It takes a certain amount of ego to make a successful author -- why else would we continue to throw our work out for rejection time and time again? And over the years I've been involved with several author's groups and organizations ... whole roomfulls of ego! I have had the privlidge of getting to know some phenomenally successful writers, authors who hit the NYT Bestseller list straight out of the gate with every release. One in particular never fails to amaze me because this author is absolutely ego free. In fact it could be argued this author is almost overly self-concious.
And I have met some authors who are nowhere near as successful, yet to hear them or observe them in action, you'd think they could claim the same merits.
Interestingly enough I've witnessed how ego can destroy this last week or so. One of the latter "class" of authors allowed a need for control and 'fame' if you will to negatively impact a strong collaboration of authors. Instead of setting aside personal goals to consider the benefit of all, said author allowed poor word choice to wound active keystone members into a departure.
The details aren't important but the result is that a group where new authors could find a lot of support has taken a heavy hit... all over ego. It saddens me that some authors are willing to risk the 'future' of our profession just for a chance at a "ME!" Moment. It will be interesting , and probably a great exercise in social science, to see where the house of cards falls.
Even better, it fuels the imagination for a great villian. The typical fantasy realm quest for ultimate power... You know the one that pushes our hero into a hero quest and eventually that greed becomes the villain's downfall.
Yes, indeed, imagination abounds...
But for the rest of you who are also part of writing organizations there are some excellent reasons to join. Fantastic reasons. Be aware a certain amount of politics is involved and if you can look beyond those go for it! The authors who are role models will stand out. Look for the people in the back of the room who put time into the organization, get to know them, not the pleasant individuals who are holding court front and center and too busy to aid... until one day they open their eyes and see their throne as threatened.
Good luck! Its certainly entertaining from the sidelines.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Quest For Uniqueness
I hear so many beginning fantasy novelists striving to be like the great masters. It's a wonderful aspiration, and if it can be accomplished, my hat is off to you. However, I challenge you to look at a simpler scope.
One of the things I find most inspiring about fantasy writing is the hero-quest itself. I admire flawed characters who are charged with some daunting task and the sheer work it takes to overcome their faults and succeed. However, that quest is always present. It's a key part of what makes the fantasy genre what it is. The truth is, folks, we can't all be Tolkien. We can't all be Salvatore. We are, who we are, and we must carve our own places by being unique.
But how, when the basic premise is the same? Why, when everyone loves certain types of characters The Greats crafted? Where, when our worlds aren't sci-fi and resemble Earth? How, when almost everything has been done in one way or the other?
Let me tell you something -- as an author in the most popular genre of fiction, it can be done. My other genre is a classic example of varying the tried and true. Where uniqueness comes into play is in the small things.
A unique naming scheme. A slightly different rule to the way the world works. A small twist in the characters' internal conflicts. A kink in an expected outcome.
It doesn't have to be sweepingly different, and every aspect doesn't have to be different. What your story must contain is something that is compellingly different. Something small. Something you can weave into the story so intricately that without it, the story won't exist. Maybe this is a character who only receives negative visions, and always negative visions, as opposed to seeing the world in any other light. Maybe your character is missing a leg. Maybe your character's magic can only be performed when the sun is aligned with a particular star.
It can be anything, but it does not need to be huge to make a difference and be unique. It still must carry an impact. But you aren't looking to reinvent the wheel. You're looking to craft a story someone will remember, and unique elements makes a tale memorable. Even if it's just a quest within the village, as opposed to one that spans the world.
G.P.
One of the things I find most inspiring about fantasy writing is the hero-quest itself. I admire flawed characters who are charged with some daunting task and the sheer work it takes to overcome their faults and succeed. However, that quest is always present. It's a key part of what makes the fantasy genre what it is. The truth is, folks, we can't all be Tolkien. We can't all be Salvatore. We are, who we are, and we must carve our own places by being unique.
But how, when the basic premise is the same? Why, when everyone loves certain types of characters The Greats crafted? Where, when our worlds aren't sci-fi and resemble Earth? How, when almost everything has been done in one way or the other?
Let me tell you something -- as an author in the most popular genre of fiction, it can be done. My other genre is a classic example of varying the tried and true. Where uniqueness comes into play is in the small things.
A unique naming scheme. A slightly different rule to the way the world works. A small twist in the characters' internal conflicts. A kink in an expected outcome.
It doesn't have to be sweepingly different, and every aspect doesn't have to be different. What your story must contain is something that is compellingly different. Something small. Something you can weave into the story so intricately that without it, the story won't exist. Maybe this is a character who only receives negative visions, and always negative visions, as opposed to seeing the world in any other light. Maybe your character is missing a leg. Maybe your character's magic can only be performed when the sun is aligned with a particular star.
It can be anything, but it does not need to be huge to make a difference and be unique. It still must carry an impact. But you aren't looking to reinvent the wheel. You're looking to craft a story someone will remember, and unique elements makes a tale memorable. Even if it's just a quest within the village, as opposed to one that spans the world.
G.P.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Building A Fantasy World
We all know that world-building is a detrimental part of a Fantasy writer's job. But doing so goes beyond just sticking in three suns, and naming trees obscurely. On the same vein, just like Rome -- a world can't be built in a day (or in this case, a single paragraph.)
So how to do it?
Think layers. If you look at just the physical design of Earth, there's the molten core, the layers of rock all the way up to different layers of soil/clay, and then there's a dozen different types of ground-cover -- grass (and types therein), sand, water, etc.
For the very basics of your world you need to look at what makes it tick. Create rules. If it's sci/fi, are the planets affected by gravity? And if not, be certain that the lack of gravity rules apply equally to all species/objects in the world.
But for writing and world building, it goes far beyond just the initial "This is my world, it's round, it has three suns, four moons, and is modeled after Earth."
You cannot dump your world building on your reader in the first page. It must be layered in. And layered throughout. Establish the very basic principles early, but elaborate on them in bits and pieces sprinkled throughout the entire story.
For instance:
Let's say those three suns are named Ergo, Nolo, and Rotenso. Ergo gives power to the Livsucan Sect. Nolo gives power to the underground Dwarves, and Rotenso gives power to creatures of the sea. Gut instinct might tell you to explain all that when your character looks up at the sky and sees the three suns. If you go that route, what will happen is a classic info-dump. If your character is a Livsucan, the only moon that is going to interest him is Ergo, quite likely. So, take a sentence or two and talk about Ergo, and Ergo only.
"Three suns staggered across the sky. He squinted at the greenish light emanating from Ergo, the sun closest to the horizon. Power thrummed in his veins, a subtle undercurrent of the centuries of magic the sun gave to the Livsucan. He closed his eyes, basked in the fading warmth, and allowed the strength to seep into his bones."
Later you can explain that when the Livsucan helped a god escape another god's prison that the sun was their gift. Later you can explain that when the sun fades, the race is weak until it rises again. It doesn't need to be on the first sighting of the sun.
Note, he didn't observe the others at all beyond the initial statement there were three. You can cover what Nolo and Rotenso do later. It's not important and doing so in the beginning drags the forward action of the story down, unless the information is crucial to the driving plot.
The other key thing to remember is once you've stated it, don't completely drop it. If you drop all your nifty creations, and never discuss them again, the world will become flat and there's little to prevent a reader from just using what he/she recognizes daily (Earth) as references. Confusion will settle in, and the beauty of fantasy fades.
Don't harp on the same thing over and over, but bring that power surge the character experienced up in the fifth chapter, maybe again in the fifteenth chapter. Don't let it completely fade away. You must keep your layers intact.
Last but not least -- small details. Pinpricks of information can create the most impact. A well-chosen descriptor (one word) can make one type of tree stand out over the others. A irredescent pink flower is completely different than a pink flower. A hot river -- is unique. You don't have to go into the details about the steam (although that might be useful) but simply the existence of a moving body of water that is hot, is unique. Hot says it all.
Think little. Think in small bits, not sweeping landscapes. Your reader cares about the plot more than anything. The world is observed as a background, and that backdrop won't be noticed at all if you don't take the time to dot in a few details throughout the course of the story.
So how to do it?
Think layers. If you look at just the physical design of Earth, there's the molten core, the layers of rock all the way up to different layers of soil/clay, and then there's a dozen different types of ground-cover -- grass (and types therein), sand, water, etc.
For the very basics of your world you need to look at what makes it tick. Create rules. If it's sci/fi, are the planets affected by gravity? And if not, be certain that the lack of gravity rules apply equally to all species/objects in the world.
But for writing and world building, it goes far beyond just the initial "This is my world, it's round, it has three suns, four moons, and is modeled after Earth."
You cannot dump your world building on your reader in the first page. It must be layered in. And layered throughout. Establish the very basic principles early, but elaborate on them in bits and pieces sprinkled throughout the entire story.
For instance:
Let's say those three suns are named Ergo, Nolo, and Rotenso. Ergo gives power to the Livsucan Sect. Nolo gives power to the underground Dwarves, and Rotenso gives power to creatures of the sea. Gut instinct might tell you to explain all that when your character looks up at the sky and sees the three suns. If you go that route, what will happen is a classic info-dump. If your character is a Livsucan, the only moon that is going to interest him is Ergo, quite likely. So, take a sentence or two and talk about Ergo, and Ergo only.
"Three suns staggered across the sky. He squinted at the greenish light emanating from Ergo, the sun closest to the horizon. Power thrummed in his veins, a subtle undercurrent of the centuries of magic the sun gave to the Livsucan. He closed his eyes, basked in the fading warmth, and allowed the strength to seep into his bones."
Later you can explain that when the Livsucan helped a god escape another god's prison that the sun was their gift. Later you can explain that when the sun fades, the race is weak until it rises again. It doesn't need to be on the first sighting of the sun.
Note, he didn't observe the others at all beyond the initial statement there were three. You can cover what Nolo and Rotenso do later. It's not important and doing so in the beginning drags the forward action of the story down, unless the information is crucial to the driving plot.
The other key thing to remember is once you've stated it, don't completely drop it. If you drop all your nifty creations, and never discuss them again, the world will become flat and there's little to prevent a reader from just using what he/she recognizes daily (Earth) as references. Confusion will settle in, and the beauty of fantasy fades.
Don't harp on the same thing over and over, but bring that power surge the character experienced up in the fifth chapter, maybe again in the fifteenth chapter. Don't let it completely fade away. You must keep your layers intact.
Last but not least -- small details. Pinpricks of information can create the most impact. A well-chosen descriptor (one word) can make one type of tree stand out over the others. A irredescent pink flower is completely different than a pink flower. A hot river -- is unique. You don't have to go into the details about the steam (although that might be useful) but simply the existence of a moving body of water that is hot, is unique. Hot says it all.
Think little. Think in small bits, not sweeping landscapes. Your reader cares about the plot more than anything. The world is observed as a background, and that backdrop won't be noticed at all if you don't take the time to dot in a few details throughout the course of the story.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Shadow Voice
Hello everyone, welcome to my little spot on the web!
I'm G.P. Charles, author of fantasy fiction. While I am currently unpublished in this genre, others know me under a different pen name. I'll be keeping the two identities separate until such a time that either someone links them for me (hee) or it becomes a good career strategy. For now, I choose to reinvent myself to a degree.
Why you might ask? Well my readership bases are drastically different. Marketing tactics are different, and there's a general misconception that my first genre doesn't lend to successful fantasy. Rather than jump all the hurdles, it's actually easier to start at ground zero as a virtual unknown.
Additionally, there's a concept called "branding" that ties into that. Branding is great for grounding a career, but it isn't necessarily wonderful for the author who wants to stretch his wings. There's resistance that's encountered if one wants to go beyond and branch into something new. After having suffered some of this negative prejudice, I decided to claim anonyminity and pursue the larger dreams. The other half of my personality, if you will. So here I am -- the Shadow Voice.
Fantasy has long been a passion of mine. From days spent not only playing RPGs, but designing them, to devouring every book about dragons, elves, magic, fantastical places, breathtaking hero journeys... It's been part of my life.
My work, however, isn't typical of my background. I should qualify that -- my initial work isn't typical of my background; it may well be incorporated as I go along. We'll see how that goes. For now, you won't find dragons in my novels. While there's magic, and a mystical world, there are no sorcerors, or magic wands. You won't have Dwarves hating Elves, and Elves hating Humans... nor Orcs and goblins lurking in the woods.
What you will find is an epic journey. A life struggle seen through unique eyes, that is compellingly vivid and heartrending.
Meanwhile, I'm going to share my own journey of crossing those publishing barriers and establishing myself in the genre that is, quite possibly, my first love.
I'm G.P. Charles, author of fantasy fiction. While I am currently unpublished in this genre, others know me under a different pen name. I'll be keeping the two identities separate until such a time that either someone links them for me (hee) or it becomes a good career strategy. For now, I choose to reinvent myself to a degree.
Why you might ask? Well my readership bases are drastically different. Marketing tactics are different, and there's a general misconception that my first genre doesn't lend to successful fantasy. Rather than jump all the hurdles, it's actually easier to start at ground zero as a virtual unknown.
Additionally, there's a concept called "branding" that ties into that. Branding is great for grounding a career, but it isn't necessarily wonderful for the author who wants to stretch his wings. There's resistance that's encountered if one wants to go beyond and branch into something new. After having suffered some of this negative prejudice, I decided to claim anonyminity and pursue the larger dreams. The other half of my personality, if you will. So here I am -- the Shadow Voice.
Fantasy has long been a passion of mine. From days spent not only playing RPGs, but designing them, to devouring every book about dragons, elves, magic, fantastical places, breathtaking hero journeys... It's been part of my life.
My work, however, isn't typical of my background. I should qualify that -- my initial work isn't typical of my background; it may well be incorporated as I go along. We'll see how that goes. For now, you won't find dragons in my novels. While there's magic, and a mystical world, there are no sorcerors, or magic wands. You won't have Dwarves hating Elves, and Elves hating Humans... nor Orcs and goblins lurking in the woods.
What you will find is an epic journey. A life struggle seen through unique eyes, that is compellingly vivid and heartrending.
Meanwhile, I'm going to share my own journey of crossing those publishing barriers and establishing myself in the genre that is, quite possibly, my first love.
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