Arkopaul Das
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Hello Michael, as you write young adult / fantasy books , do you find it hard to write this kind of books as you have create the fantasy world ,the characters ,with a extraordinary touch , or do you feel it easy to , as you can create and control everything yourself and let your imagination flow ?
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey there Arkopaul,
I actually don't write what would be termed "YA" books. The vast majority of YA books feature an adolescent as the protagonist, but the besides that, there is how the book is marketed that determines whether it is YA. The book get classified differently, and are found on different bookstore shelves when they are YA.
That being said, I do write books that I hope will appeal to a wide range of readers and I do hear quite a bit from parents who get both their children and their parents hooked on the books.
As to your particular question, I like creating stories in a fantasy setting. It gives me a great deal more flexibility in crafting a world that will fit the plot I'm unfolding. I can craft a history or insert prejudices against certain types of races to provide challenges to overcome. It does help that I'm "the God" of my world and as such have a great deal of control over the setting. The downside is I know much more about the world than the readers will ever find out. I employ an "iceberg" approach where only a small fraction shows to the reader, and much more is known only to me. It takes a while to compile this rich cannon, but I find that aspect enjoyable so it's not like it's "work" per se. It's really just a lot of fun.
I actually don't write what would be termed "YA" books. The vast majority of YA books feature an adolescent as the protagonist, but the besides that, there is how the book is marketed that determines whether it is YA. The book get classified differently, and are found on different bookstore shelves when they are YA.
That being said, I do write books that I hope will appeal to a wide range of readers and I do hear quite a bit from parents who get both their children and their parents hooked on the books.
As to your particular question, I like creating stories in a fantasy setting. It gives me a great deal more flexibility in crafting a world that will fit the plot I'm unfolding. I can craft a history or insert prejudices against certain types of races to provide challenges to overcome. It does help that I'm "the God" of my world and as such have a great deal of control over the setting. The downside is I know much more about the world than the readers will ever find out. I employ an "iceberg" approach where only a small fraction shows to the reader, and much more is known only to me. It takes a while to compile this rich cannon, but I find that aspect enjoyable so it's not like it's "work" per se. It's really just a lot of fun.
More Answered Questions
Eric
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Thanks so much for writing, You are one of the few authors that I've read who can have an exciting story without somehow compromising the characters or setting. I'm growing curious though, how does Royce get from who he is in The Death of Dulgath, to The Crown Conspiracy? He's obviously the same person, but with some edges rounded off. Will we get to see this happen? Thanks
Christomir Rackov
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Are you going to sue Dabel Brothers for what they did with the Kickstarter for the Death of Dulgath graphic novel (i.e. - embezzling people's money, and besmirching your good name in the process)?? Most of us understand it is exactly 0% your fault, but there will always be naive people, who won't; and that's just not fair to you, as you have always been so incredibly loyal to your readers. I think you should sue them.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more