Writers Wednesday

Trouble In Bugland” a fun, YA fantasy take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes – with a twist!

William Kotzwinkle offers up an imaginative collection of five mysteries: The Case of the Missing Butterfly, The Case of the Frightened Scholar, The Case of the Caterpillar’s Head, The Case of the Headless Monster, and The Case of the Emperor’s Crown.

Inspector Mantis and his colleague Doctor Hopper are on the job seeking out clues, searching for motives, and making surprising deductions as they pursue villains and stop crime in Bugland.

Writers Wednesday

Today's special guest is British author James Rice. 

His debut novel, Alice and the Fly,  has been well received and fans of YA fiction will find much to appreciate in this novel about a shy teenager's struggle with fear and obsession when he confronts his attraction to Alice. 


This well-crafted story, told from two points of view -- Greg's journal and police transcripts -- is moving, dark, and humorous in turns as it explores that most difficult concept -- love. 

What did you learn about yourself in the process of writing Alice and the Fly?

Well, the main thing I learnt was that I could actually write a book (which I assumed was impossible). Also I found that writing is a way for you to take some really crappy things you’ve experienced (either firsthand or not) and try make them into something that brings happiness to the world. (And sadness – it’s a sad book too, in parts. But sadness can be good, sometimes.)

How does your career as a writer influence other areas of your life and vice versa?

Well the money’s helped, to a degree, and I feel like I have more of a purpose now. It gets in the way a lot because I have to spend vast amounts of time at the computer when it feels like I should be out frolicking (or whatever people do). To be honest it hasn’t had that big of an effect, really. I thought as soon as I got a publishing deal Will Self would be on the phone inviting me to some olive and cheese party, but life just carries on. It’s still fun though, to go into bookshops and, you know, see it. And I love writing, so I’m pretty happy not to be frolicking, really.

What do you do when you are not writing?

Read. Eat. Sleep. I’ve been teaching at my old university, which has been great and has taken a lot of time. I like to lie down. I think if I was part of the 1% billionaire club and didn’t have to engage with the world at all I would probably just lie down forever and eat peanut butter and not get up.

What led you to write Alice and the Fly?

I wanted to write something about school. It’s a traumatic place to have to spend so much of your childhood, I think, and so I wanted to do something which felt real to me, in terms of what school life is really like. I actually started it back when I was still in high school, but it was terrible. I took a run at it a few times, in different forms. It was a short story, a film script, a concept album (don’t ask). And then when I was studying an MA I wanted to write something longer and so I thought I’d try out that idea again, see how it had aged. I wrote the first chapter and people liked it – it even won a competition. I felt like I was onto something. So I carried on.

 Your book deals with serious topics of mental illness, alienation, dysfunctional families, and violence. What challenges did you face in creating a work that wouldn't become too dark for a YA audience? 

To be honest I didn’t think about audience at all when I wrote it – I wrote it for myself. I mean, these characters are teenagers and I was a teenager when I came up with most of the material and it felt like a very real, teenage experience to me. I don’t really think you have to worry about darkness in terms of teenagers – it’s the darkest period of most people’s lives.

Mental illness is a challenge to write about because there are so many myths and clichés and potential to offend people who have to deal with it. I tried to use all of that, to play with these ideas society has, and subvert them. I don’t know if it worked. I’ve had some people challenge me on it, but (so far) only people who haven’t actually read it.

What would you like readers to take from it? 

That empathy is everything. That you should be kind to others. That you should find love wherever you can and hold onto it. That you should be yourself. That you shouldn’t let fear hold you back. Be brave, be bold, but most of all be kind.

What are your current/future projects?

I’m writing another novel at the moment which feels like everything right now. I’m ‘in it’, so to speak. It’s going well – at the minute I love it. Hopefully it will change the world. We’ll see.

The book alternates between Greg's journaling to share his internal voice and police transcripts to provide readers with an external interpretation of events. What led you to that choice of structure?

It came near the end of the writing process, actually. I liked the idea of finding another found footage-like way to give other sides of the story and this seemed like a great way to hear from some other characters – give the reader a break from Greg’s voice – whilst also hinting at what’s to come. Also it allowed me to get some dialogue in the novel (I like writing dialogue).

Did you have the book plotted to the point where you knew it would end in tragedy or did the ending evolve as the characters developed?

I always had the ending. Apart from that I did little plotting, just ran with certain plot threads and characters. I wrote the scenes I wanted to write and then figured out the structure at the end. I would not recommend this as a writing technique though. Sure, it was fun, but it took a long time. I don’t know if I’d have been able to do it any other way though. There’s no right or wrong way to write a novel, as long as it gets written.

Are there certain themes or ideas you prefer?

Teenage love is my favourite theme, probably, because it’s so amazing when you’re a teenager – everything is so new and exciting. I enjoyed writing about that. Also the visual image of the spiders and how much fear and dread they cause (people have refused to read it because it has spiders in). That was where the initial spark came from – this idea that spiders are just the perfect representation of people’s fears.

The main theme is this sort of self-fulfilling prophecy though – that Greg is actually lovely, but because he’s treated a certain way he’s made to act a certain way and this plays into all the preconceptions about mental illness. And this just snowballs. And of course we have his perspective, so we know he’s not to blame, but we also know how it must look like to other people too. Which makes for a great deal of humour and sadness.

What book(s)/author(s) have influenced your writing and how?

Recently I decided to make a pile of all the books that influenced Alice… and I ended up with two huge, towering piles of books. It’s amazing how wide-ranging your influences can be. I like a lot of modern American greats like Don DeLillo, David Foster Wallace, A.M. Homes, Nicholson Baker. Also British authors like Niall Griffiths, Cynan Jones, Kevin Barry. Stuff that’s experimental and interesting usually, though I’ll read anything. To prepare for Alice… I read loads of teen-narrated books. The most influential were Apples by Richard Milward and When I Was Five I Killed Myself by Howard Buten (and obviously The Catcher in the Rye).

What is the most challenging aspect of your writing process?

Self-doubt is the one thing that holds me back more than anything. I try ignore it, put it to one side. I tell myself: ‘Remember, you can always delete stuff that doesn’t work. But if you sit there too scared to write anything bad you’ll never write a single word.’

Talk about revising and/or suggestions about revising for upcoming writers. 

Ok.

Well, read a lot. And give yourself time – time is the most important part. Hindsight is your best friend.  Writing is boring and time-consuming – learn to accept that and you’ll be ok. Bad writing + reading + time = good writing. Stick to that formula

What's one additional piece of advice about writing or publishing you'd like to pass on to readers and writers? 

Publishers are lovely and nothing to be scared of. And they’re desperate to receive good writing – just as desperate as you are to produce it. So don’t worry about never having your work seen by a publisher – it will be if it’s good enough. Just worry about the quality of the work. That’s your job.

Readers

Anything else you'd like readers to know about you and/or your book? 

Just how happy it’d make me if they read it. Even more so if they liked it. And if not, well, that’s ok too. I’ll try harder next time. J

Writers Wednesday

 

Meet Steven M. Booth, author of the new YA Fantasy Dark Talisman.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and when did you finish your first book?

     I have always been an avid reader, but the drive to create fiction didn't hit me until I was in college.  I penned my first book during my senior year.  It was a SciFi tale about a huge spatial anomaly wiping out all the electricity on earth.

 

What did you learn about yourself in the process of writing your book?

     Publishing can be very challenging. I have discovered a depth a patience I never thought I possessed and I've discovered that creating a book is nearly impossible alone; you need a team of excellent people to succeed.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

     Writing is about pursuing passion.  I have always loved Fantasy, and in a very real sense, it was not I that was doing the choosing, but rather, the genre that called me to follow its

siren voice.

How does your career as a writer influence other areas of your life and vice versa?

     It is an unfortunate reality that most writers cannot survive on their craft alone.  Even though it may be their first love, it's always necessary to find employment in other vocations in order to survive.  In my case, my talents in the technical arena make that fairly doable, but I do find that there seems to be a notable absence in the technical world of people that can write and communicate well, hence I find my abilities as an author are quite valuable when I'm wearing my 'computer guy' hat.

What do you do when you are not writing?

     I'm a film devotee, and in particular, a lover of animation and all-things Disney.  Being close to the epicenter of that universe, I participate in events frequently.  I'm also a Ballroom Dancer, and have had the opportunity to compete nationally with some of the best. I love sailing, SCUBA, Photography, and mountain cabins, far from the noise of the city.

What other books have your written and published?

     Dark Talisman is my debut novel, and I have written two books in that series, and am currently working on the third.  I am also simultaneously working on a Science Fiction piece that is sitting idle, pretty much, at the moment, but I expect to return to that eventually.  I also have a serialized on-line prequel for DT that was publish last year that is in edits.

Of the books you have written, which is your favorite?

     Whichever one I'm currently working on.

Briefly, what's your book about?

     Dark Talisman is the story of a narcissistic, Dark Elf rogue who pilfers a gem, only to discover it's pretty much the most dangerous thing in the world.  Her thievery casts her into a desperate struggle to save herself, her people, and the world as she knows it.

How did you come up with the title?

     I wrestled with my editor for three weeks.  We discarded perhaps a dozen other titles before settling on Dark Talisman.

What led you to write the book?

     It's an interesting story, actually,  Chronologically, the first book I wrote in the series was The Emerald Guardian.  It's the tale of a young boy that gets thrown into the middle of a battle between two vast, opposing forces.  At one point in the tale, since the youth has no real talent as a warrior, I needed a stealthy comrade for him, to sneak into an enemy fortress, so I created Altira, the Dark Elf.

     When I was done, and I submitted the first-draft to Deborah, my editor, she came right back and said, 'Who is this Altira person? She steals every scene she's in.  You need to pull her out of most these chapters, or people will think the book is about her, and not about Therin!'

     Well, I mostly left her in, but did extensive revisions.  When the book was finished, I realized that I couldn't release Emerald as the first book in the series; it had to be Altira's story.  Dark Talisman fills that role, and was actually much more fun to write.

What would you like readers to take from it?

     There are two messages in DT.  First, all of our actions have consequences, good or bad, and we must take responsibility for the decisions we make.  Also, there are obstacles in life that we cannot overcome alone.  There are challenges that will break us if we try to surmount them without help.  We all need assistance from time to time; that's one of the great lessons of life.

What are your current/future projects?

     I am currently revising the episodic series, Legend of Talimar, to be released as a book , and I'm starting the final revisions on Emerald Guardian.

What motivates you?

     Great characters. I have often said that I don't create my books, they are dictated by the wonderful characters in them. Once you really understand where a character is coming from, they motivate you, not the other way around.

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

     Albert Einstein said, "If I have seen farther that others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants." That is even more true, I think, in literature.  I find two great sources of ideas: those who have gone before, and the marvels of the physical world around us.  I have drawn inspiration from physics and oceanography, feature films, great literature, and people that I have known in my life.

What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine?

     I do. I'm a morning person.  My most productive and creative hours of the day are right after I have arisen, and before the cacophony of the world intercedes.

How long does it take you to complete a book?

     Depends on the book.  It took me about eight weeks to write the first draft of Dark Talisman, but nearly four years to finish revisions on it.  Once again, let me stress that completing a books is a process that requires at least one editor, and many, many revisions.

What challenges did your face in getting your first book published?

     Learning. Since DT was my first book, I had to learn not only about the industry, but also about the people within it.  I had to discover how to avoid the many pitfalls, to actually fall into a a few and then drag myself out, and finally discover that an author's greatest talent is his belief in both the work and himself.  Dark Talisman wanted to be published.  I just had to learn how to accomplish it.

Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you love to work with?

     Altira is incredibly alluring, but actually, not the most attractive character in the series to me.  The Cirrian race, in the series, is an entire lighter-than-air civilization, consisting of creatures that never set foot on the ground.  I think that's fascinating, and I'd like to write a book -- or perhaps an entire series -- from their point of view.

If you had to do it all over, is there any aspect of your writing or getting published that you would change?

     Certainly not anyone in my current team; they are all fantastic, and I want to keep working with them for a very long time.  If there is anything I would like to 'skip around' it would be the entire, painful process of discovering them -- although I expect that's impossible.

What book(s)/author(s) have influenced your writing and how?

     There are three.  First, Tolkien. I think any high-fantasy writer has to admit that, up front.  Secondly, C.S. Lewis, whom I think has been almost entirely lost by the current culture, even though he and Tolkien were not just contemporaries, but good friends.  I believe Lewis' influence is sadly lacking from most contemporary Fantasy, and I'm trying to rectify that.  Finally, J.K, Rowling, for reminding me that the Phoenix is one of the most overlooked, misunderstood, and exceptionally powerful mythological creatures.  The entire series was inspired by Fawkes.

What do you think makes a good story?

     Characters you truly care about.

What are the most important elements of good writing? What tools do you believe are must-haves for writers?

     Mantra time: 'Show don't tell' & 'Less is More', with the emphasis on the latter.  Every great story engages the reader in the creative process. That means you must leave stuff out.

     Writing is, at the same time, a craft and an art. You must master the craft before you unleash your artistic freedom. You can't do anything you want and expect people to read it.  There are rules; follow them.

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

     I do. I think we all do, but for me it's almost always caused by my trying to force my characters into places they shouldn't be and don't want to go, or it's caused by my not truly understanding my characters. Think about it, for a  moment.  If you discovered your best friend in a difficult situation, you certainly wouldn't have any problem journaling how they escaped, would you? We just need to become best-friends with our characters. Then, writing becomes more like journalism and less like creating something from nothing.

Talk about revising and/or suggestions about revising for upcoming writers.

     When you've completed the first draft of your book, it's 10% done.  Books are not written, they are revised into existence. Dark Talisman went through twenty-seven revisions, before it was done, and one of the first was to throw away a third of the book and re-write it. Embrace revision! It's the only path to excellence.

What's one additional piece of advice about writing or publishing you'd like to pass on to readers and writers?

     Do not accept someone else's vision of what your work is supposed to be! Only you know what you intended when you put pen to paper.  It may not sell; it may be read by only a few, but it's part of you.  It is you.  Believe in it, and let it live.

Anything else you'd like readers to know about you and/or your book?

     Dark Talisman was written with great respect for the younger readers of the world.  It's intended for youth, and yet contains some challenging words and concepts, but I trust you.  I believe you can be excellent. You are the future. Take charge of your life and be responsible for it.  You will discover that you have a great, uncharted, Land of Fantasy within yourself. Exploring it is why we are here, and in that exploration can be found some of the greatest joys in life.

Writer's Wednesday

For all my friends who are YA writers -- Is romance in the air?

 If your novel has a romantic thread then you need to check out this must-read post:  Crushes and Chemistry by Mary Kole. Kole is an associate agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency and a YA and MG writer.

Kole points out that although romance is hugely attractive to YA readers, the romantic fantasy is often more superficial than genuine.  Do you want to take your characters to the next level?  She offers some very practical suggestions to help you.