I'm roughly at the halfway point in writing this book, so it'll be several months still before the book's release. If all goes well, it should be available mid-Spring, 2018.
Stay tuned!
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Sneak peek at book number 2
I'm roughly at the halfway point in writing this book, so it'll be several months still before the book's release. If all goes well, it should be available mid-Spring, 2018.
Stay tuned!
Monday, November 13, 2017
Keeping up with the times
When I first began work back in 2010 on what would eventually become my first novel All Things New, my goal was simple: to create a fictional piece of literature that could serve as an entertaining, thought-provoking glimpse into the New World. The response to that book, which was released in 2013, was beyond anything I’d imagined, which led to the release roughly a year later of The Unrighteous and then Critical Times back in 2016. I’ve always been careful to present these books as nothing more than fiction, but I’ve found over the years that this does not make them free from criticism or claims of inaccuracy.
Of course, none of us knows exactly how things will unfold during the Great Tribulation, at Armageddon, or just after that as we take out first steps into the New World. Some believe that we will more or less immediately transition into a paradise Earth, while others subscribe to a more lengthy process, perhaps spanning decades, as pictured in All Things New. Of course, it’s all guesswork at this point, and debating either side of the argument could become a distraction that I’ve done my best to avoid. (I wrote recently in a post that I’ve tried in recent books to focus more on the lessons learned from characters’ decisions and attitudes, rather than on specific events, and this is one of the reasons.)
That said, I will admit that at the time of writing All Things New, some ideas made it into the book more for the sake of dramatic storytelling than for plausibility. Although these portions likely made the work more memorable, in the years since the book’s release I’ve come to realize that they’ve also caused some consternation, something which I certainly never intended. Additionally, the last few years have seen further information released on the events leading up to and during Armageddon, an event which is featured extensively through the interviewees’ stories in my book.
In past years, my stance about my previous work was one adopted by most secular novelists: don’t look back, ignore the critics, keep writing new stories. The problem, of course, is that these books aren’t purely secular. Although they are fictional works, they delve into spiritual topics that are close to my readers’ hearts–readers, I do well to keep in mind, who are also my brothers and sisters.
Thus, I’ve come to the decision to remove All Things New from my catalog of books as of January 2018. If all goes according to plan, this will be a temporary move until I can thoroughly revise the book and re-release it (possibly as a second edition, possibly under a new title). I understand that this may be difficult news for some readers, many of whom have written with positive feedback for that first book. However, the words of the Apostle Paul at 1 Corinthians 8:13 really stand out to me:
If Paul was willing to give up meat for the sake of his brothers, I can certainly refrain from promoting a fictional piece of literature. And besides, I’m sure with the writing experience I’ve gained in the last few years, "All Things New 2.0" will be a much better read than the first!
Of course, none of us knows exactly how things will unfold during the Great Tribulation, at Armageddon, or just after that as we take out first steps into the New World. Some believe that we will more or less immediately transition into a paradise Earth, while others subscribe to a more lengthy process, perhaps spanning decades, as pictured in All Things New. Of course, it’s all guesswork at this point, and debating either side of the argument could become a distraction that I’ve done my best to avoid. (I wrote recently in a post that I’ve tried in recent books to focus more on the lessons learned from characters’ decisions and attitudes, rather than on specific events, and this is one of the reasons.)
That said, I will admit that at the time of writing All Things New, some ideas made it into the book more for the sake of dramatic storytelling than for plausibility. Although these portions likely made the work more memorable, in the years since the book’s release I’ve come to realize that they’ve also caused some consternation, something which I certainly never intended. Additionally, the last few years have seen further information released on the events leading up to and during Armageddon, an event which is featured extensively through the interviewees’ stories in my book.
In past years, my stance about my previous work was one adopted by most secular novelists: don’t look back, ignore the critics, keep writing new stories. The problem, of course, is that these books aren’t purely secular. Although they are fictional works, they delve into spiritual topics that are close to my readers’ hearts–readers, I do well to keep in mind, who are also my brothers and sisters.
Thus, I’ve come to the decision to remove All Things New from my catalog of books as of January 2018. If all goes according to plan, this will be a temporary move until I can thoroughly revise the book and re-release it (possibly as a second edition, possibly under a new title). I understand that this may be difficult news for some readers, many of whom have written with positive feedback for that first book. However, the words of the Apostle Paul at 1 Corinthians 8:13 really stand out to me:
“That is why if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat at all, so that I will not make my brother stumble.”
If Paul was willing to give up meat for the sake of his brothers, I can certainly refrain from promoting a fictional piece of literature. And besides, I’m sure with the writing experience I’ve gained in the last few years, "All Things New 2.0" will be a much better read than the first!
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Research Needed
Hi all! In preparation for a future project (unrelated to my current FLEE series), I've begun doing some preliminary research. Unfortunately though, the information available in online sources only goes so far, so it looks like I'll need to talk to those with some actual experience in order to delve deeper into the subject matter I plan on exploring.
Without giving too much away, I'm looking to make contact with experienced publishers who've engaged in prison witnessing. I'm particularly hoping to talk with those who've studied with prison inmates.
If any of you readers out there fit the above criteria and would be willing to let me pick your brains, please email me via the "Contact" link on this page. (Please only contact me if you personally have had these experiences, as I wish to get firsthand information. If a brother or sister you know has had such experience and would be willing to communicate with me, please encourage him or her to write me directly. All correspondence will be handled via email.)
Thank you in advance!
Friday, September 22, 2017
Writing a Novel - Outlining a Scene
I’ve said before that I don’t like to outline my books. I tried breaking this habit (just to try something new) in Critical Times, and the result was that after just a few scenes I’d strayed so far from the original outline that I almost never referred to the outline again. So yeah, that was a couple of wasted days. I guess, in the end, it's just not the way my brain works when I set my ideas to paper. Some writers like planning it all out, I don’t. No big deal.
However, one technique that I’ve started implementing with my last couple books is scene outlining. It’s pretty straightforward. The way it works is this: before I start narrating the scene or crafting the dialogue, I go through and create a kind of shorthand description of everything that happens. It’s the mental equivalent of fast-forwarding a movie/TV show (ah, the old days of VHS) and catching the gist without having time to notice details. Here’s an example of a scene outline for the first scene in FLEE:
If you’ve ever studied theater or film making, you’ll probably notice that the above outline looks a lot like a screenplay (with the exception of dialogue, which is absent in my description). It’s like a 2D sketch on the surface of a rough slab of marble. The idea is there, and that's a large portion of the cerebral work, but now it’s a matter of chipping and chiseling away everything that isn’t the scene until the result is something that resembles art. (If you want to read the final version of the scene, click here. You can decide for yourself how successful I was!)
I like writing these scene outlines before I jump into writing, because it gives me the general atmosphere and the goal of the scene, and I’ve found that this is often half of the battle. The other great thing about this for me is that if I have to stop writing in the middle of a scene (which happens nearly every time I sit down to write), I can come back to it later and not spend fifteen minutes twiddling my thumbs or wasting time on YouTube videos trying to figure out where my head was when I left my desk. Also, as you can see from the above example, this quick brainstorm helps to reveal gaps in the story (in this instance, Who are the other elders? Why is their congregation so small? Who is Peter’s wife?). I can then either address the issues immediately or set them aside to discuss later (for this reason, I also keep an “unanswered questions” document on hand and refer to it constantly as I move through the story).
Of course, just like the story outlines that I can never seem to stick to, I often change a bunch of things as I go from scene outline to first draft. Still, it’s a great launching pad, and it’s become one of my go-to writing tools, so I thought I’d share.
In other news, Book 2 of the FLEE series (working title: STAY) is coming along surprisingly well! I’m nearly a third through the first draft, and it’s only been a month since I started. Of course, this could mean that I’m due for a three-month-long writer’s block, but I’m trying to keep my hopes up, my head down, and my fingers to the keyboard. We’ll see.
However, one technique that I’ve started implementing with my last couple books is scene outlining. It’s pretty straightforward. The way it works is this: before I start narrating the scene or crafting the dialogue, I go through and create a kind of shorthand description of everything that happens. It’s the mental equivalent of fast-forwarding a movie/TV show (ah, the old days of VHS) and catching the gist without having time to notice details. Here’s an example of a scene outline for the first scene in FLEE:
Peter Burton’s living room. It’s late. Wife’s in bed (name?) Elders sit around table. Nervous faces, silence. Soft enough to hear a clock ticking? The conversation here is strained, cryptic. Letter from branch is discussed. Audience doesn’t know the contents. Tension builds. Nothing about evacuation mentioned. We need to see Peter here as being experienced elder but lacking confidence, deferring to others. (This gives him room to grow) (Needs mentor here, maybe older elder??) BOE is small (4? 5? Why so small? Where is this cong located?) Must be tense, but must also feel love of elders to flock. A look behind the scenes feel. Documentary-esque. Endear reader to these men.
If you’ve ever studied theater or film making, you’ll probably notice that the above outline looks a lot like a screenplay (with the exception of dialogue, which is absent in my description). It’s like a 2D sketch on the surface of a rough slab of marble. The idea is there, and that's a large portion of the cerebral work, but now it’s a matter of chipping and chiseling away everything that isn’t the scene until the result is something that resembles art. (If you want to read the final version of the scene, click here. You can decide for yourself how successful I was!)
I like writing these scene outlines before I jump into writing, because it gives me the general atmosphere and the goal of the scene, and I’ve found that this is often half of the battle. The other great thing about this for me is that if I have to stop writing in the middle of a scene (which happens nearly every time I sit down to write), I can come back to it later and not spend fifteen minutes twiddling my thumbs or wasting time on YouTube videos trying to figure out where my head was when I left my desk. Also, as you can see from the above example, this quick brainstorm helps to reveal gaps in the story (in this instance, Who are the other elders? Why is their congregation so small? Who is Peter’s wife?). I can then either address the issues immediately or set them aside to discuss later (for this reason, I also keep an “unanswered questions” document on hand and refer to it constantly as I move through the story).
Of course, just like the story outlines that I can never seem to stick to, I often change a bunch of things as I go from scene outline to first draft. Still, it’s a great launching pad, and it’s become one of my go-to writing tools, so I thought I’d share.
In other news, Book 2 of the FLEE series (working title: STAY) is coming along surprisingly well! I’m nearly a third through the first draft, and it’s only been a month since I started. Of course, this could mean that I’m due for a three-month-long writer’s block, but I’m trying to keep my hopes up, my head down, and my fingers to the keyboard. We’ll see.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
A place to discuss "FLEE" [Spoiler Alert!]
Hi all. So I've gotten quite a few messages from readers asking if there's a place to discuss the latest book. I know that many of you have already finished it and have questions, or things you'd like to discuss with other readers.
So, feel free to leave comments on this post regarding the latest book. We're entering spoiler territory here, so if you haven't yet finished the book, I'd recommend holding off until you're done. If you have finished and would like to talk about it, add a comment to this post.
I'm always open to feedback, and constructive criticisms help me grow as an author. So if you've spotted any errors in the book, or found things you don't like, you're welcome to comment on these as well. If I have an explanation, I'll provide it as a reply. Thanks!
So, feel free to leave comments on this post regarding the latest book. We're entering spoiler territory here, so if you haven't yet finished the book, I'd recommend holding off until you're done. If you have finished and would like to talk about it, add a comment to this post.
I'm always open to feedback, and constructive criticisms help me grow as an author. So if you've spotted any errors in the book, or found things you don't like, you're welcome to comment on these as well. If I have an explanation, I'll provide it as a reply. Thanks!
Monday, September 11, 2017
FLEE paperback now on Amazon
After reading the book, consider leaving the book a review if at all possible. It doesn't have to be lengthy (a sentence or two is fine), but reviews are important because they help potential readers determine whether or not a certain book is something they'd be interested in. With theocratic fiction, a lot of first-time readers spend a good bit of time on the fence, but seeing positive reviews from other Witnesses can help them come to a decision.
For those who've already written reviews, thanks so much, and I hope you enjoy FLEE!
Friday, September 8, 2017
Onward to Book 2
Well, the latest book has been out for only a few days now, but judging from emails and comments here and on the FLEE blog, it seems that more than a few of you have already finished it! (I’m not sure whether to be flattered or pressured by the fact that so many months of work went into something that only took a few hours to read, but so it goes with creative projects!)
For those of you already chomping at the bit for the second book in the series, sorry, but you’ll need to wait. While the second installment is well under way (I started it on the same day I finished the final draft of Book 1), it’ll be months yet before I’ll be able to announce a release date. However, I’m going to do my best to shoot for Spring of 2018. That gives me a good 6-8 months to write and edit it together, which feels doable at this point.
The nice thing about writing a book series like this is that I’m working with a good deal of momentum on my side. I know the characters and their individual plights, and I know generally where I want them all to end up, so it’s now just a matter of putting to paper their experiences along the way. In this aspect, Book 2 in the series has been smoother sailing than other projects. There’s no need to think up a new premise, characters, etc.
On the other hand, the second book in this series carries the weight of readers’ expectations, which is an intimidating thing. Still, I got into this project knowing roughly the pressures I’d face writing a trilogy, and I firmly believe in constantly challenging myself, regardless of the nature of the endeavor.
Before I go, I’d like to take a moment here to thank my incredible team of editors, without whom FLEE in its current form would not exist. They offered hundreds of wonderful suggestions and tidbits that I would’ve never thought of myself, and I’m greatly indebted to them for it! Thank you, Jordan, Jodie, and Veronica. You guys are amazing!
For those of you already chomping at the bit for the second book in the series, sorry, but you’ll need to wait. While the second installment is well under way (I started it on the same day I finished the final draft of Book 1), it’ll be months yet before I’ll be able to announce a release date. However, I’m going to do my best to shoot for Spring of 2018. That gives me a good 6-8 months to write and edit it together, which feels doable at this point.
The nice thing about writing a book series like this is that I’m working with a good deal of momentum on my side. I know the characters and their individual plights, and I know generally where I want them all to end up, so it’s now just a matter of putting to paper their experiences along the way. In this aspect, Book 2 in the series has been smoother sailing than other projects. There’s no need to think up a new premise, characters, etc.
On the other hand, the second book in this series carries the weight of readers’ expectations, which is an intimidating thing. Still, I got into this project knowing roughly the pressures I’d face writing a trilogy, and I firmly believe in constantly challenging myself, regardless of the nature of the endeavor.
Before I go, I’d like to take a moment here to thank my incredible team of editors, without whom FLEE in its current form would not exist. They offered hundreds of wonderful suggestions and tidbits that I would’ve never thought of myself, and I’m greatly indebted to them for it! Thank you, Jordan, Jodie, and Veronica. You guys are amazing!
Monday, September 4, 2017
FLEE Available Now
UPDATE: Kindle version now available here!
And we're live! You can get the book on CreateSpace now here! (CreateSpace is the company I use to publish, print, and ship all my books) Unfortunately it will be a couple days more before it will show up in the Amazon store, but I will post immediately here as soon as it's ready. I apologize for this inconvenience!
Of course, if you'd like to read a sample first, you can preview the first chapter here: www.fleenovel.blogspot.com
Happy reading!
And we're live! You can get the book on CreateSpace now here! (CreateSpace is the company I use to publish, print, and ship all my books) Unfortunately it will be a couple days more before it will show up in the Amazon store, but I will post immediately here as soon as it's ready. I apologize for this inconvenience!
Of course, if you'd like to read a sample first, you can preview the first chapter here: www.fleenovel.blogspot.com
Happy reading!
Saturday, September 2, 2017
FLEE Release Date
Good news for those who've been waiting patiently for my latest book, FLEE: The final draft is finished and I'm in the process of submitting and reviewing my files through Amazon's CreateSpace platform, which I use for publishing my books.
As I've stated before, FLEE will be immediately available, in full, as both a paperback purchase and a digital download through the Kindle Store (or on Amazon.com). This is a little different than how I've done things in the past, and I'm hoping readers will prefer having this option rather than waiting for months to get the full story. Incidentally, if you're reading on a iPad or an iPhone, I highly recommend getting the Kindle app. You'll have instant access to the book (it'll be very reasonably priced) and it has lots of cool features (like making notes for other readers to discover, leaving comments and reviews on Amazon, and a bunch of other stuff).
I'll also be releasing a full chapter per week on www.fleenovel.blogspot.com for those of you who prefer enjoying it as a serial. You'll be happy to know, though, that the entries will be much longer than in the past, since I want to get the entire thing released on the blog within a year.
So, when can you expect to read it? Soon... as in... Next week Monday! That's right: on Monday, September 4th, you'll be able to get the new book. Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it!
In other news, I've already begun on the second book in the series. The goal is to have it done within 6-8 months, but I'm not making any promises just yet, so stay tuned for more details on that. In the meantime, enjoy FLEE!
As I've stated before, FLEE will be immediately available, in full, as both a paperback purchase and a digital download through the Kindle Store (or on Amazon.com). This is a little different than how I've done things in the past, and I'm hoping readers will prefer having this option rather than waiting for months to get the full story. Incidentally, if you're reading on a iPad or an iPhone, I highly recommend getting the Kindle app. You'll have instant access to the book (it'll be very reasonably priced) and it has lots of cool features (like making notes for other readers to discover, leaving comments and reviews on Amazon, and a bunch of other stuff).
I'll also be releasing a full chapter per week on www.fleenovel.blogspot.com for those of you who prefer enjoying it as a serial. You'll be happy to know, though, that the entries will be much longer than in the past, since I want to get the entire thing released on the blog within a year.
So, when can you expect to read it? Soon... as in... Next week Monday! That's right: on Monday, September 4th, you'll be able to get the new book. Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it!
In other news, I've already begun on the second book in the series. The goal is to have it done within 6-8 months, but I'm not making any promises just yet, so stay tuned for more details on that. In the meantime, enjoy FLEE!
Monday, August 21, 2017
"FLEE" blog now live
Just a tiny update to let everyone know that the blog for FLEE is now live and can be reached at the following address:
www.fleenovel.blogspot.com
There's not much there to look at now, but it might be worth bookmarking!
www.fleenovel.blogspot.com
There's not much there to look at now, but it might be worth bookmarking!
Friday, August 18, 2017
“Flee" now in final stage
For those who've asked and emailed, good news! FLEE's third draft has been successfully completed and is now in the hands of a small team of proofreaders. After I get the results back, I'll go over the feedback, make the needed changes, and that's that! That means it should be no problem to get the book done by September as promised. (Whew!)
However, with this book and its sequels, the online blog release and Amazon release will work a bit differently. In the past, I'd start releasing chapters on the blog first, and the Amazon download and paperbacks would follow some months later. This time, I'll be releasing both at the same time. That way, readers won't have to wait months to get the whole story. For those not in a rush, you'll still be able to get the entire book for free on the blog (one chapter a week as usual), and once all the chapters are released I'll put the epub and mobi files up for download. I think this is a great way to reward readers who are purchasing books and helping me to sustain this hobby of mine, without excluding anyone else.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for being so supportive of these writing projects, whether by purchasing books on Amazon or by via small donations. As this hobby of mine has evolved over the years, I've become much more disciplined with my approach to writing, researching, and editing, and that has meant an increase in time spent on each subsequent book, so support in any form means a lot.
However, with this book and its sequels, the online blog release and Amazon release will work a bit differently. In the past, I'd start releasing chapters on the blog first, and the Amazon download and paperbacks would follow some months later. This time, I'll be releasing both at the same time. That way, readers won't have to wait months to get the whole story. For those not in a rush, you'll still be able to get the entire book for free on the blog (one chapter a week as usual), and once all the chapters are released I'll put the epub and mobi files up for download. I think this is a great way to reward readers who are purchasing books and helping me to sustain this hobby of mine, without excluding anyone else.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for being so supportive of these writing projects, whether by purchasing books on Amazon or by via small donations. As this hobby of mine has evolved over the years, I've become much more disciplined with my approach to writing, researching, and editing, and that has meant an increase in time spent on each subsequent book, so support in any form means a lot.
Friday, August 11, 2017
The daunting world of audiobooks
So apparently, audiobooks are a thing.
If you're not sure what I'm talking about, audiobooks are audio recordings of entire books that can be purchased and downloaded online. Typically the books are read by professional voice actors or the authors themselves. About a decade ago, I downloaded a few audiobooks to try it out myself, but didn't get very far before giving up. I chalk this up to the fact that I'm a very visual person. It's the sense I'm most in tune with. It's the way I write (I blogged about this very topic here) and it's the way I read. If the words aren't in front of my eyes, my mind is apt to drift to other matters. So I prefer reading over listening.
For a long time, I suspected I had this in common with most people, but it turns out that I am wrong. A LOT of people love listening to books read aloud. I guess part of this is the hectic pace of people's lives these days. It's rare for readers to have the luxury of a few spare hours to sit around thumbing through a book, so instead, they listen to bite-sized portions of a book while driving, jogging, or running errands. It's not the way I like to enjoy literature, but I get it.
Anyhow, for years now I've been getting emails asking if I've considered doing audiobook versions of my novels. I dismissed the notion outright at first, because recording my own book (obviously I'm not going to hire a non-Witness reader, and I would hardly be able to afford one anyway!) would be a tremendous investment in time and resources. Of course, in the digital age it's much easier for people to record audiobooks at home. Gone are the days where only expensive, state-of-the-art studios could produce quality recordings. Believe it or not, more than a few professional authors use a room in their house, set up a mic and a laptop with some recording software, and throw blankets over everything to absorb the sound and get right to it.
So for me the real cost is in time. It's no small task to record and edit a reading of a 100,000 word novel. Also, there's quite a bit of skill involved, as I've learned while doing research on the topic. A lot of this is encompassed in our Benefit book, but with a reading as dramatic as that of a paperback, there area also other skills that need to be refined, like being able to quickly switch between voices so that the listener can easily tell when the speaker changes (I tried, it's hard!) and conveying the right kind of emotions in dialogue so that the result isn't A) too lackluster or B) too overboard. So really, it's a mix between reading and acting. And I'm not sure my acting chops are up to the task!
But never say never, right? Anyway, I'm looking into it. It's actually kind of an intriguing idea, and if I get enough requests, it'll probably happen. I've set up a little poll to the right of this blog where you can give me some feedback regarding the possibility of audiobooks. (Please keep in mind that due to file management issues, I would need to host them on an external platform like Amazon, so they wouldn't be free of charge.)
So, do you like audiobooks? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
If you're not sure what I'm talking about, audiobooks are audio recordings of entire books that can be purchased and downloaded online. Typically the books are read by professional voice actors or the authors themselves. About a decade ago, I downloaded a few audiobooks to try it out myself, but didn't get very far before giving up. I chalk this up to the fact that I'm a very visual person. It's the sense I'm most in tune with. It's the way I write (I blogged about this very topic here) and it's the way I read. If the words aren't in front of my eyes, my mind is apt to drift to other matters. So I prefer reading over listening.
For a long time, I suspected I had this in common with most people, but it turns out that I am wrong. A LOT of people love listening to books read aloud. I guess part of this is the hectic pace of people's lives these days. It's rare for readers to have the luxury of a few spare hours to sit around thumbing through a book, so instead, they listen to bite-sized portions of a book while driving, jogging, or running errands. It's not the way I like to enjoy literature, but I get it.
Anyhow, for years now I've been getting emails asking if I've considered doing audiobook versions of my novels. I dismissed the notion outright at first, because recording my own book (obviously I'm not going to hire a non-Witness reader, and I would hardly be able to afford one anyway!) would be a tremendous investment in time and resources. Of course, in the digital age it's much easier for people to record audiobooks at home. Gone are the days where only expensive, state-of-the-art studios could produce quality recordings. Believe it or not, more than a few professional authors use a room in their house, set up a mic and a laptop with some recording software, and throw blankets over everything to absorb the sound and get right to it.
So for me the real cost is in time. It's no small task to record and edit a reading of a 100,000 word novel. Also, there's quite a bit of skill involved, as I've learned while doing research on the topic. A lot of this is encompassed in our Benefit book, but with a reading as dramatic as that of a paperback, there area also other skills that need to be refined, like being able to quickly switch between voices so that the listener can easily tell when the speaker changes (I tried, it's hard!) and conveying the right kind of emotions in dialogue so that the result isn't A) too lackluster or B) too overboard. So really, it's a mix between reading and acting. And I'm not sure my acting chops are up to the task!
But never say never, right? Anyway, I'm looking into it. It's actually kind of an intriguing idea, and if I get enough requests, it'll probably happen. I've set up a little poll to the right of this blog where you can give me some feedback regarding the possibility of audiobooks. (Please keep in mind that due to file management issues, I would need to host them on an external platform like Amazon, so they wouldn't be free of charge.)
So, do you like audiobooks? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Characters over Events
Recently, some of my readers have asked about what appears to be a gaping hole in Critical Times. Where, they ask, was the cry of peace and security?! In truth, the only time the words "peace and security" show up in the novel is in a bit of dialogue between Luke Harding and Agent Meade, who believes that the stamping out of all religion will bring about "peace and security". This, however, is unrelated to the initial cry made by the United Nations as per our current understanding of the global stage set before the outbreak of the Great Tribulation.
The cry of peace and security doesn't feature in the book because the events in the novel take place just after it occurs, as the US, and then other nations around the world (led by the UN), take aim at Babylon the Great. But why, readers might wonder, would I neglect showcasing such a momentous moment in Critical Times?
Answer: It isn't part of the plot. Critical Times begins as social attitudes towards religion are reaching a tipping point. Most people are already frustrated and disillusioned with the churches, making it a fairly simple matter for the governments to step in and strip the harlot of her wealth. The stage is already set to begin Luke's story, and this is the central plot.
More importantly, Critical Times is a story about characters and themes rather than events. I think, as a Witness writer, it can be tempting (and fun!) to write a story that focuses primarily on events. A good example of this was my first novel, All Things New. Although that book was host to a huge cast of characters, they really existed only to retell the events of the Great Tribulation, Armageddon, and Paradise. They were basically just narrating a historical documentary. (This style of storytelling, incidentally, is called an 'oral history'.) As I wrote in the foreword, the project was started with the goal of exploring the answers to such questions as:
The reason I wanted to focus more on characters and themes than on events in Critical Times (and the reason that I will likely continue to do so for future books), is this: to me, the lessons we learn from characters' actions are more valid than guesswork of events that have not yet occurred.
Of course, writing detailed accounts about what may happen in the near future is interesting, exciting, and even thought provoking. But beyond starting conversations, how beneficial is it? This is the question I was forced to ask myself after the completion of All Things New. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the book, and if it helps readers to picture themselves in the New World, then mission accomplished.
For Critical Times though, the emphasis was shifted intentionally. Speculation is kept to a bare minimum as the focus shifts: Would Amy be honest with Luke about her studies, or string him along, leading to confrontation? Would Luke turn a blind eye to the violence and militarization of the police, or would he wake up to the insidious aims of his organization? Would the characters rely on Jehovah and listen to the brothers, or would they attempt to do things their own way?
By making the book primarily about the characters and their decisions, I hoped to write a novel that was both entertaining to read, and a tool for self examination. Because regardless of whether or not any of the events mentioned in the book will resemble reality, the lessons contained therein certainly will.
The cry of peace and security doesn't feature in the book because the events in the novel take place just after it occurs, as the US, and then other nations around the world (led by the UN), take aim at Babylon the Great. But why, readers might wonder, would I neglect showcasing such a momentous moment in Critical Times?
Answer: It isn't part of the plot. Critical Times begins as social attitudes towards religion are reaching a tipping point. Most people are already frustrated and disillusioned with the churches, making it a fairly simple matter for the governments to step in and strip the harlot of her wealth. The stage is already set to begin Luke's story, and this is the central plot.
More importantly, Critical Times is a story about characters and themes rather than events. I think, as a Witness writer, it can be tempting (and fun!) to write a story that focuses primarily on events. A good example of this was my first novel, All Things New. Although that book was host to a huge cast of characters, they really existed only to retell the events of the Great Tribulation, Armageddon, and Paradise. They were basically just narrating a historical documentary. (This style of storytelling, incidentally, is called an 'oral history'.) As I wrote in the foreword, the project was started with the goal of exploring the answers to such questions as:
"How would the U.N. attack false religion? How would the Witnesses later be targeted? How would Jehovah protect his people? What would Armageddon be like? What (and who) would be left? How would we reorganize? Communicate? Travel? Rebuild? What would return to perfection be like? How would a perfect child think? What would the Resurrection be like?"In Critical Times, however, events are no longer the primary focus. Instead, the characters and themes are. While we do get a sense of the changing political scene, societal chaos, and anarchy, (events) these are primarily presented through news snippets that the characters witness as they move through their own personal journeys. While the characters are certainly affected by these external struggles, their conflict is fundamentally internal, and serves as the underlying themes of the book: Luke experiences a paradigm shift as he goes from perpetuating an establishment, to doubting it, to challenging it, to opposing it. Amy, on the other hand, struggles with being torn between her husband and the truth.
The reason I wanted to focus more on characters and themes than on events in Critical Times (and the reason that I will likely continue to do so for future books), is this: to me, the lessons we learn from characters' actions are more valid than guesswork of events that have not yet occurred.
Of course, writing detailed accounts about what may happen in the near future is interesting, exciting, and even thought provoking. But beyond starting conversations, how beneficial is it? This is the question I was forced to ask myself after the completion of All Things New. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the book, and if it helps readers to picture themselves in the New World, then mission accomplished.
For Critical Times though, the emphasis was shifted intentionally. Speculation is kept to a bare minimum as the focus shifts: Would Amy be honest with Luke about her studies, or string him along, leading to confrontation? Would Luke turn a blind eye to the violence and militarization of the police, or would he wake up to the insidious aims of his organization? Would the characters rely on Jehovah and listen to the brothers, or would they attempt to do things their own way?
By making the book primarily about the characters and their decisions, I hoped to write a novel that was both entertaining to read, and a tool for self examination. Because regardless of whether or not any of the events mentioned in the book will resemble reality, the lessons contained therein certainly will.
Sunday, July 30, 2017
New book synopsis
What do you think of when you hear the word flee? Perhaps your mind conjures up images of an officially-mandated evacuation as a natural disaster looms on the horizon. Or you might think of something more ancient–something Biblical–in which a person (or, more often than not, a group of people) fled from one location to another by divine decree.
I imagine, since the announcement of my fourth novel two weeks ago, there's been some curiosity as to the nature of this new story, and I'm happy to finally provide the synopsis here:
The novel is progressing well, and if all goes according to plan, it should finish with a length of 90,000 words. (That's right between the length of All Things New and The Unrighteous). However, for FLEE, I'll be trying something new: a trilogy.
Now, I know trilogies (whether film or literary) can be a bit cringe-inducing for audiences, as they sometimes take what could have been condensed into a single installment and stretch it into a more profitable franchise. Rest assured, that's not the motivation behind my decision. (I mean, I give my books away for free, after all.)
In outlining the story, I realized that I really wanted something that had scale to it. Whereas Critical Times sort of rushed through some of the elements of the Great Tribulation as the story charged along to its climax, I wanted this one to really let the readers savor all of the details. I wanted to show exactly how the populace (not just governments) turned against religion, and I wanted to depict more of the behind-the-scenes work of how the organization cared for Jehovah's people every step of the way. Additionally, I wanted to explore a larger cast of characters, and really give readers a chance to get to know them over a longer period of time. Simply put, if Critical Times was the movie adaption of the Great Tribulation, FLEE was to be the miniseries.
That said, I suspect this series won't be for everyone; I'm planning on releasing a book a year, so readers will need to be patient to get the full story. But hopefully, that means the payoff will be all that much more rewarding. Either way, it'll be an experience for both of us!
Stay tuned! 😁
I imagine, since the announcement of my fourth novel two weeks ago, there's been some curiosity as to the nature of this new story, and I'm happy to finally provide the synopsis here:
As the Great Tribulation begins, a series of puzzling instructions from the branch tests the faith and resolve of Witnesses worldwide. Follow the experiences of Peter Burton, an elder in a congregation in Northern California, his wife Rachel, and their extended family and friends as difficult decisions and heart-wrenching sacrifices are made to be obedient and loyal.
The novel is progressing well, and if all goes according to plan, it should finish with a length of 90,000 words. (That's right between the length of All Things New and The Unrighteous). However, for FLEE, I'll be trying something new: a trilogy.
Now, I know trilogies (whether film or literary) can be a bit cringe-inducing for audiences, as they sometimes take what could have been condensed into a single installment and stretch it into a more profitable franchise. Rest assured, that's not the motivation behind my decision. (I mean, I give my books away for free, after all.)
In outlining the story, I realized that I really wanted something that had scale to it. Whereas Critical Times sort of rushed through some of the elements of the Great Tribulation as the story charged along to its climax, I wanted this one to really let the readers savor all of the details. I wanted to show exactly how the populace (not just governments) turned against religion, and I wanted to depict more of the behind-the-scenes work of how the organization cared for Jehovah's people every step of the way. Additionally, I wanted to explore a larger cast of characters, and really give readers a chance to get to know them over a longer period of time. Simply put, if Critical Times was the movie adaption of the Great Tribulation, FLEE was to be the miniseries.
That said, I suspect this series won't be for everyone; I'm planning on releasing a book a year, so readers will need to be patient to get the full story. But hopefully, that means the payoff will be all that much more rewarding. Either way, it'll be an experience for both of us!
Stay tuned! 😁
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Sneak peek at book number 4...
I'm happy to finally release the cover for my fourth novel, FLEE. The design went through many iterations before I finally settled on what you see here. Hopefully it aptly conveys the mix of tension and hope that I was aiming for.A full synopsis will be shared here soon, but in the meantime, you can probably figure out the general gist of the novel, no? ;)
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Monday, May 22, 2017
What's in a name?
It's a question worth visiting when it comes to storytelling and
novel writing: what's in a name? Are some names better than others?
Should some names be avoided?
First off, it's important to note that names are highly subjective; each reader will approach a name with different preconceptions. For example, a character named Jesus in a fictional novel would be strange–offensive, even–to readers coming from a native English background. For Spanish speakers, however, Jesús is a fairly common name. (It regularly ranks among the 100 most popular Spanish boy baby names each year.)
For that reason, it's a good idea to know your audience before naming your characters, especially the characters who will take center stage. What names will elicit the right kind of emotion? And just as important: what emotion or connotation are you trying to portray? What kind of a person is the protagonist? Is he/she courageous or timid? Forthright or subtle? Outgoing or introverted? Confident or shy? Certain names have an intrinsic strength to them–they may be associated closely with well known characters (real or fictitious) who did heroic things. (Of course, these types of names tend to be overused in modern literature, so I personally try to choose from the fringes of these more popular options when naming protagonists.)
Also important is how a name feels when you say it. Some names have an almost onomatopoeic or textural characteristic to them; they may sound similar to a word that evokes a sound, feeling, or even taste that is connected to an emotional response. An example of this was the antagonist of Critical Times, Agent Meade. I went through a lot of options when trying to find the right name for him, but in the end I settled on Meade because of the way it felt. There is something intrinsically sinister–even predatory–about this name. Perhaps it is the fact that it sounds similar to smear and mean while rhyming with greed, bleed, and feed. These were all mental images I wanted the character to evoke: a slippery, manipulative, double-crossing serpentine man with greasy, slicked back hair and gaunt features. (Hopefully this all came across! Also, hopefully this isn't your last name!)
Another rule that I adhere to when it comes to naming conventions is this: Don't double up on similar sounding names within the same story. That means being alphabetically impartial; I try to avoid multiple characters having first names that begin with the same letter, because having a book with a John, a Jack, a Jimmy, and a James is just plain confusing and is likely to get your book thrown at a wall by a some poor, frustrated reader. I also try to avoid similar sounding names (no John/Don, no Sam/Pam, no Trent/Brent). Again, this is for the sake of clarity.
To accommodate the above naming conventions, I often add foreign names (and characters) into my books. All Things New was the most obvious example (I literally wrote that novel with the goal of cramming in as much ethnicity and culture as possible to reflect our international brotherhood). Apart from allowing access to a larger naming pool, using foreign names helps to keep the characters neatly separated in the reader's mind (the reader comes across a foreign name and immediately assigns a corresponding mental image).
If I'm making it sound like it's hard to name characters, IT IS. It is frequently one of my most second-guessed elements in a story. I have, with each of my novels thus far, gone back and renamed characters after a good chunk of the story had been written, because I realized the name was evoking the wrong emotion, or was having some other sort of undesired effect on the story (or me). It is likely for this reason that the "Find" > "Replace All" function of modern word processors was invented, and I make good use of it!
Another great tool is the plethora of name generators found online. My favorite is this one, which allows you to search not just by gender, but by commonality, and even generates last names. (Some of the characters in my newest book have names that were generated completely by this wonderful tool)
Of course, in real life, names certainly aren't everything. But when it comes to fictional characters that exist only on the page and in the reader's mind, an effective name can make a big impact on the overall success of the story!
First off, it's important to note that names are highly subjective; each reader will approach a name with different preconceptions. For example, a character named Jesus in a fictional novel would be strange–offensive, even–to readers coming from a native English background. For Spanish speakers, however, Jesús is a fairly common name. (It regularly ranks among the 100 most popular Spanish boy baby names each year.)
For that reason, it's a good idea to know your audience before naming your characters, especially the characters who will take center stage. What names will elicit the right kind of emotion? And just as important: what emotion or connotation are you trying to portray? What kind of a person is the protagonist? Is he/she courageous or timid? Forthright or subtle? Outgoing or introverted? Confident or shy? Certain names have an intrinsic strength to them–they may be associated closely with well known characters (real or fictitious) who did heroic things. (Of course, these types of names tend to be overused in modern literature, so I personally try to choose from the fringes of these more popular options when naming protagonists.)
Also important is how a name feels when you say it. Some names have an almost onomatopoeic or textural characteristic to them; they may sound similar to a word that evokes a sound, feeling, or even taste that is connected to an emotional response. An example of this was the antagonist of Critical Times, Agent Meade. I went through a lot of options when trying to find the right name for him, but in the end I settled on Meade because of the way it felt. There is something intrinsically sinister–even predatory–about this name. Perhaps it is the fact that it sounds similar to smear and mean while rhyming with greed, bleed, and feed. These were all mental images I wanted the character to evoke: a slippery, manipulative, double-crossing serpentine man with greasy, slicked back hair and gaunt features. (Hopefully this all came across! Also, hopefully this isn't your last name!)
Another rule that I adhere to when it comes to naming conventions is this: Don't double up on similar sounding names within the same story. That means being alphabetically impartial; I try to avoid multiple characters having first names that begin with the same letter, because having a book with a John, a Jack, a Jimmy, and a James is just plain confusing and is likely to get your book thrown at a wall by a some poor, frustrated reader. I also try to avoid similar sounding names (no John/Don, no Sam/Pam, no Trent/Brent). Again, this is for the sake of clarity.
To accommodate the above naming conventions, I often add foreign names (and characters) into my books. All Things New was the most obvious example (I literally wrote that novel with the goal of cramming in as much ethnicity and culture as possible to reflect our international brotherhood). Apart from allowing access to a larger naming pool, using foreign names helps to keep the characters neatly separated in the reader's mind (the reader comes across a foreign name and immediately assigns a corresponding mental image).
If I'm making it sound like it's hard to name characters, IT IS. It is frequently one of my most second-guessed elements in a story. I have, with each of my novels thus far, gone back and renamed characters after a good chunk of the story had been written, because I realized the name was evoking the wrong emotion, or was having some other sort of undesired effect on the story (or me). It is likely for this reason that the "Find" > "Replace All" function of modern word processors was invented, and I make good use of it!
Another great tool is the plethora of name generators found online. My favorite is this one, which allows you to search not just by gender, but by commonality, and even generates last names. (Some of the characters in my newest book have names that were generated completely by this wonderful tool)
Of course, in real life, names certainly aren't everything. But when it comes to fictional characters that exist only on the page and in the reader's mind, an effective name can make a big impact on the overall success of the story!
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
A busy last few months...
Whew! It's been a long time since my last post. Apologies for that. It's been a busy few months, especially April, which was crammed with activity including the Memorial, a C.O. visit, and an assembly! But with May finally here I've had a bit more time to get back to writing.
To be honest, I think the break was just what I needed. Critical Times, while a wonderful experience, was my biggest project to date; it required the most research, the most writing (it's 30% longer than The Unrighteous and about two thirds more novel than All Things New) , and the most editing. It was an emotional investment as well. So after all that, a break was in order.
The thing is, I don't consider myself a professional writer. I don't do this for a living (my day job is teaching, and when I'm not in the classroom I'm usually out in service). Perhaps if I were doing this full time I'd be more on the ball with my writing, be it progressing on my latest novel or updating my blog, but I'm happy to not have that pressure. I'm a strong believer of keeping hobbies in their place. I've found that once they start taking center stage they stop being fun and start just feeling like work.
That said, I'm happy to say that the new novel (I'm not ready to reveal the title yet, sorry!) is well under way. I've been working on it on and off now since December, and it's starting to gain momentum and taking form into something that could be exciting.
At any given moment I usually have a few different writing projects going. I frequently write the first chapter (or scene) that pops into my head, then leave it alone on my MacJournal to either a) marinate into something worth revisiting b) stagnate into something fit only for the trash bin.
I find that having a steady flow of new ideas (I like to think of it as an "idea farm") is helpful in the creative process for a few reasons. For one, it keeps writing from becoming too tedious. When I start feeling burnt out on one idea (this happened frequently for the last novel, almost to the point where I scrapped the entire project altogether), I can switch gears and tinker away on a new story, or revisit one of the fragments I've written previously. It's a much needed breath of fresh air.
Secondly, it gives me something to look forward to when I'm nearing the end of a project. As I've mentioned before on this blog, penning the last words of a novel is always a bittersweet experience. On the one hand, I'm happy to see the journey come to a successful conclusion, but on the other, I feel like I'm saying goodbye to old friends–the characters I've spent so many months with have begun to feel very real, and as strange as it may seem, I feel attached to them at some level.
Another thing is that this "idea farm" technique gives me something to research on my spare time, and if you haven't figured this out, I really like doing research. Often because research sparks new ideas and new lines of inquiry. And all stories start with a simple question: What if...? For me, research usually starts in a scriptural vein, reading old publications and Biblical accounts to determine the best precedent for a certain circumstance I'd like to write about, and then it bleeds into other kinds of research: checking dates and maps, reading science journals and news clips, watching documentaries, and in the case of Critical Times, poring over copious amounts of online materials on police procedures.
Anyhow, as of January of this year, I had four potential ideas worth pursuing and was having difficulty picking one, but I'm now comfortably settled into one and happy with my selection, so we'll see. At my current point of 30,000 words I've still got a long way to go, but hopefully I'll have something to start sharing by the end of summer.
No promises, though! ;)
To be honest, I think the break was just what I needed. Critical Times, while a wonderful experience, was my biggest project to date; it required the most research, the most writing (it's 30% longer than The Unrighteous and about two thirds more novel than All Things New) , and the most editing. It was an emotional investment as well. So after all that, a break was in order.
The thing is, I don't consider myself a professional writer. I don't do this for a living (my day job is teaching, and when I'm not in the classroom I'm usually out in service). Perhaps if I were doing this full time I'd be more on the ball with my writing, be it progressing on my latest novel or updating my blog, but I'm happy to not have that pressure. I'm a strong believer of keeping hobbies in their place. I've found that once they start taking center stage they stop being fun and start just feeling like work.
That said, I'm happy to say that the new novel (I'm not ready to reveal the title yet, sorry!) is well under way. I've been working on it on and off now since December, and it's starting to gain momentum and taking form into something that could be exciting.
At any given moment I usually have a few different writing projects going. I frequently write the first chapter (or scene) that pops into my head, then leave it alone on my MacJournal to either a) marinate into something worth revisiting b) stagnate into something fit only for the trash bin.
I find that having a steady flow of new ideas (I like to think of it as an "idea farm") is helpful in the creative process for a few reasons. For one, it keeps writing from becoming too tedious. When I start feeling burnt out on one idea (this happened frequently for the last novel, almost to the point where I scrapped the entire project altogether), I can switch gears and tinker away on a new story, or revisit one of the fragments I've written previously. It's a much needed breath of fresh air.
Secondly, it gives me something to look forward to when I'm nearing the end of a project. As I've mentioned before on this blog, penning the last words of a novel is always a bittersweet experience. On the one hand, I'm happy to see the journey come to a successful conclusion, but on the other, I feel like I'm saying goodbye to old friends–the characters I've spent so many months with have begun to feel very real, and as strange as it may seem, I feel attached to them at some level.
Another thing is that this "idea farm" technique gives me something to research on my spare time, and if you haven't figured this out, I really like doing research. Often because research sparks new ideas and new lines of inquiry. And all stories start with a simple question: What if...? For me, research usually starts in a scriptural vein, reading old publications and Biblical accounts to determine the best precedent for a certain circumstance I'd like to write about, and then it bleeds into other kinds of research: checking dates and maps, reading science journals and news clips, watching documentaries, and in the case of Critical Times, poring over copious amounts of online materials on police procedures.
Anyhow, as of January of this year, I had four potential ideas worth pursuing and was having difficulty picking one, but I'm now comfortably settled into one and happy with my selection, so we'll see. At my current point of 30,000 words I've still got a long way to go, but hopefully I'll have something to start sharing by the end of summer.
No promises, though! ;)
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