Chris Fritschi's Blog: World building, Yikes!

building a world #1

I'm doing a lot of juggling at the moment so this will be a quick one.

When I first started building the Rift world I could only stare at the screen. The realization of what I was undertaking, creating a WORLD was overwhelming.

It wasn't just land and water. It was terrain, weather, people, history, customs, animals, behaviors..... this was one of those moments I wished I drank. At least that way I wouldn't care what I threw on the page and I'd have the luxury of blaming all of my mistakes on alcohol.

I forced my racing mind to slow down and took baby steps; writing one note after another. After a while the world started taking shape and the more I saw it forming the more excited I got.

That was months ago. Now I have created a world rich in history, filled with characters who have their own stories to tell. There's places of mystery, danger and wonder... and so much more. I can't wait for readers to discover what it holds in store for you.

Grab your adventure gear. It's time to take a journey.

Coming up for air

Who needs caffeine! My newest book is in the hands of an editor. I'm chugging through an intimidating list to prepare for the book launch, and I've got so many decision hanging in the air that I can't even think of an analogy to describe, and that's saying something.

I can't wait to share this stuff with you guys, i.e., new website design (It looks fricken sweet), cover design (still need to get an artist), etc.

More to come!

Special Event for lovers of fantasy

I'm excited to be a part of Smashwords Read an Ebook Week.
I've made my book available for free, yup, that's right because I believe reading is so important for everyone.

So, this week you can get my book free! Grab a copy. From the feedback I've received from readers I know you'll enjoy it.
Use the coupon code RW100
Hero - the Unknown Territories


Please use the link below:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

Yours truly is a featured author

My interview with Lorna Suzuki just went live!
http://www.newmobileme.com/imagochron...

It was a lot of fun. I got to talk about how I got started, what tools I use to write with, and some insights to the main character of my book, Hero The Unknown Territories.

No e-book says Stephen King

There's a fresh new blog post for you to enjoy about Stephen Kings announcement over at Heros World.

http://herosworld.squarespace.com/myb...

I've got a new home!

Please follow this link to the new site for Hero.  --->  christopherfritschi.com
 Thanks and I'll see you there.

Great Weekend - Great Monday

I spent the weekend with friends up at their cabin in Big Bear. Most of Saturday was spent riding our motorcycles on the famous Route 66.
It was only a few years ago that all I knew about Route 66 was a cool song. Talk about a piece of Americana. This road goes about 2000 miles from one end of the country to the other. If you wanted to travel from the east coast to the west on one piece of road this was it.

We didn't do anything close to that and my rear couldn't be more thankful. We rolled up 200 miles and that was just fine. For lunch we stopped at the Bagdad Cafe which you may know of from the movie. Another thing I didn't know, and trust me when I tell you there's a lot that falls into that category, the Bagdad Cafe is a popular spot for French tourists.
So, while were having lunch a tour bus pulls up and the place fills with people taking pictures of just about everything. The next thing I know a woman is standing next to our booth and gesturing me to move over. My wife speaks French and said the woman wants to have a picture taken with me. Huh?

I was baffled but I scooted over and she sat down and put her arm around me. Well, who am I to say, 'no' to strange women cuddling up to me, so I put my arm around her, too. This only reinforced my wifes teasing me that I'm a flirt. No sooner had the picture been taken than another woman sat down next to me having her picture taken. Any thoughts of me being a babe magnet were chucked out the window when one of the men in the tour group was the next in line for a picture.

I was at a loss to know what the heck was going on and why, out of our group, I was picked to be in all these pictures until my wife said it just might have something to do with the Route 66 t-shirt I was wearing. Yes, a new personal best in cluelessness for me. (Pardon the helmet hair)

Sadly, weekends are over way too quickly and Monday is jibbering in ear. But, this Monday was much more welcome that others because as I was going through my email I discovered that my book is part of the Read and Review at the World Literary Cafe web site.

On top of that I also had a new 4 star review by fellow author Christine Cunningham. I can't think of a better way to start off a week than to get a good review and know people are enjoying my writing. If you haven't had a chance to get the book yet, follow the link in the upper right of my blog and settle back for some laughs and adventure.

These Things Take Time

One of the things I'm enjoying is getting feedback from my readers and all of them have said they love my book. Oh yeah, that's hugely fulfilling and a great motivation, but...

Readers having, nearly, real-time access to me can be a double edge sword. As they finish the book they will tell me all the things they liked, the plot, characters, how this guy did this, or that thing worked for them, and so on, but without fail the question each of them have asked me is, 'When is the next book coming out?'


I can almost hear them deflate when I tell them it'll be a few months. 'What?!! Months? Aw man, why do I have to wait so long?' It's that last question that gets me.

It takes time to write a book. Even more so for me since I have a full time job and do all my writing in my off hours. This answer hardly appeases them. They're in the story, and want to know what happens next. 'Months' don't work for them. I even had one reader tell me that if they have to wait that long they'll eventually forget about the characters and won't be all that interested when the next book comes out.
Am I being blackmailed?

When I write I create a back story about each character, town, and so on. It's one of the reasons the characters feel real. They have a history. Each place may be new to the reader but in my mind I saw it built from the ground up. All the small quirks, back alleys, etc.
When a writer simply slaps a character on the page without creating a history for them they feel just like the page. Flat. We've all seen it.

Back story gives depth even when only a small amount of that transfers to the page. It gives the reader what they want and should have. An  immersive world ready for them to experience. Creating that takes time and , to me, is more work than actually writing the story, but is well worth it.
Thankfully with the first book done a lot of the backstory is done and I can put more time into the main story now.

I am very lucky to have readers that have bonded with the characters and story line so quickly. It's a giant complement. I'm working on the next book, so hang in there. It's coming.

Taking the 1st step for a second time

With the first book out and being moon eyed over seeing the cover advertised on Amazon and Barnes & Nobel my head began telling me I need to get going on the second book of the series.


I just got done. Don't I get any rest? In a word, 'No'.


While I'm trying to work, sleep, or watch TV my imagination, on its own, would start playing out plot points, inventing new characters, scenes and dialogue. It's like having an obnoxious noisy neighbor living above you. Everything they do is loud and comes through your ceiling. It pervades your thoughts, sleep, everything.

I couldn't ignore it. I'm a writer. It's what I love. That's not to say it isn't work and at times damn hard work. And I began. Instead of banging the broom handle on my noisy neighbor I joined in and unleashed my imagination.

Now I have a list of scenes that I'm weaving together and I have to say I'm pretty pleased with how it's going. There's a while to go before there's enough to make a book out of it. I haven't decided what to do with some characters and, as always, the ending is up in the air. But, that's okay. I have plenty of wiggle room to figure how that'll play out.

Now, you'll have to excuse me. My imagination is pawing at the door anxiously wanting to get out and run wild.

I'm ready Mr. Disney!

Of the iconic things that define Disneyland is not whatyou think. it's not Mickey Mouse. Sure, it works for Disney, but I'm talkingDisneyland folks.

It's the Monorail. As an adult I'm somewhat jaded bythrill rides like Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones, and Tower of Terror, but asa kid riding on the monorail was awesome. And if I was lucky and got to sitright up by the driver, ooooh man!
Lots of kids would pretend to be train engineers and jetpilots. Second rate stuff. They couldn't come close to running the monorail.There was something about that clear dome that has a special draw for me.Poking my head up and looking around through that dome is something I stillwant to do.
The idea of actually driving one was something I knewwouldn't happen for me. After all, think of all the training you need. It'sright up there with being an astronaut. So, sadly that was a always going to beno more than a dream... until now.
Somebody found the training manual for running themonorail and they published it here. I tried reading it but every time I'vestarted my gaze turns to the photographs and I get a wispy smile. I'm sure I'lleventually get to the text, but for the time being I'm just going to let myinternal five year old run around growling, 'Vermoom!'