- November 30, 2012
14 Comments
- K.M. Weiland
- Posted in dreamlander , Feature
This week’s video talks about
the greatest lesson any novelist can learn.
Video Transcript:
By now, Winston Churchill’s famous quote about never giving up or giving in has
become something of a cliché. But, as with most clichés, there’s a solid gem of
truth at its heart, and it’s one all authors would do well to take heed of. As
we come to the last of the videos in my series about what I learned while
writing my fantasy novel Dreamlander,
I’d like to leave you (until next week’s regularly scheduled vlog at any rate)
with perhaps the most important lesson any of us can learn during this crazy
writing life of ours. And that, of course, is
Never give in—never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty….
There comes a point in just about every book-writing
experience when the author is tempted to just give up and chuck the darn thing
while he still can. In my experience, that point comes about every other day. I
absolutely experienced my share of this with Dreamlander. I remember saying at one point, “If I can make this
book work, I can do anything.” Stubbornness, even more than determination, is
one of the greatest assets any writer can possess.
We have to realize that writing is always going to be an
uphill battle. It doesn’t get any easier after the first book. If anything, it
seems to get a little more difficult, as your own expectations and those of
your readers up the pressure. We are going to be tempted to give up when the
going gets tough. Believe me, there are plenty of easier ways to gain personal
fulfillment. But I really don’t think any feeling of fulfillment is any better
than the one writers have at the end of a hard-fought battle to bring a book to
fruition.
So I encourage you to stick with it. When the book demons laugh at
your paltry efforts and tell you you’ll never amount to anything, laugh right
back. Stick-to-it-iveness is unconquerable. I encourage you to keep writing,
keep being stubborn, and never, never, never, never give up.
Tell me your opinion: Have you ever been tempted to give up writing?
- November 28, 2012
35 Comments
- K.M. Weiland
- Posted in dreamlander , Feature , Inspiration , Writing Life
What’s the secret to creating characters readers love? There must be a secret, right? Some magic
formula that will make readers fall as madly in love with our characters as we
have with other writers’ larger-than-life heroes and heroines.
You’re probably thinking I’m going to say, “Sorry, but no,
there’s no magic formula. Just hard work and luck.” But, actually, that’s not
so. Actually, there is a magic
ingredient.
And that is bravery.
Readers adore courageous characters. We’ll forgive a
character just about any flaw, but never cowardice. In the words of Dwight V.
Swain’s immortal Techniques of the Selling Writer:
Don’t try to make virtue take the place of courage. Admirable qualities are fine as subordinate characterizing elements. But fascination is born of valor, not virtue…. A saintly character … may fall ever so flat—not because he’s saintly, but because he doesn’t, in addition, challenge fate.
In writing my fantasy novel Dreamlander (coming December 2), I got to explore six different
kinds of bravery:
1. Heroic Bravery
When we think of heroes these days, we generally think of
those who qualify for heroic bravery.
What is it? This
is the kind of bravery that makes a character do crazy dangerous stuff, either to
protect others or to advance a cause in which he passionately believes. He’s
not a fool. He knows what he’s risking, but he believes the danger is worth it.
Examples: Spider-Man,
Captain America, Indiana Jones, Luke Skywalker. The vast majority of
blockbuster, action-adventure, and fantasy heroes qualify for heroic bravery.
2. Steadfast Bravery
Steadfast bravery isn’t as flashy as heroic bravery
(although it exhibits bursts of heroism), but its patient doggedness
challenges fate every single day.
What is it? This is
the kind of bravery we see from someone who is enduring a bad or dangerous
situation day in and day out. A POW, a soldier in the trenches, or an informant
in enemy territory will probably exhibit steadfast bravery.
Examples: Courtney (in Dawn Patrol), like so
many soldiers on the line, grits his teeth and holds fast in the face of death
every single day.
3. Quiet Bravery
This one is perhaps the least flashy of any type of bravery.
It can even occasionally be confused with cowardice.
What is it? Quiet
bravery gives a character the courage needed to endure bad situations with
grace and patience. It’s basically an offshoot of steadfast bravery, but it
usually surfaces in situations that are less physically dangerous. Cancer
patients, overworked single mothers, and trod-upon servants who maintain their
sense of self-worth and hope all exhibit quiet bravery.
Examples:
Literature is full of plucky orphans who endure their hard lots with a smile.
Amy Dorrit (in Little Dorrit) and
Sara Crewe (in A Little Princess)
both qualify.
4. Personal Bravery
Not all brave characters are going to face death or save the
world. Sometimes the bravest thing a person can do is take a chance to advance
his own lot in life.
What is it? Personal
bravery demands characters reach for the stars and chase their dreams. Instead
of remaining in a bad situation and taking it and taking it, they risk everything
for a chance at a better life. Personal bravery is perhaps the most common kind of bravery of
all, since it’s something every single one of us chooses to exhibit at one point
or another in our lives, whether it’s in dreaming of a better education, a better
career, or just a life-changing trip around the world.
Examples: Jane
Eyre, Jo March, and David Copperfield, among so many others, challenged their unappealing
fates by braving the world and forcing themselves into uncomfortable positions
with the hope of creating better, more fulfilling lives for themselves.
5. Devil-May-Care Bravery
Here we find the domain of the anti-hero and the fatalist.
What is it? Devil-may-care
bravery isn’t bravery so much as a cynical realization that death (or whatever
the worst-case scenario may be) will come no matter what we do, ergo let’s meet
it with arms stretched wide. Characters who have nothing to live for can often
exhibit insane courage, but they’re doing it from a place of negativity.
Examples: Durzo
Blint (from The Way of Shadows), Riddick, and my own Marcus Annan all fall
into this category. They’re powerful in their own right and they don’t care too
deeply about what happens to them, which makes them recklessly and dangerously
courageous.
6. Frightened Bravery
Finally, we have the most dichotomous, and often the
most compelling, bravery of all.
What is it? Frightened
bravery finds the hero a knee-shaking, gut-churning, terrified mess. But he
rises above it. He enters the fray in spite of his terror, and, in so doing,
becomes the bravest of all characters. Frightened bravery can go hand
in hand with any of the other types (save perhaps devil-may-care bravery),
since the very act of overcoming fear
is what makes a character brave.
Examples: Harry
Faversham (in The Four Feathers) is a
particularly good example, since his entire story is about his wildly
courageous attempts to blot out his own cowardice. The Youth (in The Red Badge of Courage), Lee (in The Magnificent Seven), and Danny (in The Great Escape) would all qualify as
well.
None of these categories are exclusive. A character may well
exhibit all six types of bravery during the course of your story, and often you’ll
find the categories overlapping. In creating a strong character, it’s
important not only that he qualify for at least one of these types of bravery, but
also that you identify which is the strongest category, so you can further
strengthen it on the page. Once you’ve done that, it’s almost a cinch readers will find your character fascinating.
Tell me your opinion: Which type of bravery does your protagonist predominantly qualify for?
Related Posts: The Character Competition: The Saint or the Sinner?
Love Your Characters—or Else!
Juxtaposition: The Power of the Unexpected in Fiction
_________________
Click the “Play” button to Listen to Audio Version (or subscribe to the Wordplay podcast in iTunes).
***
Don’t forget to vote for which prize you’d like to win in the Dreamlander Launch Party Grand Prize Drawing on December 2!Tell me your opinion: Which type of bravery does your protagonist predominantly qualify for?
Related Posts: The Character Competition: The Saint or the Sinner?
Love Your Characters—or Else!
Juxtaposition: The Power of the Unexpected in Fiction
_________________
Click the “Play” button to Listen to Audio Version (or subscribe to the Wordplay podcast in iTunes).
- November 25, 2012
28 Comments
- K.M. Weiland
- Posted in Characters , dreamlander , Feature
Characters are the heart and soul of any story. For all that
my stories are very plot driven, they always begin with a character (or, more likely,
two characters arguing). There’s a part of me that would like to hoard my characters forever. But nothing
beats having a reader fall just as much in love with a character as I am. Sharing
my characters is always a special joy.
Today, I would like to give you a special, behind-the-scenes
introduction to Dreamlander’s cast of
characters. “Casting” characters, à la the movies, is one of my guilty
pleasures. Aside from just being plain out fun, it also offers the bona fide writing benefit of a real human being against which characters have to measure up, as well as
built-in inspiration.
So, without further ado, let’s . . .
Chris Redston
Chris is our daring hero who wakes up one morning in the
world of his dreams, thinks he’s going crazy, and accidentally resurrects a
revenge-obsessed warlord with the power to bring down both worlds.
My favorite thing
about Chris: I love that he’s an ordinary guy. He’s someone you might meet walking down the street. But, more
than that, I love the extraordinariness he tries to hide under his surface. I love
how quick he is to jump in and defend others (sometimes without
thinking things through first), and I love his kindness to others.
From the book:
Chris stopped
short and turned around. Parry skidded to a halt and leaned back to keep from
bumping into him.
Chris caught the kid’s arm so he wouldn’t topple. “Where would Allara usually be this time of the evening?” He doubted
she had taken his advice and stayed in bed like a good patient.
Parry screwed up his face. “You know, all
this talk we’ve been hearing . . . you don’t think it’s true, do you?”
“Of course it’s not true! You honestly believe
a Searcher would betray you?”
Parry shrugged. “Well . . . I don’t, you know. But there are lots of
folks what’d like to blame her for stuff.”
Chris gave him a shake. “Don’t say that to my
face again. Prove to me
you’re man enough to stand against slander, no matter whose or how many mouths
it’s spewing out of. You got me?”
Parry’s head bobbed up and down. “Yes, sir. I
don’t believe it, not a word. I was just asking because I wanted to be sure.”
“I’m
sure. Is that good enough for you?”
Another head bob. “Yes. Absolutely. Now I’m
sure too.” He cleared his throat. “Um, if she’s not in her quarters, perhaps
she’s with Lord Thyra.” He pointed down the hall.
Chris released him and turned away.
Parry exhaled audibly, then called after him,
“Your clothes are all dusty. Don’t you want to change them before dinner?”
“No.” He glanced back as he walked away.
“Parry.”
“Aye?”
“If anybody says any of that garbage to you
again, you break his nose.”
“Um, okay. Unless he’s bigger’n me.”
Who I cast as Chris: Chris
went through about five different “casting calls,” depending on the various
aspects of personality and attitude I was focusing on. But if I had to cast him
right now, I would go with Chris Pine. He’s got that edge of saucy attitude,
and his appearance is close to how I visualized my Chris.
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Allara Katadin
Appointed Searcher of Lael before she was born, the Princess
Allara’s life has been defined by her duties of finding and guiding Gifted like
Chris. She blames herself for the crimes of the Gifted prior to Chris, who went
rogue and was eventually executed. She is determined to make amends now that
Chris’s arrival has given her a second chance.
My favorite thing
about Allara: She’s such a wonderfully complicated juxtaposition of traits.
On the one hand, she’s absolutely physically fearless. She’ll dive into battle
without a second thought, but, inside, she’s
this knotted mass of fears and doubts. She wants the strength to believe in
something greater than herself, but she can’t make herself let go and trust.
From the book:
He walked to the end of balcony, across from
her, and tried on a smile. “There you are. What are you doing out here?”
She held one arm out, and her long scarlet sleeve
spread in the breeze like a wing. “Trying to fly away. I came out to be alone.”
“I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“You didn’t intrude. I knew you were coming.”
The dark blue of her bodice and skirt blended with the night. Her face was
still pale, but the gaunt look of pain had faded. “I can feel you, you know.”
“What?”
She spared a tiny smile. “In my head. I feel
your presence. That’s how the Searchers are able to find the Gifted.”
He tried to absorb that. “What’s it like?”
“Different.” She tilted her head back and
forth as if trying to think of a way to explain it. “It’s like sharing your
mind with someone. I can sense an essence of who you are. Sometimes I catch
hints of what you’re feeling, thinking.”
Instinctively, he tried to damp his thoughts
and pull them away from her. She laughed softly, and he tried harder.
“I’m sorry.” She sounded like she meant it. “I
shouldn’t have told you.”
He gave up and released his thoughts. If
she’d been reading his mind all this time, it hardly mattered if he couldn’t
hide it from her now.
“Seems like that puts you at an unfair
advantage,” he said.
“Perhaps I need an advantage.” When she
smiled, her exhaustion showed through the cracks.
Who I cast as Allara:
Save for a brief consideration of Madeleine Stowe, Kate Beckinsale has always
fulfilled my vision of Allara. Tough, lovely, and a little wistful.
Orias Tarn
Orias is a Cherazii, a race of noble (if slightly savage)
warriors, who cling to their traditions with a fierce honor. Orias is a Keeper
of the Orimere, the dreamstone that allows the Gifted to move physical objects
between the worlds. He sacrifices his commitment to his time-honored role in
order to protect his people from the threat of genocide, then finds himself
adrift in guilt, unsure if he made the right choice or which side of the war he
should be fighting on.
My favorite thing
about Orias: I have a thing for tortured warriors, and Orias definitely
fits that bill. I love his ferocity in battle (helped out by the Cherazii’s
mental battle fire, which gives them speed and power and delays their
reaction to pain), but, even more than that, I love his dedication to caring
for and protecting his two Rievers, a midget-sized race who live in symbiosis
with the Cherazii.
From the book:
Orias turned for a closer look. If the new Gifted
was a Guardsman, that might put things in a more reassuring light. The skill
and dedication of the King’s Guard almost rivaled the Cherazii’s.
He took the triangle and ran his finger over
the center medallion. “At least if you get into trouble, you’ll know how to
handle yourself.”
“Why? What do Guardsmen do?” Chris asked.
“They’re the king’s crack troops.” Orias looked
him up and down. “You’re not in uniform, so you’ve probably been discharged.
All Laeler men are required to train with the army for a two-week period out of
every year so they’ll be ready to respond if the kingdom comes under attack.
But the Guard is the elite.” He let the tiniest of grins escape. “I thought you
looked like a fighter.”
Chris shook his head. “I have a feeling
fights around here are a lot different from the ones I’m used to.”
“If you get into trouble, blank your mind.
Let your body take over. It’ll know what to do.”
“That’s mighty comforting.”
Orias handed the Guard badge back to Pitch, who
bound it around his upper arm. He had to wrap the thongs twice and hold one end
with his teeth while he tied it off.
Orias turned back. “Do the same with the
horse. Listen to your body.” He mounted slowly, so the Gifted could watch and
learn.
Raz scrambled up behind him, but Pitch stood
waiting for Chris. He was quite enamored with his new prize. No doubt, he had
completely forgotten Chris would be his servant only until the Searcher claimed
him.
The pony didn’t budge, and the Gifted managed
to haul himself aboard without too much difficulty. Pitch clambered up Chris’s
leg to stand on the horse’s hindquarters and rest his hands lightly on Chris’s
shoulders.
“Kick him,” he advised.
Chris did, and the pony lumbered a few steps.
Orias urged his own horse forward before he
could change his mind about leaving. But he couldn’t stop a long backwards
glance. If the Koraudians did attack, his one lone sword could hardly make much
of a difference. He told himself that twice over. But he didn’t believe it. The
strength and power of a single Cherazim had turned the tale in too many battles
to count.
He needed to be here with his people.
He needed to be on the road, taking the
Gifted far away.
Two impossibly
conflicting duties. He had to choose one or the other, so he turned away and
rode into the trees.
Who I cast as Orias: Orias was a tough cast, since he’s not
exactly human. I based the Cherazii people on both Norse and Native American
cultures, and the image that flashed in my mind most often when writing Orias
(especially his battle scenes) was Daniel Day-Lewis in Last of the Mohicans.
Faolan Mactalde
Thirty years before
the beginning of our story, our villain extraordinaire was Sovereign of Koraud.
Executed for his collusion in the previous Gifted’s treachery, he prophesied he would return from the dead to take his vengeance. Refined, handsome, and
savvy, he’s a formidable enemy—especially now that he’s a little bonkers.
My favorite thing about Mactalde: Despite his bad guy status, I’ve always been
rather fond of Mactalde. As someone fighting to conquer his own fate, he
appeals to me. Of course, that wicked twinkle in his eye as he’s outwitting
everyone is also as fun as it is frustrating.
From the book:
Always their eyes returned to the clump of
trees behind which Mactalde had retired. Occasionally, they glanced at Chris as
well. But a crazy dreamer just wasn’t as interesting as someone returned from
the dead.
A man, tall and broad, stepped into the
clearing. He wore a knee-length leather coat, buckled up the front with half a
dozen silver closures. A snowy undershirt gleamed through slits in the sleeves.
Suede breeches, boots stretched above his knees, and a rapier dangling at his
side completed the picture. Only the short trim of his tawny hair and beard spoke
of another world.
Chris sat up. Mactalde seemed to have grown
six feet. In Chicago, he had been an ordinary man. Now he was a conqueror, a
general. He exuded power.
Harrison Garnett’s words crackled through his
head. Mactalde will destroy you if he
finds you! Destroy Lael! A fingertip of cold touched the back of his neck.
What if the old man had been right?
Behind him, Raz exhaled in a whoosh. “Sweet
Garowai in the sky, it is him.”
“Yalarin
pitish sé,” Pitch whispered.
Mactalde made his way through his men,
shaking hands and slapping backs. The troops parted before him. They touched
thumb and forefinger to their closed eyes and slid them down their faces in
some kind of salute. Mactalde accepted it as if he’d done it all his life.
Evidently, he had, up until twenty
years ago.
When he reached Chris, he clapped his hands
in front of him with a smile. His eyes were bright, ecstatic almost, like
someone jacked up on crack.
“Well.” He raised his voice. “Mr. Redston. How
do you like your dream now?”
Who I cast as
Mactalde: Who else but Hugh Jackman? Handsome, refined, but with an
undercurrent of brutality when needed, he fit my needs for Mactalde from the
very beginning.
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For more casting fun, be sure to check out my new Pinterest board of characters, which includes the entire cast.
***
And don’t forget to vote for which prize you’d like to win in the Dreamlander Launch Party Grand Prize Drawing on December 2!
Tell me your opinion: Based on the descriptions of the characters, who would you cast in Dreamlander?
Related Posts: Watch Dreamlander’s Book Trailer!
- November 23, 2012
18 Comments
- K.M. Weiland
- Posted in Characters , dreamlander , Feature
This week’s video talks about
the biggest lesson I learned while writing Dreamlander
and why I probably shouldn’t have had to learn it.
There were a number of reasons for this, the biggest of
which was that I was burned out on prep after having to abandon a previously
outlined and researched book. I just wanted to dive in and write the darn
thing. So I did. And I got stuck because, without an outline, I had no idea
where the story was going. So I stopped. I wrote an outline. And then, finally,
I started writing again. And—bam!—the difference was incredible.
Video Transcript:
This little series of ours can’t even begin to cover all the many lessons I
learned while writing my fantasy novel Dreamlander.
But I think I can say the most dramatic lesson was one so obvious I
shouldn’t have had to learn it. And
that was, in a nutshell, don’t skip the
prep. Now, as someone who wrote a whole book on outlining, you’d probably
think outlining would come second nature to me. But this wasn’t always so.
Prior to Dreamlander, I had
successfully outlined two books. I knew the benefits, I enjoyed the process.
But with Dreamlander, I just didn’t
do it.
There were a number of reasons for this, the biggest of
which was that I was burned out on prep after having to abandon a previously
outlined and researched book. I just wanted to dive in and write the darn
thing. So I did. And I got stuck because, without an outline, I had no idea
where the story was going. So I stopped. I wrote an outline. And then, finally,
I started writing again. And—bam!—the difference was incredible.
This whole idea of not skipping prep goes far beyond just
outlining—whether that’s your cuppa or not. After my experience with Dreamlander, I certainly believe
outlining is the most important part of the prep. But you also have to make
time early on for other occasionally unattractive tasks such as research,
character interviews, sometimes even a few practice scenes just to figure out
the proper POV, tense, voice, and style.
The thing is most of us are writers. So what do we want to do? Write. We don’t want to outline. We
don’t want to research. Sometimes we don’t even want to edit. But these are all
vital parts of the process. We can
write without them. But we’ll never become authors
without them. So learn from my mistakes and take the time to do the needed
groundwork before you even start that first chapter.
***
Don’t forget to vote for which prize you’d like to win in the Dreamlander Launch Party Grand Prize Drawing on December 2!
Tell me your opinion: Have you ever neglected prep work and regretted it?
Related Posts: Should You Outline?
- November 21, 2012
25 Comments
- K.M. Weiland
- Posted in dreamlander , Feature , outlining
What qualifies someone as a beta reader?
Something that was reinforced to me over and over again during my years-long journey with my fantasy novel Dreamlander (coming December 2) was the importance of beta readers. I was blessed to have the input of nearly twenty editors, critique partners, and beta readers. They educated, encouraged, occasionally humbled, and always helped me. Without them, the book would never have made it past the pile-of-pages stage.
I received two whoppingly good critiques of Dreamlander from non-writers. Both were
experienced fantasy readers and both were unafraid to let me have it wherever I
deserved it. They brought up concerns that my writing beta readers didn’t, both
because of their unique perspective as “outsiders” and, I suspect, because they
weren’t so caught up in critiquing methodology.
The term itself tells us this person is someone who reads an
early draft of a story. But they’re so much more than just that. I like to think
of beta readers as sort of junior grade editors. They’re not full-fledged,
bona-fide, paid-and-professional types with half-glasses pushed down their
noses and red pens behind their ears. But that doesn’t mean they’re any less
savvy—or any less important.
Something that was reinforced to me over and over again during my years-long journey with my fantasy novel Dreamlander (coming December 2) was the importance of beta readers. I was blessed to have the input of nearly twenty editors, critique partners, and beta readers. They educated, encouraged, occasionally humbled, and always helped me. Without them, the book would never have made it past the pile-of-pages stage.
Two Types of Beta Readers
Most of my beta readers are writers in their own right. Their
knowledge of the craft augments and reinforces my own. When we start talking
about POVs, voice, dangling participles, and plot points, we’re all speaking the
same language. They’re riding right alongside me in their own sometimes bumpy
writing journeys. They know what it’s like to be a writer, and our shared experiences
and knowledge create a solid foundation of trust in our relationships as givers
and receivers of literary criticism.
But there’s another category of beta reader that is just as
valuable as my fellow writer. And that, of course, is the non-writer.
Why Are Non-Writing Beta Readers So Valuable?
Non-writers can’t bring technical knowledge of the craft to
the table, but they bring something else: their objective experience as readers.
Most readers aren’t writers. They’re not gonna know the
technicalities of the craft. They may not even recognize or care about some of
the gaffes that would have our fellow writers gasping in horror. But they know
what they like, and they know what they don’t like. The very fact that they aren’t writers keeps their opinions from
getting tangled up in the technicalities.
How to Choose a Non-Writing Beta Reader
Now, it’s also true that not all non-writer beta readers are able to get down to the
nitty-gritty level necessary to offer truly useful critiques. Some simply aren’t going to
be interested in criticizing (and that’s okay—a positive review or two is always
welcome early on!). And some may not be able to communicate what they
instinctively like or dislike about a story.
Choosing a non-writer beta reader isn’t going to be much different
from choosing a writer reader. You’re going to want to select someone who is:
1. Willing to read the book. Asking
someone to tackle a large reading assignment (especially one that is
inconveniently formatted as a pdf or a pile of loose pages) should never be
taken lightly. You’re asking for a big time investment, so don’t take their
help for granted.
2. An experienced
reader. Someone who likes you but doesn’t like to read may enjoy your book
(or not), but he’s unlikely to be able to give you the kind of qualified
feedback you need to improve your work.
3. Familiar with your
genre. We all hope our stories will be appealing enough to
cross genres. But our first goal needs to be dotting our i’s and crossing our t’s
within our own niche. Readers who understand fantasy, mystery, and romance will
be better able to spot scenes that aren’t working and tropes that have been
done to death.
4. Opinionated and
proud of it. Ideally, you want your beta reader to be a sensitive soul who
can convey his opinions in a tactful way that won’t smash your tender writer’s
ego all to bits. But you absolutely need him to be forthcoming with his opinions.
If he hated something, he needs to be brave enough to tell you—and you, in
turn, need to be brave enough to take the bruising and thank him for it.
None of this, of course, is to belittle the importance of
our writing buddies’ input. I’d have been lost without their help. But in our often
easy access to writing friends, we can sometimes overlook the resource of
non-writers. The next time you’re on the hunt for a beta reader, don’t forget
to consider the ranks of the (not so) common reader. In the end, their opinion
is the one that matters most anyway.
Tell me your opinion: What insights do you find non-writers are able to offer after reading your manuscript?
Related Posts: Questions for Critique Partners
6 Reasons Not to Listen to Your Critique Partner
How to Get Feedback on Your Writing (and Sort the Good From the Bad)
_________________
Click the “Play” button to Listen to Audio Version (or subscribe to the Wordplay podcast in iTunes).
***
Don’t forget to vote for which prize you’d like to win in the Dreamlander Launch Party Grand Prize Drawing on December 2!Tell me your opinion: What insights do you find non-writers are able to offer after reading your manuscript?
Related Posts: Questions for Critique Partners
6 Reasons Not to Listen to Your Critique Partner
How to Get Feedback on Your Writing (and Sort the Good From the Bad)
_________________
Click the “Play” button to Listen to Audio Version (or subscribe to the Wordplay podcast in iTunes).
- November 18, 2012
20 Comments
- K.M. Weiland
- Posted in crit partners , criticism , Critiquing , Editing , Feature , proofreading , revision , writing buddy
Where do you find the inspiration for your stories?
Inspiration is everywhere. Sometimes it’s in the obvious things, like stunning
mountaintop vistas. And sometimes it’s found in little, seemingly
inconsequential things, such as the spots on a kitten’s belly or the
fingerprints on a dusty shelf.
Put all these ingredients together, add coffee and chocolate,
shake vigorously, and—voila!—you have
a 550-page epic fantasy novel with (in my opinion, at any rate) a lovely green cover.
Tell me your opinion: What are your degrees of inspiration?
Related Posts: Watch Dreamlander’s Trailer
Knowing When a Story’s Ready
What Inspired You to Become an Author?
A few years ago, I did a post about the various steps of inspiration that led to the creation of my historical work-in-progress The Deepest Breath. It was a ton of fun
to put together, everyone seemed to enjoy it, and some of you even created your own “degrees of inspiration” posts (of which this and this were two of my
favorites).
Today, I’d like to share the “15 degrees of inspiration”
that breathed life into my fantasy novel Dreamlander
(coming December 2).
1. Blame it on my brother.
 |
| (Not my brother. And not me. But we were almost this cute . . . a long time ago.) |
Most of my story ideas are
deeply personal and private. I brew on them for years before even mentioning
them to others. But Dreamlander was
my brother Derek’s idea. He spouted off the “what if” of people living a second
existence while they sleep—and which they remember in this world only as
dreams.
2. This all
happened around the time The Lord of the
Rings trilogy was coming out on film.
The gorgeous imagery couldn’t help
but influence the world I was trying to create. (So, yes, clichéd though it is,
I’m yet another fantasy author inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien.)
3. Another film
that was rolling around in my head was the TV movie Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story.
I love the
space/time gap between the real world and the beanstalk world.
4. What can I
say? I love the classic fantasy critters.
Brownies,
5. elves,
6. and dragons all tried sooo
hard to find a place in this story, before getting replaced with Katie
originals.
7. Throw in a
little moonlight.
It’s no secret I have a wild
love affair with the moon. Late night walks under its light inspired more than
one scene.
8. Early on in
the drafting process, western Nebraska got dusted with a late spring snow.
That’s not unusual around here. But on that
particular day, the new green grass shining against the untouched snow melded
with the story and ended up creating some important imagery for the cataclysmic
weather late in the book.
9. When I started
the book, I was still hyped from all the medieval research I’d done for Behold the Dawn.
I fully intended to use
the late 1100s as the inspiration for my fantasy world. But somehow (and, as it
turned out, to my great delight) the early 17th century (think Three Musketeers) crept in instead, complete with rapiers and firearms.
10. I had a
particular sound in mind for Dreamlander.
I wanted the hard, driving rhythms of contemporary music paired with something
ancient and Celtic.
Nightwish’s “Last of
the Wilds” fit what I had in mind so perfectly it might almost have been
written for the book.
11. Cranberry juice.
Can’t quite explain the connection. But I drank lots of cranberry juice while figuring out this story.
Can’t quite explain the connection. But I drank lots of cranberry juice while figuring out this story.
12. Where’s a
girl to look for smart, brave, more-than-slightly-cynical hero inspiration?
Johnny Storm,
13. Han Solo,
14. and James T. Kirk all had their share of impact on my Chris Redston.
15. Finally, one
of my favorite aspects of the story—the skycar rail system—didn’t show up until
the final rewrite.
I’m not sure where it came from—a bolt from the blue maybe?—but I suppose we have to blame it on the wonders of steampunk transportation in general.
I’m not sure where it came from—a bolt from the blue maybe?—but I suppose we have to blame it on the wonders of steampunk transportation in general.
***
For more fun, be sure to check out my new Pinterest board of images that inspired the costumes in Dreamlander.
And don’t forget to vote for which prize you’d like to win in the Dreamlander Launch Party Grand Prize Drawing on December 2!
And don’t forget to vote for which prize you’d like to win in the Dreamlander Launch Party Grand Prize Drawing on December 2!
Tell me your opinion: What are your degrees of inspiration?
Related Posts: Watch Dreamlander’s Trailer
Knowing When a Story’s Ready
What Inspired You to Become an Author?
- November 16, 2012
19 Comments
- K.M. Weiland
- Posted in dreamlander , Feature , Inspiration , Writing Life , writing process
This week’s video reveals the
varied layers of conflict we can choose to include in our stories—and why we
want as many of those layers as possible.
Video Transcript: As we continue with our series about
what I learned while writing my fantasy novel Dreamlander, I’d like to devote today’s video to the all-important
subject of conflict. I love action
stories, so most of my novels lean in that direction. And Dreamlander is no different. It features large-scale
Renaissance-esque battles among other things. But the truth is big battles
barely scratch the surface of the conflict necessary to make a book work.
Let’s consider the different levels of conflict.
1. First, we
have world-ending conflict: evil aliens are about to bomb the living daylights out
of humanity. That kind of thing.
2. Then we have large-scale human conflict, such
as war.
And these big conflicts are all fine and good, because they create a
framework of high stakes, as well as inherent settings of danger and tension.
But these conflicts are never really what a story is about. Books that are
about war—such as Mary Johnston’s wonderful Civil War story The Long Roll—become more about the event
than the characters. And that’s fine if that’s what you’re wanting to do.
But most stories are going to find their power in something
smaller and more intimate: and that is the conflict between characters. So we
have several levels of this as well.
3. To begin with, we have the obvious
conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist. But why stop there? Why not
pour on the conflict?
4. Between the protagonist and his family.
5.The protagonist
and his allies.
6. The antagonist and his allies.
Conflict is what makes fiction
run. More than that, it’s what makes fiction interesting. Keep the conflict
pumping in every scene and don’t forget to vary its intensity (obviously you’re
not going to want the conflict between the protagonist and her boyfriend to be
at the same level as the aliens vs. the humans). Conflict is what will keep
your action popping and your readers hooked.
***
Don’t forget to vote for which prize you’d like to win in the Dreamlander Launch Party Grand Prize Drawing on December 2!
Tell me your opinion: How many levels of conflict are present in your story?
Related Posts: Why Nice Characters Equal No Conflict
