Travis Thrasher's Blog, page 34

The Blur

Most of the stuff I post on Twitter is not worthy of ever being quoted or reprinted. I'm either sharing something about our three girls or joking around with Jimmy Wayne.
I did share something that I thought was worthy of putting in this blog. It's a quote about being an artist:
There are seasons in an artist's life & journey that can only be seen in hindsight and can probably only be appreciated by others.
My season the last few years has been blurry. Days and nights that have been some kind of strange, literary Groundhog Day. I count my blessings for having been in this season. But it's hard to evaluate this season because I'm still in it.
If God grants me more seasons, I think I'll be able to appreciate and evaluate these days and the work that I've done in them. For now, I'll continue at the work at hand, taking each day at a time.
And tweeting some nonsense along the way.

Happy First Birthday, Brianna and Mackenzie!

Many words could be said about our twins turning one today. So many things could be said about the past year. What a year.

I'm thankful that Brianna and Mackenzie came into our lives. It's been a wild year.

I wondered how I could love two more girls as much as I love Kylie. But I don't wonder about that anymore.

A heart can indeed grow.

"The Stories That Stayed With You"

"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something."--Sam in Lord of the Rings

On Finishing Temptation

I've never done a series before The Solitary Tales.

That's not an excuse or an apology but a fact.



A few years ago after that failed booksigning where I showed up to a Barnes & Noble in Greenville, South Carolina for a booksigning we'd scheduled only to find someone else signing, as I sat having chips and salsa and a margarita at the Mexican restaurant next door, an idea was born. I thought of being in the Carolinas and thought of my teen years. I came up with the idea to do a four-book series combining a teen love story with a creepy supernatural tale.



The four-book series began to take shape over the next year. I knew how I wanted to end book one early on. Nobody's going to go for that, I thought with excitement (story of my 11-year-career). I began to outline the story of Chris Buckley moving to Solitary, North Carolina.



When I pitched it to the publishers, I had a fairly decent overview of the story. Book one was plotted out and stayed the same. The following books were less detailed, especially the final book, but the whole gist of the series was described.



Now that I'm closing in on the end of book three (with one week left to go for the writing), I find the story has grown and evolved and become better than I thought it would be. It's deeper, with a rich backstory and many characters with their own unique things going on. Each book following the first one has surprised me. I didn't plan on meeting characters like Jared or Iris from book two. Or . . . well, the new characters in book three.



I especially didn't see book three coming. Not the story itself but the whole vibe and feel of book three. It's a bit of a risk, in some ways. But then again, it's not like I have millions of readers I'm going to let down. Those who have decided to venture to Solitary with me . . . well, I have a feeling they're going to like Temptation. For some it might even be their favorite.



It's exciting to build something and keep building with subsequent books. Chris Buckley is really a unique character. First and foremost he is a teenager, and because of that he ends up making dumb decisions. He's impulsive and sarcastic and heroic and stupid. I've really come to love him.



If you're wondering about all those questions, I can tell you this. A boatload of them are answered in book three. Answering questions isn't always a good thing. The guys at Lost found that out. Sometimes, the mystery itself is a beautiful thing. But I've said all along I know the answers to everything. Chris is going to be told many of them. He himself doesn't know what to do with them. Some of them leave him scratching his head thinking really? I'm sure some readers will do the same.



The main thing I hope for is not that the answers satisfy (I hope that too, of course). The main thing I want is that Chris Buckley's reaction to everything is believable and authentic. I want the story to constantly remain grounded in his emotions and fears and surprises. If readers believe Chris, and root for Chris, then hopefully they'll be willing to make it to the end.



We'll see. At this point, I'm trying my best and ending book three with a few big surprises. I've written the last scene already, and it brought me to tears. Hopefully it'll do the same for others. But I'm not worrying about reactions from readers. I'm going to finish telling this story the only way I know how to.



I for one can't wait to see how the series ends. I know how it will, but then again, I don't.



That's why I love writing.



For Solitary fans, I hope you love the writing too.

Making Mud Pies

This is what writing to me is all about. Taking the messy stuff of life and trying in some way to make something out of it.

Answering A Reader's Questions

I recently received a reader email asking me quite a few questions about books one and two in The Solitary Tales. I asked her if I could share the questions and answers on my blog, and she said yes.

So hopefully this will answer some of the questions about Solitary and Gravestone!

(And one obvious note--there are spoilers below in case you haven't read the books!)

1) Is Solitary even a real place?

It's definitely made up but I've based it off a couple of different small towns in North Carolina. Mostly due to appearances and not due to anything bad happening in them.

2) Why (Why, Why, Why) is that place, the place between dreams and reality even concocted in Gravestone?! I know in the end it''s kind of critical because it leads to a big change in Chris'' life, but it does get sort of annoying while he''s visiting Jocelyn. I mean, it just makes him go even more in some sorts of denial.



This is an excellent question. I can't answer it now, but I will say that the answer will come. And the answer is very important, too.

3) Is it like... an important turning page in Gravestone that Chris and Poe kiss?



Chris was as surprised as you might have been that he was kissing Poe.

4)Jared''s really...freaky. I never understood him. Is his character just to be a distraction to Chris or something, or to help himself get out of his own situation? Or just to get rid of Chris?! Oh my gosh.



There is a distinct reason why Jared suddenly came into Chris's life. We will know more about that later in books #3 and #4.



Now I have some comments (and questions yet mixed in):

1) I found both Solitary and Gravestone to be good books. Yet, when I started reading Gravestone, something was different.Gravestone has a darker feel to it, it''s more...odd. Solitary is a bit lighter. Is this maybe because Chris hadn''t had to deal with Jocelyn''s death yet?



I'm glad you noticed this. Gravestone was meant to be darker. Solitary introduces Chris to this strange, creepy world, but in that world there is a sweet romance happening. Of course, we reach the shocking end, plunging us into book two.

Book three, Temptation, will shift gears a bit. I hope book four, Hurt, does too. I want each book to have its own color and vibe to it.

2) I found Iris to be quite the character. An old lady, yet quite truthful and eye-opening. Does she ever come back? (I forgot if she died or not.)



We don't know if she died or not at the end of book two. You will find out that answer by the end of the series.

3) Why is it titled Gravestone? It''s not like Chris visits Jocelyn''s gravestone or something.



Ah, but what about that church in the woods? The one with the gravestone inside the church? With the french quote???

4) The random bluebird on the back. There is something about that bluebird.



That bluebird could be the key to the entire series. Or maybe not.

5)What is up with Pastor Freaky? He''s got a motive, and, obviously, it''s not good. All in all, it is kinda freaky that he didn''t die. Make that very freaky.



I think it would be cool to have a little more backstory on Pastor Freaky, don't you? Hmmmm. He's going to surprise people with his story.

6) There''s a reason for Poe moving at the end of the book. Is that because she was talking about "escaping once and for all" when she was talking to Chris about keeping him around a little longer?

She doesn't have an option of staying or leaving. So once again Chris loses someone dear to him. Yes, there are big picture and small picture reasons for Poe leaving.

So okay--that didn't really answer that many of your questions. But I promise those questions will eventually be answered. There is a reason Chris is experiencing all of these crazy things. Book three is going to answer A LOT. I promise you.

Thanks for reading!!

The Promise Remains--Official Playlist

I've been listening to soundtracks tonight and felt it was a good time to share the official playlist for my first novel, The Promise Remains.

1. "Rose" by James Horner from Titanic soundtrack



2. "Cantus - Song Of Tears" by Adiemus from Adiemus II: Cantata Mundi

3. "Voice Of God" by Thomas Newman from The Horse Whisperer soundtrack

4. "Theresa & Garret" by Gabriel Yared from Message In A Bottle soundtrack

5. "We Have All The Time In The World" by John Barry from Moviola

6. "Evening Falls" by Enya from Watermark

7. "This Love" by Craig Armstrong from The Space Between Us

8. "The Very Act Of Being" by Thomas Newman from The Horse Whisperer soundtrack

9. "Spreading Wings" by Gabriel Yared from City Of Angels soundtrack

10. "Upwind" by Thomas Newman from Up Close And Personal soundtrack

11. "Message In A Bottle" by Gabriel Yared from Message In A Bottle soundtrack

12. "The Heartlands" by John Barry from The Beyondness of Things

13. "An Ocean Of Memories" by James Horner from Titanic

14. "Grace" by Thomas Newman from The Horse Whisperer soundtrack

15. "Cantus - Song Of The Odyssey" by Adiemus from Adiemus II: Cantata Mundi



16. "Portraits/Pond" by Thomas Newman from How To Make An American Quilt soundtrack

17. "Dear Catherine" by Gabriel Yared from Message In A Bottle soundtrack



NOTE: This short novel was first written in January, 1998, and reflects some of the recent movies around this time.

Outside The Tower

Catalog Copy For TEMPTATION (Solitary Tales #3)

Temptation is the third book in The Solitary Tales. It will be released April 1, 2012. Here's the short catalog copy for it:

The third book in the Solitary Tales series for young adults, Temptation follows the soul-wrenching twists of Chris Buckley's journey as he heads deeper into a darkness that threatens all he loves best.



As a reluctant student at Harrington High's summer school, Chris meets a fun-loving senior girl who offers a welcome diversion from Chris's past. Soon Chris no longer searches for the truth about the town of Solitary. He no longer tries to pierce its shadows. He no longer questions his role in its mysteries. He makes a new choice: he runs. What he doesn't realize is that he's running the wrong way—and is very close to being beyond any choices at all.

Step #10 To Writing A Novel (Writing Tip #91)

So what next? What do you do after you've finished your novel and let it sit for a while?



In my world, I have very little time to let it sit. Usually I'm handing my novel to an editor who will start to read it and make notes. But you might not have an editor in your life. What do you do?



Start editing the book yourself.



There's a great book called Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Browne & King. Check it out. It has some awesome suggestions.



Here are a few of my own suggestions when I go back into my novel to edit/tweak/change/delete (and I'm not going to mention the obvious, like checking spelling and grammar and all that).



--Make sure voice and style are consistent throughout the entire novel.



--Get rid of the dull parts or rewrite them.



--Apply logic and reason to your story.



--Make sure the story threads line up the way you first intended them to.



--Does the scene still move you as much reading it as it did when you wrote it?



--Are you using chapter titles and/or section/part titles to your advantage?



--Are the primary storylines divided up the way you wanted them to be?



--If this novel were to be published tomorrow, is it exactly how you'd like it to be?