Martyn Stanley's Blog, page 2
December 9, 2017
Deathsworn Arc 5: The Temple of the Mad God is now available for pre-order!
Yes! After an agonizing two days in review... Amazon has now made Deathsworn Arc 5: The Temple of the Mad God available for pre-order!
US: http://amzn.to/2B3AQLv
UK: http://amzn.to/2jCPAHa
Please, please: If your a Deathsworn Arc fan pick it up! I can't wait to hear what people think of it. This book has been two years in the making. I really have to know if you guys are enjoying the story. Finally, you'll understand how everything fits together and where the story is going!
Martyn
US: http://amzn.to/2B3AQLv
UK: http://amzn.to/2jCPAHa
Please, please: If your a Deathsworn Arc fan pick it up! I can't wait to hear what people think of it. This book has been two years in the making. I really have to know if you guys are enjoying the story. Finally, you'll understand how everything fits together and where the story is going!
Martyn
December 8, 2017
Deathsworn Arc 5: The Temple of the Mad God
It's been nearly two years in the making! Which seems ridiculous... But it's here. Somehow yesterday I had the courage to click 'Publish'. I'm already paranoid it isn't 'spot on'.
So what's it like? Well, it's 94,000 words long. So 12,000 words longer than The Blood Queen and Rise of the Archmage
It's also horrendously complicated (At least to me! It'll probably seem simple to the readers!) Why? Well at one point there are five separate storylines going on at the same time. They DO converge, but keeping time in sync for each story and making sure I know who knows what and stuff...
The process of battling with this book has actually led me to think. 'Maybe I should sit down and plan out book 6?'
Will book 6 be the last book in the series? I don't know. I looked at my read-through statistics today. Book 1 - 2 has a bizarrely low 2 - 4% readthrough rate. now the rest of the books have a 75-100% readthrough rate.
Are people DNF'ing book 1 because it's not their cup of tea? I honestly don't know. I DO know people generally say my writing gets stronger with every book. I really didn't think book 2 was THAT much better than book 1 though. Certainly not enough to explain a 4% read through to a 90% readthrough!
I might actually try and wrap this series up in the next book. It'll be another monster, it might well end up 120,000 words or more. But it would kind of be nice? Failing that, maybe book 7?
Will that be it for Deathsworn Arc? Well, probably yes. I DO have plans for a future series following the on-going story of Fox Fletcher. It might be called Torea Tales or something... I don't know yet. At the moment I just can't wait to hear what people think of book 5. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Best wishes,
Martyn Stanley
So what's it like? Well, it's 94,000 words long. So 12,000 words longer than The Blood Queen and Rise of the Archmage
It's also horrendously complicated (At least to me! It'll probably seem simple to the readers!) Why? Well at one point there are five separate storylines going on at the same time. They DO converge, but keeping time in sync for each story and making sure I know who knows what and stuff...
The process of battling with this book has actually led me to think. 'Maybe I should sit down and plan out book 6?'
Will book 6 be the last book in the series? I don't know. I looked at my read-through statistics today. Book 1 - 2 has a bizarrely low 2 - 4% readthrough rate. now the rest of the books have a 75-100% readthrough rate.
Are people DNF'ing book 1 because it's not their cup of tea? I honestly don't know. I DO know people generally say my writing gets stronger with every book. I really didn't think book 2 was THAT much better than book 1 though. Certainly not enough to explain a 4% read through to a 90% readthrough!
I might actually try and wrap this series up in the next book. It'll be another monster, it might well end up 120,000 words or more. But it would kind of be nice? Failing that, maybe book 7?
Will that be it for Deathsworn Arc? Well, probably yes. I DO have plans for a future series following the on-going story of Fox Fletcher. It might be called Torea Tales or something... I don't know yet. At the moment I just can't wait to hear what people think of book 5. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Best wishes,
Martyn Stanley
April 28, 2017
Deathsworn Arc 5: The Temple of the Mad God - A fun excerpt
Korhan doesn't have a great record of wining duels. He's brave, but even the other characters are starting to see him as something of a liability. This is a fun little scene that happens in the first third of DSA5:-
The huge orc was looming closer now, Korhan stepped forwards. ‘Alright, if someone has to take that beast on, one on one - it should be me!’
Brael, Elden and Votrex groaned in unison. Elden, saw the grim expression on Votrex and Brael’s faces. He happened to agree with them. Given Korhan’s now long list of one-on-one defeats, he didn’t seem the best choice to face the giant, armoured ball of muscle that was bearing down upon them. Elden placed a hand on Korhan’s shoulder. ‘Korhan, if bravery and valour alone could win wars, you’d be the greatest champion Torea has ever seen. However I feel your recent record is not encouraging. Besides, you can’t expect to have all the fun. We’re not your wandering band of minstrels, traipsing after you to cheer you on as you fight, and carry you off once you’re dead. Let Brael take this.’
The huge orc was looming closer now, Korhan stepped forwards. ‘Alright, if someone has to take that beast on, one on one - it should be me!’
Brael, Elden and Votrex groaned in unison. Elden, saw the grim expression on Votrex and Brael’s faces. He happened to agree with them. Given Korhan’s now long list of one-on-one defeats, he didn’t seem the best choice to face the giant, armoured ball of muscle that was bearing down upon them. Elden placed a hand on Korhan’s shoulder. ‘Korhan, if bravery and valour alone could win wars, you’d be the greatest champion Torea has ever seen. However I feel your recent record is not encouraging. Besides, you can’t expect to have all the fun. We’re not your wandering band of minstrels, traipsing after you to cheer you on as you fight, and carry you off once you’re dead. Let Brael take this.’
March 29, 2017
Deathsworn Arc 5: The Temple of the Mad God - The Challenge
When I wrote book 4, I didn't really intend to cover Vexis Zaelwarsh too much. The original plan was to have her do what she does for Brael then disappear in the ether.
Vashni I really intended to leave alone until she runs into the companions later.
I didn't really plan to follow the girls on their journey north.
However to stick doggedly to my original vision would have been wrong. It would have left books 4 and 5 flat and a little soul-less. These unplanned sojourns have created some truly memorable and deep moments - at least for me! I don't know about my readers!
It IS making DSA 5 a complex book to write. The thing that's really trying to trip me up is time. I never anticipated trying to keep all the characters time in sync.
I think it's worth it though. Following Vashni in Eldenizar has been interesting and a great opportunity to introduce some new characters. I particularly like Ileandra SuSak, Korzad's evil little sister.
Following the girls to Briem has been great too, the refugee crisis from the north and the intrigue has been really interesting and I like Angela - the Berger's daughter. You didn't learn anything about her before. Now I think you'd maybe wonder if Torea might be a safer place if Vashni HADN'T saved her,
Fox, was originally going to be a minor character, but her story is great. I really like her story, for me it's a highlight of book 5.
Of course Brael, Saul, Korhan and Votrex have their tale too. They also meet a fantastic new character called Maven Stonecutter. A larger than life female quarrier who's sharp-witted and fiercely intelligent. She also has a sense of humour. You don't get to know her too well, but she WILL return in book 6 or 7, at around about the time of the 'big battle' I have planned.
Deathsworn Arc HAS a definite conclusion. Torea ends up changing in a fundamental way. There MAY, be another standalone series set in that new world, but reading DSA will not be required and it will be a separate story in it's own right. At the moment I'm leaning towards that series focusing heavily on Fox, but it's a different story and though it starts in Torea it moves east at least for a spell. Next time I'm probably going to try and have a solid plan of what's going to happen, however I think it's important to remain flexible and to be prepared to change that plan if the story demands.
Vashni I really intended to leave alone until she runs into the companions later.
I didn't really plan to follow the girls on their journey north.
However to stick doggedly to my original vision would have been wrong. It would have left books 4 and 5 flat and a little soul-less. These unplanned sojourns have created some truly memorable and deep moments - at least for me! I don't know about my readers!
It IS making DSA 5 a complex book to write. The thing that's really trying to trip me up is time. I never anticipated trying to keep all the characters time in sync.
I think it's worth it though. Following Vashni in Eldenizar has been interesting and a great opportunity to introduce some new characters. I particularly like Ileandra SuSak, Korzad's evil little sister.
Following the girls to Briem has been great too, the refugee crisis from the north and the intrigue has been really interesting and I like Angela - the Berger's daughter. You didn't learn anything about her before. Now I think you'd maybe wonder if Torea might be a safer place if Vashni HADN'T saved her,
Fox, was originally going to be a minor character, but her story is great. I really like her story, for me it's a highlight of book 5.
Of course Brael, Saul, Korhan and Votrex have their tale too. They also meet a fantastic new character called Maven Stonecutter. A larger than life female quarrier who's sharp-witted and fiercely intelligent. She also has a sense of humour. You don't get to know her too well, but she WILL return in book 6 or 7, at around about the time of the 'big battle' I have planned.
Deathsworn Arc HAS a definite conclusion. Torea ends up changing in a fundamental way. There MAY, be another standalone series set in that new world, but reading DSA will not be required and it will be a separate story in it's own right. At the moment I'm leaning towards that series focusing heavily on Fox, but it's a different story and though it starts in Torea it moves east at least for a spell. Next time I'm probably going to try and have a solid plan of what's going to happen, however I think it's important to remain flexible and to be prepared to change that plan if the story demands.
March 3, 2017
A few things in Deathsworn Arc 4 explained!
*** Warning! Serious Spoilerage for people who haven't read book 4 yet here! ***
I was just scanning my reviews and I came upon a review of 'Rise of the Archmage by my good friend Nicoleta. (Even though she's one of my harshest critics.)
She had a few questions about book 4, which I never really answered. I feel I should, and now I've got nearly 70,000 words of book 5 I perhaps can - so here goes:-
1. - First of all how did the velkreath even get in the moat without being seen?! It was broad daylight! They can't have stayed in the water over night and the burning of a person is more important than guarding the city walls? Really?
A: The Verkreath entered the moat through underground tunnels and passageways. The Warren runs beneath Cormaroth and there are places where it's possible to enter the moat from the undercity of Cormaroth. I may expand on this in later books. The King's Way mentioned in book 5 is a part of this network of tunnels for example.
2. - So you made Saul cast a destructive spell so that the Orion's Hand are after him too? Way to complicate things. And really, this guy has the wizardry training of a teenager! Is he self-taught? I bet he is, if he's using his life energy as resource he will never cast spells efficiently. Sorcery 101.
A: Saul's not bad for a human wizard. He's not the best of the best for humans. He's mainly senior at the college because he's old and been there a long time. Comparing him to Brael is unfair because Brael is exceptional. If you were thinking 'martial arts' Saul would be the guy in his fifties teaching Karate at your local primary school and Brael would be Bruce Lee, or Chuck Norris?
3. - Elden Roth's curse is STUPID! There I said it! Not only is it illogical that the only way he can find out information about something he had no previous knowledge of is to sing it, but the lyrics he says are nonsensical and borderline cringe worthy (really did he have to sing about Vexis' attempt at cutting Edgar's testies too?).
A: He has no control over his lyrics. The curse makes him sing. Sometimes he sings things he doesn't like, sometimes he sings things he doesn't understand. The true devastating reality of his curse will be explored later. Imagine if you were a person of power and you were a bit evil, like - on the evil side, and you knew there was a person who had Elden's curse. You might be quite keen on capturing them!
4. - I just like it how they simply talk about killing off the paralyzed assassin in front of them - that they immediately deemed evil and sadistic, way to be quick at labeling people Martyn - and don't even break a sweat. They even suggest shipping her off to become a blind (eyes gouged out) whore. No sweat... she's not a human being or anything! We are the humans, she's just assassinating for the gold, her life is worthless. >.> They finally resort to extracting her memories and leaving her with none... but this also has consequences. The Orion's Hand know how she looks like! Here's a woman that is going to be ambushed at night, raped, tortured then killed and she'll have no FUCKING IDEA what for!
A: The threats were not real. The companions were trying to trick Olwyn into lowering her mental defences. To be fair they didn't kill her. She actually makes a return in Book 5 and ends up being something of a social climber. I will say no more, but you haven't seen the last of Olwyn.
5. - Why are they so hellbent on rescuing Kaya and Lindie! Why the hell do they go out of their way to do that. Here's an alternative example: George R.R. Martin gave subtle hints as to who Jon Snow's parents are so that his death can't be ruled out as merely just like any other death in his books. He is important to the plot, that's why his parentage has been expanded upon. In this book, what is the importance these two girls have in the novel?! Why do they NEED to be saved?!
A: They didn't really need to be saved. The companions had obviously saved them initially because they thought they COULD and the didn't want two innocent people to be burned at the stake. Once they'd saved them, they had an emotional investment in them. There'll be more of the girls later.
6. - Where's the plot? Is the plot only them going from Cormaroth to Votrex's Holt, on their way doing random rescues and good deeds? Cuz that's what they did in the first book too.
A: Apologies for this. I intended this book to take the companions to the Temple of the Mad God, but it was over-running. So I needed to wrap up the book and give it a new title. This book was really about Brael recovering his powers and Vashni returning to Eldenizar. That was the focus of the book. It also introduced Vexis and Fox, who become key characters in book 5.
7. - The narrator has a few awkward tendencies: interrupting fight scenes to randomly dump in some information I bet no one will keep in mind by the end of the paragraph; when shifting perspecting from a focus character to another the narrator sounds like that 50's narrator from Legend of Korra (And here we have Kaya and Lindie casually strolling to Briem. Back at the group's camp Saul is...) Seriously? What is he a news anchor?
A: This is something I ought to address. To be fair the fight at the end of the book IS quite long. Maybe even TOO long, but they were evenly matched so,...
8. - The characters are SO CHATTY! My god, I've never seen so many words come out of a collective group of characters with SO LITTLE relevant material to say.
A: Yep, they are a chatty bunch at times!
Random sparknotes:
1. - Vashni = next Candidate for my one punch list.
A: Vashni ends up playing a very different dynamic in the next book. She finds herself quite subdued and on the back foot for much of book 5.
2. - Was literally made Korhan the one who killed Thrax, just so he can be called Dragonslayer?
A: Korhan is doing his best! He's headstrong, too concerned about his honour and stuff and doesn't think things through. He DOES change, he has a rough ride ahead of him, but he does improve eventually. Though I do appreciate the concern - for a hero his win/loss ration on duels is pretty awful! :(
3. - Are they seriously having a talk about what's considered an acceptable procreating couple? >.>
A: Well, this is a flavour of the books! Though to be fair there's less of this in book 5.
4. - On Elden Kissing Korhan: "Ohhh you sneaky, you're gay, aren't you? Oh my... No. Wait. He's bi."
A: He is! And very promiscuous with it too!
5. - And are they SERIOUSLY TALKING ABOUT GENETICS NOW?! X(
A: Yup, blame Brael. The fantasy fiction worlds first scientist.
Well hope that clears a few things up! If not the answers might be in one of the remaining books in the series.
I was just scanning my reviews and I came upon a review of 'Rise of the Archmage by my good friend Nicoleta. (Even though she's one of my harshest critics.)
She had a few questions about book 4, which I never really answered. I feel I should, and now I've got nearly 70,000 words of book 5 I perhaps can - so here goes:-
1. - First of all how did the velkreath even get in the moat without being seen?! It was broad daylight! They can't have stayed in the water over night and the burning of a person is more important than guarding the city walls? Really?
A: The Verkreath entered the moat through underground tunnels and passageways. The Warren runs beneath Cormaroth and there are places where it's possible to enter the moat from the undercity of Cormaroth. I may expand on this in later books. The King's Way mentioned in book 5 is a part of this network of tunnels for example.
2. - So you made Saul cast a destructive spell so that the Orion's Hand are after him too? Way to complicate things. And really, this guy has the wizardry training of a teenager! Is he self-taught? I bet he is, if he's using his life energy as resource he will never cast spells efficiently. Sorcery 101.
A: Saul's not bad for a human wizard. He's not the best of the best for humans. He's mainly senior at the college because he's old and been there a long time. Comparing him to Brael is unfair because Brael is exceptional. If you were thinking 'martial arts' Saul would be the guy in his fifties teaching Karate at your local primary school and Brael would be Bruce Lee, or Chuck Norris?
3. - Elden Roth's curse is STUPID! There I said it! Not only is it illogical that the only way he can find out information about something he had no previous knowledge of is to sing it, but the lyrics he says are nonsensical and borderline cringe worthy (really did he have to sing about Vexis' attempt at cutting Edgar's testies too?).
A: He has no control over his lyrics. The curse makes him sing. Sometimes he sings things he doesn't like, sometimes he sings things he doesn't understand. The true devastating reality of his curse will be explored later. Imagine if you were a person of power and you were a bit evil, like - on the evil side, and you knew there was a person who had Elden's curse. You might be quite keen on capturing them!
4. - I just like it how they simply talk about killing off the paralyzed assassin in front of them - that they immediately deemed evil and sadistic, way to be quick at labeling people Martyn - and don't even break a sweat. They even suggest shipping her off to become a blind (eyes gouged out) whore. No sweat... she's not a human being or anything! We are the humans, she's just assassinating for the gold, her life is worthless. >.> They finally resort to extracting her memories and leaving her with none... but this also has consequences. The Orion's Hand know how she looks like! Here's a woman that is going to be ambushed at night, raped, tortured then killed and she'll have no FUCKING IDEA what for!
A: The threats were not real. The companions were trying to trick Olwyn into lowering her mental defences. To be fair they didn't kill her. She actually makes a return in Book 5 and ends up being something of a social climber. I will say no more, but you haven't seen the last of Olwyn.
5. - Why are they so hellbent on rescuing Kaya and Lindie! Why the hell do they go out of their way to do that. Here's an alternative example: George R.R. Martin gave subtle hints as to who Jon Snow's parents are so that his death can't be ruled out as merely just like any other death in his books. He is important to the plot, that's why his parentage has been expanded upon. In this book, what is the importance these two girls have in the novel?! Why do they NEED to be saved?!
A: They didn't really need to be saved. The companions had obviously saved them initially because they thought they COULD and the didn't want two innocent people to be burned at the stake. Once they'd saved them, they had an emotional investment in them. There'll be more of the girls later.
6. - Where's the plot? Is the plot only them going from Cormaroth to Votrex's Holt, on their way doing random rescues and good deeds? Cuz that's what they did in the first book too.
A: Apologies for this. I intended this book to take the companions to the Temple of the Mad God, but it was over-running. So I needed to wrap up the book and give it a new title. This book was really about Brael recovering his powers and Vashni returning to Eldenizar. That was the focus of the book. It also introduced Vexis and Fox, who become key characters in book 5.
7. - The narrator has a few awkward tendencies: interrupting fight scenes to randomly dump in some information I bet no one will keep in mind by the end of the paragraph; when shifting perspecting from a focus character to another the narrator sounds like that 50's narrator from Legend of Korra (And here we have Kaya and Lindie casually strolling to Briem. Back at the group's camp Saul is...) Seriously? What is he a news anchor?
A: This is something I ought to address. To be fair the fight at the end of the book IS quite long. Maybe even TOO long, but they were evenly matched so,...
8. - The characters are SO CHATTY! My god, I've never seen so many words come out of a collective group of characters with SO LITTLE relevant material to say.
A: Yep, they are a chatty bunch at times!
Random sparknotes:
1. - Vashni = next Candidate for my one punch list.
A: Vashni ends up playing a very different dynamic in the next book. She finds herself quite subdued and on the back foot for much of book 5.
2. - Was literally made Korhan the one who killed Thrax, just so he can be called Dragonslayer?
A: Korhan is doing his best! He's headstrong, too concerned about his honour and stuff and doesn't think things through. He DOES change, he has a rough ride ahead of him, but he does improve eventually. Though I do appreciate the concern - for a hero his win/loss ration on duels is pretty awful! :(
3. - Are they seriously having a talk about what's considered an acceptable procreating couple? >.>
A: Well, this is a flavour of the books! Though to be fair there's less of this in book 5.
4. - On Elden Kissing Korhan: "Ohhh you sneaky, you're gay, aren't you? Oh my... No. Wait. He's bi."
A: He is! And very promiscuous with it too!
5. - And are they SERIOUSLY TALKING ABOUT GENETICS NOW?! X(
A: Yup, blame Brael. The fantasy fiction worlds first scientist.
Well hope that clears a few things up! If not the answers might be in one of the remaining books in the series.
December 13, 2016
Deathsworn Arc 5: The Temple of the Mad God & The Subscriber exclusive.
Quick update for you all, seeing as we're running up to Christmas.
First of all, my sincerest apologies, but you won't be able to put 'Deathsworn Arc: The Temple of the Mad God' on your Christmas list this year. It's now around 50,000 words into the first draft. It's proving a tricky book to write, because of the now various storylines, some splitting and other's converging.
I'm trying to keep each section or chapter if appropriate to one POV. This is hard because I have at various points, Kaya and Lindie off on one adventure, the companions minus Vexis and Elden off on another adventure, while Vexis and Elden are doing something else and Fox Fletcher having her own problems in Berman's Rock. Oh and I'm following Vashni on her way to Eldenizar and beyond.
While following all these different stories I'm trying to keep time reasonably in sync. This is presenting a massive challenge and I'm having to jump forwards and backwards quite a bit. I WILL re-read this one more times than the previous books to make sure the time and place all make sense. My favorite story is Fox's at the moment. She's developing into an interesting character and I'm really enjoying exploring her development. She does go through a very rough time in this book.
I am going to have to start using time jumps in this book, obviously this is trickier when I have up to five separate stories happening at the same time!
Lengthwise, I don't know where we'll end up. I know what happens at the end, I'm just filling in the gaps at the moment. I DO know, it will be longer than any of the previous books and I expect it will be 20,000 words longer at least. However, I think it'll still be digestable, it's still made up of my mixtures of short and long chapters, as it moves from story to story.
For the cover? I kind of want to put Maven Stonecutter on the cover, but she doesn't play a massive part in this book. I also want to put Fox on the cover, she DOES play a bigger part in this story, however the climatic scene which I intend to have in the background... Well, Fox isn't present for that. I sort of want to show Brael now that he's tidied up a bit. I feel like Saul is due another cover and I really want to show Korhan's new armour off....
Oh and then this book is ALL about Votrex's home Durgheim Holt so HE should sort of be on it. What do you think? I've made a poll for you to cast your vote here:-
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
Wish me luck with writing this book! I'm going to need it. However I'm sure if I can get it right, It'll be amazing!
Martyn
PS: I'm still thinking about the subscriber exclusive short story, which will be a prequel to 'The Last Dragon Slayer' following Vashni's activities! It will happen, but I want to sort out Mad God first!
First of all, my sincerest apologies, but you won't be able to put 'Deathsworn Arc: The Temple of the Mad God' on your Christmas list this year. It's now around 50,000 words into the first draft. It's proving a tricky book to write, because of the now various storylines, some splitting and other's converging.
I'm trying to keep each section or chapter if appropriate to one POV. This is hard because I have at various points, Kaya and Lindie off on one adventure, the companions minus Vexis and Elden off on another adventure, while Vexis and Elden are doing something else and Fox Fletcher having her own problems in Berman's Rock. Oh and I'm following Vashni on her way to Eldenizar and beyond.
While following all these different stories I'm trying to keep time reasonably in sync. This is presenting a massive challenge and I'm having to jump forwards and backwards quite a bit. I WILL re-read this one more times than the previous books to make sure the time and place all make sense. My favorite story is Fox's at the moment. She's developing into an interesting character and I'm really enjoying exploring her development. She does go through a very rough time in this book.
I am going to have to start using time jumps in this book, obviously this is trickier when I have up to five separate stories happening at the same time!
Lengthwise, I don't know where we'll end up. I know what happens at the end, I'm just filling in the gaps at the moment. I DO know, it will be longer than any of the previous books and I expect it will be 20,000 words longer at least. However, I think it'll still be digestable, it's still made up of my mixtures of short and long chapters, as it moves from story to story.
For the cover? I kind of want to put Maven Stonecutter on the cover, but she doesn't play a massive part in this book. I also want to put Fox on the cover, she DOES play a bigger part in this story, however the climatic scene which I intend to have in the background... Well, Fox isn't present for that. I sort of want to show Brael now that he's tidied up a bit. I feel like Saul is due another cover and I really want to show Korhan's new armour off....
Oh and then this book is ALL about Votrex's home Durgheim Holt so HE should sort of be on it. What do you think? I've made a poll for you to cast your vote here:-
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
Wish me luck with writing this book! I'm going to need it. However I'm sure if I can get it right, It'll be amazing!
Martyn
PS: I'm still thinking about the subscriber exclusive short story, which will be a prequel to 'The Last Dragon Slayer' following Vashni's activities! It will happen, but I want to sort out Mad God first!
November 14, 2016
Subscriber Exclusive
For a long time I've been thinking about what to offer my email subscribers as an incentive for signing up.
You can sign up here if you're interested:-
http://martynstanley.com/subscribe-to...
For a while I've been writing a free prequel story on WattPad, really covering Korhan and Harald's actions prior to 'The Last Dragon Slayer' you can read that here, but it's looking a bit abandoned at the moment. I DID add a massive amount to it, but lost it to a computer crash and never had the heart to rewrite it:-
https://www.wattpad.com/40626548-deat...
For the subscriber incentive, I wanted to do an exclusive Deathsworn Arc prequel. At the end of book 3, I think most people think Vashni is their favourite character. For this reason, I wanted to make a prequel, covering Vashni's whereabouts and actions just prior to 'The Last Dragon Slayer'. In some ways this is a problem because I wouldn't want anyone to read the prequel prior to book 3 'The Blood Queen' because it could spoil some of the surprises...
So what do you think?
Can I send out the exclusive short prequel with a warning not to read it before book 3? Or do I send something out that means people can write to me for the exclusive once they've finished the 3rd book?
What's the best way to handle this?
You can sign up here if you're interested:-
http://martynstanley.com/subscribe-to...
For a while I've been writing a free prequel story on WattPad, really covering Korhan and Harald's actions prior to 'The Last Dragon Slayer' you can read that here, but it's looking a bit abandoned at the moment. I DID add a massive amount to it, but lost it to a computer crash and never had the heart to rewrite it:-
https://www.wattpad.com/40626548-deat...
For the subscriber incentive, I wanted to do an exclusive Deathsworn Arc prequel. At the end of book 3, I think most people think Vashni is their favourite character. For this reason, I wanted to make a prequel, covering Vashni's whereabouts and actions just prior to 'The Last Dragon Slayer'. In some ways this is a problem because I wouldn't want anyone to read the prequel prior to book 3 'The Blood Queen' because it could spoil some of the surprises...
So what do you think?
Can I send out the exclusive short prequel with a warning not to read it before book 3? Or do I send something out that means people can write to me for the exclusive once they've finished the 3rd book?
What's the best way to handle this?
October 4, 2016
A Writer's Dilemma
Anyone who is an artist has to watch this and consider it. Whether you're a Bowie fan or not!
https://youtu.be/cNbnef_eXBM
I am certain, Bowie is right on both points he makes. However trying to live by this 'artist's code' can be difficult.
I really want people to like my books. I want people to read them and to enjoy the story. However I also want to write strong books, which evoke an emotional response.
I've experienced this reading The Pillars of the Earth, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and The Count of Monte Cristo.
If you want to write strong material, that will have emotional impact on your reader - you have to be prepared to upset them at times.
I'm currently working on book 5 of the Deathsworn Arc. I recently had an idea for a direction to take the story which would make the book much stronger and perhaps give my readers a really good punch in the gut. A theme of the book 5 is the unforeseen consequences of what happened in the first book being revealed. Namely by the girls journey to Briem and their adventures in Briem. The trouble is, I relaxed. I let the characters have things too easy I think. I didn't kill a character off in book 4, and I think that's a mistake. Nobody enjoys a flat, level roller-coaster with no twists or turns. That's called a train. It won't put a smile on your face or give you a sense of danger, or loss or heart-wrenching sorrow.
I'm not sure if I'm ready to go through with writing the story I THINK I should write. It means killing off three major characters in book 5, it means changing readers perceptions of characters they were maybe growing to like. It also means torture, pain, loss and a sense of hopelessness for some of the characters.
Then again, life isn't all sun and rainbows. We have to learn to cope with loss, pain and unfulfilled dreams. Then of course there's the writers secret weapon, the thing that will hold a reader with an iron grip and refuse to let them put that book down. I'm talking about the desire for comeuppance. Revenge, a villain getting their just deserts. You have to be careful not to drag the story on too long, but reader's find nothing more satisfying and fulfilling than reading about the sword of damocles finally falling upon the deserving.
I don't know if I'm bold enough to write the nightmare I'm considering in book 5. If I do, and it upsets my readers then I apologise, but I also promise to deliver a fitting demise to any villains involved! Eventually at least! :)
So what do you think? Do like it when the author gives you a little punch in the stomach? Is George R.R. Martin a genius? Gleefully killing of well-loved characters on a regular basis? Or do you prefer the kittens, sun and rainbows, Mary Sue and Gary Stu dance off into the sunset having magical adventures involving friendship and kisses stories?
https://youtu.be/cNbnef_eXBM
I am certain, Bowie is right on both points he makes. However trying to live by this 'artist's code' can be difficult.
I really want people to like my books. I want people to read them and to enjoy the story. However I also want to write strong books, which evoke an emotional response.
I've experienced this reading The Pillars of the Earth, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and The Count of Monte Cristo.
If you want to write strong material, that will have emotional impact on your reader - you have to be prepared to upset them at times.
I'm currently working on book 5 of the Deathsworn Arc. I recently had an idea for a direction to take the story which would make the book much stronger and perhaps give my readers a really good punch in the gut. A theme of the book 5 is the unforeseen consequences of what happened in the first book being revealed. Namely by the girls journey to Briem and their adventures in Briem. The trouble is, I relaxed. I let the characters have things too easy I think. I didn't kill a character off in book 4, and I think that's a mistake. Nobody enjoys a flat, level roller-coaster with no twists or turns. That's called a train. It won't put a smile on your face or give you a sense of danger, or loss or heart-wrenching sorrow.
I'm not sure if I'm ready to go through with writing the story I THINK I should write. It means killing off three major characters in book 5, it means changing readers perceptions of characters they were maybe growing to like. It also means torture, pain, loss and a sense of hopelessness for some of the characters.
Then again, life isn't all sun and rainbows. We have to learn to cope with loss, pain and unfulfilled dreams. Then of course there's the writers secret weapon, the thing that will hold a reader with an iron grip and refuse to let them put that book down. I'm talking about the desire for comeuppance. Revenge, a villain getting their just deserts. You have to be careful not to drag the story on too long, but reader's find nothing more satisfying and fulfilling than reading about the sword of damocles finally falling upon the deserving.
I don't know if I'm bold enough to write the nightmare I'm considering in book 5. If I do, and it upsets my readers then I apologise, but I also promise to deliver a fitting demise to any villains involved! Eventually at least! :)
So what do you think? Do like it when the author gives you a little punch in the stomach? Is George R.R. Martin a genius? Gleefully killing of well-loved characters on a regular basis? Or do you prefer the kittens, sun and rainbows, Mary Sue and Gary Stu dance off into the sunset having magical adventures involving friendship and kisses stories?
September 28, 2016
So you didn't like my book 1?
I recently got a pretty scathing review from a same genre author on one of my works, criticizing the writing in book 1. I admit, I could have written book 1 better. But I've written four and a half novels since 2012, plus several short stories and every time I write, I improve. I'm nearly 40 now, I've been writing for 20 years; seriously for about 4 years. I am only just getting started though. I have at least 3 partially complete manuscripts which I will be submitting to agents and publishers once complete.
I'm generally cautious about reviewing same-genre authors myself. My preconceptions about what makes good and bad fantasy would make it difficult to be objective. I don't like to leave harsh, overly critical reviews. If I don't finish a book, I personally don't feel inclined to review it. I know this isn't really what Goodreads is about and a lot of people choose a different approach. I'm as guilty as the next man of tittering away while reading one of Khanh 'The Grinch' [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4...] hilarious, ultra-critical reviews, or my BFF Inge's GIF filled treats:- [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...] her reviews of the Fifty Shades Trilogy are truly awesome.
However, moaning about my writing and stating you couldn't finish my book is NOT going to entice me to quit. It won't make me an enemy of yours, but you will have lost a potential friend. I don't know if I'm out-selling you, or if I've got more fans than you. You won't discourage me though. All the negativity ONLY encourages me to work harder, write more, writer better and kick some literary ass.
Have you ever heard the first Beatles album? It's called 'Please Please Me' and I'll be honest it pretty much sucks. There are only a couple of songs on it you'll know unless you're a hardcore Beatles fan. Have you ever read The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett? I'm a huge Terry Pratchett fan. He's my idol. I've read more Pratchett than any other author, but 'The Colour of Magic' wasn't a great book. It was a laugh, it was enjoyable, but it's a pale shadow of his later books.
The only way to get good at anything is to do it badly, do it again better, then rinse and repeat. I love telling stories, inventing worlds characters and conflicts. I love surprising my readers and encouraging people to question.
I actually love giving my first book away free! I currently estimate over 18,000 people have read my free, series opener The Last Dragon Slayer.
I don't write to get rich, or become famous. I write to be read and to improve. Read my first book! Tell your friends to as well! It's free, you have nothing to lose. But don't think that's the best I've got. book 1 is just me warming up, stretching my fingers and having a dabble. The best, is definitely to come.
I will find an agent and get published traditionally, and my books will end up in major book stores. I'll either get published or die trying.
That's my attitude. If anyone ever tries to put YOU down or discourage you from pursuing your dream - don't let them. You'll always have negative people in your life, putting barriers in your way. The only way to live though, is to kick those barriers down and storm forwards. Never take your eyes of your goal and you'll definitely get there in the end.
Martyn Stanley
I'm generally cautious about reviewing same-genre authors myself. My preconceptions about what makes good and bad fantasy would make it difficult to be objective. I don't like to leave harsh, overly critical reviews. If I don't finish a book, I personally don't feel inclined to review it. I know this isn't really what Goodreads is about and a lot of people choose a different approach. I'm as guilty as the next man of tittering away while reading one of Khanh 'The Grinch' [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4...] hilarious, ultra-critical reviews, or my BFF Inge's GIF filled treats:- [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...] her reviews of the Fifty Shades Trilogy are truly awesome.
However, moaning about my writing and stating you couldn't finish my book is NOT going to entice me to quit. It won't make me an enemy of yours, but you will have lost a potential friend. I don't know if I'm out-selling you, or if I've got more fans than you. You won't discourage me though. All the negativity ONLY encourages me to work harder, write more, writer better and kick some literary ass.
Have you ever heard the first Beatles album? It's called 'Please Please Me' and I'll be honest it pretty much sucks. There are only a couple of songs on it you'll know unless you're a hardcore Beatles fan. Have you ever read The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett? I'm a huge Terry Pratchett fan. He's my idol. I've read more Pratchett than any other author, but 'The Colour of Magic' wasn't a great book. It was a laugh, it was enjoyable, but it's a pale shadow of his later books.
The only way to get good at anything is to do it badly, do it again better, then rinse and repeat. I love telling stories, inventing worlds characters and conflicts. I love surprising my readers and encouraging people to question.
I actually love giving my first book away free! I currently estimate over 18,000 people have read my free, series opener The Last Dragon Slayer.
I don't write to get rich, or become famous. I write to be read and to improve. Read my first book! Tell your friends to as well! It's free, you have nothing to lose. But don't think that's the best I've got. book 1 is just me warming up, stretching my fingers and having a dabble. The best, is definitely to come.
I will find an agent and get published traditionally, and my books will end up in major book stores. I'll either get published or die trying.
That's my attitude. If anyone ever tries to put YOU down or discourage you from pursuing your dream - don't let them. You'll always have negative people in your life, putting barriers in your way. The only way to live though, is to kick those barriers down and storm forwards. Never take your eyes of your goal and you'll definitely get there in the end.
Martyn Stanley
September 2, 2016
A Girl I dated in the late nineties/early noughties wrote a book!
I wouldn't normally add this sort of thing. But I actually dated Helena a decade and a half ago or so...
Observations From A Poolside
Is it any good? I have no idea! I'm kind of inclined to give it a read just to see what it's like! Funny how the world turns, and paths part, only to cross again - years later. :P
Yes, it's a funny old world. Glad to hear Helena is doing great! We had some good times together!
Observations From A Poolside
Is it any good? I have no idea! I'm kind of inclined to give it a read just to see what it's like! Funny how the world turns, and paths part, only to cross again - years later. :P
Yes, it's a funny old world. Glad to hear Helena is doing great! We had some good times together!
