your opinion, make a successful novelist?

A: Number One is drive. I remember watching a politician mount a very low energy bid for the presidential nomination, and reporters wondered if he really wanted the job all that much. He later dropped out of the race. Successful people in any profession need to have that drive to do the work to win. Authors have to have it by the barrelful, because they face a much higher failure rate, harsher criticism, and delayed rewards because publication, and any positive feedback, may be years from the moment the story was finished.

Number Two is being ready to improve. You have never mastered the craft. In the same way that athletes are always training, and golfers sometimes call in a coach to rebuild their swing, a writer needs to always be exploring ways to improve what they create. New, often unpublished. writers who prickle at constructive criticism likely won’t ever sell a thing. To apply and paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, we need to be free to doubt our own infallibility.

Number Three, sorry to say, is luck. There are many good authors out there without publishing contracts. An editor had a bad day, a manuscript file was deleted accidentally, the work’s genre is stone cold this month, the writer missed the open call posting. There are a million different reasons good things stay on writers’ hard drives. That is why it is so important to scroll back up and make sure that you have Number One covered. The more you work, the more you submit, the more you publicize, the more the odds turn in your favor that the right opportunity will be there for your work.

See how I left out talent? You can be successful without it. (I’m skipping listing famous names here.) But without the top three above, you can’t be successful, even with it.

Q: A famous writer once wrote that being an author is like having to do homework for the rest of your life. What do you think about that?

A: True, but it is homework in a subject that you enjoy.

Q: Are there any resources, books, workshops or sites about craft that you’ve found helpful during your writing career?

A: Any aspiring author who hasn’t read Stephen King’s On Writing needs to close their laptop, buy it, and read it cover to cover, twice. I had great experiences with the Gotham Writer’s Workshop classes that are held online. But all classes are dependent of the skill of the instructor and the participation and caliber of the students.

Q:  Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers about the craft of writing?

A: If you have the itch within you that says you must write, you have no choice. It will not go away if you ignore it. It will irritate you for years, even decades, and until you scratch it, it will offer no relief.

Just start. Sit and write. Read good writing. Sit and write some more. Do not give up, do not be discouraged. Since man first painted pictures on cave walls, some of us have been driven to share stories with the tribe. That is the DNA that has been passed down to you. Embrace it, and enthrall others.

Talking Craft with Ken Lizzi, Sci-fi Author of ‘Under Strange Suns’

Ken Lizzi is an attorney and the author of an assortment of published short stories. When not traveling – and he'd rather be traveling – he lives in Portland, Oregon with his lovely wife Isa and their daughter, Victoria Valentina. He enjoys reading, homebrewing, and visiting new places. He loathes writing about himself in the third person. Connect with Ken on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Book:

In the tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars, Under Strange Suns brings the sword-and-planet novel to the twenty-first century. War is a constant, and marooned on a distant world, former Special Forces soldier Aidan Carson learns there is nothing new Under Strange Suns.

Read Chapter One

Amazon / OmniLit / Twilight Times Books

Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, “Under Strange Suns.” To begin with, can you gives us a brief summary of what the story is about and what compelled you to write it?  

A: "Under Strange Suns" is the story of a burned-out, former Special Forces soldier hired to search for the lost inventor of the Faster-than-Light spaceship drive. You can blame this one on Edgar Rice Burroughs. ERB popularized the sword-and-planet genre with his “A Princess of Mars” back in 1912, the first of the John Carter stories. But what cut it with readers in 1912 might raise some eyebrows a hundred years later. So when I decided to dip my toe into the sword-and-planet genre, I knew that getting my characters to another world would require a bit more heavy lifting on my part. The resulting novel, “Under Strange Suns,” works the mechanism of space travel into the narrative itself, driving the plot (in addition to driving the characters to their destination.)

Q: What do you think makes a good science fiction novel? Could you narrow it down to the three most important elements? Is it even possible to narrow it down?

A: As with every story, the primary consideration is to entertain. With science fiction, a secondary requirement is novelty, or at least some twist on a familiar theme. And finally, the story must entertain. Yes, I used entertain for two slots. That factor is twice as important as any other.

Q: How did you go about plotting your story? Or did you discover it as you worked on the book?

A: I worked out a moderately detailed outline, broken down into chapters and describing the events each chapter must cover. Once I began writing, the outline became more of a mission statement or list of suggestions. But most of the events described in the outline made it into the novel in one form or another.

Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist and how you developed him or her. Did you do any character interviews or sketches prior to the actual writing?

A: Since the impetus for "Under Strange Suns" was "A Princess of Mars," I knew the main character would be a soldier. Other than that, his character owes little or nothing to John Carter. I spent some time in uniform, many years ago, and did have the opportunity to train and hobnob with members of the Special Operations community. Aidan Carson's personality is based to some extent on my foggy memories of those unique people.

Q: In the same light, how did you create your antagonist or villain? What steps did you take to make him or her realistic?

A: My villains are fanatics, true believers. The primary step required to make them realistic was reading the news. Other than that, I needed to show sincerity, that the villains truly believed their actions were not only justified, but moral, even laudable.

Q: How did you keep your narrative exciting throughout the novel? Could you offer some practical, specific tips?

A: Know when to end the chapter. Cliff-hangers never go out of style, because they work. Try to leave the reader with a desire to find out what happens next.

Q: Setting is also quite important and in many cases it becomes like a character itself. What tools of the trade did you use in your writing to bring the setting to life?

A: With an alien landscape as a setting, I tried to reinforce the novelty and unique aspects of the place. I used frequent repetition to reinforce the unearthly lighting that two suns would provide. I also employed intermittent description of alien flora and fauna to occasionally remind the reader he's no longer in Kansas.

Q: Did you know the theme(s) of your novel from the start or is this something you discovered after completing the first draft? Is this theme(s) recurrent in your other work?

A: I considered theme at the outlining stage and stuck with it. The theme, or related aspects, have cropped up in my other work, yes. But theme is secondary to the obligation to (say it with me) entertain.

Q: Where does craft end and art begin? Do you think editing can destroy the initial creative thrust of an author?

A: There's a question for you. Something to hash out over a pitcher of beer. I'd suggest that from traditionally published debut writers up through the ranks of mid-list authors, craft predominates. Art dominating craft, for better or worse, is found among either the self-published or the best-selling traditionally published authors. In between those two poles, editors are going to push conventional narrative voice and technique. And in most cases, I'd guess, rightly so. But I'm just speculating here. And without that pitcher, damn it.

Q: What three things, in your opinion, make a successful novelist?

A: A firm grasp of craft, perseverance, and the ability to entertain.

Q: A famous writer once wrote that being an author is like having to do homework for the rest of your life. What do you think about that?

A: No one ever paid me to do homework. I like this writing gig better. Less math.

Q: Are there any resources, books, workshops or sites about craft that you’ve found helpful during your writing career?

A: Any book on craft is useful. I’ve read several. The good advice stands out by repetition from multiple sources.

Q:  Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers about the craft of writing?

A: Pay close attention to your editor. Even if you don’t agree with a suggestion, consider the reason for it.

A Chat with Donna McDine, Author of 'Dee and Deb Off They Go Kindergarten First Day Jitters'

Multi award-winning children’s author, Donna McDine’s creative side laid dormant for many years until her desire to write sparked in 2007. Her latest release Dee and Deb Off They Go Kindergarten First Day Jitters joins the four early reader children’s picture books, A Sandy Grave (January 2014), Powder Monkey (May 2013), Hockey Agony (January 2013) and The Golden Pathway (August 2010) all with Guardian Angel Publishing. Join McDine as her adventures continue as she ignites the curiosity of children through reading. She writes and moms from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the SCBWI.

Connect with Donna on the Web: www.donnamcdine.com / www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/DonnaMcDineAuthor

https://twitter.com/dmcdine

About her latest book, Dee and Deb Off They Go Kindergarten First Day Jitters: The anxiety of finding one’s own place and friends in kindergarten without the comfort of having her fraternal twin sister nearby at first overwhelms Dee until she realizes even without her fraternal twin sister, Dee and her classmates for the most part are in the same boat.

Find out more on Amazon.

Thank you for joining us today, Donna McDine. Can you please start off by telling us a bit about yourself? I have always enjoyed immersing in a book that has me easily blocking the distractions of the world around him and I’m striving to create that joy from my books. 

When did you first get bit by the writing bug? I fondly remember watching the television show, Lou Grant with my dad and I always found it fascinating how the research to the investigative reporting was conducting. I dreamed of becoming a reporter myself one day, but for some reason I did not follow this path. Happily I find myself many moons later writing for children. 

Why did you decide to write stories for children?

My writing bug resparked in 2007 when I came across the aptitude test for the Institute of Children’s Writing and eagerly completed the test and mailed in. To my pure joy I was accepted into the program and I’m now proud to say I have five published books to my credit.

Do you believe it is harder to write books for a younger audience?

I don’t feel it’s harder, but rather a different approach is required. Engagement and not preaching is essential in having the child wanting to come back for more.

What is your favorite part of writing for young people?

Watching their faces light up with excitement when they find a book that resonates with them and they then ask for more books along the same style or theme. It’s exciting to watch them open up the world at their fingertips.

Can you tell us what your latest book is all about?

The anxiety of finding one’s own place and friends in kindergarten without the comfort of having her fraternal twin sister nearby at first overwhelms Dee until she realizes even without her fraternal twin sister, Dee and her classmates for the most part are in the same boat. 

What inspired you to write it?

The desire to share my personal childhood experience of being separated from my fraternal twin sister for the first time and that it all turned out okay.

Where can readers purchase a copy?

Pre-orders are available at my website www.donnamcdine.com and once December 1, 2015 rolls around Dee and Deb Off They Go Kindergarten First Day Jitters will be available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Guardian Angel Publishing as well as my website.

What is up next for you?

I’m dusting off a long ago shelved work-in-progress with a historical fiction theme.

Do you have anything else to add?

Keep reading and never stop. The exploration of the world is endless through books.

Thank you for spending time with us today, Donna McDine. We wish you much success.

Thank you, it was a true pleasure visiting with you and your visitors today.