Bonnie Watson's Blog, page 21
October 2, 2012
September 17, 2012
Ten Questions
Current Project:
Wisdom Novels & Art Book
1. What is Wisdom Novels?
- Wisdom Novels is a series of books centered around a young man discovering his relationship to an ancient race of Healers. Their duties to Nature have been put on hold in order to confront the growing concern of humans invading their territory. What they don't realize is the major threat is not just about humans, but a Darkness that seeks to claim a new body, and replace the land's magic with its own.
2. Is this going to be a series?
- Yes. I have already written two books in the first trilogy. I am currently working on the third. There will be one more trilogy after this one, which will complete the initial storyline. But I would like to continue even afterwards with a few characters I've developed along the way.
3. Have you come across any stumbling blocks while writing, concerning either plot or character development?
- Of course! While not a main focus in the story, I've recently decided why Healers are a necessity throughout their particular world. They are in charge of what Nature would do today, seasonal changes. Now maybe I only mentioned a part of this, it's not something that is present in the first two books. That, at least, will be easy to include later on as more Healers are introduced. The other issue I had was character plot. While the main storyline is generally worked out, I had a lot of characters that were seemingly in for kicks. So I had to issue them a REAL reason to be there. That means a lot of editing out stuff I didn't need.
4. What's the major challenge to writing a series?
- Haha, probably having enough information to talk about. When I finally started writing book three, I began to think about where I wanted it to go for the rest of the books to come. I realized that one of the books didn't have enough information to continue writing in the current setting. So I decided book four will backtrack and start in the past, leading up to the creation of the Dark Unicorn in book one. That will explain and tie everything together, and also delve into a part of the world I haven't put much thought into yet. Where did humans come from and how did they enter this world? We'll find out soon enough.
5. Is this series going to be so complicated in terms of language and magic that I'll need a companion book just to follow along?
- It's actually pretty straight forward. Magic is a type of energy that's recycled through the course of Nature. Magic-users do not own limitless amount of this energy, and the language of Healers is (most of the time) explained in the next sentence. However, as I do plan to expand on the elements these Healers use, I've decided to include an art book to go along with it. Since I have so many illustrations just sitting around on my computer, I thought they'd be more useful in a nice colorful book with tips of information about each one (and have an excuse to create fresh artwork!)
6. So you're an artist as well?
- Oh, yes! I work mostly digital, but now and then I'll pull out my trusty traditional mediums just to try something different. It's good to be able to draw because I can use that for reference while I'm writing. Sometimes, it's just helpful to "see" what a character looks like. And sometimes, it makes the writing even better because the drawing is more interesting than the original description.
7. Do you have any plans for future genres?
- I have a couple of sci-fi ideas in the works. No series, though. There's two sci-fi, two children books, and (oh, I lied) I did plan a western-fantasy short story series! (First one's complete called "Weapons Caster" and was inspired by the game "Red Dead Redemption").
8. Do you keep a gallery of all your work online?
- Thought you'd never ask! Just visit www.wisdomnovels.com and check out all the links around that site. There's short stories, future ideas, blogs & more!
9. How did you get your first two books published?
- Well, it wasn't easy. After several years of querying publishers, I decided to self-publish just to get something out there. That eventually led to meeting some pretty cool authors, joining clubs and other social groups, and finally got accepted by a traditional publisher: Agile Writer Press.
10. Any advice for rising writers of today?
- Never...give...up!!!!! If you have a story you think is worth sharing with the world, then never let that passion die! There are so many ways nowadays for writers to get their work out there. You just have to find the right one that matches. If you need some help getting started, I put together this little website with some places to look into: www.foreseerproductions.info. There's publishers, online groups and critiques, a growing list of writers and artists, and has potential to do more. So if you'd like to contribute, feel free!
Happy Writing!
Bonnie Watson
www.WisdomNovels.com
Author/Designer/Illustrator
September 14, 2012
Angler Healer
Not all Healers have to be good....
September 11, 2012
Art Book Sneak Peak
Just laying out some of the artwork at the moment. This is going to look great! I’m using a free program provided by Blurb.com to organize the book for me.
September 5, 2012
August 27, 2012
Water Healer - in progress
Still working on it. Added the fish tail. Was debating adding fish or other creatures, but there's really not a lot of space to work with at the bottom. So...tail it is. Yuri's element of water makes him either a sailor's best friend...or worst enemy.
August 17, 2012
Chapter 5
HEALER
Book Three of Blue Moon Rising Trilog
CHAPTER 5 - unfinishedJangus spent the better part of his day memorizing Lexington's layout.
Mark the locations, he said. A cackling chuckle. I'll do better than that. I'll taint them! Taking a raven form, the Healer soared over the open streets, angling his tail feathers to bring his rear up. A mix of black and white dropped below. To his amusement, the dropping landed on some unsuspecting forehead. Many others had met the same treatment, and still into the night as the raven continued to scour Lexington for human involvement.
Height was his savior, with the approach of night his camouflage. Even so, humans never seemed to stop moving. Between merchants in the market area, thieves slipping in and out of back alleyways, and close-knit buildings, probably connecting interiors, humans had a wide range of places to be found. Secretly, the Healer hoped this was the most he would encounter in one area, and let loose another one of his liquified droppings in protest.
But think how quickly this whole place could be leveled, he imagined. And I would be more than honored if Chronicles let me do so!
Delighting in those thoughts, the raven turned toward the smell of fresh baked bread wafting in the air. In the realization his stomach felt empty, he lifted into flight to seek out the smell's location.
A family of five were just sitting down for their evening meal when the raven alighted on the outside windowsill. He peered around the side of the curtain gently ruffling in the open breeze where he spied a loaf of bread sitting on the table.
How convenient, he thought. No one took notice until he hopped down on the counter and let out a caw.
"Look!" a little girl explained "A bird!"
The mother turned about in her chair, a look of shock displayed upon her face to find it boldly perched so close to the table. "Quick! Don't let it fly around the house! Shoe it out!"
"Yes, Mama."
Jangus eyed the young girl's approach. He ignored her desperate waves to scare him out. Then, when she tried to pick him up stead, he merely pecked at one of her fingers.
"Ow!" she cried. "It bit me!"
"Someone must have kept it as a pet." The eldest stood and briskly walked over to the countertop. "No bird would be so stubborn." She peered down at the raven, then drew back in surprise. "Ew! There's something wrong with its eyes; they're white!"
"I'll handle this," their father said. He proceeded to grab the bird when Jangus launched into a wild flutter of feathers and cawing. The youngest screamed as the bird seemed to leap at their father's face. Thrown off guard, the tall man swatted at it. Too quick, Jangus merely cackled and dived to avoid being hit with a wooden spoon.
Ha! They couldn't hit the broad side of a house! He mused over their chaotic reactions. He swept through the room, deciding it more fun to bump into overhanging pots and pans. An upset broom toppled from its lone corner. The Healer felt the wind of their hands slapping at empty air. He was just too fast. Having had enough, the eldest daugher picked up the broom and slung it at him on top of a cubbard. Dishes clattered to the floor instead, years of evading other Healers in play bringing out his evasive skills. He laughed at their performance, then swooped down to grab the loaf of bread. He had just reached the windowsill when the father managed a handful of tail feathers, stopping Jangus from clearing the window.
"Come 'ere, you!" he snarled, causing Jangus to turn on his captor.
Opal eyes blazed in outrage. A silver-white glow enveloped his form. No one moved while the glow expanded into Jangus' true form upon the windowsill. When the glow had died, the only thing the man held was the corner of his shirt. Stunned, the man never made a move until the young Healer made a motion to grab the man's hand.
"Who''s got who?" he asked coldly.
The man's face paled, and he suddenly jerked his hand back.
While the women matched his fright with screams of "magic-user", Jangus made a hasty departure. Try explaining that one, he thought, noticing several men dressed in black running swiftly toward the ruckus. They drew their swords as the family darted into the street, but by then Jangus was too far away for pointing fingers to scope out in the night. Out of sight, he savored the still-warm bread in the comfort of an abandoned alley. I wonder if I'll be easier to spot more human developments tonight....
Book Three of Blue Moon Rising Trilog
CHAPTER 5 - unfinishedJangus spent the better part of his day memorizing Lexington's layout.
Mark the locations, he said. A cackling chuckle. I'll do better than that. I'll taint them! Taking a raven form, the Healer soared over the open streets, angling his tail feathers to bring his rear up. A mix of black and white dropped below. To his amusement, the dropping landed on some unsuspecting forehead. Many others had met the same treatment, and still into the night as the raven continued to scour Lexington for human involvement.
Height was his savior, with the approach of night his camouflage. Even so, humans never seemed to stop moving. Between merchants in the market area, thieves slipping in and out of back alleyways, and close-knit buildings, probably connecting interiors, humans had a wide range of places to be found. Secretly, the Healer hoped this was the most he would encounter in one area, and let loose another one of his liquified droppings in protest.
But think how quickly this whole place could be leveled, he imagined. And I would be more than honored if Chronicles let me do so!
Delighting in those thoughts, the raven turned toward the smell of fresh baked bread wafting in the air. In the realization his stomach felt empty, he lifted into flight to seek out the smell's location.
A family of five were just sitting down for their evening meal when the raven alighted on the outside windowsill. He peered around the side of the curtain gently ruffling in the open breeze where he spied a loaf of bread sitting on the table.
How convenient, he thought. No one took notice until he hopped down on the counter and let out a caw.
"Look!" a little girl explained "A bird!"
The mother turned about in her chair, a look of shock displayed upon her face to find it boldly perched so close to the table. "Quick! Don't let it fly around the house! Shoe it out!"
"Yes, Mama."
Jangus eyed the young girl's approach. He ignored her desperate waves to scare him out. Then, when she tried to pick him up stead, he merely pecked at one of her fingers.
"Ow!" she cried. "It bit me!"
"Someone must have kept it as a pet." The eldest stood and briskly walked over to the countertop. "No bird would be so stubborn." She peered down at the raven, then drew back in surprise. "Ew! There's something wrong with its eyes; they're white!"
"I'll handle this," their father said. He proceeded to grab the bird when Jangus launched into a wild flutter of feathers and cawing. The youngest screamed as the bird seemed to leap at their father's face. Thrown off guard, the tall man swatted at it. Too quick, Jangus merely cackled and dived to avoid being hit with a wooden spoon.
Ha! They couldn't hit the broad side of a house! He mused over their chaotic reactions. He swept through the room, deciding it more fun to bump into overhanging pots and pans. An upset broom toppled from its lone corner. The Healer felt the wind of their hands slapping at empty air. He was just too fast. Having had enough, the eldest daugher picked up the broom and slung it at him on top of a cubbard. Dishes clattered to the floor instead, years of evading other Healers in play bringing out his evasive skills. He laughed at their performance, then swooped down to grab the loaf of bread. He had just reached the windowsill when the father managed a handful of tail feathers, stopping Jangus from clearing the window.
"Come 'ere, you!" he snarled, causing Jangus to turn on his captor.
Opal eyes blazed in outrage. A silver-white glow enveloped his form. No one moved while the glow expanded into Jangus' true form upon the windowsill. When the glow had died, the only thing the man held was the corner of his shirt. Stunned, the man never made a move until the young Healer made a motion to grab the man's hand.
"Who''s got who?" he asked coldly.
The man's face paled, and he suddenly jerked his hand back.
While the women matched his fright with screams of "magic-user", Jangus made a hasty departure. Try explaining that one, he thought, noticing several men dressed in black running swiftly toward the ruckus. They drew their swords as the family darted into the street, but by then Jangus was too far away for pointing fingers to scope out in the night. Out of sight, he savored the still-warm bread in the comfort of an abandoned alley. I wonder if I'll be easier to spot more human developments tonight....
August 16, 2012
Bo - story idea
BO
Inspirational Story(idea from crazy hair after shampoo)(c) 2012 Bonnie Watson
"Bo" is about a hobo who stops to rest outside an apartment complex where a single mother and daughter live. The daughter is around 6-7 years-old and befriends the scruffy-haired man. While the mother isn't too pleased that her daughter is talking to a stranger on the street, the hobo has something to teach them both about the way people look down on poor people like himself.
There's magic to the old man's words, and in them the two begin to view life in a very different way while still keeping in mind that hidden dangers linger in the disguise of make-shift poor people who try to get money. It may be that the mother was swindled of money before, and doesn't trust anyone now.
"Sure, there're people out there to be leery of. But I'm not one of 'em." - Bo
Bo never asks for anything from the two. Instead, he weaves a tale of self-made history that leaves them wondering who this man really is and where he came from.
Bo is about the good at heart, who shows us that love, friendship, and kindness can be found in the simplest of things. He teaches us to pay attention to the people in our lives now, and not after their gone.
When Bo gets ready to leave, the woman actually wants him to stay. Of course, Bo must finish his journey--that of helping others believe....
Inspirational Story(idea from crazy hair after shampoo)(c) 2012 Bonnie Watson
"Bo" is about a hobo who stops to rest outside an apartment complex where a single mother and daughter live. The daughter is around 6-7 years-old and befriends the scruffy-haired man. While the mother isn't too pleased that her daughter is talking to a stranger on the street, the hobo has something to teach them both about the way people look down on poor people like himself.
There's magic to the old man's words, and in them the two begin to view life in a very different way while still keeping in mind that hidden dangers linger in the disguise of make-shift poor people who try to get money. It may be that the mother was swindled of money before, and doesn't trust anyone now.
"Sure, there're people out there to be leery of. But I'm not one of 'em." - Bo
Bo never asks for anything from the two. Instead, he weaves a tale of self-made history that leaves them wondering who this man really is and where he came from.
Bo is about the good at heart, who shows us that love, friendship, and kindness can be found in the simplest of things. He teaches us to pay attention to the people in our lives now, and not after their gone.
When Bo gets ready to leave, the woman actually wants him to stay. Of course, Bo must finish his journey--that of helping others believe....
August 14, 2012
Josephine
Josephine from the novel, work in progress. He doesn't really have a girl name. His last name is Phine. But Joseph combined....well, you get the idea. He's a corky kind of guy, but a really fun character.
August 9, 2012
Unseen - Story Idea
UNSEENInspired by a dream© 2012 Bonnie Watson
Unseen. You won't find it if you were to look for it. It's when you're not looking that it finds you…
Unseen. It wasn't on any map I'd ever come across. But I should know. I'd poured over every one I could find, enough to pass any History exam my senior year could throw at me. Made mom proud, at least. Yet high scores were the least of my concerns. Unseen was the last place Dad said was going, and he's been gone for years….
******
In the dream, there was a brother and sister who were searching for something. The brother (who I've named Jacque) can translate any symbol by sensing emotion inscribed into the letter by its original creator. The sister (think I'll call her Erin, but she goes by Rin), can see what's beyond the surface to find truth. Sort of like seeing through walls, but not quite. There has to be something to see in order to do so. She can see what's called Unseen.
So what is Unseen? It's everywhere you go. Not like the Matrix. It can't control you. In the dream, Unseen resembled some type of ancient ruins or temple immersed in a beautiful world perhaps as it should have been for the world we see today. Unseen could be either the Past or Future of mankind. But it's technologies and supernatural abilities are starting to catch up. It's probably the improbable, things most people don't believe in anymore except religious cults. Now it's all about to change.
Jacque and Rin don't know it, but they're a part of the Unseen. Their father vanished long ago, only mentioning the word once, and was heard by Rin right before he left. For years, Rin's researched places she believed her father might have gone. Nothing has come close until one fateful day their inborn gifts suddenly activate, as Unseen seems to flux in and out of their everyday lives. Jacque learns he's the last surviving member of the House of Interpreters, the most feared and powerful of all Houses. Jacque can not only register emotion behind symbols, but he can pick up their withholding energy and release it at will. This is not only seen as a threat to surviving Houses, but causes a huge divide. An Interpreter will instantly pick up hidden meanings, and therefore have access to all evidence of wrong-doing for guilty parties. That's one reason Interpreters were quickly eliminated throughout history. The other was due to power, and misuse of it.
Rin's ability to See, however, takes a different turn. She knows her brother would never misuse his gifts. But she's convinced that something has upset the balance between Unseen and their modern lifestyle. Why did their father suddenly vanish? Why are there symbols with warnings not to read into them by their father -- warnings to turn back? Did he know they would eventually enter Unseen? Is he still trying to protect them even now? Rin's gift doesn't trouble the people of Unseen, as there are quite many with unique gifts of their own.
As the two delve deeper into the world of Unseen, they realize that if they don't fix whatever's happening between the different Houses, it could ultimately change history for the modern day world as well...and erase it altogether!
