David McCullough is Fishy
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize multiple times, David McCullough knows how to tell a good story by putting together all the forgotten scraps of letters and records no one else is patient enough to read. He breathes history.
At a lecture he gave at Rollins College, David discussed his craft on writing. “Look at the fish,” he kept repeating to stress the importance of noticing every beautiful detail. He said the secret of writing effective prose was in drawing out your emotions about minute characteristics of the subject matter.
According to David, history and art are the most significant school subjects because they feed off one another and teach man how to live rightly. For every person, there is at least one teacher who changed his life. He asked each of us to recall the teacher who inspired us to push ourselves farther than we thought we could go.
And for me, there was one. We will refer to her as, Ms. SciWi because she had a black mole sitting at least a fourth of an inch high on her chin. Two long hairs, that curled at their tips claimed domain of the mound. Ms. SciWi didn’t approve of my wearing three-inch Candies with sundresses. She was probably right about it being inappropriate for an eighth grader but those moments when my red-headed, brainiac friend – oh, excuse me: strawberry blonde (wink wink) – would throw back her head, cackling so hard tears ran down her cheeks whenever the teacher leered at my shoes was so precious, I couldn’t give them up.
Science was always my best subject. I scored in the ninety-ninth percentile on standardized tests, but in our class, no matter how high my grade was, Strawberry Girl outscored me by one point. After the teacher passed out our graded tests, Strawberry Girl would lean over and ask, “What you get?” I’d proudly hold up a test showing where I earned 107, or maybe 110, and other scores I didn’t even know existed above 100. Every single time, Strawberry Girl would hold out her paper to show me it had one number greater than mine. And then she would bust out laughing, her eyes rolling into the back of her head and her feet flying off the floor.
I sat in the back of the class next to a girl we shall refer to as Sunny because she put Sun-In on her hair. She played soccer so much, her whole body was like a piece of steel. Beautiful as she was, flawless even, she walked around with a scowl on her face. On days when the class passed forward their assignments, she would turn to me and ask, “Will you draw a picture for me?”
Well, it was a science class and I never drew pictures with my multiple-choice answers and essays. So, “Sure.” It wasn’t like it was cheating if it didn’t have anything to do with dissecting live rats, or the chemical reaction when a person digests drugs, or reasons why a person looses her mind.
Our elementary school didn’t have an art class. Anyone interested in pursuing art had to wait until high school. The art program wasn’t available to just anyone, either. Students had to follow strict guidelines for preparing three still-lifes and complete a questionnaire.
One day, Ms. SciWi asked Sunny and me to go with her into the hallway to cut construction paper. I had no cutting experience. My dad was an eye surgeon and the kids in our house weren’t allowed to walk across the room with scissors because they might suddenly fly from our hands and poke out an eyeball. He’d seen it happen many times. Plus, whenever I used a knife, I cut myself. My mother devised a rule for only me: I wasn’t allowed to use sharp objects.
As the three of us were cutting paper, Ms. SciWi said to Sunny, “Are you going to try out for art in high school? You are extremely gifted.”
I looked up, laughing. Sunny’s eyes grew round and she shook her head, begging me not to tell the teacher I drew all those pictures.
“Do you think I should try out for the art program?” I asked, still laughing. The moment was too priceless for me to tell the teacher I was the genius she had complimented.
Ms. SciWi said, “You don’t have any artistic talent. You can’t even cut a straight line.”
Based on our conversation, I applied for the art program and was accepted. I won so many awards during high school, I automatically qualified for partial scholarships at numerous colleges. Two times, my art portfolios were stolen. A professor said my drawings were so good, whoever did it probably planned to pass my work off as his own in a job interview. My first job out of college was rendering buildings and preparing complex drawings at an international architectural firm. I designed hospitals and banks. Although I took hiatuses from the art world, whenever I returned, I won additional awards. At the International Fabric Exhibition in New York, out of four hundred designers, I was one of ten featured at their show. Fashion designers introduced themselves to me and praised my success, and later used my designs. I’ve been featured in several newspapers and magazines.
David McCullough was absolutely right. There was a teacher in my life whose belief in my talent gave me the confidence to explore avenues I never would’ve considered. It’s been a fun ride I wouldn’t have had without her encouragement.
Art reflects man’s thinking at the time, which includes political views, scientific advancements, the economy and religious beliefs. Pottery, paintings, tools not only are history, they provide details about man’s past.
According to David, the study of art and history are critical for developing man’s intellect. And teachers are the most valuable servants in our society. Despite all our teasing, I thought Ms. SciWi was adorable and I knew she liked and respected me, as well. She changed my life for the better. Her giving me the high scores boosted my self-esteem and expectations for my future. I intend to follow David’s advice: To find the story within a man’s life, all a person needs to do is look at the fish. How does the man feel about his experiences and what did he do as a result of them?
Don’t be such a drama queen…Actually, please do
Ready for an emotion-packed, high-drama read? Introducing one of my dearest friends, Cheri Lasota, author of the turbulent fantasy, Artemis Rising. One of her gifts is sharing her vast knowledge about writing with others, which I am thrilled to pass on to you.
Every comment left, whether via twitter, facebook, or within my comment section, will be entered into a drawing for a free e-publication of Artemis Rising. For additional information about my guest author, check out her website at www.cherilasota.com.
Don’t be such a drama queen…Actually, please do: How to put the drama back into your chapters
writing craft advice by Cheri Lasota
I won’t mince words. My novel, Artemis Rising, was a pain in the butt to write. Took me ten tortuous years to whip that finicky diva into shape. Essentially, the plot involves three intertwining stories: my main plot, which focuses on a young Azorean girl choosing between two boys and two faiths (poor girl); the myth of Alpheus and Arethusa, and the legend of Tristan and Isolde. Somehow all these seemingly disparate stories flow as one in the novel (don’t ask me how…that’s where the ten years come in).
That said, the lovely Janie Bill has asked me to talk a little bit about how I created a sense of drama in a scene that inherently doesn’t have a lot of forward motion. I’ve chosen the chapter that focuses on the Azorean religious festival Festa do Espírito Santo. For years, this chapter plagued me, and yet I couldn’t bear to cut it. The festival was one of the cultural aspects of the Azores Islands that I wanted to highlight and work into my plot.
Seems like it would be easy to do, right? I can just put my main character front and center in the middle of the festival and build my scene from there.
“The orphans would dance the Chamarrita and São Macaio and Arethusa herself would be named a special queen due to her bravery and hardship.”
See? I did that. But basically the scene then consisted of my main character being the queen of the festival and performing certain rituals in a very solemn mass and procession. Not exactly edge-of-your-seat action.
Well, at some point, I had a colossal breakthrough moment. There was a powerful scene that I had deleted from chapter one (because it divulged something shocking about my bad guy that I didn’t want revealed so early on). It had lingered quietly in my periphery for a couple of years. And then! I realized I could just dump that scene into the middle of my festa chapter and that would completely throw a wrench in the seemingly benign flow of the festival.
There are my characters, dancing away toward the end of the festival, and then here is the moment where the shocking news is revealed…
“The horror in her face made him let go but not before Irmã Fátima caught sight of them and began her walk across the courtyard. But Arethusa did not think of the nun. She grasped her throat and pointed an accusing finger at Diogo, but the words she ached to say would not come.
It was you.
Amusement tugged at the corners of his mouth and his eyes spoke of secrets they both knew, secrets she had no voice to tell. On his lips, she recognized the distinct curve of his malice. The memory came back to her in a flood-rush.”
Every chapter needs:
- A beginning, middle, and end
- Rising action
- A purpose—either character development or plot movement (preferably both)
This chapter had a purpose: to highlight a critical element of Azorean culture and to give my character (and the reader) a reprieve from a horrific experience in the previous chapter. But it was missing a rising action to a big ending. This huge reveal (it’s actually my character having a flashback to that earlier scene from chapter one) gave me both of those necessary items.
This is something each writer needs to analyze. One edit of your novel should be devoted to holistic examination of chapter structure. Does each chapter pull it’s weight and add something new to the story–information, character development, plot reversals, calls to action, etc.? Do the chapters end on a cliffhanger or big reveal? If a chapter doesn’t build to something, you might need to restructure it so that it does.
And of course this isn’t just for whole chapters. This goes down to scenes within chapters and paragraphs within scenes. Every element that goes into a novel is a microcosm unto itself. And each requires the writer’s attention to ensure it’s being useful and pulling its weight.
Create and sustain drama through classic chapter structure and you’ll be sure to keep your readers on the edge of their seats. Case in point: I was sitting next to my friend as she read this revised scene. When it came to the moment of the big reveal, she turned to me eyes-wide and nearly shouted, “Oh, no you didn’t!” That put a huge smile on my face, as you can imagine. At last, I had fixed the problem of my wayward chapter: drama.
Steering Reader’s Emotions in Romantic Tragedies
Lauren Oliver loves to make readers hate and hates to make readers love. She flavors romantic tragedies with Gothic edge. Her authentic portrayal of high school meanies causes readers to passionately love to hate in, Before I Fall. On the flipside, Lauren’s dystopian trilogy, beginning with Delirium and followed by Pandemonium, presents an overpowering hatred of love.
Lauren modestly credits her explosive success to developing her craft over twenty years. She began journaling at the age of five.
Janie: During the years of developing your craft, how did you know when you were ready for publication? Did you read a book or reach a point where you had an epiphany telling you all the elements in your manuscript fit well together?
Lauren: In terms of your question about how I knew my writing was at the right place…I’m not sure I did, per se. I think it’s more about the fact that I began attempting longer and longer projects, using the knowledge accumulated and absorbed over the years. I completed three novels before writing Before I Fall, although I had been attempting to complete novels since high school. And eventually, I managed to complete a book that was good enough to be published and read.
Janie: When journaling, do you create an arc with each journal entry, giving a beginning, middle and end to your daily thoughts? Or do you recommend random musings?
Lauren: Well, I actually never journaled, per se. I began writing at five, but I started writing fiction from the start. So yes, from the beginning I was always working on character and plot arc. In fact, I started writing basically by extending or continuing the books my mom read me or that I was starting (barely) to read myself—it was an early version of fan fiction. I still carry notebooks, and jot down thoughts, observations, characters, metaphors, and book ideas.
The first person narrative in Lauren’s novels shares the deepest secrets of the protagonist as though she is confiding to her best friend, who happens to be the reader.
Janie: What techniques unlock your captivating voice? How do you grip the reader and shape her impressions about the protagonist?
Lauren: Oh, man! I’m not sure I know how to answer that. First of all, thank you. I think the advice I strive most to follow when it comes to voice was given to me by one of my professors at NYU (where I went to get my MFA in fiction), Chuck Wachtel. He said: “Aim for truth, and beauty will follow. Aim for beauty, and truth will not necessarily follow.”
Similar to William Shakespeare’s techniques to increase tension in Romeo & Juliet, Lauren’s sarcastic wit of her protagonist serves as comedic relief during the darkest moments. She layers tension with each chapter, giving a bang to her unexpected finale.
Janie: What are your favorite methods for heightening tension in a scene? How about the novel as a whole?
Lauren: Hmm. I’m not sure I heighten tension consciously—actually, I wish I were better at it. I tend to be much more comfortable with character, and dialogue, and long, verbose descriptions (far too comfortable, actually—my drafts always run ridiculously long). But conflict and tension are often, in books, synonymous. So placing characters that want essentially opposing things in contact creates tension. And “raising the stakes” is an essential way of creating conflict in everything from movies, to improv, to novels. This means that you take something that your character already wants or is pursuing and make it more critical that she gets it. (i.e., I need this antidote, otherwise I will die becomes I need this antidote, otherwise I will die in two hours.)
According to Aristotle’s precepts for tragedy, the story must revolve around a protagonist the reader respects, and the protagonist must have a flaw the reader is willing to excuse. In Before I Fall, Lauren lures the reader into caring for a character with an unlikeable personality.
Janie: What writing techniques make people care about a character who only exists on paper as if she is a walking, breathing relative? How do you get readers to switch from dislike to admiration?
Lauren: One of the interesting things about character development is that a reader is more likely to care—or at least proceed down the road with—a character that is deeply flawed but seems real, than one who is likable but also implausible. I think that in order to evoke a sense of vibrancy and life to your characters, it’s important that you think of them all dimensionally. Real people are inconsistent and very complex, even if, for example, their complexity manifests in silly ways—like, a person who refuses to drink regular coke (only diet!) but loves fries, or someone who won’t drink but doesn’t mind smoking weed. That’s how people are. Additionally, it’s important to give your characters a goal—wants, in other words—and also to identify what their real emotional need is, which is often distinct or even in conflict with their stated want. This is also how real people are (.i.e., I want to win this championship means I need my dad to respect me.)
In terms of growth…I mean, that is the process, through a novel, of slowly allowing the character to perceive that what they want may not be what they need.
Lauren often references her favorite literary classics, most of which are dark comedies and have desperado coming of age themes. Lauren’s novels share their timeless appeal with social messages and peeked emotions.
Janie: Must a writer have lived the emotions of his character at some point in her life in order to invoke those feelings in the reader? Can a writer successfully explore and experience an emotion for the first time in his novel?
Lauren: That’s a wonderful question. I think, yes, you can explore an emotion for the first time, because emotions get nuance from context. For example, the “sadness” of a person saying goodbye to her boyfriend before leaving for college is qualitatively different from the “sadness” experienced by parents saying goodbye to a child before she leaves for school—sadness is just a blanket term. I’ve always thought that the most important ability a writer must have is the ability to empathize, to imaginatively project into another person’s feeling.
Contemporary dystopian fiction is set within a repressed society that is dominated with the use of technology; however, they appreciate being protected from a greater evil, until one man evolves spiritually and discovers freedom. In Delirium, Lauren portrays a monitored society that has a sense of doom.
Janie: What elements in your setting and character perspectives raise the stakes and give a sense of oppression? How important are the character’s reactions?
Lauren: The stakes become raised for Lena when she wants to oppose the strictures and rules of the society in which she lives. That is what I referenced earlier when I said that an essential element of creating tension is setting characters at odds with one another. In this case, society can be viewed as a character, and so Lena’s emotional reaction to her plight is critical. The stakes are relatively low when she believes what society preaches—they become extremely high, however, as she rebels, and increasingly feels she’ll do anything to pursue the goals and values that are in fundamental opposition to those of her culture.
One of the interesting things about writing Delirium was the chance to explore a culture in which information is rigorously controlled. Of all the forms of oppression, this is perhaps the most terrifying—a total destabilization of reality can cause far more damage than acts of immediate violence. And, unfortunately, that is a reality in many parts of the world.
While her words are perfectly arranged, Lauren is loose with the rules of writing. She switches the point of view from first to second, she ends sentences with prepositional phrases, and she plays with the verb tense. She’ll even put backstory in her beginnings. Still, she masters prose.
Janie: When is it right to break those rules preached over and over and over?
Lauren: Well, I mean, I think it’s important to understand the “rules,” because at base rules of writing are rules of clarity and communication. What is essential to good writing is simply that you are able to convey to other people what you want to convey. And like any craft, it’s often only after you understand the rules that you can perceive their flexibility. (Picasso, as I understand it, studied the rules of draftsmanship and realism for many years before he exhibited the genius of completely disregarding them.) But there are some rules—for example, the rule that no preposition should end a sentence—that seem silly to me in many cases. Who do you know that would say in actual conversation: “In which container did you put the coffee?” It’s ridiculous! Or, as Winston Churchill allegedly said: “Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.”
I deeply appreciate your sharing some writing techniques about how to guide the emotions of readers, Lauren. Excellent writing, by the way. I predict a long career with multiple smash hits in your future, which you’ve already accomplished so I know I’m right. Tres bien!
Learn more about Lauren Oliver at www.laurenoliverbooks.com.
Achieving Lisa Wheeler Hooks in Picture Books
Whiff, Sniff, Picture Books,
Go, Grow, Lengthy Thumbs,
Perceiving, Achieving,
Wacky Wheeler Hooks
Lisa Wheeler hooks youngsters and their adult readers with snappy poems and ironic plots. With two-dozen published books and international sales, she delivers energetic hip-hop with jazzy beats.
Energy bursts from her prose. She spreads happiness in millions of lives by the use of her words. But, where does her creativity come from?
Sniffing began Lisa Wheeler’s writing career. She smelled her way into a passion for the old fashion paper-kind at her school library. As early as fourth grade, her natural shimmy received recognition by earning first place in a Halloween themed writing contest, but it wasn’t until after Lisa married and raised three children that she decided to build her talent into a career.
Success embraces Lisa. Consistently, she devises imaginative storylines with endearing characters. But, what about Lisa makes her unique?
Lisa’s most notable physical features are her exceptionally long thumbs, which makes sense. After all, thumbs separate man from beasts – reasoning intelligence from animal instincts. And it takes an abundance of brainpower to control her extra-lengthy phalanxes.
For writers who don’t have the ability to lengthen their thumbs, Lisa shares her insights.
Janie: By including the scent of books with your reading, you boost a passive activity into a physical experience. Do you apply all your senses (feeling, hearing, touching, seeing, smelling, tasting) to devise engaging characters?
Lisa: I am a kinesthetic learner. So I get my best ideas when I am moving. The act of walking, driving, biking, or even swimming sets all my gears in motion and ideas come to life. In a sense (no pun intended, this time) perhaps that can be construed as touching—not sure—but motion is very sensory.
My ideas sometimes come to me with a voice. I hear a character speaking in my mind and I know I have to tell their story. So perhaps that is hearing?
Sometimes my ideas come from a word or a line that enters into my head. If it is an exceptionally delicious line or word, I run with it. Tasting?
I truly cannot take credit for creating terrific characters as I think the characters come to me fully formed. I just have to introduce them.
Janie: You imagine an endless range of topics. A Hispanic family shares “I love you.” An African American family dances a jig. A cow becomes a sailor and a cricket refuses to perform chores. What inspires your creativity? Did you think about puns and irony before you began writing?
Lisa: I don’t really think about puns before I start writing. Since my humor tends toward ‘punny’, my brain takes me there when I am in the midst of a story.
And like many writers, everything inspires me. I rarely have written directly from real life, even though things from real life inspire my work. For instance, a noisy cricket that lived in the bush outside my bedroom window became Old Cricket. When my niece spit a piece of gum out of a moving car window I made note of it and that later became Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum. I believe that everyone can look at the same situation or object or animal and walk away with a different story. It’s all in how we are wired.
Janie: Despite your varying themes, all the stories connect with children. What are the core elements?
Lisa: Hmmm. . . I never think about these things before I write, so I had to give this some thought.
When I look at my body of work, I see themes repeat themselves. Love and friendship are at the heart of many of my books and I think that my universal message is “Let’s get along.” You see that message of community in many of my books, including Sixteen Cows, Ugly Pie, Porcupining, and even Boogie Knights. We are all reaching out to each other. I don’t write sentimental books, but once you strip away all the silliness and wordplay, I think that my message is one that we all can relate to.
Janie: You invent original rhyming patterns with snappy page-turners in several books such as Mammoths on the Move, and Jazz Baby. Do you have any tips on how a “tune-deaf” writer can develop her inner ear? Listening to music? Reading quality poems? Modify a classic?
Lisa: I never understand why non-rhymers desire to write in rhyme. It is much harder to sell! But since you asked, I’ll try and give some tips.
First of all, study Mother Goose. The rhymes there are very simple and some of them have perfect meter—like Mary Had A Little Lamb.
Second, a pre-school teacher taught me something interesting. When my daughter was in her class, she would have them recite rhymes. As the kids sat in a circle, she would walk around and pat out the rhythms gently on their shoulder. She said that feeling the beats physically as one is reciting rhyme, helps develop that ‘ear’ for rhythm.
Also, I joined a poetry group in my community. We met twice a month and read poetry aloud. The head of the group was a retired English teacher and a stickler for meter. She drilled it into us, giving lessons as we went along. I came away from that group with a much better ear for rhyme. More education is also a key ingredient. And if one does all of the above and still can’t make their meter work, then I suggest you write in prose.
Janie: Your stories place readers in the action. How can writers draw the child into the story? Do you make sure to include the Where, What, When and Why?
Lisa: I make sure to include active verbs, interesting characters, and picture book elements such as wordplay, repetition, onomatopoeia. I make sure the stories have lots of forward motion—no staling—and a tight word count. I often add elements of surprise to delight the young reader. But most of all, I make sure to tell a really good story.
Janie: Your knowledge about rhyming, tempo, and creativity earns you well-deserved praises. What are your top three suggestions for how writers can attain publication?
Lisa:
1. Read, read, read. Read children’s books in the genre you want to write. Study them. Dissect them. Ask yourself whether they were satisfying. Why or why not. I feel that for every book we write we should read 100. If the last children’s book you read was written more than 10 years ago—get to a book store and see what is being published now.
2. Write, write, write. You will write and fail. You will write and get rejections. You will write stories no one will ever read but you. That is the point. Not every story hits it out of the ballpark. But I had many ‘practice’ stories before I wrote the one that finally sold. As a matter-of-fact, I received 225 rejections before I sold my first book. Guess what? I still get more rejections than acceptances. But unless you are writing consistently, you can’t get better or stronger. Those unsold stories are not failures. They are the steps to writing the one that makes it out of the slush pile.
3. Join, join, join. Join SCBWI and get involved. Join a critique group. Be sure that your group is made up of writers who are writing in the same genre as you. I recommend that picture book writers form a group in and unto themselves. Same for mid-grade novelists and non-fiction writers, etc. The reason I recommend this is that in all my failed critique groups, the dynamic was based on what the majority of members were writing. So if there are 2 picture book writers in a group of YA novelists, I have seen unhappiness result. Plus, if you are all writing the same genre, you learn from reading each other’s work. I am sure there are exceptions to this bit of advice, but in my experience, it always ended badly when genres were too widespread in one group.
On behalf of all writers you inspire, your insights are priceless. Your compositions brighten homes, provide bonding time for families and fill holidays with love. You spread happiness and elevate moods by devising peppy lyrics. Your dedication to creativity is priceless. Please do carry on.
For any writers interested in learning more about Lisa Wheeler, including her editing services for picture books, her website is located at www.lisawheelerbooks.com.
Creating Believable Fantasy Set in Medieval Times
King’s Envoy is the first novel in the fantasy series, Artesans of Albia, written by Cas Peace. Set in medieval realms filled with mysticism and chivalry, King’s Envoy embraces the reader by grounding the characters. Cas builds contention between two of the realms which has its origins in the desire of an Albian Baron to destroy the Artesan craft. Instead of traveling across pastures to battle scenes, the adversaries must cross the substance separating each realm. Only some men and women are powerful enough to open the channels to these parallel worlds.
Human Artesans live in Albia, the fourth dimension, where the craft is slowly dying. Artesans in general possess the power to control their life force (metaforce) which is channeled through each person’s unique pattern of psyche. This control can then be used to gain power over the four elements of the earth. While having the ability to develop the craft is a birthright, Artesans rely upon an experienced person of higher rank for their training.
Janie: Are your realms based on the Buddhist concept that multiple worlds exist on earth, where each is unable to see one another, yet at times, they notice one another’s presence? When did you make the choice to combine cultural beliefs for a unique outlook in your story world?
Cas: Before I answer that I want to say a huge Thank You, Janie, for the opportunity to reveal these facts about King’s Envoy. I’d also like to say how much fun I had answering your challenging and insightful questions. The process made me think about my book from a slightly different angle, and often gave me pause for thought. I hope what I have said here piques readers’ interest, and that they will get as much pleasure from reading the book as I did from writing it.
Ok, now to answer Janie’s questions!
I would have to admit that my world of five realms does owe something to Eastern beliefs, if only in a small way. The concept is not unique in fiction, of course. Many writers before me have used this idea of layered worlds and I was intrigued by the possibilities that might arise when completely separate and self-contained worlds, all of which would have evolved their own distinct beliefs, cultures and customs, could be visited at will by denizens of the other realms. Add the proviso that only an elite core from each realm would have this ability and you create a volatile and infinitely variable set of possibilities. Such possibilities speak potently to a writer. In King’s Envoy, and indeed the entire Artesan series which comprises nine books in all, only two of these realms are explored in any detail. The other three are mentioned, but only in passing. This, of course, leaves ample opportunities for me to write novels set in the realms that remain unrevealed!
Janie: Traditional medieval literature includes witch-craft and sorcery. Did you intentionally model your plot to accommodate the qualities of witch-craft? The supernatural skills held by your characters resemble the philosophy at the root of practically every culture. Did you choose the mastery over the four elements based on Celtic beliefs to follow with your setting?
Cas: One of the concepts I deliberately wanted to avoid when writing my novels was the concept of witch-craft. It appears in many hundreds of novels, and I wanted my world’s “magic system” – for want of a better term – to be something different. So I went back to what I believe were probably mankind’s earliest beliefs – those surrounding the forces of nature and the heavens. I drew on what I knew of the ancient Druids and Celtic shamans in this, and in many fundamental ways Albia is a Celtic realm.
In my novels I have also deliberately separated religion from the powers possessed and manipulated by Artesans. Unlike witches or wizards, who traditionally drew their powers from some fallen or ancient deity who demands worship or sacrifice in exchange for power, Artesans venerate neither the forces they learn to control nor their source. They understand that what they are doing is simply harnessing the natural energies of the world they live in, not the supernatural. The only cost to Artesans in using their powers is in terms of mental and physical exertion; the elemental forces make no demands other than those of strength and capability. There are deities in my created world and they do hold sway over spirit and soul; they do not, however, empower their worshippers or enter into power-bargains with them.
Janie: The two main female characters in your novel both work and earn a living independently from men. Both have strength of character and the confidence to fight evil.
Were these characteristics common during medieval times, when life was difficult for everyone? Did you incorporate a contemporary ideal of women to add depth to the female roles in medieval times?
Cas: I believe that women down the ages have always possessed the mental strength and capability to deal with difficult situations. Women in medieval times were, I’m sure, much tougher than some romantic novels and films give them credit for. There were many women merchants in those days, as well as independently-wealthy noblewomen who lived life much as they chose. The balance of gender preferment in human society has shifted often in the past, and both sexes have had to adapt.
My two main female characters are strong in different ways, yet both exhibit the flaws inherent in human nature. One of my original goals in writing the novel – and this goal was conceived long before I ever put pen to paper – was to create a credible heroine who was an authentic human female yet who could hold her own in a man’s world; and in some cases surpass men. I am aware that this statement could make her sound like a Paragon, an Amazon, or a body-building freak; in reality she is young, small and slim, with a loyal and loving nature. Her steel lies underneath.
Janie: If you met either of your main female characters in person, what qualities would you want to change in them? Why didn’t you give them those qualities in King’s Envoy?
Cas: I love this question! Each of my characters have their faults, such flaws are what make us human. We’ve all read books where the characters either seem too perfect, or they are so flawed that they become completely unlikeable; I find both scenarios irritating. I wanted to tread a more realistic line with my characters and therefore some are more flawed than others. As far as my two female leads are concerned, one is a healer. She is trained, talented and extremely capable, the kind of person you’d want by your side in a medical emergency. Yet take her out of her comfort zone and she becomes shy and insecure. Her confidence only extends as far as her knowledge of herbs, ailments and treatments – don’t ask her to stand up and speak in front of a crowd. As the Artesan series progresses she does gain more in the way of personal confidence, but only when among people she knows.
My other female lead possesses all the confidence the healer lacks. She knows her own strengths and weaknesses and isn’t afraid to test herself against whatever life throws at her. She takes her successes humbly, while her failures (yes, she has failures!) do not break her. Her worst quality is that in times of stress she resorts to bad language. I know that many people in our modern will not view this as a weakness, but in the environment that surrounds this woman, swearing is discouraged. It’s a rule she tries to obey, but one which she regularly breaks.
I suppose if I’m honest, both the confidence issue and the bad language are subjects I struggle with on a personal level. I would love to be a very confident person, but I’m not. I also resort to the odd swearing session on occasion!
Janie: Just as during the Middle Ages when tribes fought for territories and explorers went out into the world, the characters in King’s Envoy love adventure. The protagonist, Taran, embarks on his quest for knowledge and training, while the heroine embraces obstacles for the betterment of her kind. Journeys are made between the realms in order to end evil or, for the antagonist, for the purpose of conquering and dominating the kingdoms.
Did you give each character a different motivation for craving adventure because each had a distinct personality and background? Was their motivation critical for developing the plot?
Cas: Yes it was, although Taran doesn’t crave adventure as such. In his case the motivational force is desperation; a yearning to achieve his potential, an urgent desire to acquire the knowledge he simply can’t find in his own realm. This is the crux on which the entire story-plot hinges, for if Taran hadn’t been so desperate to increase his knowledge he never would have had the courage to embark upon the naïve and risky plan that resulted in him uncovering what the antagonist was plotting. I love the contradiction – Taran’s tendency toward failure results in success: the discovery of this treacherous plot.
The other main characters in King’s Envoy all possess different traits which enable them to make their contribution. But that contribution is not always directly related to defeating the enemy. Sometimes it involves supporting and enabling other characters to do what they must.
Janie: In the medieval classic, Roland, the codes for knights evolved. Knights acted on behalf of the church, at times on a crusade to save souls and other times to protect the throne but always in the name of God. Your protagonist, Taran, opens King’s Envoy with his personal interest to develop his supernatural skills. Only once his poor judgment places innocent people living within his realm in danger does he venture into the world in order to save the common man.
Do you consider Taran to be a knight in training? Based on his morals and loyalty to his neighbors, would Taran have gone out into the world in order to stop the antagonist from brutally slaughtering the people in his town if he had not felt personally responsible for inciting the attacks? Does Taran represent the foolishness of mankind causing wars?
Cas: Well, poor Taran is certainly foolish, at least at the beginning of the book, but I can’t pretend that it was in my mind to be so profound as to have him represent all that is foolish in Man. I think that’s a bit much for one character to carry all by himself! Is he a knight in training? That wasn’t really my intention either, and Taran would never think of himself in those terms. Yet he is a deeply honorable man and that honor brings him problems. Would he have defended his village against raiders? Definitely yes. Would he have put himself forward as someone who could go up against the antagonist? Absolutely not. All Taran really wants is to be left alone, in peace, to learn his craft; yet his innocent desire for knowledge has left him responsible for endangering his village and sees him plunged into the possibility of starting an all-out realm war. However, it is his very deep-rooted loyalty to his craft and those who practice it that enables him to cope with the dangerous and unexpected nature of the adventure he’s brought upon himself. This becomes the start of his own personal journey, a theme which runs throughout the series and culminates in a spectacular and cataclysmic finale.
Janie: In classic literature, it wasn’t until the Arthurian tales of the Knights of the Round Table that heroes rose from common births. During the age of Beowulf, heroes grew from noble households. Taran is born of a common birth but craves the training and education for reaching the highest level of Artesan. He would hold standing in the community because of his Artesan birthright, but he doesn’t come from a royal household.
Did you intentionally place your protagonist in a humble background so that he could rise higher? Is his modest childhood intended to make him more approachable for readers?
Cas: Taran’s breeding wasn’t necessarily established as humble in order for readers to identify with or like him. I hoped that his character and nature would make him likeable no matter what his origins. But I did intend him to be a character who lacked from the outset the kind of traits and privileges that come with noble birth. Taran is not intended to be a lowly peasant; he’s just an ordinary man who has been born with an extraordinary gift. It was the way he would deal with the problem of satisfying his craving to learn that I was primarily interested in.
I had already decided that the Artesan craft would be passed down the generations in a different way in each realm, meaning that each race would view practitioners of the craft in very different lights. The talent is not inherently evil, yet as we know from our own daily life those who are perceived as ‘elite’, for whatever reason, are often treated with suspicion and wariness. In Albia – Taran’s realm – anyone, male or female, rich or poor, can inherit the gift. Perversely, this is the only realm where the craft is dying out, hence Taran’s struggle to find a mentor. His particular dilemma is that although he yearns to increase his knowledge and therefore his Artesan rank, such achievements are likely to lower his standing among his fellow Albians, not increase it. So not only is Taran embarking upon a rite of passage regarding his personal power, he’s also struggling to find his place within the world. I hope that readers will identify with Taran’s problems, or at least empathize with him.
Janie: Throughout King’s Envoy, there are battles, sometimes between two men, other times an army rains down on citizens. In the opening chapter, Taran’s poor judgment and swordsman expertise channel the wrath of an ambitious kingdom down upon his clan.
Was this a method for showing his manhood and loyalty to his lineage?
Cas: This was actually a method of showing Taran’s naivety and innocence. Don’t forget, he’s had so many failures that he’s now willing to try anything. Based purely on some notes left by his father, he sets off to a foreign realm, with the deliberate aim of challenging another man to a duel. The optimistic side of Taran’s nature has led him to believe that all he needs to do is force a draw. He has no desire to hurt anyone and if there was any other way, he wouldn’t be resorting to this plan at all. Its dreadful outcome leaves him morally wounded as well as physically. His spirit suffers more pain than his body. This is the final straw, and it breaks him. It’s a way of revealing the flaws in Taran’s training as well as his nature, and it leaves him embarrassed and completely vulnerable. Yet although he is broken and frightened, he doesn’t shirk his responsibility. Here lies Taran’s strength, and this is what enables him to move forward and become the person others know he can be.
Janie: Taran exudes high moral character. He represents chastity and obediently acts according to the law. He acts courteous and obliging toward women. He accepts training under a desirable woman and remains obedient despite his growing attraction toward her.
Did you make Taran submissive to his love interest to bolster tension in their scenes?
Cas: Absolutely! I think it works, too. This is another recurring theme throughout the series and readers might be surprised at how it finally resolves. Yet there was another reason. You have mentioned Taran’s high moral character, and this becomes both an asset and a hindrance to him. He faces many moral dilemmas in his relationships with other characters and I find it fascinating to watch him struggle through them. Does he represent chastity, or sexual frustration? Even repression? Does he even fully understand his feelings toward the women around him? Or have his humility and tightly-controlled emotions stunted his personal development? Reading the full series might well answer most of these questions.
Janie: Similar to the historical fantasy, Beowulf, Taran is a regular guy. Through hard work and wise choices, he exercises expertise when cornered into a battle or swordplay. Like Beowulf, Taran is chivalrous beyond expectations of his peers. No matter the circumstances, Taran follows the codes of conduct for a knight by conforming to authority.
How did you give Taran such sensitivities without emasculating him?
Cas: In writing King’s Envoy I deliberately decided to focus on the emotions and inner motivations of each character, rather than concentrating on the epic plot. I believe that by showing Taran’s aspirations and the nature of his needs and desires I have avoided all possibility of him being considered less than masculine. He desires power, he enjoys swordplay, he delights in each advancement of his Artesan talent. The fact that he doesn’t brag about his achievements, or flaunt any of his talents, is not, in my opinion, unmanly. In fact, I feel that there is an air of mystique about Taran that would be quite attractive to women. He is passably good looking, has a fit but not overly developed physique, and he has a protective and generous nature. There’s nothing un-masculine about that, in my opinion!
Janie: Initially, Taran is driven by his yearning to learn how to use his skills. Once his mistake harms others, Taran wages war to protect the innocent lives he placed in jeopardy by his original sin. True to the ideals of knights, he isn’t interested in acquiring land or becoming wealthy.
Was it your intention to give him a higher motive as you developed his character? Did the character of Taran guide you in the direction he desired?
Cas: All my characters seemed to guide me in their own directions. Apart from the original decision to open the book with a ‘lost’ character, someone searching for what he needs to become whole, I had no other firm plans for the rest of the ‘cast’. Taran’s Apprentice, Cal, and Cal’s lover, Rienne, started life as insignificant characters. Their natures and involvement evolved as the plot demanded. The characters at the Manor were more fully visualized before I began writing those scenes, but even they revealed deeper and sometimes unexpected traits as the story progressed. I found it fascinating to watch each character react to the events around them; sometimes they surprised even me!
Janie: In The Prince by Machiavelli, realism is given to the Middle Ages hero. A hierarchy is provided for ordering society, which results in the good life. The hero is required to be strong and instill order, even if it requires him to act unethically. Innocent lives are sacrificed for the greater good. Individuality is rejected. The hero is motivated by the receiving glory in his afterlife in the kingdom of God.
Taran and your heroine feel real. Although a gorgeous warrior, your heroine holds a higher military rank over Taran. She received training and has greater resources. She is the leader in their relationship. Her motivation in joining Taran’s journey to develop his skills lies with a commonality in their past. She understands Taran’s frustrations and experienced his same weaknesses prior to rising above her surroundings. She strategizes against the antagonist according to her wits.
While your heroine is a remarkable woman, she successfully released her individuality and abides by the codes and orders of her superiors. Did you model her after the ideal qualities of a medieval knight? Why did you choose for the damsel in distress to be superior to the protagonist, but with an injured past she wants healed by a strong man?
Cas: Throughout my reading life I have been fascinated by the varied characters of fictional heroes and heroines. Yet I have often felt that the fantasy genre didn’t have enough truly credible heroines – leading characters that felt like real women; that is, women who could compete with men, and sometimes become superior to them, without compromising their femininity. I’m sure many people will hold opposing views on this subject but I am speaking from my own reading experience. The nearest I have ever come to finding what I considered to be an entirely believable, strong heroine who never compromises her femininity is in Hugo Award winning author C. J. Cherryh’s Chronicles of Morgaine. Although it was completely unintentional, my heroine takes much from Morgaine including, I hope, her air of mystery. Thinking about it, my world has many parallels with Morgaine’s, a fact that also happened subconsciously. I suppose you could also cite similarities between Taran and Vanye, Morgaine’s ‘sidekick’, but again, what similarities there might be are coincidental.
My heroine’s wounded past, and the events that befall her in King’s Envoy, are defining moments in her life. They mold her character and cause her to react in certain ways. When coupled with her deep sense of loyalty and duty, and driven by the tremendous power she commands, they create a dangerous entity, one who possesses the capability to destroy as much as to heal. The question is – will the many traumas she suffers during the course of her mission overcome her love and loyalty, turning them to hatred and destruction? Only reading the books will tell!
Janie: The most notable quality of King’s Envoy is the detail given to daily life. The scenes are built with the mechanics of chores performed, such as serving dinner or setting camp. Explaining how man went about his regular activities emphasizes the differences between modern conveniences and the struggles of medieval lifestyles.
Where did you learn so much about the equipment available at the time? Did you place yourself in the setting and imagine what it would have been like? Did you research what inventions were discovered during the period? Did you worry with whether or not you accidentally included a technique for workers that was not discovered until later in history? Which did you consider to be most important, authenticity of the times or elements within the story?
Cas: This is another fascinating question and it touches upon what I felt was one of the most important aspects of my fantasy world, one I kept high in my mind while writing the series. In my opinion, the area where some fantasy books fall down is in not sufficiently grounding the reader. We all understand, basically, how our world works, we don’t have to think too hard about it. But when we pick up a fantasy book, we know we could be plunged headlong into almost anything. It’s exciting, it’s why we read that kind of book, but it can also leave us floundering for a few chapters until we get our bearings. I wanted readers to be able to grasp, almost without thinking, what kind of world mine is, and how it works. I’m not talking about the fantastical elements of it – Artesans and their powers – but the everyday stuff. Fantastical elements become stranger and more wonderful when placed in a more mundane setting. I also think that such small details, provided they’re not overdone, really help to bring a character vividly to life. And I find that immersing myself deeply into my story and my characters, so deeply that I see what they see, smell what they smell, and hear their voices, is the only way I can write.
As to knowing about the period itself, I can only put that down to my reading experience. I love historical novels, whether fact or fiction, and I’m sure I’ve absorbed much information this way. Of course, it’s also pretty easy to research such things on the Internet these days. But let me say here that complete historical accuracy was not my aim. This is a work of fiction, and fantasy at that – it is not meant to be a definitive work on the medieval period. There may well be things that a historian would roll their eyes at, or take issue with me over, and one of those areas could well be medical care and treatment. Because one of my main characters is a healer, medicine often features in the story. Further on in the series I touch upon the medical advances being made, and there is a scene involving the giving of someone’s blood to save another. I have no idea how well this technique was known or practiced in the medieval period – all I do know is that it happens in my world at this time! I make no apologies for any historical inaccuracies – if you want actual facts, you can read a history book!
Janie: A traumatic incident is followed by a tender moment. The two main female characters become friends in a personable situation. Cas grasps a sense of real life experiences instead of plummeting the reader with one high-charged scene after another.
Was the purpose of your pacing to give readers time to become friends with the characters so that they will care about them when the stakes are raised? Did you intentionally slow the pace between battles so that readers have time to digest the complex information regarding your supernatural world?
Cas: Personally, I find it unnatural and irritating when writers try to race the reader from one exciting scene to another with no pause for breath. Yes, a good pace is essential to a novel, and readers want stimulating scenes. Yet there have to be lulls in the pace, as much for variety as for the giving of information. King’s Envoy’s opening chapters are pacy; full of excitement and mystery. But then comes phase two of the story, where a whole new set of characters are introduced. Their personalities and their place in the world and the lives of Taran and his friends are essential to the plot. The way Taran and others react to certain events is determined by these scenes – such important factors should not be rushed past the reader. Also, King’s Envoy is the first book of a trilogy – Artesans is a triple-trilogy series – and I wanted to ensure that readers understood the cataclysmic events of the series’ finale. So I hope I will be forgiven this small reduction in pace in King’s Envoy. Books Two and Three, King’s Champion and King’s Artesan, are faster-paced throughout.
Janie: In King’s Envoy, time is devoted to the relationships between horses and the main characters. The reader meets the fine fillies and shares the joy of developing a bond with creatures that are necessary for survival. Cas’ unique sensitivity with man’s relationship with animals layers emotion into the plot. More importantly, the glimpses of minute details in life during medieval times places the reader in the shoes of the characters.
Was your goal to create an intimate look at the period of the setting? Do you incorporate the ways in which daily activities were performed during the period as a means for flavoring the plot? Do you feel the story would stand on its own without the extra flavoring?
Cas: I am certain that the essence of the plot could be placed in any context in any period and survive the transition. The themes of love and loyalty, betrayal and treachery, and the pursuit and uses of power are universal. I know that I could have placed my characters in a completely different historical period, or even a completely alien world, and still have used that plot. My intention in incorporating such intimate details was to allow the reader to become immersed in the setting. With regard to the horses, they were an essential and vital part of medieval life. I harbor a deep love of horses; I am a qualified horse-riding instructor and spent some of my early adulthood working and teaching in a school of equitation. When I left, I purchased my own horse – a small Welsh cob named Lively – and proceeded to train him to pull a carriage. I competed in cross-country driving events (similar to eventing but without the jumps!), carriage-dressage, and along with the other members of my driving club was among the first members of the public allowed access to the newly-completed M25, England’s most notorious motorway. There were no traffic jams back then – horses are much more pleasant to drive than cars!
I do not own a horse now, weak back muscles have put paid to that, but I do ride whenever I can. I’m sure this abiding love of horses had something to do with the direction my writing took. We’re always told to ‘write what you know’, and I know a bit about horses!
Janie: The point of view shifts between characters throughout King’s Envoy. The opening chapter revolves around the hero; do-gooder, innocent yet curious Taran and his desire for knowledge. Then the story shifts to the ruthless antagonists who devise a plan to rule their kingdom at the cost of hard-working people. A healer who works with herbs to save lives provides a tender touch to the story. Each character given the spotlight for expressing their perspective on the situations gifts the story with fresh motives and emotion.
Why did you choose to tell this story through the eyes of several people, instead of concentrating on Taran? Did you feel Taran wasn’t wise enough to give the story full justice? Was it imperative for the reader to know more than the protagonist in order to increase tension? Did you intend to invoke multiple emotions by providing several opinions based on strong contrasts in personalities?
Cas: In this first trilogy, the story is mainly told through the eyes of four characters. Taran is one, the antagonist General Sonten is another, and the two female leads are the others. Because the plot spans two different realms and involves more than one faction, it would be impossible to convey sufficient information through a single character. Events occur that would be meaningless and would confuse rather than enlighten were it not for a change of POV. There are also several sub-plots bubbling under the storyline – these all necessitate the use of more than one point of view. Yet it was not my intention to force the reader’s attention in and out of multiple characters’ heads. The story sticks with one character until the plot demands a switch. And I do believe that intimately learning the motivations, aspirations and emotions of several characters enhances a reader’s experience.
Janie: Oftentimes, in medieval fiction, the hero fails to attain his goals; however, his actions and warrior skills serve others, which is better than his smaller goals. Taran desires to strengthen his elemental skills and through his quest he finally meets a worthy teacher. He realizes how little he knew about the rules of combat for Artesans.
As with medieval literature, did you intend for Taran to accept his teachings and receive the more valued affluence of eternal life and God, even though you never actually pull an almighty power into the story? What is Taran’s underlying desire? Aside from being skilled, did he subconsciously intend to save the world all along, and interestingly enough, his actions created the situation for him to save?
Cas: Wow, that’s a deep one! I really love the concept that Taran’s subconscious desires and yearnings could somehow have manipulated the ambitions of an outlander character and twisted them to his own ends, simply so he would have a reason to acquire the knowledge and power to oppose them. I almost wish that’s the way the novel had gone! Sadly not. Taran, bless him, would never even dream of himself as a Savior. His involvement with the plot as it stands is reluctant; he’d much rather remain safely at the Manor and take what teaching was on offer. He’s a simple soul who doesn’t look further than his next advancement; his only goal is reaching the rank his father attained.
As for the story not dealing with death and a possible afterlife, and my not pulling an almighty power into the story, all I can say is – read the entire series!
Janie: As with all great literature, the hero loves his woman. In King’s Envoy, Taran takes his time committing his heart to a woman. At first he is infatuated with your heroine. Then he also develops deep respect for her. Yet it’s not until she shares a secret and reveals her vulnerability to him that Taran admits he can’t resist her allure.
What is it about Taran that makes him slow to admit his feelings toward your heroine? Did you intend for him to be sensitive and genuine in his relationships? Is he so admirable that his focus on learning his elemental skills overpowers his interests in courting? Does a gradual relationship create deeper bonds and stronger ties for a hero to defend in the following books of this series?
Cas: Taran spent his early years being tutored by his father, an uncompromising man who was a hard taskmaster. Denied any female company (the fate of Taran’s mother is not revealed) Taran learned to work and to obey, often with no reward. He becomes … not obsessed, that’s too strong a word … infatuated with the potential he sees within himself. His life goals are primed by his father – emotions and personal relationships are sidelined, even discouraged. After his father’s death, the first person Taran befriends is Cal, a disadvantaged young man in whom Taran sees himself reflected. Cal possesses the vestiges of power yet has had no training, and has already turned to petty crime. Taran, a man who knows intimately how Cal feels, takes him under his wing. Their relationship is similar to Taran’s with his father, albeit on a more conducive level. When Healer Rienne, the practitioner of a respected and desirable profession, arrives in the village and becomes attracted to Cal, Taran sees her as a way of gaining his neighbor’s forbearance. All his attention and drive is focused upon his innate talent and so he feels no jealousy of Cal or desire toward Rienne – pretty as she is. This focus, this intensity of purpose, is the reason why Taran falls so heavily for the story’s heroine. Not only is she an extremely beautiful young woman but, more importantly, she possesses the kind of power Taran can only dream of. Power and beauty – an intoxicating mix. Taran’s long-suppressed emotions can’t cope.
Without wishing to give details away, Taran grows in many ways throughout the series. His emotions, his honor, and his loyalties all contribute, for better or worse, to the storyline. He is a pivotal character.
Janie: King’s Envoy was written as the first story in a series of tales. At what point should a writer plan to create a series? Why have the same characters continue on their path instead of giving them closure and birthing new characters for the next story? What about a series is more appealing than individual novels?
What can we expect from the next book in your series, Artesans of Albia?
Cas: When I began writing King’s Envoy, or Masters of the Matrix as it was then, I didn’t even know I was writing a novel, let alone a whole series. All I had was a beginning, a middle and an end, and no real idea how I would get from one to the other. It wasn’t until I’d written ‘The End’ on my manuscript and began reading back through it that I realized just how long it was. Some research (no computer of my own at that time, so it wasn’t easy) as to how long first novels should be soon told me that what I had was two books, not one. For some time this is how it remained. However, on reviewing the feedback I was getting from agents and publishers I decided that the story would be better split into three. The first Artesans trilogy was born.
As soon as I’d finished those first books, I knew the story wasn’t over. There is resolution of a kind, of one aspect of the plot, yet the full plot was too involved, the machinations of its originator too complex and far-reaching to be dealt with in one trilogy. Also, by this time the characters had taken hold of me, they were demanding more of my time. So I began work on the second trilogy, Circle of Conspiracy, once more becoming totally engrossed in the story and my characters’ lives. And this time, because I had learned more about the craft of writing and knew what my goals were, the experience was even more intense, more enjoyable. I was more in command of the stages of the book, I knew what I wanted from it. I was able to delve even deeper into the nature and motivations of my characters, pushing them to their limits. They had become real to me, as real as my husband or my friends, and I enjoyed spending time with them. Some might say I enjoyed a feeling of power over them, that I was indulging in acting like a kind of deity, manipulating their lives for my own ends. I suppose in a way that’s correct; it’s what all writers do. Yet I had a very strong sense of being just a player in this, simply a conduit for recording actual life. If that sounds lame and sad, too bad! It’s simply how it was.
When ‘Circle’ was finished, I thought that was it. All the loose ends had been tied, the plot resolved. But it soon became apparent that my characters hadn’t finished with me, and soon I began working on the final trilogy, Master of Malice. As its title suggests, the Master trilogy is much darker than the previous two. I’m not sure where this darkness comes from and I’ll admit I found it disturbing. I suppose we all have a core of darkness within us and in the Master trilogy, mine found an outlet.
So; to the question of at what point should a writer decide to create a series, my answer would be; when he or she knows that those characters have more to give. I believe, and I’m also speaking personally, that readers like to follow a fictional character’s ‘career’ just as much as that of a celebrity or a family member. Look at Conan Doyle’s’ Sherlock Holmes, or a more modern analogy, Peter James’ Roy Grace, or, to stick with fantasy, Stephen Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant. I think we all like familiarity and reading about our favorite characters is like catching up with old friends.
As to what you can expect from my next two books, the answer is more tension, more battles, more revelations, heightened emotions, more mystery and lots of action. I hope that King’s Envoy whets readers’ appetites and that they will come back to see whether Taran succeeds in his personal goals, and also discover the significance of the terrible weapon he inadvertently stole. I’d love to hear readers’ thoughts on the novel!
Thank you for your interest,
all the best,
Cas Peace.
Janie: Thank you for sharing your insights into your writing and how to create authentic medieval settings. Book One in the Artesans of Albia trilogy, King’s Envoy, is available from:
Rhemalda Publishing: http://www.atlasbooks.com/rhemalda/artesans.htm
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Envoy-Artesans-Cas-Peace/dp/1936850133/ref=sr_1_1s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305023006&sr=1-1
Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Kings-Envoy/Cas-Peace/e/9781936850136/?itm=10&USRI=rhemalda#TABS
Stay in touch with Cas Peace at: http://www.caspeace.com
You can also find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/cas.peace
and Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4180597.Cas_Peace
If you hurry, Goodreads are giving away 5 copies of King’s Envoy up until August 15th 2011. If you have a Goodreads account, putting King’s Envoy on your ‘to read’ list will help the book’s profile and make Cas Peace very happy!
Simon Forward: Rooting for Evil
Something to think about the next time you see one plummeting to his or her doom.
Meanwhile, for villains you can really root for, why not take a look at Evil UnLtd.
SAF
Guaranteed Success in Today’s Urban Fantasy Market
Author, Alayna Williams, reveals the elements of developing her tantalizing mystery Dark Oracle.
During the previous decade, fantasy readers’ tastes became refined, resulting in the birth of several subgenres. Urban fantasy emerged for storylines set in a metropolitan area, featuring a protagonist with a tragic past, and flavored with fantasy beings or happenings. The publishing industry requires writers to supply what the market desires, but due to the newness of the subgenre, study guides are limited.
Established urban fantasy author, Alayna Williams, shares her secrets that resulted in her earning multiple publications.
Alayna, I welcome you to this forum and consider it a gift to have an expert in the urban fantasy field openly discuss her craft.
Alayna: Thanks so much for inviting me to come by and chat!
Janie: The protagonist of Dark Oracle, Tara Sheridan, is a gutsy girl raised by a modern oracle. She fights federal authorities trying to control a scientist’s high tech invention stemming from Albert Einstein’s theories. An explosion in the research base thrusts Tara into the mystery of finding the missing scientist and discovering why his invention is in such high demand. Tara’s education and street savvy lead her down the scientist’s path during the days prior to his disappearance and right into the snares of not one, but three evil villains.
Dark Oracle provides a refreshing take on the magical world of oracles. Tara’s isn’t a bumbling protagonist who relies on learning how to perform magic in order to grow as a person. Instead, Tara possesses integrity to use her intellect with witchcraft for the good of mankind. Tara embodies a striking presence, strong enough to confront without hesitation evil influences that place mankind at risk. Tara is a heroine determined to save the common man. Heartless villains hunt Tara down, outwitting her with reality-based witchcraft, unlike the telepathic-style magic saturating the market.
Should a writer select the elements of her storyline based on the expected interests of readers with a goal of achieving originality?
Alayna: There’s always a tension between creating something out of the box and writing something that readers will be interested in reading. There’s always risk in taking the road less traveled, but I think that it ultimately serves the readers better by giving them more choices in the marketplace.
Janie: Do you visualize your readers during your creative process?
Alayna: I do. In DARK ORACLE, I knew that many readers probably haven’t been Tarot card readers. As a result, I set out to explain the free-associating process that goes along with reading cards. Tara follows her intuition, leaping from one symbolic image to another…and that’s a lot of what goes into dealing out the cards in real life.
Janie: Alayna takes a unique approach by focusing her character development of Tara on her past relationships with several complex antagonists. Each antagonist is granted personal justification as to why he had the right to kill Tara. Adrienne feels threatened by Tara’s natural talents as an oracle and her birthright to claim the Daughters of Delphi throne. Corvus had laid a trap for Tara to be murdered prior to the story and still wants her out of his career path. Gabriel just plain enjoys hunting people down and killing them. All the evil doers feel justified that the world would be better off without Tara. Contrary to the antagonists, Tara’s love interest, Li, plays less of a role in the story development.
What is the benefit of making the antagonists’ relationships with the protagonist the focus for moving the story forward instead of relying on her love interest?
Alayna: I like to write heroines who are powerful in their own right, who have their own careers, their own flaws, and make their own mistakes.
Using the love interest to move the story forward is a perfectly valid approach – and Harry does draw Tara out of her shell. Tara was attacked by a serial killer several years ago. The attack caused her to quit her work as a criminal profiler and left her scarred for life. Harry’s influence on her life is subtle, drawing her back from self-imposed exile.
But it’s equally valid to use the relationships between a person and her enemies to mark where she stands in the world. Tara’s enemies force her out into the open more traumatically than Harry does, causing her to use her powers to preserve life – whether she wants to or not.
Janie: Tara’s inability to trust the people in her life who love her is parallel with man’s constant disappointment in others. Do you recognize the sad points in life and then write them into your outline?
Alayna: I think that most people have times where they are solitary and choose to withdraw a bit from relationships. I hope that readers are able to connect with that.
Janie: What inspires your unique and dark manners of having Tara killed? She survives the worst of situations and yet most would drive a victim mad.
Alayna: Tara is pretty strong and resilient. In DARK ORACLE, we come up on her at a stage in life where she’s withdrawn and is licking her wounds. We’ve all been there, but in much less dramatic ways.
Janie: Tara owns a pet. She leaves her cat in the safety of her home while ridding the world of evil. A woman Tara holds animosity toward protects the cat until Tara returns from her adventure. The cat hardly interacts with Tara and is in few scenes.
Do you feel it is significant for a protagonist to have a pet in order to be grounded?
Alayna: I’m an animal lover, myself. I’ve always had pets, so it’s difficult for me to conjure a heroine without one.
Janie: Had the cat been injured by the villain, Tara would have lost a large part of her life. The cat played a role in Tara’s mental state. Was this more to provide a sense of comfort for the readers?
Alayna: The cat was written into the story to demonstrate that Tara is still capable of loving and being loved.
Janie: Oftentimes, writers avoid messy details for the sake of fitting a number count or keeping the storyline simple. Did you feel Tara would have been a different character had she not owned a pet?
Alayna: Yes, I think so. The cat is an anchor to the world. She’s got to get up and feed him every morning, provide a place for him to live…sometimes, it’s the small things in life that keep us going. Without having a pet to take care of, I could easily see Tara as being nomadic, maybe living out of a hotel somewhere.
Janie: Tara’s love interest, Li, doesn’t fall madly in love with her. He holds back his feelings and shuns her use of tarot cards. Thus, Tara remains emotionally isolated despite her interacting with society. For Tara, the tarot cards aren’t a hobby, but are her last physical connection to her deceased mother who taught her how to use them. Tara consults her cards before making decisions and never acts hastily. Li, however, feels Tara’s taking advice from randomly drawn cards to be impulsive and insincere.
Tara’s loneliness taps into the occasional feelings of the average person despite his relationships with work peers, social friends and acquaintances in shops. Was Tara’s isolation an element of today’s urban society?
Alayna: Ah, the idea of anomie. Sure, Tara is a pretty anomic individual. Her standards of conduct and values differ from those of the government and those of the order of oracles in which she was raised. She’s got one foot in each world and really belongs to neither.
Janie: Alayna creates character development through Tara’s interpretations of the tarot card readings. For instance, Tara considered herself to be level-headed by reading the cards before taking action to an adverse situation. When you decided to make one of Tara’s strengths her skills with reading tarot cards, was it to develop her character or create the storyline or even just to add an interesting element to a mystery?
Alayna: I’d always wanted to write about a profiler who used Tarot cards to solve crimes. I hadn’t seen it done before, and I wanted to experiment. The trick is explaining Tara’s intuitive leaps in a way that seems plausible for the reader. As a result, I get to work with the cards and their symbolism in some depth in the story.
Janie: Tara rejects her mother’s magical practices, but then depends upon her teachings in order to solve her mystery. She works for the federal government, yet trusts the cunning oracles. She loves a man who annoys her. He resents her use of tarot cards, which is the essence of her character, despite his affections toward her.
When drafting your plot outline, do you create a list of qualities for each character and then counter those with their opposites?
Alayna: I think that the key to creating tension in a story is to create opposition to the protagonist. And, in real life, nothing is perfect. There is no perfect, harmonious love without obstacles. And nearly everyone bickers with their families, as Tara does with the other oracles. People have flaws. These are things I think that people can relate to.
Janie: There are complicated inventions and high tech knowledge explained in simple terms throughout the story. The past plays a large role in the protagonist’s current mental state. The settings exude an emotional chemistry with the protagonist and the antagonists. What is the process for layering complex plots without confusing the reader?
Alayna: Research, I think. I do a lot of research for my books. Much of the material remains unused, but I do like to add nuggets here and there – like the information about particle accelerators and dark matter. Fascinating stuff. I’m not a quantum physicist, obviously, but the broad concepts are fascinating to me.
Janie: Tara doesn’t back down from a fight. She protects those she blames for her mother’s death and she accepts rejection without holding a grudge. Is there a method to your creating a female protagonist today’s market can relate to?
Alayna: I like for my heroines to have a nugget of realism about them. They have jobs, burn the toast, and sometimes make the wrong choices. I don’t find perfect heroines to be believable. I like flaws in my heroines, because that gives me something to exploit in the story. Perfection is, well…boring to me.
Janie: Female protagonists have changed drastically over the past decades. What about our era creates Tara as the ideal heroine?
Alayna: I don’t think that Tara is really “ideal.” She’s had her beauty and her ability to have children taken from her by a criminal. She’s introverted, analytical, and tends to play out situations several moves in advance. I think that makes her more interesting than ideal.
Janie: Is the combination of Tara’s strengths and weaknesses a particular personality type we can all study or do you allow your characters to make individual choices for each situation?
Alayna: Tara is an INTJ in terms of the Meyers-Briggs Scale. She won’t lead unless there’s any other choice – hence her resistance to Delphi’s Daughters. She’s a planner. She’s not the type of heroine who goes into situations with guns blazing. She’s more of a chess master.
Janie: What three words best describe your secret for a successful urban fantasy novel?
Alayna: Persistence, research, and being a little unorthodox.
Janie: What elements are necessary in creating urban fantasy?
Alayna: I think that UF requires, more than anything, the desire to ask ‘what if’? What if the oracles of Delphi survived into the modern world? What if a profiler used Tarot cards? What if particle accelerators really created black holes that survived for more than a second?
That kind of thing. Before you know it, the questions have piled up on themselves in your head and its time to stir ‘em into a bigger story.
Janie: Outstanding insights! Your tips gave further depth to your gripping story and provided direction for creating a concise, yet intriguing storyline. Alayna, thank you for sharing your craft and by all means, keep writing.
Alayna: Thanks very much!
The Dark Oracle is one of Alayna’s recent publications and is available in local bookstores and through online sellers. Alayna invites additional questions about her writing craft for today’s urban fantasy market by contacting her through her website, www.alaynawilliams.com.
Laura Bickle Ignites Her Sparks
Candid answers from a literary mastermind.
It isn’t often a writer has the opportunity to meet an established author with multiple publications, but if you visit the website, www.salamanderstales.com, you will find locations where romantic fantasy author, Laura Bickle, materializes next. Don’t be bashful with introducing yourself. She spreads her grace and openly discusses the ins and outs of the publishing business. Today we discuss one of her 2010 published works entitled, Sparks.
Laura: Thank you so much for having me, Janie! I’m thrilled to be here.
Janie: I appreciate your taking time to share your thoughts behind your Sparks creation.
Laura’s famed heroine in her urban fantasy series, Anya Kalinczyk, possesses a special gift as Lantern – meaning Anya has the ability to devour ghosts. Anya’s talent saves her from the horrors shifting throughout our world, but not without strife. Anya feels responsible for her mother’s death. She carries this burden from one failed relationship to another, landing her smack dab in the sensuous arms of evil souls. Paranormal has fresh meaning with Laura’s pair of dysfunctional lovers who fight supernatural injustices. Laura carefully layers Anya with inner conflict addressing the morality of her essence as a Lantern. Anya claims integrity, even if it means defying the men she loves.
Reading Sparks, I was struck by the intelligence of Laura with all her techno knowledge and investigative savvy. Her amazing short stories spark the pages of numerous science fiction and fantasy publications, too many to list. Writing mystery novels is her natural talent; Laura holds several degrees in criminology in addition to actually working with off-beat minds causing havoc in society.
Anya Kalinczyk is a super-heroine in our modern-mayhem. Her personal tragedies ignite the pages in the same manner the victims go up in flames from the rare real-life syndrome of spontaneous human combustion.
In Sparks, Anya has a constant companion salamander that eats paranormal nuisances. Sparky, the salamander, acts as Anya’s guardian angel. Sparky gives her solace in times of strife, such as when she recalls her mother’s death. Sparky also protects Anya from the evil televised evangelists.
Does the salamander represent man’s universal desire for security from evil forces?
Laura: He does. I think that no matter how dangerous or safe our occupations are, we want to feel that we are safe from danger. Sparky has been with Anya since she was a child, and even slept curled up with her in her crib. I wanted Anya, given all the uncertainties in her professional and personal life, to have a touchstone. Despite her failed relationships, I wanted her to know unconditional love. Curled up at Anya’s feet at night, cuddling his Glow-Worm toy, Sparky provides that love and certainty.
Janie: What were the symbolic reasons you chose a salamander?
Laura: Sparky really represents the side of life that isn’t human. He’s not human, and he doesn’t try to be. He is pure nature. In Paracelsus’ mythology, salamanders were the elementals tied to fire. He’s an unstoppable force, but he’s fickle and quite unpredictable. He’s challenging for Anya to control. He is destructive, like fire: he eats cell phones and sets fire to microwaves. But he also provides warmth, and is necessary to her life.
Janie: Was the salamander an afterthought, or did you create Sparky to boost the evil forces Anya faced?
Laura: Sparky actually evolved about the same time as I was creating Anya. I wanted to create a heroine who had the power to devour and incinerate spirits. I became fixed on the fire aspect, and knew that I wanted to give her a magical sidekick. Salamanders really haven’t gotten much press since Paracelsus’ time, and I knew that I wanted to work them into a story. Sparky seemed a natural companion for Anya. I gave him many of the quirks and personality traits of pets I’ve had over the years. They seemed to mesh together nicely, so you could say that they grew up together in my head.
Janie: Anya is an approachable girl with intense emotions regarding lost love. She risks her life to solve crimes. Her ability to communicate with ghosts of the victims makes her investigations intriguing. She sympathizes with unsettled souls and holds the strength to save them. At times, Anya saves souls even if it means the end of one of her beautiful love affairs.
Did you intentionally create a protagonist who suffers the same emotional pain as the ghosts?
Laura: I wanted Anya to be an outsider. She has one foot in her work as an arson investigator, and the other foot in her work as a ghost hunter. She’s not a part of either world, since her power sets her apart from others. And it’s not a pretty power. It hurts her to devour souls, leaves her with scars. She feels a good deal of guilt about being the judge and seeming executioner of the ghosts. She isn’t able to get close to people because she knows that they are impermanent and really quite fragile.
On one hand, she loves Brian, who’s the ghost-hunter tech geek. He’s entirely human. Part of her is drawn to that, to the ordinary. Part of her craves something more indestructible, which explains her attraction to Drake, the only other Lantern she’s ever known. She wants someone she can’t hurt.
Janie: Does Anya represent all women who desire love but refuse to compromise their morals in order to attract a man?
Laura: Hmm. Good question. I think that Anya would say that she does not always make the best choices when it comes to men. Like a real person, she’s made mistakes. But I think that her strength lies in the ability to walk away from any relationship. In EMBERS, she walked away from Drake at the end. In SPARKS, she learns that Brian’s morality is all-too-human. If she chooses to walk away from him, as well, I know that she will have the strength to do so.
Janie: Was there a particular person or even an era of woman’s movement or mythology you had in mind when establishing Anya’s character traits?
Laura: I don’t think that I had anyone specifically in mind, but I was thinking a bit of what it’s like to be a woman in a male-dominated profession. Anya is an arson investigator, and she’s been successful in her career. She takes it very seriously. She’s not a woman who shows up to work a crime scene a miniskirt and stilettos. She’s good at what she does, but as a professional, she maintains some distance from others. She works hard, but doesn’t really let her guard down very much.
Janie: Anya is smart. She understands people and is successful in her profession as a detective for the fire department. Some of the most touching scenes included Anya’s interactions with her boss and best friends. You broke the prototype with regard to people who influence lives. Anya’s boss is understanding and respectful. Her best gal-pal is eccentric and motherly. Her boyfriend is sensitive and detached, while her father is a powerful demon.
Did you intentionally create the personalities a woman desires from each aspect of her life, aside from the demonic father, of course?
Laura: Hmmm…I didn’t plan it that way. It sort of just happened. I wanted Anya to have good relationships, since her mother is dead and Dad is apparently roasting marshmallows in hell. In some respects, her friend Katie took over the role of “mother.” Her boss, Marsh, is very much a fatherly type. I can see how she might gravitate toward those personalities, with the vacuum in her younger years.
She still has issues with men. I’m most interested to see how her relationship with the psychopomp, Charon, will develop. Where Brian gives Anya a lot of space, Charon challenges her. Often.
Janie: Did you lay out the personalities before writing your novel or did they evolve according to what Anya needed in that scene?
Laura: I start out with something of a profile on each character, but I add to it as I’m working the story. In order to keep everyone consistent, the major characters are assigned Myers-Briggs types. No kidding. Anya is an INTJ. Sparky, however, defied categorization into human personality structures.
Janie: Your writing style is recognized for building series urban fantasy novels with femme protagonists similar to the victorious Joan of Arc and her holy war against murderous invaders of peace. A noteworthy aspect of your writing style is your gift with creating character growth and leaving evolved issues open at the conclusion of your tale. A revelation in Anya’s knowledge about her heritage heals a part of her inner pain, yet causes her heart to bleed even more, much in the way a soap opera tantalizes romance lovers.
At what point in writing did Anya develop into a series protagonist?
Laura: Wow. Thanks. I’m really humbled and flattered. I wanted Anya to have the chance to grow. Once I put her together, I like winding her up to see how she works through a maze.
Janie: Was it because of the complexity of Anya that you established the story to be a series or was it because of plot development introducing new interesting questions?
Laura: I would love to watch Anya grow. She has a lot of adventures in her, and I think she’s a person who learns best by doing, by being involved in the action.
Janie: Do you consider the entire series to provide a resolution to all of Anya’s issues, or do you prefer to always leave room for reader’s imagination to fill in the blanks?
Laura: I’m not really sure, at this point. I hope that there would be more books to explore her issues and bring her to a satisfying resolution. But, at this point, I’m contracted for two books, EMBERS and SPARKS. I hope that there will be more, of course. I’d like at least another book to finish the main arc I have planned. But I would like there to be a few small puzzles left to the imagination.
Janie: Laura, reading your novels expands my intelligence regarding paranormal existence, criminal investigations, and art history. You thoroughly research your topics, even for the subplots. Anya introduces a new image of a modern woman. Your success with having more than twenty-one publications proves your brilliance and hard work is appreciated. Bravo to Laura for writing what she knows and thank you for educating readers on controversial topics. Many blessings for a good tomorrow.
Laura: Thank you so much, Janie. I’m overwhelmed and thrilled that you enjoyed the books, that they spoke to you on such a level. I hope that readers come along with us for the ride.
Many bright blessings to you and my readers, too.
