Category: Wip: Where How and Then What

Thomm Quackenbush is a fantasy author living in the Hudson Valley of New York. He has written three books in the Night’s Dream series – We Shadows, Danse Macabre, and Artificial Gods – with another to follow early next year, as well as many stories. He has sold jewelry in Victorian England, confused children as a mad scientist, filed away more books than anyone has ever read, tried to inspire the learning disabled and gifted, and was once unwittingly a teenage gigolo before getting sacked for non-performance. When not writing, he can be found biking, hiking the Adirondacks, grazing on snacks at art openings, and keeping a straight face when listening to people tell him they are in touch with 164 species of interstellar beings.  

Thomm, thank you for being here. Before we talk about your WIP, why don’t you tell us a few things about yourself. Is your present as multi-faceted as your past?

My day job is teaching adjudicated minors English. Given that gangs seem to recruit from outside special education classrooms, this can be challenging on several fronts. I’ve taught two young men who went on to become murderers, but I am fairly confident I also just taught my first student there who will get his MBA.

When not writing, I do a fair bit of research for my books and promotional events. For Artificial Gods, I attended meetings and sky-watches with a group of UFO contactees, though I saw only planes. I have recently fallen in with a group that is researching the possibility of a nest of sasquatches in my town (which is, genuinely coincidentally, the setting for two of my published books and my soon-to-be-published one). This is fairly exciting since I have no idea how I will end up weaving this into a future book, but I almost have to. The Bigfoot researchers are genuinely nice people, whatever others may think of their theses. I also just returned from a stint on the artist alley at Otakon, the largest anime convention on the East Coast. I did not have spectacular sales, but I spoke to a lot of people and made a couple of connections.

Last month, I married my partner of three years, Amber Haqu. We immediately embarked on a honeymoon in California, then to Otakon (she is an artist), and then a vacation with my family, which was about three solid weeks where we did not see our own apartment for more than eleven hours at a stretch, usually while asleep. All this relaxation took its toll. I am thrilled to get back to writing and eating food less than 50% fry oil.

Exercise in lean writing: give us a synopsis of your current WIP in under 200 words.

My next book is Flies to Wanton Boys, explaining why the mythic aspects of the world (called daemons in my series) are so few and threatened with extinction unless Gideon, a reformed murdering body thief who only inhabit small animals at the moment, can convince Shane Valentine that she must have a hand in stopping the Purging from obliterating what remains of the supernatural. Unfortunately for him and for the daemons,  Shane despises him for having tried to make her one of his flesh puppets and otherwise tearing her from mundane reality, so she is somewhat of a hard sell on playing messiah to a collection of nightmares and fantasies.

Intriguing! Are you happy with the pace of your work? Do you aim at a specific word count each day?

I don’t know that I am happy, necessarily. I have a half dozen books in different forms, but I think this is the current pace that befits them. If I could spend all day writing, I still don’t think I could work as quickly as my fans (or publisher) would prefer. I work at the pace that allows me to be functional and that will have to suffice for now, unless I can get a sentient operating system that will compile my notes and make sure I am not abusing the continuity.

Plotter, pantser or both?

I keep my plots loose to give my characters room to grow and tell the stories they need.  I tried to be more rigid with Artificial Gods, but found that my protagonist Jasmine refused to submit to certain plot points.  This ended up being a crucial aspect of her character and made her story much deeper than I initially intended.  When I went to revise for my revelation, I found that it was well foreshadows already. Tricky characters.

I do start with an outline and tend to know how the book has to end, but I find surprises in how the characters get there. Clive, a decidedly minor character in We Shadows and Danse Macabre (so much so that he was not formally named in the former and did not appear beyond a name and a few severed, latex feet in the latter), has turned out to be one of my favorite actors in Flies to Wanton Boys, since he points out flaws in supernatural logic while riding the line between funny and pesty. I didn’t intend for him to take on this role, since he only previously existed as proof one of my characters had other friends, but he seized it with apparently characteristic gusto.

What’s your worst enemy in getting that first draft finished?

Wanting to fix it before I have reached “the end.” I spent years getting each scene “perfect” in We Shadows, only to cut 60,000 words of that supposedly perfect draft to get it publishable. I’ve also heard that the scenes I did not labor over are seen as better, so who am I to argue? When I am starting a new draft, I just write and hope I can clarify any tangles of plot during revisions. Until one finishes a book, it’s hard to say what it will actually end up being about anyway.

Have you ever experienced lack of inspiration or drive to write? If so, how do you motivate yourself?

I tend to always have something I should be writing, so I can flit between pieces when one well goes dry (which is likely why I have so many books plotted and half-written while procrastinating my main project). Occasionally, I need to sit and read a whole book straight through to rejuvenate my mind. Either the book will be marvelous and I will be jealous enough to have a fire lighted under me (and the sloth burned out of me) or the book will be dreck and I will want to write to spite those authors.

Reading is always win-win. Could we take a look at your workspace? Is there a particular place you find inspiring for writing?

For the most part, I can’t be too comfortable if I am to be productive. For instance, I am answering this particular question on a hard plastic chair in a Laundromat while a man attempts to fix one of the machines with much banging (I assume he is trying to fix it. At this point, he could also be trying to get out a decade worth of frustration or he might be engaging in a vigorous bout of performance art). In my prior apartment, I wrote on the floor of a small closet on a 9” Asus Eee because it balanced sensory deprivation with discomfort. Now, I write in a corner of my bedroom on a plastic desk or outside my apartment before breakfast. When I moved into this apartment, the agreement was that Amber and I would share the studio space, but it quickly became evident that I would never be able to dig out working space among her cardboard and paint. (She talks about a future apartment, where there is an office for me that she can decorate. Our friends realize she is just trying to talk herself into two studios, since I would want only walls full of butcher paper for outlines/timelines and a strong wi-fi connection. Any furniture or extraneous decoration would simply become something I would play with instead of writing.)

Balancing sensory deprivation with discomfort to write. You just gave me the pitch of this interview. But, hey, Elphie looks comfie! Maybe not after sitting on him for hours though, right? Now your workspace picture is pinned on my Featured Writers’ Workspace board on Pinterest. Apart from Word and Google, do you use any other writing or research tools and apps?

I use WriteMonkey to get a distraction-free draft out of me, since it doesn’t even tell me if I have misspelled something. I have also set it to make a clicking sound as I type, so I have come to associate that sound with productivity and type faster.

I think Dropbox or something of that ilk is essential for any writer and its backup has saved me more than once. The editor for Danse Macabre pointed out that a few chapters were corrupted to gibberish symbols, but I was able to find a copy among the archives that had a nearly complete version of those sections, saving me from tearing out my hair.

Though it may not strictly fall under the umbrella of this question, I am an annual participant of National Novel Writing Month, during which I bang out the first draft of a new book. It helps me to make connections and foreshadowing between books, since I am always two or three books ahead of what are on shelves, and it is so much easier to work with fifty thousand words of imperfect prose than a few pages of unwritten ideas.

I am also a huge fan of pen and paper. I know this makes me a Luddite, but I get my best and least distracted drafts when I am just handwriting. It helps that Amber got me a carbon fiber pen for one of our anniversaries, so I feel obligated to make great use of it.

Let’s bring back the “a pen to a writer” gift! How do you intend to celebrate writing “The End” on your draft?

By immediately starting work on the next one, which is already fifty thousand words thanks to NaNoWriMo. As I see it, I’ve got miles to go before I sleep, to borrow Frost’s phrase. Plus, I have honestly had enough celebrating recently to last me until next year.

Good luck with that! Which book publishing processes are you going to outsource and which are you confident enough to undertake yourself?

For my novels, I am grateful that Double Dragon Publishing handles everything from editing to cover design to distribution. I have beta readers, but it is hard to convince people who are not getting a paycheck that you would like their revisions within the next three months. My wife is currently my best reader and it could be because I can gently pester her over dinner.

I have started posting stories to the Kindle, which has been a fine experiment so far. I intend to make those works that are currently Amazon exclusive more widely available to make room for the next crop. For that, I lean on my artist wife for cover design and farm my editing out to a few interested parties.

Do you have any marketing tips or favorite promotional sites you’d like to share?

I am still experimenting with my approach. I will say that doing conventions and panels greatly increases the interest of the reading public, though it is far from reliable and tends not to be cheap (I have only earned appearance fees from No Such Convention, which is always a fun time). In general, I recommend connecting with other authors online and see what they are up to. Very few authors these days can survive in seclusion.

If you aren’t on Goodreads, get there immediately. At the very least, it will incentivize you to read, but it also has several methods of connecting to interested readers.

True words! Your blog is http://xenex.org. Do you follow a specific branding pattern with your posts or is it a free writing platform?

It is mostly free writing, though I separate it into entries about my life (which I tend to mine for my books) and essays about writing. I’ve tried other topics, but these are the ones I tend to stick to, since I can offer a more informed opinion.

Is contemporary fantasy the genre you will brand yourself with or do you see yourself branching out in the future?

I have plans at least for a realistic comedy centered around my wedding, though it will lean more heavily on fiction than fact. However, it is hard to contest that my fantasy series sells and Double Dragon Publishing is eager to put out as many books in the series as I can write. Any author who says they are not in it for royalties is welcome to sign them over to me.

Anyone to take Thomm up on his offer? 🙂 Would you like to share with us links where we can find you and your work?

For my novels: http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/eAuthor.php?Name=Thomm%20Quackenbush or http://www.amazon.com/Thomm-Quackenbush/e/B004ZQYE5W/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=xenexorg-20&linkId=FW7MA5L7AG5I4ZEI

 

For me in general: https://www.facebook.com/ThommQuackenbush

http://thommquackenbush.tumblr.com

or 

https://twitter.com/thommq

Thank you, Thomm, and best of luck with your current project!

Leo Valiquette is the author of The Sword and the Skull, an adult epic fantasy that he is currently pitching to agents. Leo was brave enough to submit the first chapter of his novel to a cross-blog critique event this blog participated in. I must admit I was seriously impressed! Next step: an in-depth interview on writing processes, aspirations and how monetizing your writing can improve your physique!

Leo, thank you for being here. Before we talk about your WIP, why don’t you tell us a few things about yourself?  

I live in Ottawa, Canada, with my wife and nine-year-old son. I’m going to cite the old writer’s cliché that I have a fairly boring life. When not writing, I am trying to keep up with my reading. I keep a 65-gallon fish tank. I’ve also tried my hand at sword classes and making my own chain mail and leatherwork as research for my writing.

These days, I’m a freelance writer and marketing and public relations consultant. Much of what I do is helping businesses market their products and services, through content marketing. I was a journalist and a newspaper editor; those experiences have definitely helped with the discipline required to just sit down and write, and take constructive feedback. 

Exercise in lean writing: give us a synopsis of your current WIP in under 200 words.

To quote my query letter:

A disgraced soldier and the blind witch he loves find themselves on the run, carrying the fate of their world in a nondescript canvas sack that bishop, warlock, and sorcerer alike would kill to possess.

Since fleeing the Holy Clerisy, Ryn and Josalind have tried to build a quiet life as dealers in religious relics. When the haunted skull of the evil demigod Zang arrives on their doorstep, Josalind is convinced it’s her destiny to prevent Zang’s return.

After Zang’s worshippers capture Josalind and the skull, Ryn has one desperate chance to save her and prevent the demigod’s resurrection. He must steal the Clerisy’s holiest relic, a sentient sword that can enslave its wielder. The sword’s thirst for a final victory over Zang could break Ryn’s mind and cost thousands of innocent lives.

Are you happy with the pace of your work? Do you aim at a specific word count each day?

I’m in that Limbo right now between projects. The Sword and the Skull is technically my fifth novel, but it’s the one in which I have made the greatest strides to improve as a writer. So it’s been a learning tool as well as a WIP with the intent to publish. Aside from some shorter stuff, it’s been my principal focus for several years.

And now that I am “done” and querying the MS, I’d have to say I’m not happy with the pace of my work at all. Revising and tweaking is far less daunting than starting from scratch with a blank page. I need to muster the ambition to start the next project. If I can average 1,000 words a day, I’ll be happy.

Plotter, pantser or both?

Half of one, three quarters of the other, I’d say. I need to know in a general sense where I am going in order to start the journey, but not to any great detail.

What’s your worst enemy in getting that first draft finished?

Time. What else? I have the advantage of being self-employed. This gives me the flexibility to juggle personal writing and client work in the course of a normal workday, depending on how busy with client work I am.

When I punched a clock for an employer, my only available writing time was of course evenings and weekends. So, while having that flexibility during the day now may seem like a godsend, it’s also led me to slip out of the habit of writing in the evening before bed. When I’m in my busy seasons for client work and don’t have the time during the day, it takes a lot to keep my writing from sliding off the radar and get back into that nighttime groove.

Have you ever experienced lack of inspiration or drive to write? If so, how do you motivate yourself?

Healthy eating and exercise is the sovereign cure. Seriously. About 16 months ago, I took a fitness challenge with a personal training gym, and I haven’t looked back. My blood pressure and cholesterol are the lowest they’ve ever been. My body fat percentage went from 28 to 16. I’m 44, and in the best shape of my life. I have more energy, more focus. And because of my skills as a writer and content marketer, I am exchanging services with the gym instead of paying for what is a premium service. Never forget – a strong writing skill is a currency all its own, even if you never make the New York Times best seller list.

That’s a new one! A healthier lifestyle to combat writer’s block. Could we take a look at your workspace? Is there a particular place you find inspiring for writing?

Picture of my home workspace attached, complete with swords and skulls.

Here is a panoramic of my favorite local coffee shop: http://bit.ly/1pLgB8H

Very cozy! Now your workspace is pinned on my Featured Writers’ Workspace board on Pinterest! Apart from Word and Google, do you use any other writing or research tools and apps?

Not really. Unless the Lord of the Rings soundtrack counts 🙂

I’m sure it does! How do you celebrate writing “The End” on your draft?

I take a break to read a book. I find it hard to focus on reading for pleasure when I’m drafting.

Would you consider self-publishing if the process of acquiring an agent takes too long?

That’s a tough one. I’m only now at the point where I truly believe I’ve learned enough, and gained enough insight into my own writing, to have a marketable product. I know there are many writers out there who are excellent writers and self-published successes. But I know too, there are many people who have succumbed to their own impatience and self-published works that just weren’t ready. I still see reputable agents as the gatekeepers of quality, and as business partners and advocates to shoulder the administrative burden of managing a career.

But it is a highly subjective business, and if the agent route continues to disappoint, I might very well decide to self-publish. If I do, I will make sure to invest in professional editing and original cover design. You need every edge you can get.

Do you have any marketing or professional tips you’d like to share?

I’ve often drawn the comparison between a writer seeking publication and an entrepreneur trying to bring a product to market. You have to treat this as a business. As with any business venture, you must be prepared for failure, and you must see every failure as a learning opportunity.

The sooner you can accept your weaknesses, the quicker you can move past them and be the better for it. You can’t become a better writer without checking your ego at the door and taking to heart the most eagle-eyed and frank criticism you can find. Usually, this means someone who has been through the ringer with agents and publishers.

So after you’ve accomplished all you can with the kind of feedback you get from friends, family and your writing group, it’s time to cultivate a more battle-scarred network of people. Go to conferences. Attend workshops. Socialize online. Even pay for professional editing and MS assessments – BUT research carefully to ensure you are dealing with a reputable individual who will give you good value for your money. There are a lot of snake oil salesmen out there looking to fleece you.

As every successful entrepreneur knows, the key to marketing is to have a compelling product your audience wants. It’s practically impossible to create that in a vacuum, locked away from the rest of the world.

Is epic fantasy the genre you will brand yourself with or do you see yourself branching out in the future?

I’ve got a few different directions I want to go. The Sword and the Skull is the first in a planned series. But I have also written shorter works – 6,000 to 12,000 words – that will be the basis for books in different genres. One is an adult sci-fi dystopian, set in my part of Canada. Another is a contemporary dark fantasy.

Would you like to share with us links where we can find you and your work?

I am on Twitter: @LeoValiquette

You can find the first chapter of The Sword and the Skull at wattpad.com: http://www.wattpad.com/66499562-the-sword-and-the-skull-chapter-one?d=ud

Thank you for sharing your work process and workspace and best of luck securing an agent for The Sword and the Skull!

I met Samantha through our recent cross-blog critique event. Apart from a participant blogger she also coordinated the entire thing, and I was impressed both by her writing and her coordinating skills. Next logical step was to invite her over for a WIP interview through which we’ll get to know her and her work process better.

Hi, everyone! Thanks for stopping by. I’m the author of the recently released fantasy novel, Guarding Angel, which came out in May.

Samantha, thank you for being here. Before we talk about your WIP, why don’t you tell us a few things about yourself?

When I was a child, I loved reading and, when very young, decided to try my hand at writing. I wrote my way through high school, but being too practical and focused on what would give me an income instead of what I love, I decided to study my second love—science—instead of my first love—writing. When I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physics, I’d had enough of school and took a job at a bank as an assistant on technology projects. For ten years, I’ve worked in banking project management, but my first love remains writing. A couple years ago, I decided to vehemently, seriously, rambunctiously pursue a career in writing, and that’s how Guarding Angel came to be published.

What are you working on right now?

I have two projects underway. I’ve written and done the first revision of a dark urban fantasy novel with the working title The Exorcist’s Assistant. It’s with CP’s now, and I plan on doing another revision toward the end of summer and then querying. Tagline: A woman harassed by a demon enlists the aid of a doubting exorcist and discovers its connection to her past life and its hunger for her wife and daughter.

The second project is the sequel to Guarding Angel, called Reaping Angel. It’s the second of three books in the Fallen Redemption series. So as not to spoil too much of the first book, I’ll be vague: Angel Enael, main character of the first book, must meet the demands of Heaven’s governing Council of Seraphim for her past transgressions while struggling with interference from a now-demon love interest from her past.

Dark fantasy turning midnight black! Are you happy with the pace of your work? Do you aim at a specific word count each day?

Right now, I’m delighted with the pace of my writing, but for the first half of the year, I was not. I’m currently 7.5 months pregnant, and the pregnancy made it difficult for me to write for a variety of reasons. I had originally planned to have Reaping Angel written by March … then May … Then I just wanted to hide in a hole because I’d only gotten about a quarter of it done. However, this month I’m doing Camp NaNoWriMo, and I’ve been keeping up with and even exceeding my goal of 2,000 words most days. When I was writing The Exorcist’s Assistant, I found that same word count to be a good goal for both writing and revising. I work best under pressure with a daily goal and a deadline.

Plotter, pantser or both?

Both. Guarding Angel was written totally pantsy, but I had to go back and do a lot of revisions. I started Exorcist’s Assistant that way and it went nowhere. I originally didn’t want to be confined by a plot, but once I caved and tried it when I got stuck, I found that’s my method. One of the reasons I was so frustrated with myself with Reaping Angel was because the chapter-by-chapter plot was written last November. All I had to do was actually write the thing! Now that I’m underway, things change and evolve in a pantsy way. I discover new secrets, plot twists, and back story to my characters every day, while still guiding them along the general plot I’m aiming for.

What’s your worst enemy in getting that first draft finished?

Allowing myself to believe that I’m not feeling it. What does that even mean, anyway? I find that when I go back and reread what I’ve written, it doesn’t matter if I wrote on a day where my brain was bursting with ideas or on a day when I felt like my muse had a hangover. It reads with the same voice, the same inspiration. (Which isn’t to say that everything is gold; it’s just that the good stuff and bad stuff come in equal quantities whether I was feeling it or not.) All I need to do is sit my butt in a chair and get those words out. I know I have to revise, so slogging, for me, is not a reason to stop and wait for a better moment.

Hear hear! Have you ever experienced lack of inspiration or drive to write? If so, how do you motivate yourself?

The reason I decided to do Camp NaNoWriMo was because I am a bit terrified of what’s going to happen when the baby comes, since it’s our first. I find revising easier—like shaping clay into a finished statue. If I didn’t have a draft of Reaping Angel written, when was I going to do the most difficult part—getting that clay out of the recesses of my brain and onto paper? Maybe I’ll have a ton of time and motivation when I’m on maternity leave. Or maybe I won’t feel at all like writing because the baby will need my attention constantly. I didn’t want to chance not having something.

Good thinking! Those little ones are a blessing, but they can seriously mess up with the best of your intentions! Could we take a look at your workspace? Is there a particular place you find inspiring for writing?

I have a great setup in the basement with two big monitors and an L-shaped desk. Previous to the pregnancy, I found it inviting and inspirational, but now, it feels like a torture device because the desk chair isn’t exactly top-of-the-line. That was an impediment for awhile, so now I just fluff up half a dozen pillows on my couch and write on my tiny laptop that I originally purchased to go into my purse so I could write on the train commute. If I have an idea while sitting in front of the TV, I just pick up my laptop and plop it in. And it’s easier to get motivated to write because I don’t dread the actual sitting part anymore.

Very cozy! I love it! Now it’s pinned in my Featured Writers’ Workspace board on Pinterest! Apart from Word and Google, do you use any other writing or research tools and apps?

I used Scrivener, which I love for drafting and revising. It’s more difficult once I get feedback from my editors because I have to manually make all the changes. However, I’m a perfectionist and I have to scrutinize everything before I allow it in, so it works for me. I also use dictionary.com and thesaurus.com—for inspiration. Piece of writing advice: If you didn’t already know the word, don’t use it. Your editor, if she’s worth her salt, will magically know, tsk at you, and make you cut it. And not only her—your readers will know. If you’re not comfortable with the language you use, your writing will seem awkward.

How do you intend to celebrate writing “The End” on your draft?

I’ve been throwing around the idea of starting a new game of Spore or the Sims 3. I am a gamer, but I haven’t played anything in quite a while. My husband and I are the ultimate nerds—we met on an MMO, Star Wars: Galaxies, in 2006. I don’t have time for MMO’s right now, but a fun one-player game is something I’ve been missing lately. Maybe I’ll even splurge on something I don’t already own.

A gamer who writes demon-infested dark fantasy and reviews horror without blinking an eye while pregnant. You’re amazing! Which book publishing processes are you going to outsource and which are you confident enough to undertake yourself?

I outsourced the cover design, which was a really good idea because I’ve had people tell me over and over that the cover is what really sold them on giving my book a try. I also outsourced the editing (developmental, copy editing, and proofreading). Next time, I might try to find a CP or two to trade proofreading services with, since the bulk of the problems are taken care of in the first two editing processes.

I did the book formatting and uploading myself. If you have an aptitude for computer languages, I would suggest using Guido Henkel’s Take Pride in Your eBook Formatting guide to do your own formatting. I’ll probably take less than an hour to do an entire novel now that I’ve done it twice (once for the ARC and once for the final version). I also purchased a paperback template but did the merge/format myself.

The Guarding Angel cover is indeed eye-riveting! Do you have any marketing tips or favorite promotional sites you’d like to share?

Talk to people on social media rather than spamming book links. Always have something on the go (another interview or guest appearance on a blog). Set a goal for how many book review bloggers per week you’ll contact and stick to it: send out lots of review copies because reviews are how you get people’s attention on both Amazon and Goodreads. And start early—a month beforehand at least, start contacting bloggers with your ARC. Then you have a strong release if you have a handful of reviews for people to see on your release day.

Your blog is http://www.saboviec.com/reviews/. Do you follow a specific branding pattern with your posts or is it a free writing platform?

I struggled with what to blog about for months. I decided to do book reviews of speculative fiction books, since those are what I read. I believe in the idea, from a philosophical perspective, since reviews are what indie writers need to get noticed and I truly enjoy helping the community.

The toughest part is saying no. First to requests, since I can’t possibly read every book in the world. Second, to not over-rating books that I didn’t enjoy, since I pride myself on being honest. It’s tempting to just say, “Yeah, this was great,” when I sometimes fear repercussions from authors who don’t take kindly to criticism. I suspect that the only one-star review I got of Guarding Angel came from someone who was offended by a review on my blog, based on the vagueness of the review, the timing of when it went up, and how someone has been methodically down-ranking my reviews for months. Not that I begrudge less-than-stellar reviews: If that’s really how someone feels, that’s fine! I’m actually surprised I haven’t yet offended some people with the spiritual ideas presented in Guarding Angel yet.

Reviewing can be quite dodgy. Is dark fantasy the genre you will brand yourself with or do you see yourself branching out in the future?

I can’t see myself writing outside the speculative fiction genre, but I have an idea of a science fiction novel that I plan on writing after I get further along on Reaping Angel and Exorcist’s Assistant.

Would you like to share with us links where we can find you and your work?

Kindle US: http://amzn.to/1jTRde0
Kindle Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00K6ZM372
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/ebook/guarding-angel
Nook: http://www.bn.com/w/1119467162?ean=2940149496204
Paperback (Amazon): http://amzn.to/1vjDguz
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1gby7f7

My website: http://www.saboviec.com

Thank you, Samantha, and best of luck with your Reaping Angel!

Thanks for having me on the blog!

 

William Fraser’s stories are from the spice scented breezes of the Zanzibar archipelago, the remote grasslands of the Serengeti and the dark side of Kilimanjaro.  His first novel, The Spirit Tree was inspired by a  yearlong stay on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.  William worked and traveled through Southern Africa for eleven years before settling in Tanzania in 1999.  He now splits his time between Tanzania and the U.K.

William, thank you for being here. Before we talk about your WIP, why don’t you tell us a few things about yourself?  

I am never comfortable talking about myself and since childhood have hidden behind the characters I create for my stories.  I was born and raised in South Yorkshire and learned my love of travel and adventure at 28 when I visited South Africa for three weeks loving it so much I didn’t return home.  Eleven years later I moved to Tanzania where I worked for a safari ground operator and wrote about Tanzanian/Kenyan cultural tours which developed into writing stories set in East Africa

Exercise in lean writing: give us a synopsis of your current WIP in under 200 words.

It is Kilimanjaro,  the year 1800  and the King invites boys on the cusp of manhood to attend the annual Mbora Trails.  From the very beginning there is one boy, Nuhu, who stands out from the rest.  The King is convinced this Nuhu is the one foretold by the ancients who would restore ‘Upinde’,  the sacred drum, to its rightful place.

Nuhu’s best friend, Minja, dies during one of the trials and he becomes concerned that other boys seem to be disappearing without explanation, too.  Nuhu investigates and discovers the Shaman – who has tapped into an ancient power that feeds on human souls  – is behind the disappearances.  Nuhu confides in the King who is murdered the following night .  Noah is framed for the murder and runs for his life.

Heading for the grass plains and sanctuary with the Elders of Kikatiti, he is armed with a copper tipped spear, perused by his rival, Leopard and helped occasionally by his dead friend, Minja.  His only hope lays in outrunning his enemies and securing the help of the Elders of Kikatiti who are the keepers of the lost secret of the drum – the only means to overcoming the Shaman and the power of the Legion.

Are you happy with the pace of your work? Do you aim at a specific word count each day? 

I try.   It is important to be disciplined but it is difficult to accomplish as it is important to achieve.  I used to be obsessed with completing a set amount of work each day.  With my latest project I concentrate on getting it right.  This means I am working (in word count terms) at a much slower rate than I would like.

Plotter, pantser or both?

Plotter, well no, well sometimes . . . hmm, maybe both.

What’s your worst enemy in getting that first draft finished?

Starting a new project I always find daunting but once I start, I go for it.  Towards the end of a draft sometimes doubt raises its ugly head.  Self doubt, is the enemy.

Have you ever experienced lack of inspiration or drive to write? If so, how do you motivate yourself? 

Yes,  all the time!  I overcome it by forcing myself to write, even if it’s uninspired drivel.  Often in these so called dry times some of my best ideas are hatched.  Or sometimes I cut myself off from the radio, TV, mobile phones, and internet.  I spend hours in self conflicted solitude, clearing my head of all the baggage.  I wrestle with silence and in the silence, eventually, the inspiration comes.

Could we take a look at your workspace? Is there a particular place you find inspiring for writing?

I have two.  Walking along the cliffs on the North Devon coast and walking in Arusha, Tanzania.  My laptop and office are not inspiring at all!  If I find myself staring at the laptop mouth open and brain switched off I abandon my work space to think – only returning once I am bursting with ideas about my characters and/or plot.   

Now your photo is pinned on my Featured Writers’ Workspace board in Pinterest. Apart from Word and Google, do you use any other writing or research tools and apps? 

No,  is the easy answer.  Google is my friend, albeit a rather controlling friend with designs on world domination.  My stories are about the life and culture of Tanzania and the fantastic folk of Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Nairobi and the Rift Valley .These are better than any app.

How do you intend to celebrate writing “The End” on your draft?

I usually have another project demanding my attention.  Often I have two or three on the go at the same time, all overlapping one another.  There never seems to be an end.

Which book publishing processes are you going to outsource and which are you confident enough to undertake yourself? 

I usually publish through Smashwords and Kindle although I am considering using an agent.  My editor has approached an agent so I may be published through a more traditional route in the future.

You blog here. Do you follow a specific branding pattern with your posts or is it a free writing platform? 

Although I am not comfortable with blogging I have a blog page.  It is more of a free writing platform – I am thinking about shutting it down.  The only reason I have it is because I am told it is a must to have one.  It is never a good idea to do something for which you have no heart or skill…   It is better, for me, I think to blog through third party sites that are far more interesting and professional than anything I could create.  It takes up so much time too.  I’d rather spend the time writing stories.

Is African fantasy the genre you will brand yourself with or do you see yourself branching out in the future?  

I am passionate about everything East African and love to share that love with anyone who will listen.  I can’t see me branching out for a while.

Thank you, William, and best of luck with your projects!

You can purchase The Spirit Tree on Amazon and Smashwords

Michael Haley is the author of “Lost on the Edge of Forever,” a spiritual romance of the Fantastique published by Curiosity Quills, released on February 2, 2014. But possibly more importantly, the little dude-to-be mentioned on the book’s author page is now officially a little dude-been-born, and baby & family are healthy and wonderful.

I connected with Michael through Goodreads, after he sent me a kind message about my 5 ways new writers chase away potential readers post. I was intrigued by his language use (which goes to show that we should all polish our language even when commenting on a post) and headed over to his site where I read his novel’s amazing excerpt. My next move was to invite him for a WIP Q&A and asked for the excerpt to be posted on my MM Jaye’s friends write blog. Michael gracefully accepted, so you can read the exciting opening of “Lost on the Edge of Forever” here.

Michael, first of all congratulations on the triumphant arrival of the new member of the family! How are you adjusting so far?

Thank you! Life feels like near-constant fatigue, yet it’s fatigue that makes me feel amazing and ecstatic! Adjusting ourselves back into our normal routines has been a little bit of challenge, but every day it gets a little bit easier. Between a wonderful baby, two working parents, a book that won’t market itself, and new material that is screaming to be written, it’s a lot of work!

Before we talk about your work process, why don’t you tell us a few things about yourself? 

I studied both Psychology and English at Iowa State University, although my studies often got pushed aside to study film art and narrative style regardless of what actual classes I was taking. That meant I watched a lot of movies when I should have been studying, but how important is Psychiatric Assessment techniques when there are decades of Jean-Luc Godard films to watch? Although I’ve always been interested in telling stories, it’s through film that I discovered the important of authorial voice in storytelling, and after college I began to hover around expressing that voice through literary rather than cinematic means. As my mind thinks in cinematic terms, my task is to translate what I see as a fully shot, edited, and scored film into a book. And most importantly, have the book read like a literary text as opposed to a junior novelization of 21 Jump Street.

Exercise in lean writing: give us a synopsis of “Lost on the Edge of Forever” in under 200 words. 

Leila, an ambitious and brilliant student, is murdered during her final semester at college, yet discovers she’s been reborn as a spirit resigned to haunt the school of her death. Alejandro, a listless and depressed freshman, arrives on campus eager to reinvent himself after eighteen years of awkwardness, as well as a devastating family tragedy, shake his sense of worth and faith to their cores.

These lonely souls meet under the auspice of moonlit rain, and soon find themselves irrevocably, passionately attracted to each other. Leila begins to feel her spiritual body physically reawaken, and Alejandro discovers a kindred spirit who understands him like no one else. Intoxicated with each other, the impossible lovers dream of holding onto their own private miracle forever.

Yet how can Alejandro explain to skeptical friends and family his soul-mate is dead? Why does Leila get the nagging suspicion their romance might contain the secret of her existence? An unexpected act of evil ignites these unavoidable questions, revealing in its afterglow the true purpose of their star-crossed romance. Will love allow them to accept a profound destiny that surpasses time and perhaps even God, or is their love destined to die loud and young?                                                                               (199 words)

Are you happy with the pace of your work? Do you aim at a specific word count each day?

I aim for the Stephan King quota of 2,000 words a day, but life almost always gets in the way of accomplishing that. I would kill for the ability to consistently put out a first draft every three months – only once was I able to achieve the feet by sheer fluke. I tend to overthink nearly everything, which often prevents me from just writing the text and trusting it to be good enough to make it to the next draft.

Plotter, pantser or both?

Plotter. I’m obsessed with narrative structure and cannot read or view anything without thinking about the skeletal structure underneath the work, which means I’m obsessed beyond all reason with the framework of my own. This might seem paradoxical considering I write almost exclusively character based fiction, but in my experience, most of the character’s growth/voice will naturally emerge from the book if everything else is done right—conflict, pacing, setting, etc. I don’t entirely exclude giving voice specific attention, but it’s never my first concern as I’m much more interested in getting the “gears” of the book right. If you were to criticize the personalities of my characters, I’d probably just shrug and say, “That’s who they are.” But if you were to criticize scenes for being boring, having pacing issues, or other stylistic stuff, then you’d probably see all of your suggestions taken into account on the next revision.

What’s your worst enemy in getting that first draft finished?

Generating new material is always much more difficult for me than editing/rewriting previous material, and lack of progress is often an emotional determent for me. So the trick to getting the first draft done is to write something new every day, if only to keep a momentum going as losing momentum has prevented some dear-to-my-heart plots from ever turning into fully realized stories.

Have you ever experienced lack of inspiration or drive to write? If so, how do you motivate yourself?

I wish I could say the act of writing is a transcendent experience I couldn’t live without, but that’d be a lie. Nearly every day, I have grand aspirations to write amazing work, only to lose these aspirations the moment I sit to write. The only way  to combat this is to either procrastinate until I can’t stand it anymore, or write with my teeth clenched until the anxiety to write goes away, which will happen eventually but never quick enough. As Roger Ebert never tired of saying, “The muse visits during the act of creation, not before.” The finished product is what makes the process worth it, but the process of writing a first draft I could do without.

Could we take a look at your workspace? Is there a particular place you find inspiring?

My workspace freely oscillates among a messy desk, an unmade bed, and the fourth floor of the Illinois State University library. None of these are particularly inspiring or remotely interesting to look at, but there is a place I often take mental trips to. The month my father passed away was an extraordinarily stressful time in my life, yet a trip to Chicago afterwards provided me with a chance to gaze deeply into the horizon of Lake Michigan; seemingly vast and yet with the land of Michigan relatively and comfortingly close. The view was calming in that meditative way one can’t put words to, and when writing, I find that thinking about the lake & the horizon is enough to clear the garbage cluttering my mind and get things moving again.

That’s a very tranquil vista indeed. Now your photo is “pinned” on my Featured Writers’ Workspace Board on Pinterest. Apart from Word and Google, do you use any other writing or research tools and apps?

A thesaurus to avoid redundant words, but that’s really my only other writing tool. My research often involves reading either fictional novels in the genre appropriate to the scene in question (for stylistic choices) or memoirs written from people with comparable points of view to the fictional characters, and the rest is…well, made up. If a technical detail pops up I will fact check it, but it’s often more pleasing just to avoid the detail and write something more interesting than reality anyway!

How do you intend to celebrate writing “The End” on your draft?

Usually by going out to eat somewhere, or treating myself to buying a book or some other enticing piece of media. I don’t often write “The End” on my books; not because I’m opposed to the concept that stories must be concluded, but because the two words look aesthetically unappealing to me. Aesthetics and presentation matter just as much as content, and I distrust any writer who says that only their words matter. Words of course matter a great deal, but in the world we live in, everything else does too and I think it’s detrimental to success to pretend otherwise.

Which book publishing processes are you going to outsource and which are you confident enough to undertake yourself?

As the novel is not self-published, most of the production was covered by my publisher Curiosity Quills, including editing, cover design, etc. However, the house allowed me a terrific amount of creative input on the cover as well as editing, and despite the text having gone through numerous revisions big and small since signing the contract, I can proudly say every word of the text is my vision, a luxury that other authors unfortunately can’t claim with other publishing houses. However that also means if the novel stinks, I have no one to blame but me!

Your blog is Michael Haley (writer). Do you follow a specific branding pattern with your posts or is it a free writing platform?

At the moment it is a free writing platform in the process of becoming; i.e. I need to update it more. The vision for the blog is for readers to find literary, cinematic, and/or other artistic observations, critiques, tips and suggestions, or whatever else is currently obsessing me. My brain is a random place, so who knows what one will find?

Do you have any marketing tips or favorite promotional sites you’d like to share?

Read nearly everything you can about marketing and promotion—especially this blog, which has a wealth of nuggets, insights, and other wonderful tips and tricks via guest posts such as Nat Russo as well as your own writings on the topic. I don’t feel I can add anything new to the topic that either you or a guest writer haven’t covered, and I’m still attempting not to make most of the mistakes that are so easily made by beginners and dreamers alike.

Thanks a bunch for the positive vote! Is spiritual/paranormal romance the genre you will brand yourself with or do you see yourself branching out in the future?

Although I will brand genres on my books for marketing purposes, I never approach any story as a work of a specific genre or another. The pipeline of work I want to produce includes a political/sci-fi epic, a road novel that combines fairy tales with Jack Kerouac, a literary horror experiment in the vein of Pale Fire, and who knows, maybe even a teenage sex comedy if I can get an original angle on it. The only thing I’m interested in is telling a compelling story, to which genre is an afterthought.

That’s a really diverse scope you’re looking into! Would you like to share with us links where we can find you and your work?

Of course!

Amazon USA: http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Edge-Forever-Michael-Haley-ebook/dp/B00I7HE2T8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400558131&sr=8-1&keywords=lost+on+the+edge+of+forever
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Edge-Forever-Michael-Haley/dp/1620074192/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400558169&sr=8-1&keywords=lost+on+the+edge+of+forever

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lost-on-the-edge-of-forever-michael-haley/1118469242?ean=2940148266686
Kobo:http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/lost-on-the-edge-of-forever

Waterstones: http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/michael+haley/lost+on+the+edge+of+forever/10701177/

Indigo: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/lost-on-the-edge-of/9781620074183-item.html?ikwid=lost+on+the+edge+of+forever&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19155376-lost-on-the-edge-of-forever

Pinterest (Visual Playlist of Music that Inspired the Novel):http://www.pinterest.com/mhyclone83/lost-on-the-edge-of-forever-visual-playlist/

Twitter: @Michael__Haley (two underscores)

Publisher: http://curiosityquills.com/

Thank you, Michael, best of luck with your new release and, again, congratulations on becoming a father!