John A. Heldt's Blog, page 22
June 18, 2014
My Writing Process blog tour
Since taking up novel writing two years ago, I’ve been asked many times to weigh in on the writing process. More often than not, those doing the asking are reviewers seeking insights into the making of a particular book. On occasion, however, I hear from other authors and bloggers who simply want to me to participate in an an activity for authors and bloggers.
Casee Marie Clow, book reviewer and lifestyle blogger, offered me such an opportunity the other day when she asked me to take part in the My Writing Process blog tour. Writers are asked to acknowledge the person who invited them, nominate three others to participate in the tour, and answer four questions.
Acknowledging Casee is a pleasure. She is one of the most eloquent and gracious bloggers in the business — one who took the time to read and review each of the Northwest Passage novels in Literary Inklings. She also owns and edits The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower blog.
I am also happy to recommend three bloggers and writers who have blazed their own trails. They include Sandra C. Lopez, R.G. Dole, and Aaron Yost.
Sandra is the author of Esperanza: A Latina Story , which I reviewed last year, and its sequel, Beyond the Gardens . A graduate of California State University, Fullerton, Sandra was named as one of 2011’s “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch" by Latino Stories.
I got to know R.G. this year when I asked her to review The Mine . She is the author of Immortal Longings , a novel about vampires and werewolves, and blogs at A Drip of Truth and a Drop of Lies.
Aaron is a longtime friend, former newspaper colleague, and award-winning sportswriter who edited all five NWP books. He is also an accomplished photographer who is currently finalizing his first novel. He manages the Triple Play with Aaron Yost blog.
Sandra, R.G., and Aaron will participate in the tour on June 26.
Now … on to the questions:
1) What are you working on?
I am currently writing the first novel of the American Journey series. In September Sky, an unemployed reporter and his college-age son will travel from 2016 Los Angeles to 1900 Galveston — the time and place of one of the deadliest hurricanes in history. Like the novels of the Northwest Passage series, September Sky will span several genres and offer multiple points of view. I hope to have it out by the end of the year.
2) How does your work differ from others of its genre?
That’s a tough question, given that my books don’t fit neatly in any one category. They do differ markedly, however, from most other time-travel novels in that they feature more history, fantasy, and romance than science fiction. They also bend the “rules” of time travel and often move in unexpected directions. They are not, for the most part, formula fiction. Each novel has its own signature.
3) Why do you write what you do?
I write what I do because I enjoy it. It’s that simple. I enjoy telling stories about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances because they enter the wrong mine or restroom or funhouse and involuntarily travel through time. I enjoy writing novels that push positive, timeless themes and prompt readers to ask the big questions — questions they may rarely ask of themselves.
4) How does your writing process work?
I always start with an extensive outline, complete with detailed chapter summaries and character sketches. I don’t know any other way to write something as complex as a modern novel. That said, I allow myself wiggle room to depart from the script. I frequently change the plot and characters as I go. I think this approach makes for a better book in the end.
Casee Marie Clow, book reviewer and lifestyle blogger, offered me such an opportunity the other day when she asked me to take part in the My Writing Process blog tour. Writers are asked to acknowledge the person who invited them, nominate three others to participate in the tour, and answer four questions.
Acknowledging Casee is a pleasure. She is one of the most eloquent and gracious bloggers in the business — one who took the time to read and review each of the Northwest Passage novels in Literary Inklings. She also owns and edits The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower blog.
I am also happy to recommend three bloggers and writers who have blazed their own trails. They include Sandra C. Lopez, R.G. Dole, and Aaron Yost.
Sandra is the author of Esperanza: A Latina Story , which I reviewed last year, and its sequel, Beyond the Gardens . A graduate of California State University, Fullerton, Sandra was named as one of 2011’s “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch" by Latino Stories.
I got to know R.G. this year when I asked her to review The Mine . She is the author of Immortal Longings , a novel about vampires and werewolves, and blogs at A Drip of Truth and a Drop of Lies.
Aaron is a longtime friend, former newspaper colleague, and award-winning sportswriter who edited all five NWP books. He is also an accomplished photographer who is currently finalizing his first novel. He manages the Triple Play with Aaron Yost blog.
Sandra, R.G., and Aaron will participate in the tour on June 26.
Now … on to the questions:
1) What are you working on?
I am currently writing the first novel of the American Journey series. In September Sky, an unemployed reporter and his college-age son will travel from 2016 Los Angeles to 1900 Galveston — the time and place of one of the deadliest hurricanes in history. Like the novels of the Northwest Passage series, September Sky will span several genres and offer multiple points of view. I hope to have it out by the end of the year.
2) How does your work differ from others of its genre?
That’s a tough question, given that my books don’t fit neatly in any one category. They do differ markedly, however, from most other time-travel novels in that they feature more history, fantasy, and romance than science fiction. They also bend the “rules” of time travel and often move in unexpected directions. They are not, for the most part, formula fiction. Each novel has its own signature.
3) Why do you write what you do?
I write what I do because I enjoy it. It’s that simple. I enjoy telling stories about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances because they enter the wrong mine or restroom or funhouse and involuntarily travel through time. I enjoy writing novels that push positive, timeless themes and prompt readers to ask the big questions — questions they may rarely ask of themselves.
4) How does your writing process work?
I always start with an extensive outline, complete with detailed chapter summaries and character sketches. I don’t know any other way to write something as complex as a modern novel. That said, I allow myself wiggle room to depart from the script. I frequently change the plot and characters as I go. I think this approach makes for a better book in the end.
My Writing Process Blog Tour
Since taking up novel writing two years ago, I’ve been asked many times to weigh in on the writing process. More often than not, those doing the asking are reviewers seeking insights into the making of a particular book. On occasion, however, I hear from other authors and bloggers who simply want to me to participate in an an activity for authors and bloggers.
Casee Marie Clow, book reviewer and lifestyle blogger, offered me such an opportunity the other day when she asked me to take part in the My Writing Process Blog Tour. Writers are asked to acknowledge the person who invited them, nominate three others to participate in the tour, and answer four questions.
Acknowledging Casee is a pleasure. She is one of the most eloquent and gracious bloggers in the business — one who took the time to read and review each of the Northwest Passage novels in Literary Inklings. She also owns and edits The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower blog.
I am also happy to recommend three bloggers and writers who have blazed their own trails. They include Sandra C. Lopez, R.G. Dole, and Aaron Yost.
Sandra is the author of Esperanza: A Latina Story , which I reviewed last year, and its sequel, Beyond the Gardens . A graduate of Cal State University-Fullerton, Sandra was named as one of 2011’s “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch" by Latino Stories.
I got to know R.G. this year when I asked her to review The Mine . She is the author of Immortal Longings , a novel about vampires and werewolves, and blogs regularly at A Drip of Truth and a Drop of Lies.
Aaron is a longtime friend, former newspaper colleague, and award-winning sportswriter who edited all five NWP books. He is also an accomplished photographer who is currently finalizing his first novel. He manages the Triple Play with Aaron Yost blog.
Sandra, R.G., and Aaron will participate in the tour on June 26.
Now … on to the questions:
1) What are you working on?
I am currently writing the first novel of the American Journey series. In September Sky, an unemployed reporter and his college-age son will travel from 2016 Los Angeles to 1900 Galveston — the time and place of one of the deadliest hurricanes in history. Like the novels of the Northwest Passage series, September Sky will span several genres and offer multiple points of view. I hope to have it out by the end of the year.
2) How does your work differ from others of its genre?
That’s a tough question, given that my books don’t fit neatly in any one category. They do differ markedly, however, from most other time-travel novels in that they feature more history, fantasy, and romance than science fiction. They also bend the “rules” of time travel and often move in unexpected directions. They are not, for the most part, formula fiction. Each novel has its own signature.
3) Why do you write what you do?
I write what I do because I enjoy it. It’s that simple. I enjoy telling stories about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances because they enter the wrong mine or restroom or funhouse and involuntarily travel through time. I enjoy writing novels that push positive, timeless themes and prompt readers to ask the big questions — questions they may rarely ask of themselves.
4) How does your writing process work?
I always start with an extensive outline, complete with detailed chapter summaries and character sketches. I don’t know any other way to write something as complex as a modern novel. That said, I allow myself wiggle room to depart from the script. I frequently change the plot and characters as I go. I think this approach makes for a better book in the end.
Casee Marie Clow, book reviewer and lifestyle blogger, offered me such an opportunity the other day when she asked me to take part in the My Writing Process Blog Tour. Writers are asked to acknowledge the person who invited them, nominate three others to participate in the tour, and answer four questions.
Acknowledging Casee is a pleasure. She is one of the most eloquent and gracious bloggers in the business — one who took the time to read and review each of the Northwest Passage novels in Literary Inklings. She also owns and edits The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower blog.
I am also happy to recommend three bloggers and writers who have blazed their own trails. They include Sandra C. Lopez, R.G. Dole, and Aaron Yost.
Sandra is the author of Esperanza: A Latina Story , which I reviewed last year, and its sequel, Beyond the Gardens . A graduate of Cal State University-Fullerton, Sandra was named as one of 2011’s “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch" by Latino Stories.
I got to know R.G. this year when I asked her to review The Mine . She is the author of Immortal Longings , a novel about vampires and werewolves, and blogs regularly at A Drip of Truth and a Drop of Lies.
Aaron is a longtime friend, former newspaper colleague, and award-winning sportswriter who edited all five NWP books. He is also an accomplished photographer who is currently finalizing his first novel. He manages the Triple Play with Aaron Yost blog.
Sandra, R.G., and Aaron will participate in the tour on June 26.
Now … on to the questions:
1) What are you working on?
I am currently writing the first novel of the American Journey series. In September Sky, an unemployed reporter and his college-age son will travel from 2016 Los Angeles to 1900 Galveston — the time and place of one of the deadliest hurricanes in history. Like the novels of the Northwest Passage series, September Sky will span several genres and offer multiple points of view. I hope to have it out by the end of the year.
2) How does your work differ from others of its genre?
That’s a tough question, given that my books don’t fit neatly in any one category. They do differ markedly, however, from most other time-travel novels in that they feature more history, fantasy, and romance than science fiction. They also bend the “rules” of time travel and often move in unexpected directions. They are not, for the most part, formula fiction. Each novel has its own signature.
3) Why do you write what you do?
I write what I do because I enjoy it. It’s that simple. I enjoy telling stories about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances because they enter the wrong mine or restroom or funhouse and involuntarily travel through time. I enjoy writing novels that push positive, timeless themes and prompt readers to ask the big questions — questions they may rarely ask of themselves.
4) How does your writing process work?
I always start with an extensive outline, complete with detailed chapter summaries and character sketches. I don’t know any other way to write something as complex as a modern novel. That said, I allow myself wiggle room to depart from the script. I frequently change the plot and characters as I go. I think this approach makes for a better book in the end.
June 3, 2014
The Journey at the 2014 IRDAs
For the second consecutive year, I fell short of ultimate success in the Indie Reader Discovery Awards competition. IRDA judges selected The Hour of Parade by Alan Bray as the winner in the Literary Fiction sub-category. Bray was one of fifteen genre-fiction winners announced May 31 at the Book Expo America in New York. The Journey , my entry in Literary Fiction, earned the coveted “Indie Reader Approved” designation with a review rating of four stars. In doing so, it gained a distinction that eluded The Mine , a Popular Fiction entry, in last year's contest.
May 1, 2014
Review: The Awakening
If there is one thing I like about reading classics, it’s that they don’t go away. They remain in libraries, stores, and the minds of readers for decades precisely because they they embrace powerful themes that never go out of style.
I can’t remember half the books I read last year but I can remember most of the classics I read in high school and college, particularly novels like Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and short stories like Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River,” Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find," and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.”
Last month I revisited a novel I hadn’t read since the early 1980s, The Awakening by Kate Chopin. As one who is planning a novel based in the South in 1900, I wanted to reacquaint myself with the language, customs, and issues of that particular place and time.
On that score, Chopin’s best-known work did not disappoint. It provided a vivid, memorable portrait of turn-of-the-century Creole Louisiana and reminded me how much times have changed even for the privileged and educated.
The characters are less compelling. Protagonist Edna Pontellier — an unfulfilled, self-absorbed free spirit — does not command much sympathy. Nor do her distant, clueless husband Léonce or a coterie of friends, lovers, and acquaintances. All seem incapable of looking beyond their own selfish, narrow interests.
Even so, I found this novel well worth a second look. Chopin challenges the rigid, often stifling social mores of the time and gives readers a thought-provoking work that will no doubt be read and discussed in yet another hundred years. Rating: 3/5.
I can’t remember half the books I read last year but I can remember most of the classics I read in high school and college, particularly novels like Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and short stories like Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River,” Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find," and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.”
Last month I revisited a novel I hadn’t read since the early 1980s, The Awakening by Kate Chopin. As one who is planning a novel based in the South in 1900, I wanted to reacquaint myself with the language, customs, and issues of that particular place and time.
On that score, Chopin’s best-known work did not disappoint. It provided a vivid, memorable portrait of turn-of-the-century Creole Louisiana and reminded me how much times have changed even for the privileged and educated.
The characters are less compelling. Protagonist Edna Pontellier — an unfulfilled, self-absorbed free spirit — does not command much sympathy. Nor do her distant, clueless husband Léonce or a coterie of friends, lovers, and acquaintances. All seem incapable of looking beyond their own selfish, narrow interests.
Even so, I found this novel well worth a second look. Chopin challenges the rigid, often stifling social mores of the time and gives readers a thought-provoking work that will no doubt be read and discussed in yet another hundred years. Rating: 3/5.
Review: The Awakening by Kate Chopin
If there is one thing I like about reading classics, it’s that they don’t go away. They remain in libraries, stores, and the minds of readers for decades precisely because they they embrace powerful themes that never go out of style.
I can’t remember half the books I read last year but I can remember most of the classics I read in high school and college, particularly novels like Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and short stories like Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River,” Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find," and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.”
Last month I revisited a novel I hadn’t read since the early 1980s, The Awakening by Kate Chopin. As one who is planning a novel based in the South in 1900, I wanted to reacquaint myself with the language, customs, and issues of that particular place and time.
On that score, Chopin’s best-known work did not disappoint. It provided a vivid, memorable portrait of turn-of-the-century Creole Louisiana and reminded me how much times have changed even for the privileged and educated.
The characters are less compelling. Protagonist Edna Pontellier — an unfulfilled, self-absorbed free spirit — does not command much sympathy. Nor do her distant, clueless husband Léonce or a coterie of friends, lovers, and acquaintances. All seem incapable of looking beyond their own selfish, narrow interests.
Even so, I found this novel well worth a second look. Chopin challenges the rigid, often stifling social mores of the time and gives readers a thought-provoking work that will no doubt be read and discussed in yet another hundred years. Rating: 3/5.
I can’t remember half the books I read last year but I can remember most of the classics I read in high school and college, particularly novels like Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and short stories like Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River,” Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find," and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.”
Last month I revisited a novel I hadn’t read since the early 1980s, The Awakening by Kate Chopin. As one who is planning a novel based in the South in 1900, I wanted to reacquaint myself with the language, customs, and issues of that particular place and time.
On that score, Chopin’s best-known work did not disappoint. It provided a vivid, memorable portrait of turn-of-the-century Creole Louisiana and reminded me how much times have changed even for the privileged and educated.
The characters are less compelling. Protagonist Edna Pontellier — an unfulfilled, self-absorbed free spirit — does not command much sympathy. Nor do her distant, clueless husband Léonce or a coterie of friends, lovers, and acquaintances. All seem incapable of looking beyond their own selfish, narrow interests.
Even so, I found this novel well worth a second look. Chopin challenges the rigid, often stifling social mores of the time and gives readers a thought-provoking work that will no doubt be read and discussed in yet another hundred years. Rating: 3/5.
April 15, 2014
A day to remember
Whether reading, writing, or viewing movies and TV programs, I never tire of exploring the past. I majored in history in college not because I wanted to teach history but rather because I wanted to learn more about it.
Though the past is past, it is never settled. It is subject to constant scrutiny, debate, and revision. And that, in my opinion, is what makes it interesting.
I thought about that this morning when I read an article about one of the most iconic historical events of all time: the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The ship that couldn't sink did just that 102 years ago today, spawning countless books, movies, and discussions that continue to this day.
There are seemingly fewer questions about how and why the Titanic went down than before its wreckage was discovered in 1985, but some questions remain. For example, in their work What Really Sank the Titanic: New Forensic Discoveries , authors Jennifer Hooper McCarty and Tim Foecke argue that weak rivets, not weak steel, doomed the luxury liner.
Even the forensics debates, of course, can't measure up to the human drama. The sinking remains a compelling story precisely because it offers so many lessons -- about public attitudes, class, culture, and the promise and limits of technology.
Some of the best takes on the tragedy can still be found in literature. I strongly recommend Walter Lord's 1955 classic, A Night to Remember , and newer books like Andrew Wilson's Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived , which was published last year.
As one who believes that history is often best appreciated in museums, I also recommend Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition. I've seen the display twice and believe it is worth every cent. It is currently making the rounds in five U.S. cities.
As glimpses of the past go, it doesn't get better.
Though the past is past, it is never settled. It is subject to constant scrutiny, debate, and revision. And that, in my opinion, is what makes it interesting.
I thought about that this morning when I read an article about one of the most iconic historical events of all time: the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The ship that couldn't sink did just that 102 years ago today, spawning countless books, movies, and discussions that continue to this day.
There are seemingly fewer questions about how and why the Titanic went down than before its wreckage was discovered in 1985, but some questions remain. For example, in their work What Really Sank the Titanic: New Forensic Discoveries , authors Jennifer Hooper McCarty and Tim Foecke argue that weak rivets, not weak steel, doomed the luxury liner.
Even the forensics debates, of course, can't measure up to the human drama. The sinking remains a compelling story precisely because it offers so many lessons -- about public attitudes, class, culture, and the promise and limits of technology.
Some of the best takes on the tragedy can still be found in literature. I strongly recommend Walter Lord's 1955 classic, A Night to Remember , and newer books like Andrew Wilson's Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived , which was published last year.
As one who believes that history is often best appreciated in museums, I also recommend Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition. I've seen the display twice and believe it is worth every cent. It is currently making the rounds in five U.S. cities.
As glimpses of the past go, it doesn't get better.
March 19, 2014
Explaining the NW Passage
The questions almost always start with "why." "Why time travel?" "Why the Northwest?" "Why male protagonists in some books and females in others?" Or, as my 19-year-old daughter likes to ask, "Why do you have to marry off all of your characters before they're twenty?!"
(She exaggerates but only slightly.)
I've tried to answer these questions and others in nearly fifty interviews and personal e-mails since February 2012 -- when I published The Mine -- but still the questions come. Some readers ask things I've been asked many times. Others request fresh takes on old matters. Almost all simply want to better understand books they've read and, in most cases, enjoyed.
So I decided this week that before I officially put the Northwest Passage series to bed, I should make an attempt to explain why I did what I did in writing five books that have been my passion for more than two years. In no particular order are the subjects representing frequent questions.
Time travel: As I've noted in many interviews, I outlined The Mine minutes after watching The Time Traveler's Wife in 2011. Though I enjoyed both the book and the movie, I was more interested in twentieth-century time travel than that particular story. I wanted to see how a modern time traveler fared when suddenly thrust in the world of his or her not-so-distant ancestors. In three years, that interest has not waned.
Time portals: I decided to treat time travel as fantasy, rather than science fiction, because fantasy offered more opportunities to be creative. When the only limits are the limits you place on yourself, you can have a lot of fun.
Time streams: I knew from the outset I could not write the NWP series and adhere to the theory that time is a single, unchangeable stream. When you meet your parents or grandparents or great-grandparents in their time, history changes -- and when history changes, so do you. Using multiple timelines became a must.
Settings: Writing about the Pacific Northwest was never a question. When you live and work in places like Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, writing about those places is easy and appealing. I should note, however, that the settings in the series were not strictly limited to the Northwest. Hawaii and Nevada made guest appearances.
Protagonists: Writers are advised to write what they know. But as novelist James Rollins once asked, "What's the fun in that?" Beginning with The Journey , I decided that the books in this series would not be told strictly from a male perspective. I would do what authors have always done when they wrote outside their realm of experience. I would learn.
Relationships: My daughter is not far off. There are no fewer than eight engagements involving college-age characters, including three involving Grace Vandenberg Smith alone. My objective in the series was to show how young people in love reacted to circumstances and events that could change on a dime and often put their commitment to each other to a serious test.
Sequence: I wrote the NWP series out of order because, at the start, I did not plan to write a series at all. When I finally committed to writing five books, I decided that the best way to go was to alternate between two time-traveling families. Though I will probably not repeat this approach in the future, I like how this series turned out.
Common threads: Though the NWP books are, for the most part, distinctive works, they share many themes, venues, and even characters. Joel Smith and his mother Cindy appear and speak in all five books. Grace provides a point of view in three.
Frequent flyers: Kevin Johnson travels through time on eight occasions in The Fire . Grace Smith travels only three times but is the only character in the series to experience two distinct eras she was never meant to see.
Readers and bloggers occasionally ask me to cite my favorites in the series. I admit I don't have a favorite book, but I do have favorite characters (Ginny Smith, Sadie Hawkins), settings (Seaside, Wallace), and scenes (the drag race in The Journey , the wedding in The Show , the Beatles concert in The Mirror ).
I also have a favorite ending, which many of my readers share. If I can ever again catch lightning in a bottle, like I apparently did in Chapter 70 of The Mine , I'll be sure to share it.
Readers now, of course, seem more interested in what's coming up. They want to know if the next series will be anything like the last. The short answer is yes. I have enjoyed writing novels that blend history, humor, romance, and serious themes and fully intend to write more. I hope to publish the first novel in the American Journey series by this fall.
(She exaggerates but only slightly.)
I've tried to answer these questions and others in nearly fifty interviews and personal e-mails since February 2012 -- when I published The Mine -- but still the questions come. Some readers ask things I've been asked many times. Others request fresh takes on old matters. Almost all simply want to better understand books they've read and, in most cases, enjoyed.
So I decided this week that before I officially put the Northwest Passage series to bed, I should make an attempt to explain why I did what I did in writing five books that have been my passion for more than two years. In no particular order are the subjects representing frequent questions.
Time travel: As I've noted in many interviews, I outlined The Mine minutes after watching The Time Traveler's Wife in 2011. Though I enjoyed both the book and the movie, I was more interested in twentieth-century time travel than that particular story. I wanted to see how a modern time traveler fared when suddenly thrust in the world of his or her not-so-distant ancestors. In three years, that interest has not waned.
Time portals: I decided to treat time travel as fantasy, rather than science fiction, because fantasy offered more opportunities to be creative. When the only limits are the limits you place on yourself, you can have a lot of fun.
Time streams: I knew from the outset I could not write the NWP series and adhere to the theory that time is a single, unchangeable stream. When you meet your parents or grandparents or great-grandparents in their time, history changes -- and when history changes, so do you. Using multiple timelines became a must.
Settings: Writing about the Pacific Northwest was never a question. When you live and work in places like Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, writing about those places is easy and appealing. I should note, however, that the settings in the series were not strictly limited to the Northwest. Hawaii and Nevada made guest appearances.
Protagonists: Writers are advised to write what they know. But as novelist James Rollins once asked, "What's the fun in that?" Beginning with The Journey , I decided that the books in this series would not be told strictly from a male perspective. I would do what authors have always done when they wrote outside their realm of experience. I would learn.
Relationships: My daughter is not far off. There are no fewer than eight engagements involving college-age characters, including three involving Grace Vandenberg Smith alone. My objective in the series was to show how young people in love reacted to circumstances and events that could change on a dime and often put their commitment to each other to a serious test.
Sequence: I wrote the NWP series out of order because, at the start, I did not plan to write a series at all. When I finally committed to writing five books, I decided that the best way to go was to alternate between two time-traveling families. Though I will probably not repeat this approach in the future, I like how this series turned out.
Common threads: Though the NWP books are, for the most part, distinctive works, they share many themes, venues, and even characters. Joel Smith and his mother Cindy appear and speak in all five books. Grace provides a point of view in three.
Frequent flyers: Kevin Johnson travels through time on eight occasions in The Fire . Grace Smith travels only three times but is the only character in the series to experience two distinct eras she was never meant to see.
Readers and bloggers occasionally ask me to cite my favorites in the series. I admit I don't have a favorite book, but I do have favorite characters (Ginny Smith, Sadie Hawkins), settings (Seaside, Wallace), and scenes (the drag race in The Journey , the wedding in The Show , the Beatles concert in The Mirror ).
I also have a favorite ending, which many of my readers share. If I can ever again catch lightning in a bottle, like I apparently did in Chapter 70 of The Mine , I'll be sure to share it.
Readers now, of course, seem more interested in what's coming up. They want to know if the next series will be anything like the last. The short answer is yes. I have enjoyed writing novels that blend history, humor, romance, and serious themes and fully intend to write more. I hope to publish the first novel in the American Journey series by this fall.
Deconstructing the Northwest Passage series
The questions almost always start with "why." "Why time travel?" "Why the Northwest?" "Why male protagonists in some books and females in others?" Or, as my 19-year-old daughter likes to ask, "Why do you have to marry off all of your characters before they're twenty?!"
(She exaggerates but only slightly.)
I've tried to answer these questions and others in nearly fifty interviews and personal e-mails since February 2012 -- when I published The Mine -- but still the questions come. Some readers ask things I've been asked many times. Others request fresh takes on old matters. Almost all simply want to better understand books they've read and, in most cases, enjoyed.
So I decided this week that before I officially put the Northwest Passage series to bed, I should make an attempt to explain why I did what I did in writing five books that have been my passion for more than two years. In no particular order are the subjects representing frequent questions.
Time travel: As I've noted in many interviews, I outlined The Mine minutes after watching The Time Traveler's Wife in 2011. Though I enjoyed both the book and the movie, I was more interested in twentieth-century time travel than that particular story. I wanted to see how a modern time traveler fared when suddenly thrust in the world of his or her not-so-distant ancestors. In three years, that interest has not waned.
Time portals: I decided to treat time travel as fantasy, rather than science fiction, because fantasy offered more opportunities to be creative. When the only limits are the limits you place on yourself, you can have a lot of fun.
Time streams: I knew from the outset I could not write the NWP series and adhere to the theory that time is a single, unchangeable stream. When you meet your parents or grandparents or great-grandparents in their time, history changes -- and when history changes, so do you. Using multiple timelines became a must.
Settings: Writing about the Pacific Northwest was never a question. When you live and work in places like Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, writing about those places is easy and appealing. I should note, however, that the settings in the series were not strictly limited to the Northwest. Hawaii and Nevada made guest appearances.
Protagonists: Writers are advised to write what they know. But as novelist James Rollins once asked, "What's the fun in that?" Beginning with The Journey , I decided that the books in this series would not be told strictly from a male perspective. I would do what authors have always done when they wrote outside their realm of experience. I would learn.
Relationships: My daughter is not far off. There are no fewer than eight engagements involving college-age characters, including three involving Grace Vandenberg Smith alone. My objective in the series was to show how young people in love reacted to circumstances and events that could change on a dime and often put their commitment to each other to a serious test.
Sequence: I wrote the NWP series out of order because, at the start, I did not plan to write a series at all. When I finally committed to writing five books, I decided that the best way to go was to alternate between two time-traveling families. Though I will probably not repeat this approach in the future, I like how this series turned out.
Common threads: Though the NWP books are, for the most part, distinctive works, they share many themes, venues, and even characters. Joel Smith and his mother Cindy appear and speak in all five books. Grace provides a point of view in three.
Frequent flyers: Kevin Johnson travels through time on eight occasions in The Fire . Grace Smith travels only three times but is the only character in the series to experience two distinct eras she was never meant to see.
Readers and bloggers occasionally ask me my favorites in the series. I admit I don't have a favorite book, but I do have favorite characters (Ginny Smith, Sadie Hawkins), settings (Seaside, Wallace), and scenes (the drag race in The Journey , the wedding in The Show , the Beatles concert in The Mirror ).
I also have a favorite ending, which many of my readers share. If I can ever again catch lightning in a bottle, like I apparently did in Chapter 70 of The Mine , I'll be sure to share it.
Readers now, of course, seem more interested in what's coming up. They want to know if the next series will be anything like the last. The short answer is yes. I have enjoyed writing novels that blend history, humor, romance, and serious themes and fully intend to write more. I hope to publish the first novel in the American Journey series by this fall.
(She exaggerates but only slightly.)
I've tried to answer these questions and others in nearly fifty interviews and personal e-mails since February 2012 -- when I published The Mine -- but still the questions come. Some readers ask things I've been asked many times. Others request fresh takes on old matters. Almost all simply want to better understand books they've read and, in most cases, enjoyed.
So I decided this week that before I officially put the Northwest Passage series to bed, I should make an attempt to explain why I did what I did in writing five books that have been my passion for more than two years. In no particular order are the subjects representing frequent questions.
Time travel: As I've noted in many interviews, I outlined The Mine minutes after watching The Time Traveler's Wife in 2011. Though I enjoyed both the book and the movie, I was more interested in twentieth-century time travel than that particular story. I wanted to see how a modern time traveler fared when suddenly thrust in the world of his or her not-so-distant ancestors. In three years, that interest has not waned.
Time portals: I decided to treat time travel as fantasy, rather than science fiction, because fantasy offered more opportunities to be creative. When the only limits are the limits you place on yourself, you can have a lot of fun.
Time streams: I knew from the outset I could not write the NWP series and adhere to the theory that time is a single, unchangeable stream. When you meet your parents or grandparents or great-grandparents in their time, history changes -- and when history changes, so do you. Using multiple timelines became a must.
Settings: Writing about the Pacific Northwest was never a question. When you live and work in places like Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, writing about those places is easy and appealing. I should note, however, that the settings in the series were not strictly limited to the Northwest. Hawaii and Nevada made guest appearances.
Protagonists: Writers are advised to write what they know. But as novelist James Rollins once asked, "What's the fun in that?" Beginning with The Journey , I decided that the books in this series would not be told strictly from a male perspective. I would do what authors have always done when they wrote outside their realm of experience. I would learn.
Relationships: My daughter is not far off. There are no fewer than eight engagements involving college-age characters, including three involving Grace Vandenberg Smith alone. My objective in the series was to show how young people in love reacted to circumstances and events that could change on a dime and often put their commitment to each other to a serious test.
Sequence: I wrote the NWP series out of order because, at the start, I did not plan to write a series at all. When I finally committed to writing five books, I decided that the best way to go was to alternate between two time-traveling families. Though I will probably not repeat this approach in the future, I like how this series turned out.
Common threads: Though the NWP books are, for the most part, distinctive works, they share many themes, venues, and even characters. Joel Smith and his mother Cindy appear and speak in all five books. Grace provides a point of view in three.
Frequent flyers: Kevin Johnson travels through time on eight occasions in The Fire . Grace Smith travels only three times but is the only character in the series to experience two distinct eras she was never meant to see.
Readers and bloggers occasionally ask me my favorites in the series. I admit I don't have a favorite book, but I do have favorite characters (Ginny Smith, Sadie Hawkins), settings (Seaside, Wallace), and scenes (the drag race in The Journey , the wedding in The Show , the Beatles concert in The Mirror ).
I also have a favorite ending, which many of my readers share. If I can ever again catch lightning in a bottle, like I apparently did in Chapter 70 of The Mine , I'll be sure to share it.
Readers now, of course, seem more interested in what's coming up. They want to know if the next series will be anything like the last. The short answer is yes. I have enjoyed writing novels that blend history, humor, romance, and serious themes and fully intend to write more. I hope to publish the first novel in the American Journey series by this fall.
March 1, 2014
Number five goes live
There is something liberating about ending a series. When you bring a story to an end, you can focus solely on the task at hand and not what comes next. You have the freedom to take chances. You can write the story you want to write.
Today that story goes live. The Mirror is not just the fifth and final book in the Northwest Passage series. It's the novel I've wanted to tackle for more than a year -- a work that answers lingering questions, takes on new social issues, and recasts familiar characters in not-so-familiar roles.
It's the story of nineteen-year-old twin sisters who go from the comfortable, digital world of 2020 to the dawn of a turbulent decade that changed America forever. In Ginny and Katie Smith, readers will see 1964 as only a time traveler could see it.
The Mirror will not be my last time-travel work. Later this year, I will start a new series that encompasses many of the same themes. The Mirror will, however, be the curtain call for Joel Smith, Grace Vandenberg Smith, and their extended family.
I hope readers will like the last installment as much as they have liked the first four. The Mirror is available as a Kindle book on Amazon.com. Enjoy.
Today that story goes live. The Mirror is not just the fifth and final book in the Northwest Passage series. It's the novel I've wanted to tackle for more than a year -- a work that answers lingering questions, takes on new social issues, and recasts familiar characters in not-so-familiar roles.
It's the story of nineteen-year-old twin sisters who go from the comfortable, digital world of 2020 to the dawn of a turbulent decade that changed America forever. In Ginny and Katie Smith, readers will see 1964 as only a time traveler could see it.
The Mirror will not be my last time-travel work. Later this year, I will start a new series that encompasses many of the same themes. The Mirror will, however, be the curtain call for Joel Smith, Grace Vandenberg Smith, and their extended family.
I hope readers will like the last installment as much as they have liked the first four. The Mirror is available as a Kindle book on Amazon.com. Enjoy.
February 17, 2014
Review: Isaac's Storm
The thing I like most about researching possible settings for new novels is discovering works I might have otherwise ignored.
Isaac's Storm
, by Erik Larson, is one such work.
Subtitled "A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History," Larson's book examines the Galveston hurricane of 1900 through the eyes of meteorologist Isaac Monroe Cline and other survivors of the storm. Eight thousand people perished in the disaster.
Larson does more, however, than trace a cyclone across the North Atlantic. He offers compelling look at Cline and his family, the fledgling Weather Bureau, and a prosperous turn-of-the-century community that saw itself as Houston's economic rival.
I found Larson's 1999 nonfiction work as informative, entertaining, and readable as The Big Burn by Timothy Egan, The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger, and even many novels. I strongly recommend it to fans of science and history. Rating: 5/5.
Subtitled "A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History," Larson's book examines the Galveston hurricane of 1900 through the eyes of meteorologist Isaac Monroe Cline and other survivors of the storm. Eight thousand people perished in the disaster.
Larson does more, however, than trace a cyclone across the North Atlantic. He offers compelling look at Cline and his family, the fledgling Weather Bureau, and a prosperous turn-of-the-century community that saw itself as Houston's economic rival.
I found Larson's 1999 nonfiction work as informative, entertaining, and readable as The Big Burn by Timothy Egan, The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger, and even many novels. I strongly recommend it to fans of science and history. Rating: 5/5.
