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Hey guys! So, I'm supposed to be posting another author interview here, but I've decided to put the blog on a temporary hiatus. (No more than a couple of weeks.)
The reason for this is because I'm moving, looking for a new job, exhausted from finishing the first draft of a sci-fi novel, a
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The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
No Spoilers! (Promise)Usually books that feature an author and/or historian tend to present a very romanticized, unrealistic version of it. They're all Indiana Jones tromping around in jungles and getting into fist fights, or effortlessly cranking out manuscript after manuscript and never even heard of writer's block. Or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, they're washed-up alcoholics writing about how joy is fleeting and that death comes for us all.
Carrie McClelland is a bit of an ideal writer, in that she can afford to go bouncing around Europe without worrying about the hole in her finances. But otherwise, she's spot-on. She buries herself in books, letters, and articles in order to get every detail of her historical novel right. The first quarter of the book is her being unable to even start the damn manuscript because writer's block is a bitch. Her sleep schedule is a mess--in part because of the whole ancestral memory thing slowly driving her insane, but mostly because of the writing. She subsists almost entirely on coffee and ramen noodles. In short, I've rarely found myself more represented as a writer in any media, even if Carrie has much more of a pantser style than my planner style of writing. But while I appreciate Carrie, her ancestor/fictional character Sophia is much more interesting, in part because her story is more interesting and the actual focus of the book. But don't worry, you'll never get confused. While Carrie and Sophia's stories echo each other in many ways, Kearsley uses both stylistic and POV differences to make it easy to tell when you're switching from one to the other. If it's first person POV and modern lingo, it's Carrie's story. If it's third person POV with long, antiquated sentences, we're dealing with Sophia. The idea of ancestral memory is an interesting one, and its affects on Carrie have some unique story points. She goes from denial to acceptance quickly, thanks to the mountain of evidence put before her, but refuses to tell anyone else except on a need-to-know basis because she's very well aware of how insane it all sounds. While originally the memories affect her only as she's working on her book, they quickly consume the rest of her life, resulting in her almost falling off a cliff at one point because her Sophia-memory tells her the foot path leads one way when it actually goes another. Despite what the back cover would have you believe, the politics and international drama is mostly background noise. And while it does have an impact on the story, the main focus of Carrie and Sophia's stories is very small scale and intimate. It is a romance novel, after all, so the primary focus is going to be Sophia's relationship with Moray and Carrie's with Graham. And while I personally think both relationships move a little too fast, they're both realistic, engaging, and natural. Sophia's is especially marked with hardship, given that she falls for a soldier in the middle of a war, and he, of course, gets sent out to fight. Also, slight trigger warning: there is an attempted sexual assault about three quarters of the way through. It lasts about a page before she's rescued, but it does exist. Here's how good this book is: it manages to cram in two--two!--love triangles and still keep me interested. It helps that everyone acts like adults about the whole thing, keeping the tropey ridiculousness to a minimum. And while Sophia's resolution is a little far fetched...it's romance, and by the time I got there I really wanted her to have a happy ending. So if nothing else, the characterization, accurate-if-ideal portrayal of how an author works, and a surprisingly good plot twist are all good reasons to read The Winter Sea if you want to read a fantasy that doesn't scream fantasy. Or if you want a historical romance with a twist. Margret Treiber resides in Southwest Florida and is employed as a Systems Analyst. When she is not working with technology and writing speculative fiction, she helps her birds break things for her spouse to fix. Her short fiction has appeared in a number of publications. Links to her short fiction, novel and upcoming work can be found on her website at http://www.the-margret.com. Interview with Margaret Treiber What cool and exciting things have been happening in your life recently? I was fortunate enough to be included in the anthology Challenge Accepted: A Charity Anthology which benefits the Special Olympics. Is your recent book part of a series? If so, can you tell us a bit about where the story is heading? My lasted collection, "Japanese Robots Love to Dance" is a rough prequel to "Sleepy Time for Captain Eris." The stories take place in a fairly dystopian near-future with superpowered individuals and a few AIs. I plan to add more stories and characters in future installments. Most of my characters are flawed antiheroes. Can you tell us about what you're currently working on? Currently, I'm working on a novel which I can't identify. What I mean is that this thing built up in my head, until I had no choice to write it. I'm not sure what it is, but it takes place in a space fleet with strange undisciplined people. I'm in editing now. Maybe I'll figure it out soon. Do you write under a pen name? If so, can you tell us why? Nope, well, er, I do have one I once wrote cell phone porn under. Yeah, I figured it needed to exist. It's called "Your Outlet or Mine." It's pretty bad. Have you ever written characters that you truly despise? Why or why not? Nope. I write complicated broken people. Some I really don't like, but I have pity on them. They all have reason for being asshats. What do you like best about the books you read? What do you like least? I like humor, sympathetic characters, and plots that don't make me want to kill myself at the end. I can appreciate a bad ending, but I don't like feeling worse about life than my baseline if I can avoid it. What is your biggest pet peeve in storytelling? Present tense and third person narration. Really? I'll steer you clear of my Homestead Hunts stories, then... Were you “born to write” or did you discover your passion for writing later in life? I started as a kid, wrote through college, quit in my twenties and started again in my late forties. I lost a lot of time. Where did the idea of your story come from? Some weird place in my head. All of a sudden, something generates in my consciousness and won't stop screaming at me until I write it. I'll get very depressed if I'm unable to get it out, but then I feel really empty after I do. What did you edit out of your book? Usually the smut. I write it. It embarrasses me. I take it out. If you were to write a non-fiction book, what might it be about? Why? Not clicking on things in email and pissing off your IT department. Are you an early bird writer or night owl? And do you have any must haves like coffee, chocolates, wine, music or something else required for your creative process? I'm an "anytime I can fit it in" kind of writer. As long as people don't screw with me, I can write almost anywhere. All I need is a comfortable word processor and keyboard. But there is a high incidence of people screwing with me. I also can't write when I'm sleeping. I can come up with plots in my sleep though. Do you have complete control over your characters or do they ever control you? It's a mixed bag. Some of them are me. A lot of authors are frustrated by readers who don’t understand how important reviews are. What would you say to a reader who doesn’t think his or her review matters? It's like getting a bad review at work by your boss. Your career can be sunk and as a result, you make less money and your reputation suffers. Only in this scenario, everyone on the internet is that boss who can destroy your career. What kind of impact do you want your book(s) to have on readers? I want them to be entertained. I don't expect them to achieve enlightenment or personal growth. I just would like them to enjoy the read. What, in your opinion, is the worst mistake an author can make? Give up. Hold onto your dream. Do you have any advice for new authors? Prepare for rejection, but know we all suffer through it.  If you could have a dinner with one fictional person, who would it be? Why? Kahn, because I suddenly feel fatigued. If you could go to any fictional world, where would you go? Why? The "Venture Brothers" universe. I belong there and would hench for life. If you could have one (real life) skill that you don’t currently have, what would it be? Why? How would you use it? Being fearless. I let my fears hold me back too much. If I were fearless, I would take more chances and achieve my goals or fail with grace. If you could have one magical ability/superpower, what would it be? How would you use it? There are so many good ones. Definitely NOT telepathy. Yuck. Flight's cool but so limited. Super strength/invulnerability, awesome, but not me. Maybe something like telekinesis. I think I would dig smacking people with random objects. What might we be surprised to know about you? I don't have a police record. What are three things you think we can all do to make the world a better place? 1) Don't be asses to our people. Remember their life is as shitty as yours is. 2) Give people the benefit of the doubt. They may not have meant to obnoxious. 3) Feed your coworkers. They are hungry. What creature is better: dragons, zombies, or aliens? Definitely aliens. Dragons hang out with stupid elves and zombies need a freakin clue.
Minor spoilers for every version of Fullmetal Alchemist. So you want to write a fantasy story. As a fantasy and sci-fi author, I heartily endorse this. Fantasy is a huge genre, encompassing a ton of tropes, subgenres, and rules. But a near-universal trait of fantasy is the use of magic. I mean, if a story doesn't have magic, can it even really be considered fantasy? But writing magic is a bit daunting. So much has already been done, how do you stand out? What rules should you put in your magic system to make it interesting but not constricting? How do you make it fit with the rest of your world? Those are all big questions, and each of them probably deserves its own blog post. But we're going to tackle all of them here, so buckle up. Hard vs. Soft |
 | Dalinar Kholin’s Alethi armies won a fleeting victory at a terrible cost: The enemy Parshendi summoned the violent Everstorm, which now sweeps the world with destruction, and in its passing awakens the once peaceful and subservient parshmen to the horror of their millennia-long enslavement by humans. While on a desperate flight to warn his family of the threat, Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with the fact that the newly kindled anger of the parshmen may be wholly justified. Nestled in the mountains high above the storms, in the tower city of Urithiru, Shallan Davar investigates the wonders of the ancient stronghold of the Knights Radiant and unearths dark secrets lurking in its depths. And Dalinar realizes that his holy mission to unite his homeland of Alethkar was too narrow in scope. Unless all the nations of Roshar can put aside Dalinar’s blood-soaked past and stand together―and unless Dalinar himself can confront that past―even the restoration of the Knights Radiant will not prevent the end of civilization. |
No spoilers!
(Except for Stormlight book 2)
I have to wait a whole fucking year for book four. God dammit.
If you're new to The Stormlight Archive, allow me to direct your attention to the review I did for the first book, The Way of Kings, as well as the second book Words of Radiance and the novella Edgedancer. It's a really great series, so check them out if you haven't already.
While Oathbringer stays true to the Archive's overall positive, fantasy adventure genre, it definitely has some darker moments. Permanent character deaths lie ahead. There are even some grimdark moments, which come up when we dig into Dalinar's past, and...yeesh. No wonder the guy used to drink.
One of the hallmarks of grimdark is the moral ambiguity of the characters, and that is definitely a theme in this book. Dalinar gets his magically-erased memories back and remembers the horrible things he did as a soldier that led him to drink. Humans in general and Kaladin in particular have to come to terms with the fact that they have horribly used and abused an entire race of people who are now justifiably fighting back. Venli--one of the Parshendi (Eshonai's sister and the one who helped create the Everstorm)--slowly realizes her mistake in bringing back the old gods and has to decide whether to remain complicit or fight against the evil deity Odium. By the way Odium thinks he himself is a good guy, and that he's helping the world and humanity by destroying it. Similar to King Taravangian, who's working hard to undermine Dalinar's anti-Odium coalition, "for the good of Roshar." Also we see the mess of a human Szeth--the Assassin in White--who's trying to figure out his own life and find redemption, just like his new teacher, the ancient Herald Nin, who's been murdering petty criminals and all other Knights Radiant in a futile attempt to stop the Desolation.
It's a mess. A glorious, awesome mess.
It's not just the line between good and evil that's getting blurred, either. The strict gender norms that have dominated the first two books are starting to break down as a handful of women reject traditional femininity and join Bridge Four; there is, in fact, a major character halfway through the book who is a female military commander. Sanderson throws in a mention of a couple of men in a relationship together (not enough for me to consider this series LGBT friendly, yet, but it's getting there). And Shallan's sanity starts to break down as she hides behind various personalities she's created, namely Veil and Radiant.
I mentioned this in my Edgedancer review, but it bears repeating: Sanderson is getting really good at talking about mental and emotional health with his characters. Kaladin still has his depression. Shallan is basically developing dissociative identity disorder as a way to cope with her own crippling self-worth and abusive history. Teft and Dalinar are both recovering addicts and both of them, at some point in this book, fall off the wagon as their mental health deteriorates.
On a brighter note, Jasnah and all her bitch-ass awesomeness comes back. We also get more development of the Kaladin and Adolin bromance.
That last one was put in jeopardy for a short time, which I was not happy about. It wasn't threatened because of plot development, or Kaladin's prejudice against lighteyes, or even Adolin's "accidentally a murderer" deal--although, since it was Sadeas he murdered, that probably wouldn't have been much of a threat.
No, this beautiful bromance was jeopardized by the most heinous of villains: a love triangle.
I don't like love triangles on a good day. Not only do I find them unrealistic and tropey as all hell, but it's usually a hallmark of lazy writing, and Sanderon is not a lazy writer. Triangles are a way for the writer to whip up some easy drama, a way to ensure that there's tension between certain characters.
But...I mean...there's already drama and tension. So much of it! Adolin's guilt over killing Sadeas, Shallan's deteriorating mental health, Kaladin's depression and own feelings about the parshmen, and, oh yeah, the freaking Desolation happening around them.
There's plenty of drama. Why are we resorting to cheap gimmicks for more?
Taking out the love triangle would have given Sanderson more time to focus on other aspects of the story, like Navani (Jasnah and Elhokar's mom, Dalinar's current wife). Sure, we the audience know that Jasnah is alive. But she doesn't know that. She was told her kid was killed just a few weeks ago. And what does Navani do?
Get married. Help with the politics. Mention it once while keeping the tears at bay.
Bullshit. That is Navani's dead child. And we don't see her grieve at all. Matter of fact, her grief over Dalinar's fake-out death at the end of The Way of Kings is way more realistic and moving than her reaction of Jasnah's fake-out death. After the denial she went through in book two when Shallan first brought her the news, I expected to see other stages of grief: sorrow, anger, and finally acceptance. In fact, Ialai--Sadeas's widow--gets to show her grief for her asshole husband far more convincingly than Navani for Jasnah. And she's the bad guy. I feel more sympathetic for that petty bitch than I ever do for Navani, and that's not good writing.
As a matter of fact, none of the good guys seem to grieve for other good guys who die. There's a part where Szeth--you remember the Assassin in White, the one who killed the previous king, Dalinar's brother--has to work together with Dalinar. And Dalinar...doesn't even mention the assassinations. At all. Even when all the fighting is over and they have a moment to address the huge elephant in the room, nobody says anything. And that's ridiculous! That has huge personal and political ramifications that even someone like Dalinar should be able to see.
This makes no sense because, as previously stated, Sanderson is not a lazy writer. Nor is he a bad one. But sometimes, he focuses on the wrong things when it comes to his characters and their narrative arcs, especially when it comes to non-main characters like Navani. Which is a shame, because she's a great character, and the way Sanderson has been writing her so far hasn't been doing her justice.
The good news is there's still plenty of time to address those issues. There are several more books planned in this series. So the next time a character close to a major character dies, they'll hopefully actually grieve instead of being a robot about it.
If you're new to The Stormlight Archive, allow me to direct your attention to the review I did for the first book, The Way of Kings, as well as the second book Words of Radiance and the novella Edgedancer. It's a really great series, so check them out if you haven't already.
While Oathbringer stays true to the Archive's overall positive, fantasy adventure genre, it definitely has some darker moments. Permanent character deaths lie ahead. There are even some grimdark moments, which come up when we dig into Dalinar's past, and...yeesh. No wonder the guy used to drink.
One of the hallmarks of grimdark is the moral ambiguity of the characters, and that is definitely a theme in this book. Dalinar gets his magically-erased memories back and remembers the horrible things he did as a soldier that led him to drink. Humans in general and Kaladin in particular have to come to terms with the fact that they have horribly used and abused an entire race of people who are now justifiably fighting back. Venli--one of the Parshendi (Eshonai's sister and the one who helped create the Everstorm)--slowly realizes her mistake in bringing back the old gods and has to decide whether to remain complicit or fight against the evil deity Odium. By the way Odium thinks he himself is a good guy, and that he's helping the world and humanity by destroying it. Similar to King Taravangian, who's working hard to undermine Dalinar's anti-Odium coalition, "for the good of Roshar." Also we see the mess of a human Szeth--the Assassin in White--who's trying to figure out his own life and find redemption, just like his new teacher, the ancient Herald Nin, who's been murdering petty criminals and all other Knights Radiant in a futile attempt to stop the Desolation.
It's a mess. A glorious, awesome mess.
It's not just the line between good and evil that's getting blurred, either. The strict gender norms that have dominated the first two books are starting to break down as a handful of women reject traditional femininity and join Bridge Four; there is, in fact, a major character halfway through the book who is a female military commander. Sanderson throws in a mention of a couple of men in a relationship together (not enough for me to consider this series LGBT friendly, yet, but it's getting there). And Shallan's sanity starts to break down as she hides behind various personalities she's created, namely Veil and Radiant.
I mentioned this in my Edgedancer review, but it bears repeating: Sanderson is getting really good at talking about mental and emotional health with his characters. Kaladin still has his depression. Shallan is basically developing dissociative identity disorder as a way to cope with her own crippling self-worth and abusive history. Teft and Dalinar are both recovering addicts and both of them, at some point in this book, fall off the wagon as their mental health deteriorates.
On a brighter note, Jasnah and all her bitch-ass awesomeness comes back. We also get more development of the Kaladin and Adolin bromance.
That last one was put in jeopardy for a short time, which I was not happy about. It wasn't threatened because of plot development, or Kaladin's prejudice against lighteyes, or even Adolin's "accidentally a murderer" deal--although, since it was Sadeas he murdered, that probably wouldn't have been much of a threat.
No, this beautiful bromance was jeopardized by the most heinous of villains: a love triangle.
I don't like love triangles on a good day. Not only do I find them unrealistic and tropey as all hell, but it's usually a hallmark of lazy writing, and Sanderon is not a lazy writer. Triangles are a way for the writer to whip up some easy drama, a way to ensure that there's tension between certain characters.
But...I mean...there's already drama and tension. So much of it! Adolin's guilt over killing Sadeas, Shallan's deteriorating mental health, Kaladin's depression and own feelings about the parshmen, and, oh yeah, the freaking Desolation happening around them.
There's plenty of drama. Why are we resorting to cheap gimmicks for more?
Taking out the love triangle would have given Sanderson more time to focus on other aspects of the story, like Navani (Jasnah and Elhokar's mom, Dalinar's current wife). Sure, we the audience know that Jasnah is alive. But she doesn't know that. She was told her kid was killed just a few weeks ago. And what does Navani do?
Get married. Help with the politics. Mention it once while keeping the tears at bay.
Bullshit. That is Navani's dead child. And we don't see her grieve at all. Matter of fact, her grief over Dalinar's fake-out death at the end of The Way of Kings is way more realistic and moving than her reaction of Jasnah's fake-out death. After the denial she went through in book two when Shallan first brought her the news, I expected to see other stages of grief: sorrow, anger, and finally acceptance. In fact, Ialai--Sadeas's widow--gets to show her grief for her asshole husband far more convincingly than Navani for Jasnah. And she's the bad guy. I feel more sympathetic for that petty bitch than I ever do for Navani, and that's not good writing.
As a matter of fact, none of the good guys seem to grieve for other good guys who die. There's a part where Szeth--you remember the Assassin in White, the one who killed the previous king, Dalinar's brother--has to work together with Dalinar. And Dalinar...doesn't even mention the assassinations. At all. Even when all the fighting is over and they have a moment to address the huge elephant in the room, nobody says anything. And that's ridiculous! That has huge personal and political ramifications that even someone like Dalinar should be able to see.
This makes no sense because, as previously stated, Sanderson is not a lazy writer. Nor is he a bad one. But sometimes, he focuses on the wrong things when it comes to his characters and their narrative arcs, especially when it comes to non-main characters like Navani. Which is a shame, because she's a great character, and the way Sanderson has been writing her so far hasn't been doing her justice.
The good news is there's still plenty of time to address those issues. There are several more books planned in this series. So the next time a character close to a major character dies, they'll hopefully actually grieve instead of being a robot about it.
Laura Kehoe is a fantasy author from Washington State. When she isn't writing, she loves to read, snuggle with furry creatures, and drink copious amounts of coffee and tea.
Interview with Laura Kehoe
Can you tell us about what you're currently working on?
My current project is a fantasy novel, with portals and magic, and possibly dragons. I have just finished the general outline, so it will be a bit before the book is anywhere close to ready. But I think it could turn out really cool!
Do you write under a pen name? If so, can you tell us why?
Sort of. I started publishing books before I was married, so I used my maiden name. Even though my real last name is different now, I didn’t want to confuse anyone by changing my author name, so I stuck with Kehoe.
What do you like best about the books you read? What do you like least?
I love seeing what other creative minds come up with, especially when it comes to world-building. It’s so much fun to see what other crazy, exciting ideas are out there in the world.
One of the things I like the least, however, is when characters are flat and uninteresting. If I don’t care about any of the characters, no matter how good the plot and world-building are, I most likely won’t like the book.
Were you “born to write” or did you discover your passion for writing later in life?
I do feel like I was “born to write.” Ever since I learned how to form cohesive sentences, I have been making up stories for myself and, later on, for other people.
Where did the idea of your story come from?
My books, Royal Thief and Redemption, were inspired from a mix of a couple different stories. The biggest influences were Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance series and Les Misérables.
Do you have complete control over your characters or do they ever control you?
It’s definitely a mix of both! When I talk to my non-writer friends and mention that my characters have minds of their own, my friends think I’m crazy! But it’s true that sometimes you can’t help following where a character leads you.
A lot of authors are frustrated by readers who don’t understand how important reviews are. What would you say to a reader who doesn’t think his or her review matters?
Reviews are incredibly important! I know a lot of people don’t get that, but to them I would say that reviews are the best way for other readers to learn about a book. Some sites, like Amazon, will give priority to books with a certain number of reviews, but even if that’s not the case, a review can give potential readers a glimpse into what exactly the book is like. They really are one of the most important tools a writer can have.
What, in your opinion, is the worst mistake an author can make?
I think one of the worse mistakes an author can make is writing a book they hate. Sometimes authors will write a book they aren’t interested in, but that they think readers will want to read, or are encouraged to write a book for some other reason. But I think in most cases, the author’s disinterest or dislike shows through in their book. And if they don’t like the book, how can a reader be expected to?
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m by no means an expert on writing, but one of the best pieces of advice I ever received is keep writing. What I mean is, even when you feel stuck, or when you can’t think of anything good to write, just write something. First drafts are supposed to be kind of bad. You can always edit things later when you go back through your work.
My current project is a fantasy novel, with portals and magic, and possibly dragons. I have just finished the general outline, so it will be a bit before the book is anywhere close to ready. But I think it could turn out really cool!
Do you write under a pen name? If so, can you tell us why?
Sort of. I started publishing books before I was married, so I used my maiden name. Even though my real last name is different now, I didn’t want to confuse anyone by changing my author name, so I stuck with Kehoe.
What do you like best about the books you read? What do you like least?
I love seeing what other creative minds come up with, especially when it comes to world-building. It’s so much fun to see what other crazy, exciting ideas are out there in the world.
One of the things I like the least, however, is when characters are flat and uninteresting. If I don’t care about any of the characters, no matter how good the plot and world-building are, I most likely won’t like the book.
Were you “born to write” or did you discover your passion for writing later in life?
I do feel like I was “born to write.” Ever since I learned how to form cohesive sentences, I have been making up stories for myself and, later on, for other people.
Where did the idea of your story come from?
My books, Royal Thief and Redemption, were inspired from a mix of a couple different stories. The biggest influences were Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance series and Les Misérables.
Do you have complete control over your characters or do they ever control you?
It’s definitely a mix of both! When I talk to my non-writer friends and mention that my characters have minds of their own, my friends think I’m crazy! But it’s true that sometimes you can’t help following where a character leads you.
A lot of authors are frustrated by readers who don’t understand how important reviews are. What would you say to a reader who doesn’t think his or her review matters?
Reviews are incredibly important! I know a lot of people don’t get that, but to them I would say that reviews are the best way for other readers to learn about a book. Some sites, like Amazon, will give priority to books with a certain number of reviews, but even if that’s not the case, a review can give potential readers a glimpse into what exactly the book is like. They really are one of the most important tools a writer can have.
What, in your opinion, is the worst mistake an author can make?
I think one of the worse mistakes an author can make is writing a book they hate. Sometimes authors will write a book they aren’t interested in, but that they think readers will want to read, or are encouraged to write a book for some other reason. But I think in most cases, the author’s disinterest or dislike shows through in their book. And if they don’t like the book, how can a reader be expected to?
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m by no means an expert on writing, but one of the best pieces of advice I ever received is keep writing. What I mean is, even when you feel stuck, or when you can’t think of anything good to write, just write something. First drafts are supposed to be kind of bad. You can always edit things later when you go back through your work.
If you could go to any fictional world, where would you go? Why?
I know it’s cliché, but I’m going to have to go with Middle Earth. Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamt of traipsing through The Shire, exploring the magical forests of Lothlórien, and just going all over that land. It all seems so magical.
I’d go just to hang out with Eowyn.
If you could have one magical ability/superpower, what would it be? How would you use it?
There are a lot of superpowers and magic abilities I wish I had! But I think the one I want the most is invisibility. I think it would be so fun to just watch people go about their lives without anyone judging me for staring too long at complete strangers. (I promise I’m not a stalker). Plus then I could get some quality, uninterrupted reading time without trouble!
What is your Hogwarts House and why?
I’m not at all embarrassed to say I’ve spent a bit of time thinking about this question! I have waffled between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, but I think I lean more towards Hufflepuff.
Saaame!
What creature is better: dragons, zombies, or aliens?
That’s such a tough one! I have always loved dragons and aliens, but if I had to choose one above the other, I have to go with dragons.
I know it’s cliché, but I’m going to have to go with Middle Earth. Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamt of traipsing through The Shire, exploring the magical forests of Lothlórien, and just going all over that land. It all seems so magical.
I’d go just to hang out with Eowyn.
If you could have one magical ability/superpower, what would it be? How would you use it?
There are a lot of superpowers and magic abilities I wish I had! But I think the one I want the most is invisibility. I think it would be so fun to just watch people go about their lives without anyone judging me for staring too long at complete strangers. (I promise I’m not a stalker). Plus then I could get some quality, uninterrupted reading time without trouble!
What is your Hogwarts House and why?
I’m not at all embarrassed to say I’ve spent a bit of time thinking about this question! I have waffled between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, but I think I lean more towards Hufflepuff.
Saaame!
What creature is better: dragons, zombies, or aliens?
That’s such a tough one! I have always loved dragons and aliens, but if I had to choose one above the other, I have to go with dragons.
Your Book Idea Does (Not!) Suck
"Where do you get your ideas" is a hated question in the writing community. Most authors just do. Ideas just kind of appear from the nether, or are gifted from "the muse," or hit us like a train while we're taking a shower. It's widely accepted in the writing community that story ideas are random. That they're rare golden nuggets that only a lucky few get to uncover.
But. Did you know that you can actually generate story ideas at will?
The process tends to be a little different for each author. But it exists. Career authors, or anyone who wants to write more than a handful of original stories, need to be able to generate story ideas at will.
But how do you do that? How do you "tame the muse"?
Here are some ideas.
But. Did you know that you can actually generate story ideas at will?
The process tends to be a little different for each author. But it exists. Career authors, or anyone who wants to write more than a handful of original stories, need to be able to generate story ideas at will.
But how do you do that? How do you "tame the muse"?
Here are some ideas.
Creativity Begets Creativity
One of my favorite sources of writing ideas is other stories. This is true for a lot of writers. Read the ancient classic Beowolf and then Tolkien's The Hobbit, and you'll see what I mean. Creativity begets creativity. It's really fun to watch a movie or read a book and think "Well, what if the characters had done this instead," or "How would the story change if the main character had fire powers instead of ice powers," or even, "What's going to happen in this world in the next generation? What if the child or grandchild of our rightful-heir-turned-king is a total dick?" Etc.
Recently, many people will ask these questions, like, "What if Harry Potter was sorted into Slytherin instead of Gryffindor," and stop right there. They'll write a fanfic story about that. Which is totally fine, and as both a reader and writer of fanfiction I'm not in any position to argue this. But if you want to be a professional author--that is, someone who gets paid for writing original stories--then you're going to have to get original.
Let's take that Harry Potter idea and break it down. The idea is that there's a new kid on the block--we'll call him Barry--who's going to a fantastical world that separates people into groups. Each group has its own stereotype: the brave ones, the smart ones, the nice ones, and the evil ones. Obviously it's a lot more complicated than that (and as a Huffleclaw, I have a few choice words about how "awesome" and "good" Gryffindors are supposed to be), but that's the impression Barry and the readers are getting, at least in the first book. Note that in this story, you don't need four groups. We can have three, seven, twenty, whatever.
So what happens if Barry ends up in the "evil" group, rather than the "good" group like he wanted, like everyone around him expected? You get a hell of a lot of character development is what you get.
The world-building is completely up in the air. It could be a magic school, but everyone's going to see it as a Hogwarts knock-off, so maybe avoid that. Instead, we could make it a superhero academy, or a science fiction setting where the school is in outer space, or, if you really want the fantasy school setting, a school of werewolves (werepuppies!), or demon-hunters, or whatever.
The story itself would focus on Barry, who now has to interact with people he initially thought of as jerks but turn out to actually be pretty awesome, proving that the "evil" house is really not evil, just stereotyped. He'll probably have to save the world, since this is a YA novel. And confront some parts of himself that he'd really rather not examine, like his tendency to let his ambition cloud his friendships, or how he feels he always has to be in charge even to the detriment of others.
Basically, you ask a question of a story that you really like, and then create new characters and worlds to answer that question. The story will then write itself.
Recently, many people will ask these questions, like, "What if Harry Potter was sorted into Slytherin instead of Gryffindor," and stop right there. They'll write a fanfic story about that. Which is totally fine, and as both a reader and writer of fanfiction I'm not in any position to argue this. But if you want to be a professional author--that is, someone who gets paid for writing original stories--then you're going to have to get original.
Let's take that Harry Potter idea and break it down. The idea is that there's a new kid on the block--we'll call him Barry--who's going to a fantastical world that separates people into groups. Each group has its own stereotype: the brave ones, the smart ones, the nice ones, and the evil ones. Obviously it's a lot more complicated than that (and as a Huffleclaw, I have a few choice words about how "awesome" and "good" Gryffindors are supposed to be), but that's the impression Barry and the readers are getting, at least in the first book. Note that in this story, you don't need four groups. We can have three, seven, twenty, whatever.
So what happens if Barry ends up in the "evil" group, rather than the "good" group like he wanted, like everyone around him expected? You get a hell of a lot of character development is what you get.
The world-building is completely up in the air. It could be a magic school, but everyone's going to see it as a Hogwarts knock-off, so maybe avoid that. Instead, we could make it a superhero academy, or a science fiction setting where the school is in outer space, or, if you really want the fantasy school setting, a school of werewolves (werepuppies!), or demon-hunters, or whatever.
The story itself would focus on Barry, who now has to interact with people he initially thought of as jerks but turn out to actually be pretty awesome, proving that the "evil" house is really not evil, just stereotyped. He'll probably have to save the world, since this is a YA novel. And confront some parts of himself that he'd really rather not examine, like his tendency to let his ambition cloud his friendships, or how he feels he always has to be in charge even to the detriment of others.
Basically, you ask a question of a story that you really like, and then create new characters and worlds to answer that question. The story will then write itself.
Turn Your History Geek On
It's now a widely-known fact that George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones series was largely inspired by the real-life War of the Roses, which took place in England in the 15th Century. He basically just added ice zombies, direwolves, and of course, dragons.
Studying history is a good idea for a variety of reasons, especially for writers, but it can also be a wellspring of inspiration. Especially when you take in ancient religious beliefs and mythologies. What if the ancient Aztec gods were real, and pissed at the recent lack of blood sacrifices? Can you create a space empire modeled after Imperial China? Maybe model one of your characters after an unknown or overlooked historical figure.
And it's not just history. Science--especially biology--is another really great source of inspiration. Creatures of the deep blue sea are the stuff of nightmares, so stick them in a horror setting! Take a crack at paleontology to see what extinct animals you can dust off and use in a fantasy world. Hell, there's even a bestselling series out right now that's basically Game of Thrones with dinosaurs.
Studying history is a good idea for a variety of reasons, especially for writers, but it can also be a wellspring of inspiration. Especially when you take in ancient religious beliefs and mythologies. What if the ancient Aztec gods were real, and pissed at the recent lack of blood sacrifices? Can you create a space empire modeled after Imperial China? Maybe model one of your characters after an unknown or overlooked historical figure.
And it's not just history. Science--especially biology--is another really great source of inspiration. Creatures of the deep blue sea are the stuff of nightmares, so stick them in a horror setting! Take a crack at paleontology to see what extinct animals you can dust off and use in a fantasy world. Hell, there's even a bestselling series out right now that's basically Game of Thrones with dinosaurs.
The Internet!
I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the internet. There are hundreds of websites specifically designed to cough out writing prompts. These can be serious to just plain silly. But they work. Google "writing prompt generator" and you'll see what I mean.
The internet also has an endless stream of art, which in and of itself can be turned into a writing prompt. This can be for a full-blown story or just a basic writing exercise to get the juices flowing. (See last week's "Rustic Pursuits" for an example.) But google something like "dragon art" or "post-apocalyptic setting," choose an image, and write a story about what that image is about.
The internet also has an endless stream of art, which in and of itself can be turned into a writing prompt. This can be for a full-blown story or just a basic writing exercise to get the juices flowing. (See last week's "Rustic Pursuits" for an example.) But google something like "dragon art" or "post-apocalyptic setting," choose an image, and write a story about what that image is about.
Don't Sweat It. (Seriously, Don't.)
In the end, the concept (or idea) of your story doesn't actually account for all that much. It might encourage people to pick up your book, but if it's not written well--that is, has engaging characters and an intriguing plot--then readers are going to drop it like a hot brick. Conversely, you can have the most over-used story idea of all time--say, a chosen one selected by a prophecy to defeat the dark lord--and if it's written really, really well, then you're fine.
Your story idea may be the most ridiculous idea ever. But story ideas are really just the start. It's all in the development and execution of that idea that a writer's skill is judged.
Your story idea may be the most ridiculous idea ever. But story ideas are really just the start. It's all in the development and execution of that idea that a writer's skill is judged.
How do you come up with story ideas? Share your inspiration tips in the comments!
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What's This?
The first Dragons, Zombies and Aliens blog was started in 2015. Somewhere between college coursework, paying rent with door-to-door sales, and keeping up with my sorority sisters, I wrote reviews, rants and commentaries on books, TV shows, and movies. Now, this blog has moved, improved, and the sky's the limit!
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