My Next Big Thing

The awesome Mike Swift tagged me in this post on his ML Swift, Chasing Windmills blog.  He apparently believes I've got...

The Next BIG Thing!

As with all things in bloggyland, there are rules.  The Next Big Thing is no exception.  And this hop's rules state that I am to answer ten questions about my current WIP (story, manuscript, blog post, etc.) and then pass the honor to others (writers or bloggers) so we can discover what their Next Big Thing is.

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:

1. What is the working title of your book?
The Bonding (Book One of Strands of Pattern)

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
That's a very good question. I wanted to write a hero's journey on an epic scale set in a world of magic.  I'm a discovery writer at heart, stopping occasionally to plot and make sure I've not wandered too far off course.  I know where I'm starting and where I'm wanting to end up, but the unexpected course changes make the trip fun.

3. What genre does your book fall under?
Adult Epic Fantasy

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Not a clue.  I avoid allowing actors into my imagination when I'm developing characters.  If I envision an actor as a character, the roles the actor has played would bleed into the way I write them.  (Besides, I'd be a horrible casting director.)

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Cop-out alert! I personally think generating single-sentence summaries is far easier for stories highly focused on a single protagonist.  Character starts here, needs to get there, but must undergo this and endure that to do it.  My tale is not truly centered around a single protagonist (or a single antagonist for that matter.) But in reality, I probably find this so difficult because I can't see the forest for all the trees.

Now THAT's a Big Thing

6. If you plan to publish, will your book be self-published or published traditionally?

I definitely plan to publish, but I'm not fully sold on either method as yet. My dream was always to have a publisher (that I won't name here) run with the entire series.  There are two additional publishers that would tickle my fancy too.  However, there is also something to be said for taking hold of the reins and charting one's own destiny.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I worked on the first book off and on for several years starting back in the late 90s, but put it aside until I began writing in earnest late in 2011. I salvaged portions of a dozen or so chapters worth of plot and completed the first draft in May 2012.  I figure it comes to about a year's worth of serious, productive writing.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
My critique partners and beta readers enjoyed comparing sections of it to J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.  I'd be lying if I denied their influence.  I've purposely put off reading some popular ones (including A Song of Ice and Fire) to keep from borrowing from them.

9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I credit J. R. R. Tolkien with igniting my imagination and love of fantasy.  My desire to write this type of tale came (mostly) from Robert Jordan.  But it was my college English professor who gave me the confidence and nudge I needed to actually write the book.  So in truth, it is she who deserves the most credit.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
It has dragons.  It has maps.  It has not one, but three strong females as major characters, with another introduced in book two.  It has not one, but three flavors of magic; one exclusive to a single race, the other two determined by gender.  The tale pits destiny against chance, prophecy against choice, despair against hope, and righteous purpose against righteous purpose.

Might as well include my working blurb, yes?

Not all gifts are free, and some gifts kill.

Supernaturally tethered beneath the mountain of fire, Arinur awaits the mortal that will set him free. Arinur's high priest, the Aridhai master, leads a theocracy toward that end. They're close. The secret to loosing Arinur lies within the Steward Stones and he'll ravage entire nations to discover it.

Millennia past, an immortal named Cretahn uttered terrible prophecies and then died. Now, the first of those prophecies is fulfilled when the dragon Rendowin claims that Cretahn's Bane now lives and possesses a Steward Stone. Some believe it's Daaron Olrey. And Daaron's afraid they may be right. His magic's quickening came unnaturally late. Were it not for the Steward Stone he'd been given, it might not have come at all. 

The gift became a curse, for it bonded itself to Daaron and parting with it will kill him. All he wants besides a life free from curses and prophecies is Abby, but he must become one with the mysterious Elanna to survive. Elanna, hundreds of years old, yet still young, now shares his thoughts--and more. She leads him into the heart of Aridhum on a quest that will surely cost his life.

What can a simple man do to thwart a nation of zealots intent on war? And even if Daaron can stop the Aridhai master, can he stop what the master set into motion?

Show us YOUR Next Big Thing

Now comes the moment where I sprinkle the bones with blood and cast them down to be read.  And although I am male, I can glimpse the ken and discern the future that the bones foretell.  (I'm the author so I can do this.)

And the bone reading tells me that these people have got The Next Big Thing!  So be on the lookout to discover what it is.

• The impressive, ascending star, Patrick Stahl of Into The Ravenous Maw,
• The prolific Lauren Ritz of Eclectic who has a Next Big Thing almost every month!
• The ever-positive and uplifting Linda Jackson at Writers Do Laundry Too,
• The noblest of dragons, Al Diaz from Father Dragon Writes,
• Powerhouse blogger and Persistence of Vision author, Liesel Hill,
• Stalwart supporter, Richard P. Hughes of Writing and Living,
• The amazing, NaNo winning, writing machine, Imogen of  Dancing with Dragonflies,
• The ultra cool Canadian writer and freelance copy editor, Deniz Bevan of The Girdle of Melian, and
• Fellow connoisseur of  epic fantasy whose first book is a hair heftier than my own, Matt Hayes of Matt's Writing Lair.

Prologues

Prologue: the word might as well be "election" or "religion" for all the controversy it raises.

I've read almost every article I've encountered that even contains the word.  I'm continually amazed at not only the extremes of opinions it generates, but also the intensity of those opinions.  Seeing as how you'll not see me take stances on politics or religion in this blog, I'll just divulge my opinion on prologues.  Maybe it'll be less divisive.

Short answer to the question of whether or not I like prologues is...it depends.

You see, I read a prologue differently than I read a chapter one.  I'm not sure that everyone does. 

We step back from reality when we read a work of fiction.  We suspend our disbelief and temporarily accept everything an author tells us.  When I read a prologue, I step back even further.  I step back from the story itself.  I consider that what I'm reading has been set apart from the actual story for a reason.

Some reasons make sense.  A good example would be instances where I'll never again see a prologue's characters (alive) in the rest of the book.  Another good example might be that it takes place many years before chapter one begins.  There are, of course, many other valid reasons as well.

I expect a little world building, a little setting to be laid out for me, but most of all, I take a prologue as a promise.  The prologue should promise me things like the story's scope, the depth of the plot(s) I can expect, the style of writing, a foretaste of imagery to follow, an inkling of theme(s) and many other things.

Some genres lend themselves to prologues; others don't.  I almost expect to see a prologue in an epic fantasy--especially a series, but would be surprised to find one at the beginning of a romance, for example.  (Granted, I've not read much in the way of romance.)

Personally, I don't want a "chapter one" that's called a prologue.  I also don't want a prologue that's called "chapter one" either.  The prologue's contents, in my opinion, should be my pre-launch, my orientation.  And it should entice me to continue.  That's part of the "promise" I referred to earlier.

I think many frown upon prologues because they're often boring, have nothing to do with the actual story or are thinly-veiled info-dumps.  Frequently, the info can be omitted or presented just as effectively within the chapters.  But I believe there are times a prologue is warranted.  And when done well they can be wonderful.

Like anything else contained within the book, the prologue should serve a purpose.  That purpose should engage, entertain, promise, foreshadow, lay a foundation, set the stage, etc.

As for those who refuse to read a prologue simply because it's called a prologue, well, I consider it their loss.  I'm somewhat of a cheapskate.  If I spend money on a book, I'm going to read the whole book.  Leaving sections unread is like not finishing my plate at a restaurant or skipping an appetizer even though I spent good money for it.


What about you?  Weigh in!