[Book Tour. Guest Post]: Tier Zero, Vol I of the Knolan Cycle by D.B. Sayers

 

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At the Corner of Character and Plot

D.B. Sayers

Character-driven Versus Plot-driven Stories

You will often hear authors differentiate between character and plot-driven stories, not the least because most tend to gravitate naturally to one or the other. Most authors know which is their forté because it’s what they tend to focus on naturally in their writing. And as with being left or right-handed, neither is wrong, but both have consequences.

Authors favoring character-driven stories will tell the same story differently than authors focusing on plot. Character-focused authors see the story as being about how the characters are shaped by the events, rather than the events themselves. Their thoughts, feelings and growth or lack thereof. Authors favoring plot-driven stories focus on the action, drizzling snippets of the character’s thoughts almost as an entr’acte between significant events. Another way of looking at the difference is that plot-focused authors think of their stories as a continuum of interrelated happenings, while character-focused authors tend to think of their stories as a continuum of interrelated thoughts.

Finding Art that Fits

I mentioned earlier that there’s nothing inherently wrong with either a character or a plot-driven story. It’s mostly a matter of taste, though personally I think authors are at their best when they weave an elegant balance of character, plot, and conflict together into their story arc. But given our individual tastes, how do we as readers find more of what we’re looking for and less of what we don’t? Just a couple thoughts follow.

As fond as I am of evocative covers, as both an author and reader, I’m also painfully aware of the difficulty of encapsulating eighty thousand words in one cover. It’s probably worth the time to go deeper. Yes, yes, I know. We’ve all heard the aphorism, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. But how many of us have been guilty of deciding based purely on the cover before reading a word? Go just a little deeper and read the book description and if you’re on Amazon, the “look inside” feature. In a bookstore, take the time to read the first few pages.

Usually, if the book description doesn’t tip us off, the first few pages will. Most of us know  whether we prefer a character-driven, plot-driven, or balanced story. In today’s publishing environment, availability is not the problem. Take the time to choose the art that fits your taste and enjoy. That’s what art is for, after all and all of us are richer for it.

 

 

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The Knolan Cycle, Book 1

Genre: Science Fiction (First Contact)/Science Fiction (Romance)/Science Fiction (Military)

Date Published: November 26, 2019

Publisher: PhoenixPhyre

They’re already here, and no one knows about it…yet.

 

Two bedrock assumptions seem to find their way into almost all science fiction tales of first contact between Earth and a hypothetical alien race. The first is that we will necessarily know when it happens and the second is that alien motives will likely be malevolent. In Tier Zero, Vol. I of The Knolan Cycle, first contact occurred over thirty years ago and no one on Earth…not even SETI…has a clue it has happened.

Martin Tellus is a graduate student at UCLA. His past is riddled with mystery, including a lifelong recurring dream he cannot explain. And just as a volcano’s first discharges of gas and magma often signal a coming eruption, Marty’s dreams signal a transformative change. The transformation arrives in the form of a “chance” meeting with Lysia in philosophy class. Their connection is instantaneous.

A seductive Asian woman with an untraceable accent, Lysia sticks to Marty’s thoughts. During a casual conversation after their next class, Lysia offers to teach Marty “eastern” philosophy. But to Marty’s surprise, her teachings open a mind-bridge between them, accompanied by an intense physical connection. And Marty’s progress doesn’t end with the connection he and Lysia share. As her teachings progress, he discovers new powers, at once exhilarating and disquieting. Not for the first time, he wonders,  who is Lysia really?

Marty’s questions have answers, but Lysia isn’t telling. At least not yet. The truth is she’s a Seeker and Waykeeper of Knola, in a nearby arm of our common galaxy. She’s been waiting for Marty’s awakening, specifically to be on hand to mentor him in the Way. As Marty’s powers grow with Lysia’s teachings, she realizes he’s unique in ways not even the Oracle, to whom Lysia answers foresaw.

Lysia finds Marty’s growth in the Way at once inspiring and unnerving. Sharing her concerns with her superiors back on Knola, she precipitates a fateful decision that will change Marty’s life and alter the history of both Earth and the Knolan Concordant. Tier Zero begins Marty’s perilous journey to a destiny beyond his—or anyone’s—imaginings.

Tier Zero, Volume I of The Knolan Cycle was published in November 2019. Eryinath-5, Volume II in the series is due out from PhoenixPhyre Publishing in 2021.

 

 

About the author 

 

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Dirk’s path to authorship wasn’t quite an accident, but almost. It’s not that he didn’t write. He did. But through two previous careers, first as a Marine officer and subsequently as a corporate trainer, Dirk started way more stories than he finished.” But in the backwash of the 2008 financial meltdown, his employer filed for Chapter 11. Cordially invited to leave and not return, Dirk found himself out of work and excuses.

Since then, Dirk has published West of Tomorrow, Best-Case Scenario and a collection of short fiction entitled, Through the Windshield. Works in progress include A Year of Maybes, sequel to Best Case Scenario and Tier Zero, Volume I of the Knolan Cycle now available from Amazon in paperback and Kindle.




 
Contact Links

Website: dirksayers.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dirk-Sayers/345863658774196

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirkSayers

Blog: https://dirksayers.com/nobody-asked-me-but/ 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dirksayers/  




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