14
Jan
Joe Hemingmouse
Joe Hemingmouse, created for JacketFlap by Peter Hannan.
Archive for the ‘writing’ Category
Note: I had the pleasure of reading Kaza’s first book, Erec Rex: The Dragon’s Eye, which was a great deal of fun. Fast-paced, lots of action and fantastic elements, and so much humor woven into the story and into the world. And now, without further ado, my interview with Kaza. If you have any questions or comments for Kaza, just post a comment here:
I’d like to thank you, Chris, for hosting me on your blog! It’s a pleasure to meet you, as well. You had some great questions.
Congratulations on your new babies! Below I included a picture of me as a kid for your post. Readers can watch me grow older throughout the blog tour!
Which came first, the characters or the world they live in?
Before I wrote a word of Book One, I plotted the series for months. Some of the characters were invented right along with their world. The story is loosely based on the Hercules legend – which is set up in Dragon’s Eye and really becomes apparent more in Book Two, Monsters of Otherness. Erec’s name is similar to HERACule, Greek for Hercules.
Who Erec is, who his siblings and his adoptive mother are, and who Bethany is, are crucial to the story. They were very early part in its creation. But with that, at the same time, the world(s) in which they live were just as important, and had to be created alongside, fitting in with the characters.
Do you have a definite plan for Erec’s story?
Very much so. I know exactly where the series is going, how it ends, and what basically happens in each book. I find this necessary, so I can drop hints in early books for things that will happen later.
I will tell you that some of the structure of the series is based on the Hercules legend. Hercules had to do twelve labors – Erec twelve quests. He gets into these in Monsters of Otherness. So part of what will happen in future books is based on these quests.
Of course there are a lot of other things going on as well. Erec (and the reader) learns key things at certain points. I also had fun doing some other structuring. For example: the first contest in Book One is “The MONSTER.” The next book is “Monsters of Otherness.” Contest two was about figuring out the truth. The following book is called “The Search for Truth.” As you can guess, I have ideas about the following book titles…!
Have you had that plan from the beginning?
Mostly. There are actually some things I have changed as I went along. The most important things have stayed the same. But I’ll sometimes get a great idea, then I’ll get into my notebook and rewrite a lot of plot. I think, for me, writing is a process of constant plotting. There are always smaller bits to plot out when the big chunks are done. And I’m always coming up with new ideas to fit in.
How much has changed from concept to publishing?
Lots of unimportant things have changed. My first draft of Dragon’s Eye was over 500 pages long. It was cut down – and is better for it. But the essential, important part is the same.
Which character do you identify most with?
In the very beginning it was Bethany, as she is a girl and was drawn slightly from myself. But then, somewhere along the way, it changed. After spending so much time in Erec’s head I definitely identify more with him, now.
How did you get the idea for “cloudy thoughts”?
Cloudy thoughts, to me, would be horrifying to have to deal with. Having some unknown force swoop in and make you do whatever you are told, even when you don’t know why you are doing it would be awful. Erec is afraid his cloudy thoughts may turn on him and make him do something terrible some day. If they did, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself. In the beginning of Monsters of Otherness, Erec attacked his own brother because of a cloudy thought, which was very upsetting to him.
I suppose I wanted to give my main character a “gift” that was truly difficult to deal with, yet something he could learn to turn around and make work for him. As the series unfolds, watch for this to happen!
What is your most valuable tip for promoting a book?
I’m still learning! Most of my promotional events have involved traveling, for signings, school visits, and TV and radio interviews (some of the TV ones are posted on the media page of my website at http://www.erecrex.com.) This blog tour is new for me, and it’s awfully nice to do an event from home – especially when I’m writing as well!
I guess my only real tip is keep believing in yourself and never give up. Getting out there is work – but you can make it fun. It’s really just meeting people – and I love that!
How did you feel about math when you growing up?
I wasn’t quite like Bethany in that regard – lol. I was all right at math, not great. I got moved into the advanced class to do algebra in eighth grade, but I didn’t do so well. So I repeated it in ninth grade and got an A.
But I must have some fascination with math, on some level. When I was in third grade I made up an entirely useless form of math that I liked to teach my friends when we played school. And the first story that I wrote (that I can remember) when I was little involved an octopus that made people do math. I still am fascinated by math geniuses, and loved that movie “Pi.” Go figure . . .
Your references to junk food and healthy food in the book were notable. What is your position on the issue of kids and junk food?
Funny – I don’t tend to think of it as “kids and junk food” as much as “people and junk food.” Our nation’s diet is so horrible (I know, no news here.) I am into the “raw food” thing myself, as much as possible – of course I still eat pizzas, meat and deserts when I feel like it. But I’m aware of how bad most of what we eat is. I think some of that concept sneaks out into my writing.
How much do your stories change between concept or outline stage and complete draft?
The main points don’t change much, and the story line stays pretty intact. But the development between my notes on plot and the actual rough draft is tremendous. That’s where the meat of the story gets formed.
I feel like the outline points, the plot points that I know will happen, are like guideposts for me. I know I am going from point A to B to C, etc. But how will I get there? There is so much left to work out, even page by page, it’s incredible. It feels like writing fiction is one constant decision after the next. How will he get somewhere? What does she say? What time of day is it? Planning the plot / outlining is just a rough start.
I usually don’t end up deviating too much from the basic outline, though, since each book is part of a global series which all fits together as a whole. I have some room to make changes, but it has to be cohesive, too. The books also have a few subtle patterns that I try to stick to as well.
I joined an online group a few weeks ago that’s proven extremely helpful. It provides the sort of help for free that a writer would normally have to pay good money for. Here is the info:
This group is for contracted or published novelists to discuss publicity tips on promoting their books. Included will be branding, methods, how to create successful events, cross promotion and other publicity tips. This is not for spamming the list with book advertisements, but rather a place to brainstorm and get tips on promoting your book.
To subscribe send email to: fictionwritersdiscusspublicity-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
15
Dec
Interactive Fan Culture
I’m part of an email group that discusses children’s literature, and recently there was a conversation about child authors and then more specifically about Christopher Paolini and the derivative nature of his stories. I posted the following, and I thought I’d post it here as well:
Interactive fan culture and gaming seem to be having an effect on the way kids consume stories. Anyone with an internet connection or gaming console can leap into a fantasy world and create characters and adventures of their own.
Middle Earth, in particular, has long become a default fantasy world, a paint-by-number starting point in much the same way as ancient Greek myths or vampire myths. Gaming worlds such as Warhammer and World of Warcraft (and by backward extension, Dungeons & Dragons), with their elegant elves, mountain-dwelling dwarfs, and “evil” orcs, are just two examples. The gravitational pull of Middle Earth is so strong that many fantasy fans are happy not to leave orbit, whether they are participating as creators, consumers, or both. The quality of story in much fan fiction and most video games is highly questionable from a literary point of view, but that’s often beside the point. The point is access to a world, and an open door to make a personal imprint on a fantasy universe you’ve grown to love.
I believe this is an important consideration when deliberating on Paolini’s grand theft tolkein, and particularly when pondering his success. Eragon reads like a meaty piece of fan fiction. And my guess is that part of the success of Eragon, beyond the young author buzz, is that it’s a rags-to-riches tale of a citizen of the Middle Earth fandom.
Personally, I don’t have much patience for derivative fantasy worlds. Life is short, and I’m a slow reader, so I am always looking for something original. Then again, I also don’t have much respect for singers who become famous with songs they didn’t write, and I know I’m in the minority there.
On the other hand, I have a genuine appreciation for straight-up fan fiction and karaoke.
I know the train’s pretty much left the station on this topic, but I wanted to jump on board anyway with my hobo bag and two cents. And it’s also an excuse to show some of the fun pictures that have resulted from the frenzy.
I followed a fascinating discussion on the child-lit listserv about Rowling’s obligations regarding gay characters, and a related discussion about whether Rowling can even make that decision for readers.
On the one hand, the discussions made me feel a bit like I was back in my old litcrit classes, which I did well in, but which always made me feel like I’d left my gravity boots at home.
If something isn’t written into the story, can it be a true part of the story?
What is an author’s obligation when dealing with something that’s politically charged?
Does the author even have the authority to say what’s true and what’s not about her story?
I wriggled my way out of litcrit and into creative writing for a reason, and for the same reason I don’t want to get tangled up in these topics. Nothing against them — I did find the discussion to be (largely) smart and interesting. But it’s just not the angle I’m primarily interested in. And a post by Roger Sutton, editor in chief of The Horn Book, summed it up nicely and pithily enough for me.
But I do want to add a couple of things to the overall discussion.
First, it’s important to read the actual transcript of what Rowling said. Context matters.
She said “My truthful answer to you… I always thought of Dumbledore as gay.”
She seems to be leaving a door open for readers to bring their own interpretations to the character.
However, she then went on to hammer a number of nails into the story. With each “announcement,” with each pound of the hammer, she closed off avenues of imagination for her readers.
This is the second thing I wanted to talk about.
Rowling also did this with the epilogue in Deathly Hallows, which is why you find entire communities of devoted fan fiction writers making a pact to ignore the epilogue — essentially removing it from canon by mutiny — and writing their own epilogues.
I understand the impulse of a writer to stay in control of the story. The idea of fans making it their own can be unnerving.
But (in my humble opinion) when you are dealing with today’s generation of readers (particularly the younger ones), who are accustomed to inserting their own will into the media they consume, a good story belongs at least as much to the fans as to the author. A good story needs open spaces for readers to stick their own flags. It needs unwatered seeds, unfollowed threads, and characters with potential that transcends the author’s own imagination.
And a good story needs an author who admires and respects what the readers bring to the story.
After all, when an author describes something in a story, she is not transferring her own experiences and images into the minds of readers. It’s impossible, no matter how many adjectives she uses. Rather, the author is trying to make something flower inside the reader’s mind, from the reader’s own experiences and images, from the reader’s own soil, water, sunshine.
The author can hope that the image that flowers in the reader’s mind is similar to his own. Or he can hope that their version is even richer, more personal, more powerful.
If an author can’t control even how a reader sees a particular scene, it seems vain to attempt authority over so many plot threads.
The Harry Potter series had enough open spaces to spawn a fanfic leviathan. My personal feeling is that Rowling should have left it to her fans to continue filling in the blanks.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5: Very informal pizza or other dinner for whomever is in town hanging around. Meet around 6:30-ish.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6: Conference.
7:45-8:00: Check in. Pay your registration fees if you haven’t already, get your name tags and your Who’s Who cheat sheet. (We’ll have coffee and continental breakfast.)
8:00-8:10: Intro to the conference.
8:10-9:00: Kidlit Blogging, Part 1 (led by Tasha Saeker and others): How to get started, how to get ARCs, how to do reviews, how to do author interviews, what blog formats seem to work best, etc. There’s a lot of experience in this group, and I’m hoping many of you will have tips to offer.
9:10-9:45: Podcasting 101 (led by Mark Blevis and Andrea Ross): The how-to’s (and why-to’s) of creating and posting podcasts on your site. I just did a podcast interview on Friday–it’s the wave of the future, baby!
10:00-11:00 (room #1): Cybils Forum.
10:00-11:00 (room #2) Blogging for Authors (led by Robin Brande, Gregory K, Barry Lyga): websites, blogs, MySpace, why to, how to, the different philosophies thereof (sales & promotion, connection with readers, daily writing exercise, can’t stop talking, etc.).
11:10-12:00: Promotion Ideas for the Kidlitosphere (led by Jen Robinson): Brainstorming ideas for increased promotion of the
kidlitosphere as a whole, as a resource for readers/parents/ authors.
12:00-1:00: Lunch on your own (not alone on your own–you can find friends).
1:10-2:00: Kidlit Blogging, Part 2–the business side (led by Pam Coughlan): Brainstorming tips to improve your blog, attract more
traffic and links, keep your blog (and yourself) fresh, and generally kick it up a notch.
2:10-3:00: Kidlit Blogging, Part 3–the creative side (led by Anne Levy): How to establish your “voice,” how to maintain your writing quality, what makes for a good review, how to hone your reviewing skills.
3:10-4:00: The Ethics of Reviewing (led by Liz Burns): What do we do about personal relationships/potential conflicts of interest, “bad” reviews, copyright, and other ethical issues?
4:00-5:00: Meet the Authors (hosted by Esme Raji Codell of PlanetEsme). A chance to have a little one-on-one with some of the authors–a time to chat, interview, question, inspect.
5:00-6:00: Go away. Relax in your room. Brush your teeth, spiffy up.
6:00-7:00: Cocktails/mingle.
7:00-9:00: Dinner! Prize giveaways! Fun!
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9: Brunch off-site (directions to be provided Saturday night), hosted by Esme, for anyone not leaving at the butt-crack of dawn. 8:30-11:30 AM–come for all or part.
For more info and RSVPs…
5
Oct
Bad Poetry Alert
In celebration of Poetry Friday on Emily Beeson’s blog, I am posting a poem I once attempted, despite that fact that I made a C in Advanced Poetry Writing, and that my poetry professor suggested I should stick to fiction.
A Father Suddenly Notices His Daughter Growing Up As He Regrets the Passage of Time
Samantha has a face that’s still shifting into place
like the plates of a planet in fast forward,
but her large gray eyes stay steady,
like double moons
reflecting light from a sun
that hasn’t yet risen.
Nominations Are Now Open
Welcome to the 2007 Cybils, the only literary awards by bloggers. We’re seeking nominations from book lovers in eight genres:
Fantasy/Science Fiction
Fiction Picture Books
Graphic Novels
Middle Grade Fiction
Non-Fiction: Middle Grade and Young Adult
Non-Fiction Picture Books
Poetry
Young Adult Fiction
Want to nominate your favorite books of the year? They must’ve been published in 2007:
- Only one book per category;
- Click on a category and read the description;
- Click on “comments” and type in the author and title;
- Make sure your book isn’t already listed, please.
Nominations close Nov. 21, so take your time and come back often.Thanks for joining us!
P.S. I’m one of the judges for the Fantasy/Science Fiction category.
I spent this past winter in Brazil, doing character and location research for my series. I spent a lot of time on a mountain in the middle of nowhere. On the mountain there is an orphanage, about 60 kids from the big city favellas. I volunteered there.
Also on the mountain was a buddhist “retreat” run by a German-Brazilian family, and I stayed there when I wasn’t at the orphanage.
I’ll talk more about how Brazil fits in to the series at another time, but I wanted to share a few of the photos.
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