There are as many approaches to writing a novel as there are authors.
Some people are meticulous outliners, marking out every scene and character arc before writing word one. They know how many chapters a book will have, what happens in each, and will not deviate from their plan. I could never, ever write this way. Too constraining. If I want to step off the trail and wander a ways to see where an unintended plot point or character will take me, I will do it.
Others take an entirely organic approach, writing without purpose. They start on page one and write straight through to the end. Now, this can be a good writing exercise or for short fiction, but it’s a bad idea to think you can write a book this way. It would be like getting in your car without having a destination in mind. Sure, you might end up somewhere great in the end, but only after driving around aimlessly for a while. More than likely, you’ll stop and start a few times, retrace your steps, and—if you aren’t careful—perhaps even run out of gas.
Most authors fall somewhere between these two extremes. I certainly do.
Before I start a full-length work, I have in mind the beginning, the end, and a number of key points in between. I outline chapters as I go, keeping a buffer of four or five ahead of where I’m writing while always aiming for whatever the next key point is. This gives me structure and purpose yet allows me to vary if the story calls for it. Some variances might be small, while others are massive. For example, in Progeny, Nundle Babblebrook, who is many readers’ favorite character, was an accident. I had never planned for his role to be as large as it was, but halfway through his intro chapter, I realized how much I enjoyed writing him. So, I made a very, very large course correction.
I’m in the midst of writing book three now (past the 80% mark) and have been making quite a few course corrections as I go, more than I did in either Progeny or Prophecy. While the ending of book three has remained constant since…well, since before I even finished Prophecy, the path getting there has shifted a few times. While I have 57+ chapters written and have had the last 14 chapters outlined for a while now, recently I’ve spent a lot of time rewriting/editing large swaths of the book’s earlier sections. A lot of authors will warn you away from doing this, but if I get a new idea of how things should work that is better than the old, I go back and fix the foundation to support the change before tacking more on.
Turns out, writing a multi-book series is harder than writing a standalone novel. There simply are more threads to interweave from book to book.
I find it a bit ironic that I’ve come to this conclusion as I’ll be doing a panel at Origins this year with Patrick Rothfuss and Bradley P. Beaulieu germane to this topic: How to Write a Trilogy. Perhaps I’ll learn as much from them as the audience will.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Friday, February 8, 2013
Guess what? I got an agent.
It’s been a long time coming. A very long time. But as of yesterday, I have an agent.
I signed with Andrew Zack of The Zack Company, “full-service literary agency representing works of commercial fiction and nonfiction.”
Here’s a quick blurb about them:
It was a difficult choice. I did have a couple other offers, and I sat around longer than I should have, trying to make a decision, but I finally settled on Andy.
I’m in the midst of doing ONE LAST revision of Progeny, cleaning up every little thing I can. When done, it goes to Andy and he starts shopping it.
Wish me luck.
--R.T.
I signed with Andrew Zack of The Zack Company, “full-service literary agency representing works of commercial fiction and nonfiction.”
Here’s a quick blurb about them:
Unlike other literary agencies, we really do focus on quality versus quantity. While some literary agencies take on new clients willy-nilly, only to discard them if their work doesn't sell in the first ten submissions, The Zack Company prides itself on sticking with clients until their work finds a home.
Our literary agency is associated with numerous co-agents around the world, assuring that your work, if it has the right qualities and international appeal, will be submitted to publishers around the globe. Our principal, Andrew Zack, has nearly 25 years experience in the publishing industry as both an editor and literary agent.
The Zack Company is also associated with various agencies in Hollywood, ensuring that clients' works with film or television potential will be seen by the major producers and studios behind the blockbusters you see in the theaters every week.
It was a difficult choice. I did have a couple other offers, and I sat around longer than I should have, trying to make a decision, but I finally settled on Andy.
I’m in the midst of doing ONE LAST revision of Progeny, cleaning up every little thing I can. When done, it goes to Andy and he starts shopping it.
Wish me luck.
--R.T.
Monday, January 28, 2013
7 of 7, Sneak Preview of Book 3
So, there’s this thing going about the author world called 7 of 7.
It’s pretty simple, really. You go to line 7 of page 7 or page 77 of your current work in progress and reveal the 7 lines that follow. Well, my current work in progress is book 3 (title withheld to protect the innocent). So, out of curiosity, I looked at both page 7 and 77, line 7.
Hmm….
Well, you aren’t seeing the page 7 chunk. Why? Well…because I just wrote it. I don’t always write linearly. While I have 40 chapters done in book 3, I just wrote a new chapter 1.
But the page 77, line 7…that was intriguing. I read it a few times (and made a few edits), wondering if I wanted to share what was there. Why? Well, I don’t want to give away too much about the future of the book and/or series.
However…the next 7 lines starting on page 77, line 7…well, heck. They were just too much of a tease not to share.
So, world. Here’s a peek into book 3. Nobody has seen this. NOBODY. Not my alpha readers, not my beta readers. Not my mom (yes, I still run stuff by her and I’m 35), not my wife (who really doesn’t like to read, anyway—go figure), not anyone. You will be the first…assuming you’re the first to read this blog post. If not, go find the number of views for this post at the bottom of it and that’s your number. Congrats!
Before I reveal, I will say this much: readers of my short story collection, Merchant (also affectionately known as “The Nundle Bundle”), will get a tremendous kick out of this. Oh, and an Easter egg I put in Prophecy might just become a little easier to find.
Enjoy.
*7 lines starting on Page 77, line 7:
*I reserve the right to TOTALLY change this when I edit.
One last thing. You're supposed to tag a few other authors in the process of doing this, forcing them to do the same thing(after asking nicely of course).
So...
Philip Athans
Bryan Young
Janine Spendlove
That is all.
--R.T.
It’s pretty simple, really. You go to line 7 of page 7 or page 77 of your current work in progress and reveal the 7 lines that follow. Well, my current work in progress is book 3 (title withheld to protect the innocent). So, out of curiosity, I looked at both page 7 and 77, line 7.
Hmm….
Well, you aren’t seeing the page 7 chunk. Why? Well…because I just wrote it. I don’t always write linearly. While I have 40 chapters done in book 3, I just wrote a new chapter 1.
But the page 77, line 7…that was intriguing. I read it a few times (and made a few edits), wondering if I wanted to share what was there. Why? Well, I don’t want to give away too much about the future of the book and/or series.
However…the next 7 lines starting on page 77, line 7…well, heck. They were just too much of a tease not to share.
So, world. Here’s a peek into book 3. Nobody has seen this. NOBODY. Not my alpha readers, not my beta readers. Not my mom (yes, I still run stuff by her and I’m 35), not my wife (who really doesn’t like to read, anyway—go figure), not anyone. You will be the first…assuming you’re the first to read this blog post. If not, go find the number of views for this post at the bottom of it and that’s your number. Congrats!
Before I reveal, I will say this much: readers of my short story collection, Merchant (also affectionately known as “The Nundle Bundle”), will get a tremendous kick out of this. Oh, and an Easter egg I put in Prophecy might just become a little easier to find.
Enjoy.
*7 lines starting on Page 77, line 7:
Peering back to the fabric roll, Julo took a step closer and leaned in to eye the knob. A scowl spread over her face as she read the only three words seared into the wood.
Babblebrook Mercantile Company
She bit down hard, glared at Nish, and spoke, her tone terse and sharp. “I am sorry, but we will not be purchasing anything today. Safe day to you.” With a quick glance at Pansy, she said, “Let us go,” and stepped into the flood of people moving north and began to walk away.
“Wait!” called Nish. “I will drop the price. Thirty silver pips per arm!”
Julo ignored him. The bolt of cloth could be free and she would not take it.
*I reserve the right to TOTALLY change this when I edit.
One last thing. You're supposed to tag a few other authors in the process of doing this, forcing them to do the same thing(after asking nicely of course).
So...
Philip Athans
Bryan Young
Janine Spendlove
That is all.
--R.T.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
The Next Big Thing
This has been a difficult holiday season for me and mine.
My father has late-stage larynx cancer, which prompted an emergency run by me from Columbus to Phoenix the week before Christmas. I had a connecting flight in Chicago during the winter storm that tore across the Midwest and turned my scheduled 6-hour trip turn into a 14-hour one.
I plan on writing about this in depth one day, but here is the short of it: I was able to get dad back to Columbus where he will probably stay until the end. You don’t know the meaning of the word melancholy until you watch your kids—who are wholly ignorant of his prognosis—climb over their Grandpa during his last Christmas.
But that’s another post for another time. Through it all, I am learning to focus on the good things, to find the happy amidst the overabundance of sad. Which is why, in the middle of all this, I was incredibly grateful when author of The Riyria Revelations, Michael J. Sullivan, tagged me for The Next Big Thing meme.
First off, let me explain what a meme is. Actually…no, I won’t. I had originally intended to do so, but as Michael’s explanation in his The Next Big Thing post is so thorough, I invite you to hop over there, read it, and then come back.
Go ahead. I’ll wait. Just make sure you come back.
*** humming Gangnam Style ***
Oh, thank goodness you’re back. I was thiiiiiiis close to dancing.
Now, the idea behind The Next Big Thing meme is pretty simple: another author tags you, you answer ten standard questions, and then you tag five other authors, propagating the meme through the intertubes like some sort of virus.
So, without further ado, I will continue to pass along the infection and answer the ten questions:
1) What is the working title of your next book?
Book 3.
Sorry. That’s all you get. The real title is a secret. Although I will say an astute reader of Progeny and Prophecy will probably be able to guess it.
2) Where did the idea come from for the book?
As it’s part of series, I’ve had the basic idea of what happens in book 3 since I conceived the series. Granted, some storylines that I had not anticipated wove their way into the book, but the ‘soul’ of the book has been clear for a long time. I wanted it to be where lines were blurred, where characters and readers alike began to question who is on what side, who can be trusted and who cannot.
I’m halfway through writing it and I’m happy to say I’m succeeding.
3) What genre does your book fall under?
Fantasy for sure.
On Amazon, it’s listed under both Epic Fantasy and Historical Fantasy. ‘Epic’ because the story…well, is epic. Lots of moving pieces, lots of characters, lots of things going on. ‘Historical’ because anything not ‘Urban’ fantasy sort of falls under the ‘Historical’ designation.
I actually think it might be a YA title, too. It satisfies the largest YA criteria: protagonists are in their teens (at least when the series starts). But as I have received email form readers ranging from 11 to 92, I think the book has broad appeal. I rather expect my readership looks a lot like Christopher Paolini’s, the author of the Inheritance Cycle series, albeit much, much smaller. Imagine that Paolini is the Sun. Me? I’m Mercury: a tiny speck of rock lost against his brilliance.
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it before. Now, I’m no casting director, but here are my choices for a few:
Nikalys: Taylor Kitsch. He could easily pull off the brooding Nikalys of Progeny, as well as the more mature Nikalys of Prophecy. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2018237/)
Kenders: Chloe Grace Moretz. She’s not huge. Yet. She’d need hazel contacts, though. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1631269/)
Jak: Mark Salling. Best known as Noah Puckerman on Glee. I just picture Jak looking like him but with longer hair. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0758597/)
Sergeant Trell: Tom Hardy. The dude can pull off a beard. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362766/)
Broedi: Chris Hemsworth. Most people know him as Thor in The Avengers. Movie magic would be necessary to make him seven-feet tall, but he’d be perfect for Broedi’s strong, mysterious, taciturn style.
Nundle: I have no idea. None.
Zecus: Michael B. Jordan. I liked him on Friday Night Lights. I think he could pull Zecus’ character off well. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0430107/)
As far as the director: Joss Whedon, please.
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
As the war spreads, consuming the duchies, the question of who is friend and who is foe grows increasingly difficult to answer.
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Not sure.
I have a couple offers of representation based on Progeny, which was self-published. I have yet to choose an agent, however, as I am holding out hope for one in particular who has the manuscript under consideration.
I will choose an agent eventually, and what happens with book 3 rather depends on what happens with said agent finding a traditional publisher for Progeny and, hopefully, Prophecy.
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
Still writing it. I’m 130k words in and probably a little less than 60% done. It’s taken me about 3 months to get this far. But remember, I’m indie and have a day job. All my writing is done in the evening.
8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I don’t much like to make comparisons of myself to other authors. I feel presumptuous doing so. Therefore, I will list a couple review snippets and let the reviewers do the comparisons:
"For me, Progeny is in league with both The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings and far better than Harry Potter - Progeny has a wealth of depth to it that I haven't seen in many books."
- Clover Hill Book Reviews
"Robert Jordan. George R. R. Martin. Stephen Donaldson. Brandon Sanderson. These are the masters of fantasy and readers of Progeny will be able to discover a new voice that is destined to match those authors."
- Booksie Blog
"I would favorably compare his writing with Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, Robert Jordan and even a bit of David Eddings flavor mixed in."
- LuxuryReading.com
Eek. Even reposting those reviews makes me feel like a braggart.
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I’ll answer this in regards to the series.
When I get asked this question, my answer is always the same: my kids and bad books. Let me explain.
When I was younger, I read a lot. Tolkien, of course. T.H. White, too, and others. When I was in high school, I read Magician: Apprentice by Raymond Feist and really enjoyed it (along with the other three books of that series).
As time passed—I went to college, graduated, got a job, got married, had kids—my free time evaporated and I stopped reading. A few years back, my family and I were going on vacation, and I went to the book store to get something to read for the trip. I stumbled over Magician by Feist, remembered liking it when I was younger, and bought it. I breezed through it (and the other three books of the series, again), and then discovered that Feist had written numerous more books set in the world of Midkemia. I made time in my life to read again (farewell, television) and read them all, after which I moved onto some other authors. Some I liked, some I did not.
After three bad books in a row—predictable plots, stereotypical characters—I commented to myself that “I could do better than that.” I challenged myself to try, and here we go. It’s been a learning experience, I’ve made a lot of mistakes (if anyone finds a first edition of Progeny, you’ll see them all), but I wouldn’t be where I am now without them.
Now, where do my kids come in?
I wanted to write something my kids would love and enjoy for years. The two main characters in the series, Nikalys and Kenders, are named after my own children, Nikalys and Kennedy.
10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?
There’s a pie hidden in every one.
Nah…
Actually, one thing that might be of interest: I’ve written the books in such a way that they will mean something totally different on a second read through. I’ve dropped hints about things here and there that a reader who has already read the series will note as they read it again.
Now, as to the authors I am infecting—er, tagging—here they are in a very particular order, ranked by number of letters in their name. Every person below has proven to be both a good writer and very nice guy. I am glad I have gotten the opportunity to know them all.
Bryan Young www.bryanyoungfiction.com
Erik Scott de Bie http://erikscottdebie.com/
Bryan Thomas Schmidt http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/
Maxwell Alexander Drake http://www.maxwellalexanderdrake.com/
My father has late-stage larynx cancer, which prompted an emergency run by me from Columbus to Phoenix the week before Christmas. I had a connecting flight in Chicago during the winter storm that tore across the Midwest and turned my scheduled 6-hour trip turn into a 14-hour one.
I plan on writing about this in depth one day, but here is the short of it: I was able to get dad back to Columbus where he will probably stay until the end. You don’t know the meaning of the word melancholy until you watch your kids—who are wholly ignorant of his prognosis—climb over their Grandpa during his last Christmas.
But that’s another post for another time. Through it all, I am learning to focus on the good things, to find the happy amidst the overabundance of sad. Which is why, in the middle of all this, I was incredibly grateful when author of The Riyria Revelations, Michael J. Sullivan, tagged me for The Next Big Thing meme.
First off, let me explain what a meme is. Actually…no, I won’t. I had originally intended to do so, but as Michael’s explanation in his The Next Big Thing post is so thorough, I invite you to hop over there, read it, and then come back.
Go ahead. I’ll wait. Just make sure you come back.
*** humming Gangnam Style ***
Oh, thank goodness you’re back. I was thiiiiiiis close to dancing.
Now, the idea behind The Next Big Thing meme is pretty simple: another author tags you, you answer ten standard questions, and then you tag five other authors, propagating the meme through the intertubes like some sort of virus.
So, without further ado, I will continue to pass along the infection and answer the ten questions:
1) What is the working title of your next book?
Book 3.
Sorry. That’s all you get. The real title is a secret. Although I will say an astute reader of Progeny and Prophecy will probably be able to guess it.
2) Where did the idea come from for the book?
As it’s part of series, I’ve had the basic idea of what happens in book 3 since I conceived the series. Granted, some storylines that I had not anticipated wove their way into the book, but the ‘soul’ of the book has been clear for a long time. I wanted it to be where lines were blurred, where characters and readers alike began to question who is on what side, who can be trusted and who cannot.
I’m halfway through writing it and I’m happy to say I’m succeeding.
3) What genre does your book fall under?
Fantasy for sure.
On Amazon, it’s listed under both Epic Fantasy and Historical Fantasy. ‘Epic’ because the story…well, is epic. Lots of moving pieces, lots of characters, lots of things going on. ‘Historical’ because anything not ‘Urban’ fantasy sort of falls under the ‘Historical’ designation.
I actually think it might be a YA title, too. It satisfies the largest YA criteria: protagonists are in their teens (at least when the series starts). But as I have received email form readers ranging from 11 to 92, I think the book has broad appeal. I rather expect my readership looks a lot like Christopher Paolini’s, the author of the Inheritance Cycle series, albeit much, much smaller. Imagine that Paolini is the Sun. Me? I’m Mercury: a tiny speck of rock lost against his brilliance.
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it before. Now, I’m no casting director, but here are my choices for a few:
Nikalys: Taylor Kitsch. He could easily pull off the brooding Nikalys of Progeny, as well as the more mature Nikalys of Prophecy. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2018237/)
Kenders: Chloe Grace Moretz. She’s not huge. Yet. She’d need hazel contacts, though. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1631269/)
Jak: Mark Salling. Best known as Noah Puckerman on Glee. I just picture Jak looking like him but with longer hair. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0758597/)
Sergeant Trell: Tom Hardy. The dude can pull off a beard. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362766/)
Broedi: Chris Hemsworth. Most people know him as Thor in The Avengers. Movie magic would be necessary to make him seven-feet tall, but he’d be perfect for Broedi’s strong, mysterious, taciturn style.
Nundle: I have no idea. None.
Zecus: Michael B. Jordan. I liked him on Friday Night Lights. I think he could pull Zecus’ character off well. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0430107/)
As far as the director: Joss Whedon, please.
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
As the war spreads, consuming the duchies, the question of who is friend and who is foe grows increasingly difficult to answer.
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Not sure.
I have a couple offers of representation based on Progeny, which was self-published. I have yet to choose an agent, however, as I am holding out hope for one in particular who has the manuscript under consideration.
I will choose an agent eventually, and what happens with book 3 rather depends on what happens with said agent finding a traditional publisher for Progeny and, hopefully, Prophecy.
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
Still writing it. I’m 130k words in and probably a little less than 60% done. It’s taken me about 3 months to get this far. But remember, I’m indie and have a day job. All my writing is done in the evening.
8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I don’t much like to make comparisons of myself to other authors. I feel presumptuous doing so. Therefore, I will list a couple review snippets and let the reviewers do the comparisons:
"For me, Progeny is in league with both The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings and far better than Harry Potter - Progeny has a wealth of depth to it that I haven't seen in many books."
- Clover Hill Book Reviews
"Robert Jordan. George R. R. Martin. Stephen Donaldson. Brandon Sanderson. These are the masters of fantasy and readers of Progeny will be able to discover a new voice that is destined to match those authors."
- Booksie Blog
"I would favorably compare his writing with Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, Robert Jordan and even a bit of David Eddings flavor mixed in."
- LuxuryReading.com
Eek. Even reposting those reviews makes me feel like a braggart.
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I’ll answer this in regards to the series.
When I get asked this question, my answer is always the same: my kids and bad books. Let me explain.
When I was younger, I read a lot. Tolkien, of course. T.H. White, too, and others. When I was in high school, I read Magician: Apprentice by Raymond Feist and really enjoyed it (along with the other three books of that series).
As time passed—I went to college, graduated, got a job, got married, had kids—my free time evaporated and I stopped reading. A few years back, my family and I were going on vacation, and I went to the book store to get something to read for the trip. I stumbled over Magician by Feist, remembered liking it when I was younger, and bought it. I breezed through it (and the other three books of the series, again), and then discovered that Feist had written numerous more books set in the world of Midkemia. I made time in my life to read again (farewell, television) and read them all, after which I moved onto some other authors. Some I liked, some I did not.
After three bad books in a row—predictable plots, stereotypical characters—I commented to myself that “I could do better than that.” I challenged myself to try, and here we go. It’s been a learning experience, I’ve made a lot of mistakes (if anyone finds a first edition of Progeny, you’ll see them all), but I wouldn’t be where I am now without them.
Now, where do my kids come in?
I wanted to write something my kids would love and enjoy for years. The two main characters in the series, Nikalys and Kenders, are named after my own children, Nikalys and Kennedy.
10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?
There’s a pie hidden in every one.
Nah…
Actually, one thing that might be of interest: I’ve written the books in such a way that they will mean something totally different on a second read through. I’ve dropped hints about things here and there that a reader who has already read the series will note as they read it again.
Now, as to the authors I am infecting—er, tagging—here they are in a very particular order, ranked by number of letters in their name. Every person below has proven to be both a good writer and very nice guy. I am glad I have gotten the opportunity to know them all.
Bryan Young www.bryanyoungfiction.com
Erik Scott de Bie http://erikscottdebie.com/
Bryan Thomas Schmidt http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/
Maxwell Alexander Drake http://www.maxwellalexanderdrake.com/
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