A Writer's Week #56: A Host of Possibilities

Hello. My apologies for not posting last night, but I was at a big Lion's club function to kick off the Connecticut Lion's Mid-Winter Conference. It's a big to-do, so I went and checked it out. Lots of fun stuff going on including a fantastic performance by the National Theater of the Deaf.

This week was one of unexpected possibilities. On the one hand, sales of the audio book continue to be slow and winter is a hard time to try and sell anything as shows and other venues are few and far between. On the other hand, I've got one great blog that's agreed to review the audio book in the near future, and I am going to be asking a few other bloggers to review it as well. If anyone blogs about books, please consider reviewing the audio version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel. Please leave a comment or send me a message on Facebook.

I am also getting ready to crank up the school visit caravan. I've got three class visits lined up so far, with more on the horizon. I'll keep you updated on how that goes. I'm even more excited than usual about these visits this year, because I'm planning to add a little more multimedia. I'm still figuring it out, but I want to use the audio book and the blog. I've used the blog before, but to have an audio book available to get the kids interested should be helpful--especially when I visit younger classrooms. I've designed an interactive map of Calendria that will be a nice tool to use, too. It's going to be posted on my new author's website. More on that in a bit.

I also spoke with Sharron Lavatori, a good friend of mine and a learning design professional, who is going to help me design a little curriculum based on The Deliverers and this blog. Apparently, I've managed to incorporate a lot of varied learning elements into my blog. Who knew? I was just trying to make it fun and interesting for kids. So I'm really excited about the possibilities.

With the help of a professional like Sharron, I hope to one day be able to offer a more robust curriculum. That way, in addition to my standard informal chats about writing and what students can do to write for fun on their own, I will also be able to offer a more formal program that I could present to an entire grade. We'll see what happens with that.

On the writing front, The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang has hit its first snag. I've been breezing along without a care in the world for weeks now. I managed to write 2,400 words, which brings me to 14,400 words, 64 pages, and 13 chapters, but I ended the week feeling a little disappointed. I was sure I was going to make 15,000 words, but I think I lost my way a little.

Here's what got me. Eric and Kate met someone who was supposed to be real fierce and tough. Everybody is afraid of this guy. Even his name is tough--the Fang. He's really threatening them and giving them a hard time. Then, somewhere along the line he does a 180, starts treating them better, and now I think he might wind up being an ally of sorts. I always say that characters have a life of their own, and sometimes they do things that surprise me. This is one of the few times though where I've said, "No! This should not be happening! He's got to be a mean guy."

So, I'm going to have to take some time and evaluate what I've got. Is he really mean and evil, is he their friend, or is he playing his own game? I'm thinking I know the answer even as I type this, but I have to figure out how to work it all out. Stay tuned.

Oh, one last thing. I'm putting the finishing touches on my author website. In a week or two, I'll be transitioning most of my weekly posts over to that site. Now, don't worry, this blog will still be around. I plan to use it as a base for information about the worlds in my books. Here you'll see in depth info about Calendria and the Lands Beyond, Vynistra City (from The Deliverers 2) and eventually the Dragon Islands (from The Deliverers 3). I'll let you know when the change takes place, and give you a tour. Have a great week!

A Writer's Week #25: Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That

Well, nothing earth shattering to report on the writing front this week, I'm afraid. Unlike last week, where I did a lot of work on the blog, I didn't do a whole lot other than write.

I did manage to introduce a new series of posts, though. Cal Endria's Journal should be pretty interesting. Each week I'll be featuring an entry in the journal, which was written by Calvin Endria, Kate's great-great-great-etc. grandfather and founder of Calendria. It should be fun to see things from old Cal's perspective, and maybe clear up some things that were not explained in The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel.

Yesterday, I leaked out a little snippet of The Deliverers 2, just because I thought folks would enjoy it. Please take a look and let me know what you think. 

Writing is a solitary type of activity. I've been working on the sequel since December, and--aside from my wife--haven't shared anything with anyone. So, I'm just guessing that I'm on the right track. I'm pretty sure I am, since I've rewritten a few spots. Please check out the preview and let me know if I am or not.

This week, I was able to write about 1,000 words, but the going is slow. Summer's here and there's less time to write. The lawn needs to be mowed, the kids are staying up later. It's tough. However, the book is now about 28,500 words and the story is moving along.

There are still one or two plot points that will have me scratching my head when I get to them. I am trying to anticipate that and ideas are simmering in the back of my brain, but I still think I'll hit a roadblock or two before all is said and done. 

My completion goal has changed to Labor Day, with rewrites to follow that. I think it's aggressive, but we'll see. If I can up my weekly total to 2,000 words, then I've got a shot. I'll let you know how I'm doing again next week.

Deliverers Interview: Cordon

Our second Deliverers interview this week is with Cordon the blacksmith and Calendria Council member. Let's see what he's got to say.

Greg:  Hi Cordon. Thanks for taking some time out of your busy schedule to talk with us.

Cordon:  Don't mention it. Always happy to chew the fat with one of Eric's friends.

Greg:  You were one of the first Calendrians to push for actively resisting Sharky, is that right?

Cordon:   I'm not rightly sure what you mean. If you're asking was I one of the first to say that we should stand up to Sharky and his lowdown band of scum, then yeah, I'd say I was. THe majority of the village was afraid of Sharky. I guess I couldn't blame them, seeing as how he seemed to live forever.

Greg:  But you weren't aftraid?

Cordon:  Oh sure, I was afraid. But I got to thinking. Did I want to go spending my life always under that filthy dogs thumb? As far as I was concerned, that wasn't any way to live. So what could I do? Sit around while he robbed us blind and made our lives miserable, or do something about it? I chose to do something.

Greg:  So what did you decide to do?

Cordon:  Well, sir, I started making weapons. I figured one day they'd come in handy when I convinced everyone that resistance was the only course of action. And they did come in handy, eventually.

I never put much stock in the Deliverers legend, but I have to admit to the truth of it now. It took the arrival of Eric and Stig to spark the village. If they hadn't arrived, I don't know what would have happened.

Greg:  So what was your plan?

My Favorite Books: My Brother Sam is Dead

It's been a while since I wrote an installment of this column. In the last one, I wrote about The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Today, I want to talk about another book I loved as a child, and one that I still enjoy, My Brother Sam is Dead by Christopher and James Lincoln Collier.

Why this is one of my favorite books.

I've got a few reasons:

1. First of all, the events depicted in the book take place in the same area in which I grew up. One of the places they travel through, Ridgebury, is the section of Ridgefield, CT in which I grew up. It sparked my imagination to think of them traveling right by my house. It didn't matter that our property was a farmer's field back then.

I knew all the landmarks that were mentioned and had been to Putnam Park in Redding, which was the site of General Putnam's winter encampment. It made history come alive. Check out this link to see what some of the book's locations look like today.

2. It's a historical novel about the American Revolution. I love historical novels, especially those relating to the revolution. In addition to this book, I love Johnny Tremain, April Morning, and Silver for General Washington.

One day, I'm going to write a novel for kids set during the American Revolution. I just need to hit on the right idea. Eric & Stig travel back in time to assist? Hmmm.....

3. The final reason that I really love this book is that one of the authors, Christopher Collier, spoke to my class when I was in the second grade. I had received a copy of the book for Christmas, and I brought it to school that day, and he autographed it. Still have it. Cool.

What I didn't know when I first read it.

I didn't know much about the historical events depicted in this book. I knew about the Battle of Ridgefield (small battle, but still cool), and the burning of Danbury, but nothing about what life was like in that area during the revolution. I also didn't know anything about the winter encampment of General Wooster's army, or that the area was a Tory hotbed.

In some ways, this book influenced me when I was writing my book, The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel. The village of Calendria in my book is based on a colonial village. My first taste of that in literature was My Brother Sam is Dead.

What are some book that you read when you were young, or are reading today, that have had a big influence on you?

Scenes That Inspire #2: Calendria

Hello. Sorry for not posting yesterday. Things have been busy at work, and Christian hadn't finished the book he was goinng to talk about. So, I decided to take a little break. What's Christian Reading? will  appear on Saturday.

Today, I was looking through some pictures that I took before Christmas, and I came upon a couple that I had intended to use in a post one day. Well, today is that day.  Way back in October when I had just started the blog, I wrote a post about some places that had inspired my depiction of Calendria in my book, The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel.

There's another place that inspired the geographic layout of  the small fishing village started by retired pirates. I discovered it while on a hike less than half a mile from my house--the bay of Calendria. The first time I saw it was in the summer with the leaves from the trees giving the illusion of high ridges encircling the bay. While this winter picture doesn't quite do it justice, it should still give you the general idea.

I already had the layout of Calendria in my head, but it was amazing to see something that resembled the bay so closely right near my own home. It gave me the idea of a side grotto that Captain Weatherbee's sloop was moored in, and the overlook that Eric and Stig first viewed Calendria from, as you can see here:

:



Now, there are no islands in either the bay or its entrance, but as I sat up there the first time, I could envision the village laid out before me. After that first day, I brought a notebook up there a few times and wrote right where Christian and Abby are sitting in the picture. When I was writing, the place would become Calendria, and there's nothing more inspiring than that.

I think that's why out of all the worlds Eric and company visit, Calendria will always hold a special place in my heart. Not only is it the first place they visited, but it's only a short hike from my house. Maybe somme day, Eric will return...food for thought.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Chapter 4

A week or so ago, around Thanksgiving, I wrote that I had started writing my second book. I was really excited. In two days, I wrote two chapters and had started on chapter three. Everything was humming along. The words were flowing, and they were good!

I got Eric out of this world and into the Hallway of Worlds. He met up with the Gatekeeper and a few old friends. He was given an Assignment and sent on his way. The book was on the runway ready for takeoff. Nothing was going to stop me! The book would be finished before the end of winter! Then it happened.

I took a detour. Eric went into the new world. Although I knew what his Assignment would be, and what he needed to do to accomplish it, I realized that I knew nothing about this new world. Trying to write about that new world was like trying to drive to Peoria without a roadmap, or Mapquest, or a GPS. I knew where I was going, but I had no idea about how to get there.

So, I stopped. It was late in the day on Sunday, and I had to post Kate Endria's interview on the blog. I did that and told myself that I'd get back to writing a history of the new world tomorrow. I mean, what the heck. It was going real well, nothing to it. I'd have it done in no time. That was over a week ago, and since then, I haven't done a thing.

Now, I do have excuses. I'm working on a lot of stuff at work (a lot). I've had a couple of Lions Club meetings (okay, one was a club Christmas party). I even (this is exciting) was interviewed twice for a couple of articles in the two local papers.

It was easy to get distracted, but the fact of the matter is that I have to stick my rear in a chair, buckle down, and write that background information. Without it, the book won't seem as real. I took the time and did that for Calendria, and now it seems as real to me as if I'd lived there for ten years. I know the people, what they think, and why they think it. I have to do that with this new place.



So, tonight I'm turning off my computer for a while, taking out a pencil and some paper, and writing out a history and a map. If I don't know where the heck everything is, then it's a pretty good bet that The Deliverers won't, either. I'll see you when the road is clear.

A Very Productive Weekend

Hello, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! The extended Thanksgiving weekend turned out to be a quite successful one for me. First off, I was able to sit down with my family for some great food and conversation. Then, I sat down with Kate Endria for an in depth interview. She gave us fascinating details about her life growing up and the history of her village, Calendria.

Then, I heard from two local papers that I had sent press releases and books to. They're going to interview me for articles that will appear December. I received a list of questions from one this morning. So that's some nice publicity. It will be nice to get the word out.

The thing that I'm happiest about, however, does not involve the current book. I began work on the next book in the Deliverers series. In fact, I didn't just begin, I wrote the first two and a half chapters! Now, for me to do that in a couple of days is just spectacular.

It was a great feeling to have the words flow so easily. Plot situations revised or fixed themselves easily, like right after I put the original thought down. So far, it seems to be a lot easier the second time around. We'll see if that continues. I'm hoping that it does. I'll keep you posted.

An Interview With Kate Endria

Today we sit down to interview Kate Endria. She is the daughter of the Lord Mayor of Calendria, and an important part of the Deliverers team. So, let's get right to it.

Editor:  Welcome to the Deliverers Publishing Headquarters, Kate. Thanks for stopping by.

Kate:  You’re very welcome. This is so exciting! I never thought I’d get to visit this place. Stig told me all about it, but I would never have believed how extravagant your headquarters was if I hadn’t have seen it for myself.

Ed.:  Well, I don’t think it’s as impressive as you’re making it out to be. But anyway, what was your family life like growing up?

Kate:  Some might say that I still have some growing up to do, especially the members of our Council. I remember some happy times when I was younger. Of course, Sharky and the pirates were always around. If they weren’t terrorizing Calendria on Tariff Day, there was always the thought that Sharky was watching.

I remember times with my papa and mother—before she died. We were happy, going to the Green for picnics, pot luck suppers at the meeting house. But, then Mother got sick, and things weren’t so good. I was seven when she passed.

But, Papa has always been wonderful, and he does his best to make up for not having a mother. And of course Gretchen, our maid, has always been a dear, and Madame Bottleneck, too. I’ve been blessed to live in a village where everyone cares about one another, and I’m proud of Papa, who’s the Lord Mayor.

Ed.:  Tell us a little bit about Calendria and its history.

Kate:  Well, Calendria has a long and rich history. It was established over 300 years ago by my ancestor, Calvin Endria. Cal Endria had been Sharky’s first mate, but he and about 40 others in Sharky’s band decided it was time to settle down and retire. So, Cal went to the captain and stated his intentions, expecting that Shaky would either laugh in his face or run him through.

I think that he was pretty surprised when Sharky didn’t do either. Instead, he agreed to let Cal and his mates retire, provided that they paid a tariff of half of everything the settlement produced twice a year for a hundred years.

So that’s how Calendria started. Calvin Endria was the first Lord Mayor, and the village was named in his honor. The position of Lord Mayor has been handed down to the eldest son in the Endria family for generation after generation.

Ed.:  You were the one who discovered the Deliverers. How did you come to be searching for them?

And Now A Word From Our Illustrator...

Hello all! First off, I'd like to remind you about our first readers' poll. Please take a look over to the left and cast your vote for the character you'd most like to see interviewed. This is just a basic poll, no log in required, no one tracking your online movements or anything like that!

And now, I'm pleased to introduce the first ever guest blogger to The Deliverers blog, Daniel Vogel. Daniel is our intrepid illustrator. This is one talented young man. He did the cover illustration, the map, and the chapter header illustration...and he doesn't even drive yet! So now, heeeere's Daniel!

Hello everyone, (or the percentage of the population that will read this). I'm Dan, and I'm here to talk, or type, about the illustrations for The Deliverers.

I really like drawing, and my Mom and Dad (who are good friends of Mr. Slomba) [Mr.?!-ed.] thought it would be a good idea to turn this into an art assignment for my schoolwork (I am home schooled).

Of course, reading the book was the first step. Uncle Greg (he is not really my Uncle, our family just calls him that--long story for another time) let some of my cousins and I have advanced copies of the final manuscript for a "test" reading.

It was a very good book!

Coming up with an idea for the cover illustration was tricky. I had to develop a drawing that captured the gist of the story, not give away the story too much, yet make a potential buyer say "Huh! This book looks interesting, I wonder what this story is about."

To me, The Deliverers entering the Dead Forest was an iconic scene, and I chose that as my starting point. I had trouble placing Stig in the drawing, trying to put him on Eric's shoulder. He seemed to get lost in the scene, but was too important a character, so I compromised by making him flying above the trees. I did numerous owl studies and tried a whole bunch of angles. It was a good exercise, and I learned a lot about owls in the process.

For the chapter drawings, I first tried to do individual drawings for each of them. That didn't work out quite the way I wanted. Over-thinking the ideas killed my momentum (my mom calls me a lazy artist).

The obvious solution: one chapter illustration that captures what the book is about. After more study sketches, I settled on a drawing of a ring, with two swords crossed behind it, with two flags flying on top of it all.

That was only the beginning. After Uncle Greg approved the sketches, I scanned them into the computer and my Mom (a graphic designer by trade) and I worked together to spruce up the art on Photoshop and add the glow effects. We took out eraser lines, added contrast and brightened color, and then she showed me how to put in the fancy gold type used in the title.

Uncle Greg also wanted a map of Calendria. First try, the perspective was horrible and I got the places mixed up. Second try, I got the places right but I messed up the perspective. My Mom worked with me to manipulate the image to the right perspective in, you guessed it, Photoshop. I really like that program!

Overall, illustrating this book was a great experience, and I want to thank Uncle Greg for letting me participate in the process.

And if there is a sequel, I will pull out my pencils once again!

Thanks, Daniel. Keep those pencils handy!

Hallo Tosis--Strange Name For A Dwarf

Hallo Tosis the dwarf is the fourth main character in my book. I know, it's kind of a stinky name. Right from the beginning, Hallo had a hard life. First, his father stuck him with that horrible name. Then, he finds that he's the least talented dwarf in the history of the Dwarf Kingdom. This gets him banished.

So, he's forced to wander the Iron Mountains, unable to get help from the dwarves of the Kingdom, and unwilling to go down to Calendria and reveal himself to the Big Folk. Finally, he decides to end it all, but changes his mind at the last minute, which is when he enters the story.

Hallo turns out to be invaluable. He helps the village in their plan to defeat Sharky and his pirate band. He also learns a few interesting things about his family history that change his relationship with his father.

He's feisty and funny and another standout character. He took a little while to develop, but once he did, he really took off. He's the perfect finish to the quartet of Eric, Stig, Kate, and Hallo--the group that became The Deliverers.

Scenes That Inspire

"Where do you get your ideas?" is a question that I'm frequently asked when people find out that I write. For me, some ideas just come to me, seemingly from thin air. Others are triggered by places that are familiar to me, and are at least partially a conscious effort to pull some of those elements into a world that I've created.

The fishing village of Calendria, where much of "The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel" takes place, was inspired by some of the living history museums I've been visiting since I was a kid. The entire village, although located in the tropics in the book, is based on a New England 19th century village.

Calendria is located on a sheltered harbor. It has a wharf and fishing related buildings such as a fishmonger and a netmender. I guess I was influenced by trips to Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT, where I'd view scenes like this:



Up the hill from Calendria's harbor, lies the village green. The concept of this came from a traditional New England colonial green, such as you'd see in places like Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA. Usually, tradespeople would have shops on the green, and the wealthier members of the community would also have houses there.

In Calendria, Kate Endria, the daughter of the Lord Mayor--and the one who befriends Eric and Stig--lives in a large house at the head of the green. I imagined that it looked something like this:

It's scenes like these that formed the foundation of a new world that is different and yet familiar, both for the reader and for Eric, who has been pulled into it. If you can keep your fiction grounded in elements of reality, while also introducing something new, you're well on your way to creating a realistic, believable fantasy world.I think I've been able to do that. You can judge for yourself when the book comes out.

So, What's This Book About?

Okay, now that you've seen the cover, I suppose I should tell you a little bit about the book. To start it off, here's the description that's going to be on the back cover:

A world is in trouble, who can save it?

Certainly not Eric Scott, a 12 year old boy coming to grips with his own personal tragedy. But that’s exactly what Stig, an owl from another world, asks him to do. Together, they are sent to deliver Calendria, a small fishing village, from Sharky, an immortal pirate captain that has enslaved them. But defeating Sharky and his band of bloodthirsty pirates will be no easy task.

When they arrive, Eric and Stig meet Kate Endria, who is convinced that they are the Deliverers—heroes of an ancient prophecy who are destined to defeat Sharky and his crew. Eric devises a plan that he hopes will work. Eric’s confidence rises when they rescue Hallo Tosis, an outcast dwarf who gives them the key to a powerful weapon. But it’s only after things start to go horribly wrong that Eric and Stig discover the true object of their mission.

That's the gist of the first half, more or less. You'll have to read the book when it comes out to discover what happens next!

This book has been a long time coming. When I first started it close to ten years ago, I didn't think I could write an entire novel--I'd only written short stories. The story just sort of grew layer on layer, and I was able to join those layers at the end to form a whole.

But along the way there was a lot of trial and error, wrong turns, and a ton of revisions.Through all this, I was writing everywhere; at my old job (sorry Floor Focus), on the train to and from press conferences, in airports and on airplanes, in my basement (long story)...I could write a book. Oh, wait, I did! I mean, I could write a book about writing a book!

I'll go into detail on alot of that in the coming days, weeks, months, years. As I said in my first post, I could wind up writing about anything. I mean, look at this post. It was supposed to be a little bit about the book. I did give you the book description, but I haven't told you anything about the characters, like how did I come up with the idea of a talking owl? Well, that's a great topic for tomorrow's post! I don't know how long these blog posts are supposed to be, but since I don't have any picture today to break up this text, I think I'll say goodbye until tomorrow.

Goodbye until tomorrow!