Interview About Magpie Eclectic Press for the League of Extraordinary Scribes

Hello friends. :)

I have been working like crazy on a bunch of different things - partially to do with writing and reading the wonderful worlds that are found in books, partially to do with school, partially pertaining to the very intriguing and intricate world of publishing, partially to do with finding a job, and partially based on the delicate intricacies of commission work.

But, in all of my doings, I have finally managed to finish writing up the interview on Magpie Eclectic Press that is for the League of Extraordinary Scribes, a group of young writers that I am a part of on Facebook.  The interview questions were posed to me by a bunch of different members of the group, and were very interesting and thought provoking. Several of them took quite a long time to answer.

I thought perhaps I would post the interview here for anyone who wishes to learn more about me and Magpie Eclectic Press, the publishing company that I am launching.



1) How did you get interested in writing? Was it different than how you got interested in publishing?


Writing has interested me from the very beginning… and when I say beginning, I mean before I even knew how to write. You know how preschoolers go around drawing random lines on paper, many of which resemble monstrous-looking “E”s, which they then go around calling words and acting proud of? Well, I was that toddler – on steroids. Lol!

Seriously. As soon as I figured out what the black squiggles actually meant, I was trying to turn them into stories and poetry. I started writing poetry when I was 8, short stories when I was 12, songs at 14, and finally decided to tackle a full length novel just two weeks before my 16th birthday. The rough draft of my first novel took me a year to write, and the writing was absolutely atrocious, but I knew then that writing would remain part of me for as long as I drew breath. I honestly feel like it’s what God called me to do – to write and to encourage and support other writers.

However, I do remember the year that I first became interested in the publishing industry. I was only 14 and hadn’t actually started writing in the speculative genre yet. (It was, however, the year that I discovered The Lord of the Rings.) By that time, I had quite a few poems stacked up in notebooks spread across my room, and in documents all over my old 95 computer. My mom had suggested I categorize the poems and self publish them to give to friends and family. While I did get most of the poems gathered and typed into a single document (which has since grown, the more I write poetry), I was never actually brave enough to step out and actually publish them. However, I did some minor research on the subject and became intrigued – not enough at that time to take the idea any farther, but something had been sparked in me and I knew then that I wanted to eventually work in publishing. It was sort of a half conscious decision… especially considering I was only 14. Yet it was definitely there, and it remained until my interest really picked up at the age of 16 and 17.


2) What unique qualifications do you have to manage a small press?

Qualifications are what you make of them. I will openly admit that I’ve never really worked at a publishing house, nor have I interned at one, but as many people in today’s society know, such is hardly considered “qualification” anymore.

However, I do have a very strong passion for the written word, as well as a solid knowledge of the English language and how it works. I am currently majoring in English, working towards my associate’s degree, and then my bachelor’s, etc, etc… . In the past I have been on the editorial team for my college’s literary journal, have worked as a writing councilor, have taught a creative writing class to junior high and high school students, was a journalist for a local newspaper, and have had some of my poetry and short stories published in small anthologies. I have also done some manuscript editing on the side for other writers.

I am a third generation daughter born to a family of artists, so my sense of cover art, cover design, and interior design (etc…) is fairly strong, as are some of my connections within the world of visual art (thereby making it easier for me to justly judge a book “by its cover” and/or its layout and design.) I have also recently done commissions for other fantasy authors, including several illustrations for a new book being written by Jill Williamson, a map for the book “Offspring” written by Scott Appleton which is now published through AMG, a commission – and some fan art pieces – for the author Wayne Thomas Batson, and currently I am working on a map for Jill Williamson’s new book which will be published by Marcher Lord Press in the fall of 2012. I have also done cover art for an author currently residing in Liberia, and I’m working on a 12 piece chapter heading commission for another author here in the states.

I have been seriously – almost doggedly – studying the publishing industry and its inner-works for about 8 years now and have a strong business sense about the industry and what it involves. In about the last 4 years I've been slowly working to build a strong online presence, and I believe it’s paid off. I have been blogging for almost two years now several times a week and have a following of about 83… a number that I am both staggered and all too humbled to watch grow a little every month. I am an avid book reviewer and belong to several “blogging for books” programs through different publishers, and I make it my business to remain acutely aware of both the titles on the shelves of the physical bookstores, and the titles listed on Amazon.com within the genre’s that I follow (ie. Speculative fiction… especially Christian Spec-fic). To that end, I also make it my business to follow closely the relative sales of those books, their authors, and their publishers whether or not the book was published traditionally. I know what is selling well now, what sold well a few years ago, and I’m pretty good at guessing what the next trend will be… at least within the speculative genre.

So as you might guess, I’m pretty confident that I’m qualified for the job. ;)


3) How does Magpie Eclectic Press differ from other small presses?

This is an interesting question to me. How do I differ from other presses? Hmmm…

Well, for one thing, we’re starting out small but planning to grow. The plan is to only publish one book at a time… at least for a while; one book every six months, or maybe 1 per year. This means that our undivided attention will go towards that particular book in order to make it as marketable as possible. Also, we plan to sell books online, but we are also going to work to get our books into physical book stores. This may take some time, I’ll admit, but it’s a goal that we’re definitely working towards. In the meantime though, a lot of our marketing will be done online, and it’s our hope that we can work with our authors to cover as much of a base as possible. This will mean setting up blog-tours and giveaways and working with pre-readers to help spread the word around. I predict that most of the successful marketing done through Magpie Eclectic Press will be through online means.

On another level, it’s my plan that Magpie is to be a very personable press. We want to make friends with our authors, and not just in a business sense. My hope is that this company will become like a family, with the authors and publishers working together on a mutual level of respect and kinship. Like with any family, I expect there will be some disagreements, but hopefully those can be worked out in a timely and acceptable fashion. :)

Also, we are looking for works in the speculative genres. Now, we all know that there are other presses out there looking for similar works in the same genres, but one major difference between presses like MLP and FPP, and Magpie, is that Magpie is also willing to look at Middle Grade fiction; books that would appeal to fans of Artemis Fowl, The chronicles of Narnia, and Bran Hambric. Books that might interest those who love Rick Riordine’s Olympian series, and that might draw in fans of Redwall.

Now, I’ll admit that there’s a fine line between what might count as YA and what is considered to be Middle Grade fiction. Many of those who enjoy the YA genres have also enjoyed middle grade fiction, perhaps even thinking that the stories they were reading were YA. So in order to break it down, we are willing to look at novels that would interest kids from… well, from about 10-12 all the way up to 100! That’s part of what sets us apart from the other small presses out there. ^_^


4) What are the benefits of partnering with a small press like Magpie Eclectic Press instead of writer publishing their work on their own or going through a larger house?

Oh… this is going to be a long answer. Lol!

Probably the first benefit of partnering with a small press over a larger press is the individual attention that an author gets. Houses like Random House and Simon & Schuster are large, and while an author may have contact with one or two representatives of the company, I’m sure they don’t really get the personal attention to detail that many authors wish they received... the “one-on-one treatment”. With smaller presses like MLP, FPP, PYP, and yes, even Magpie Eclectic, you have a much more personal approach. The publisher pays more attention to you as an author, and to your book.

Why?

Because smaller presses can afford it. I know that sounds a bit impersonal at first, but hear me out. The bigger houses are (as most people know) BIG. Huge, even. They have many, many people working for them, and they are expected to churn out lots books, and to keep churning books out month after month, year after year... lots and lots and lots of books. Which, if you think about it, seems a little ironic if you consider how tough it is for an author to get picked up by a large house like Penguin Groups or Macmillan.

Smaller presses, on the other hand, only plan to turn out a few books a year… like anywhere from 1 to 5 tops. (Sometimes they can manage one book per month, like MLP is hoping to start doing, but that, in my opinion, is a rare occasion and I commend Jeff Gerke for going for it.) On top of that, they are only expected to turn out a few books a year which, believe it or not, can make a big difference. The fewer books to worry about, the more time there is to spend paying attention to detail. The more time there is, the more an author is likely to get personal attentions. It’s logic, really.

One of the biggest benefits of going with a small press over self publishing is the fact that you’re not going it alone. You have others there who know what needs to be done and who can help you do it. Self publishing can be tricky and difficult.
True, the world of kindle and ebooks has made it easier than ever to get your manuscript available to the reading public, but trust me when I say that availability really isn’t everything. Marketability is. And not just the marketability of the book, but the author’s ability to actually market the marketability of the book.

Self publication on a professional and marketable level takes time – hours and hours of it spent researching and preparing and editing and preparing and researching and editing and preparing and… well, you get my drift. It also takes money… unless you know someone who’s willing to do the cover art and the professional editing and the layout and the typesetting for free, it’s very likely to take money. And if you plan to have physical versions of the book, it’s going to cost even more. You’ll have printing costs, the cost of ARC’s (if you are going to have physical versions), the price of ISBN numbers and copyright (which you will probably also need for the ebooks), and you may even have the price of having your book looked over by a tabloid or some other venue for high-end endorsement. (Technically you don’t need this last step, but it does help with publicity. Also, if a potential reader sees that the book has been approved by a tabloid that they trust, they might be more likely to pick it up, if only to see why the tabloid liked it.)

For those who are willing to put in the many, many hours of research and work involved, not to mention the money, Self Publication can eventually pay off. (I’m not against self publishing here; I know that it’s worked for some and I truly think that’s amazing, and I commend them. Besides, I’ve thought about it myself, on occasion, and I think for those who are self motivated and truly ready to work extremely hard for it, it’s a great endeavor to undertake. :D) However, unless you are self driven, extremely motivated, and willing to put in that work, that time, that money, it’s not recommended to try the self-pubbing rout. Even those authors out there who are successful self publishers and who continually preach the rout of self publication don’t recommend self publishing unless you are willing to commit to the research, work, and time that it involves. For Self Publishing to become a success, it needs to become a business and a life.

When an author goes with a small press, the biggest difference to note is that the author is no longer alone on their journey. They have someone there who has already done the research that needs to be done, who can help them with cover art and copyright, who knows how to edit and work with layout, who has a marketing plan already in mind – and a back up marketing plan, and a back up for the back up – who has researched the venues available and has figured out target audiences and prices, who will handle printing, payment, shipping, and other expenses on the front line, and who will help handle legal matters, should any arise (although that is definitely something to avoid if at all possible). A publisher interested in an author’s book needs to believe in that book as much as the author does, and this has its benefits too; for example, a publisher who truly believes in the value of the story and the marketability of an author’s book will work all the harder to promote that book. A publisher will usually push the book forward into as many venues as possible, will try to get as many people to see it as they can. In my opinion, it is the job of the publisher to make the book available and try to take it as far in the market as it can go (with the author’s help, of course).

Basically, when the author signs with a publisher, they are signing with a partner. The author is going to want that partner to love the book as much as they do, and to work as hard as they will. The publisher will think the same of the author. It’s a mutual agreement, and in my opinion it’s there to make it easier for the author. Plus, some marketing venues will not even look at a book unless it has a publisher’s mark on it that specifically signifies that the book went through a “house”. So an author going through a press has a better chance at getting into some of these venues… (Physical bookstores, for one. :D)


5) What are the disadvantages to a writer partnering with a small press, rather than publishing their own work?

The biggest disadvantage has to do with rights and control. Like I said above, and author who signs with a publisher is actually signing with a partner. You can’t agree to go into a partnership and expect your partner to work with you and for you, and yet insist that you get the full say of everything that goes on in the works. That’s not how it works. That might be what happens if you simply hire someone to do something for you, but this is not that instance. You cannot simply “hire” a publisher to do your work for you the exact way you want it done – unless you are going through a vanity press or some such. The contract between an author and a legit publisher dictates equal partnership, at least when it comes to printing and marketing the text of a book, so some rights are going to have to be given up, and some are going to be shared.

The most basic right that is handed to a publisher upon signing a contract is the right of printing and distribution. Most publishers also ask for electronic rights, book-club rights, and audio rights. (Magpie would not ask for audio rights at the forefront, but we might consider talking to the author about it at a later time if the book proves to be doing well in text form and the author is interested.) Small presses usually don’t venture much farther into subsidiary rights, which typically include foreign, translation, film & television, audio, dramatic, and periodical. However, some subsidiary rights, such as electronic and book-club rights are non-negotiable… which means it’s pretty much expected that the publisher will get those rights, and it’s very rare when a publisher doesn’t.

Magpie would definitely ask for electronic rights, since most of our marketing plan is targeted at the internet. These rights basically give us the right to put the manuscript into e-book format and distribute and sell the book through multiple venues over the internet. We would need those rights in order to legally take the book as far into the market as we possibly could.

However, something an author should know heading into a publishing agreement is that signing a contract that gives the publisher the rights over something usually means that the publisher calls the shots when it comes to those rights. Here at Magpie, we value the author’s input to a very high degree and we want to include the author in the publication process as much as possible, but if we own the right to something, it basically means that we have the final say in areas like cover-art, layout and design, certain marketing areas, etc, etc… We want to include you in every process of your book’s publication because you are an extremely vital part of it, but we will also be thinking about certain things like how the book can be made more marketable, what other venues would be interested in hosting or accepting the book, what readers are saying and thinking about it, and so on.

That’s probably one of the biggest things that authors worry about; the loss of their full control over the final product. If an author self publishes a book, they keep all of the rights and all of the control over that book; basically, they are the bosses. They make the rules and they are the ones who must balance out everything that has to do with their book and their business… because publishing, whether by yourself or with a press, is always a business.

Signing into a partnership with a publisher means that you, as an author, no longer have full control. You’ve given up your right to full control so that a publisher can help you get your book out there and into as many markets as possible. Instead of you working on the product alone, the publisher is the one who will be setting up designs, working with cover art, planning out marketing strategies, and paying for the production of the book. The publisher will also be splitting the money that is made from the book, AND they will have the final say on things like cover-art, layout, and design. There are many authors out there who think that this arrangement simply isn’t fair. Those authors have turned to self publishing, and some of them have done really well. I’m not going to deny that.

However, if you are an author with concerns such as these and you aren’t sure whether or not to go into self publishing or to go with a small press or a larger house, you should also take into consideration several other important factors.

First, if you sign with a publisher, then that publisher is going to be doing a LOT of work. It’s a partnership, right? Work on both sides is part of the deal. But the publisher will be doling out the initial funds and setting up printing arrangements, etc, etc… and they will need to be paid for their hard work. They are going to be investing in you, in your story, in your novel… They are taking a serious risk on you, whether you are a well-known, best-selling author, or a brand new one just breaking into the business. They are probably taking this risk because they believe in you and in your book and they know that other people will want the finished product. However, you can’t expect them to do all of this hard work for free. That’s not how it goes, or how it’s ever gone. If they believe in you, they will invest in you and work to promote you, but they will also expect something in return. This is normal. And if you think about it, you would probably expect the same if you were in their shoes.

Second, if a publisher is going to have their name on something, that something had better look professional and finished. Your book, if taken through a publisher, is going to end up representing not only your hard work, but the hard work of the publisher too. This means that the company has put their reputation on the line; they are going to want a product that looks, feels, and IS professional at any cost. The finished piece must not only represent the author and the product itself, but also the company and what the company represents and believes. This is a lot to think about, but it is very, VERY important. So when a publisher decides to go a certain way with the layout of a book, or decides to change something in the cover art that an author has already approved, you must realize that the publisher is trying to be considerate of everything that the final look and feel of the book must represent. Authors are perfectionists when it comes to their craft, and publishers are perfectionists when it comes to their business.

Now, here at Magpie we want to include the author in as much of the publication process as possible – something that the larger houses definitely don’t do – but yes, we will have the very final say on things like cover-art, and layout and design. The author will have to approve what-ever is going to be used, of course, but the final details and tweaks that are required to make the book as marketable as possible will be up to us. Anything that goes out into the world to represent this company, the work itself, and the author who worked so hard to write the book, must look as professional and finished as possible. We won’t accept anything less.


6) How did you find your contacts in the writing/publishing/artistry world? How have they helped you in your journey to create Magpie Eclectic Press?

Oh, you know… the usual ways. Lol!

Seriously, though, it required a lot of research and a lot of reading, but above all else, it really had to do with God, timing, and being friendly.

If there’s one thing I enjoy in this world, it is writing, reading, and researching the Christian Speculative genres. Sometimes I would read something that moved me, and then I would write the author and tell them how and why their article or their book touched me so… then, on occasion, we would get into a conversation through email and things would unfold from there.

I also love to blog, and to read other blogs, and I was truly surprised and humbled by the response that my little niche corner of the web received. I started my blog “The Pen and Parchment” two years ago this last April 1rst, and I blog about writing and books and… well, basically anything else that comes to mind at the time. People have told me that they enjoy reading what I have to say, and I simply can’t tell you how honored that makes me feel. Truly. I never imagined that I would have that much of an impact. So I have to thank everyone who’s read my blog in the past, or followed me. You guys truly make all the difference there.

I also keep tabs on my favorite authors, publishers, and as-of-yet unpublished writers through blogs and websites, and I’m on several writing forums. If I hear that an author (or a writer for that matter) is looking to do a tour in my state or relatively close to it, I invite them to have a signing or an author talk in my area… or to just come visit. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, but if it looks like it might work, we email back and forth to flesh out the details of the event, and I always get crazy excited. ^_^ After all, it gives me a chance to meet some of my FAVORITE authors! How would you feel if it was you? Lol! When we actually get to meet, then I get to talk to them. That’s important, because simple conversation can lead to more friendly conversations on a personal level, and those can lead to a type of professional friendship that lasts even after the author has left the area. The important thing to remember is that I honestly don’t do this sort of thing as a matter of personal gain. I truly am interested in hearing what the authors have to say, and I get giddy over meeting them! It’s exciting! But if you are friendly, and also show that you have an interest not only in their books but in writing as well, it can become more than just an author meeting his or her fan. ^_^

I’m also on several book blogging programs. Now, I’ll admit, I did join those for personal gain… lol! Book blogging programs are amazing, because they will offer you a free copy of a book if you promise to post a review for the book on your blog. The reviews don’t have to be positive… in fact, the publishers who host the different programs that I’m on, encourage their readers to post a critique that is honest and meaningful; if that means that the reader seriously thought the book was terrible and not worth picking up, then that’s what the publisher is looking for, as long as the reader is being honest.

A lot of the Christian Speculative books that I own came through several different book blogging programs. They were all free.

Now, on the business side of this, book blogging programs are a way for publishers to check out your online following and see if you are worth noting. Also, authors whose books you’ve read will probably be able to check their google stats and see that you wrote a report on their book (or you can just send them a quick, friendly note. :D). If you are faithful with your reports and are sure to turn in reviews on time, publishers will be happier with whatever result you’ve turned out because they will take note of the fact that you are prompt and reliable. Authors will notice this too. Authors who think your review will be helpful to their potential reading base will likely post a link back to the review on your blog. That will help drive traffic to your site. And, authors and publishers who find your reviews to be helpful to their audience and who notice more and more people coming to your site to read what you have to say, will be likely to tag you as a reliable publicity outlet for future projects. I know this is true, because I’ve seen it work several times over for me and for several other up-and-coming writers that I know. ^_^


7) Is there a genre or type of fiction that Magpie Eclectic Press will not consider publishing?

Yes. Here at Magpie, we are looking for speculative fiction. This means we are looking for the weird stuff… the science fiction and the fantasy and the supernatural thrillers; the dystopian, the urban legends, and the epic quests… maybe even some paranormal romances (maybe). We like the stuff with magic, with sword fights, with spacecrafts flying in… in short, we definitely like the stuff that isn’t considered “normal”. We like to think “outside of the box”. There are TONS of speculative sub-genres out there, so for right now, here’s a link to a wonderful description of the main sub-genres we are looking to publish:

http://www.jillwilliamson.com/2011/02/speculative-fiction-subgenres/

(If you are not sure if your book falls into one of those genres, but you still think it is speculative fiction, contact us at magpie.eclectic.press@gmail.com. We’ll try to answer your questions there.)

What we are NOT looking for are prairie romances or children’s books (for ages like 9 and under) or picture books. We are Christian, here at Magpie, so while we plan to consider some manuscripts that aren’t strictly “Christian”, we will not accept anything that goes against our beliefs. (And like I said above, if you have questions, you can contact us for more info. :D)


8) Is there a specific age group that Magpie Eclectic Press is targeting with its publications?

Yes. We are specifically looking for books that will target both YA and adult readers. We are also interested in looking into what might be considered “middle grade” fiction (consider the Olympian series, Bran Hambric, or Artemis Fowl… or, if you will, The door Within Trilogy, the Berinfell Prophesies, or “Isle of Swords”). We are not, however, looking for children’s books or picture books.


9) How many editors are there at Magpie Eclectic Press?

As it is and since this press is just starting out, I am the initial editor here at Magpie Eclectic Press, but I’m also hiring out to freelance editors who have proven their worth to me and whom I trust. Currently I have three other editors that I am in contact with. When I have finished going through a manuscript for any faults that I might catch, the manuscript will then be sent to at least one if not several of these editors for another scouring. The goal is, of course, to end up with a manuscript that is as free of errors (both plot-wise and grammatically) as possible.

Someday it is my hope that this company will grown and gain editors who work specifically for this press. That would be wonderful! I can see the company getting there someday, but right now I’m focusing on being realistic and putting out the best product that I possibly can. :)


10) How important is cover-art to Magpie Eclectic Press?

Cover art is a BIG DEAL here at Magpie Eclectic Press. You know that age old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, that saying was first brought into circulation years and YEARS ago when books weren’t necessarily required to have snazzy, eye-grabbing covers… and when many of those books didn’t.

Nowadays, bad covers won’t cut it, and as the daughter and granddaughter of two artists who became known around the states for their work, I’ve seen plenty of bad cover art… enough to last me a life time, I assure you, though I’m certain I’ve yet to see the last of it.

The simple truth of the matter is that good covers sell books and bad covers don’t. It’s really that simple. I know from experience because one of the authors that I follow just recently put out a new book with a cover that really isn’t anything special at all, and though I’ve been tempted to buy the book several times, I never have because I just can’t get past that unoriginal and mundane cover. It’s also why so many self published authors have had trouble in the past selling their books (no offense to anyone out there who is self published, I hope; I’ve also seen many self-pubbed books with absolutely amazing covers, but I’m sure you understand what I mean by this.)

On the flip side, there have been times when I’ll buy a book strictly based on the fact that I really like the cover. I’ve only done this a handful of times, but you can probably see the benefit. If only ten costumers out of 1 hundred costumers who bought my book, bout it strictly because they liked the cover without any other reasoning to go on, that’s still 10% of my costumer base that actually made a purchase… and all because they liked the cover of the book, nothing more.

The point is that I know the difference, and I have a fair knowledge of what makes a book cover look good. And quite frankly, if I don’t think I can do a cover justice, then I will hire out; I won’t risk having a bad or boring cover slip through the cracks. That’s just not the way we do things here.


11) Will authors have input in how their cover art looks?

Oh, absolutely! As a writer myself, I know how important it is to authors to have a say in the final product of their book. Authors have a vision for their work and the cover of their work, and I certainly don’t want to ignore that.

The plan is for the cover to be a collaborative project. Before starting, there will have to be some pretty intense conversations about the project, and plans will have to be laid out for the work. This will probably happen over the internet via a chat-box or messenger of some sort. Maybe even over the phone, if it comes down to it. Once the details are worked out, I will save what we’ve worked to come up with and either start on the first draft of the cover image myself, or else look into an artist who can do the idea justice. The first draft (basically just initial sketches) when finished will be sent to the author to look over, and we will further discuss the project. The idea will be for the project to stay within three to five drafts, thereby making it much easier on both the artist and the author (as the more a person “nitpicks” a project like that, the less likely it is to turn out well.) After the cover image is finished, the cover will then go into the design stage, which is where we add the details such as the back-cover blurb, the authors name and bio, and the title of the story, etc, etc… The final design will be run past the author, and I will have to approve it as well before it can actually be used for the book.


12) You mentioned the author sharing in promotional work for their book. Would this come out of royalties paid to the author? If not, would you share how this cost sharing would work?

Cost sharing is simply that… the author and the publisher sharing in the cost of something – in this case, promotional venues for the author’s book. Would it come out of the author’s royalties? Meaning, would I take the author’s half of the shared promotional cost out of the author’s payment before the author even received that payment? No… I don’t think so. The cost would not come out of the authors royalties unless the author used what they had earned from their royalties already received, and that’s completely up to them.

At this particular point in time this company does not have the means to do cost sharing for the promotion of an author’s book, though hopefully we will in the future. However, the idea is this: if this publisher puts forward money towards a book’s promotion (such as a book signing, seminar, etc…) it is in an investment – a bond of trust with the author. Basically it means that I believe that the author will sell enough books to turn a profit, not just for him or herself, but for this company as well.

It’s like the story of the rich man in the bible who gave talents to three of his servants before he left on a trip. The servant who received five talents and the servant who received two talents each doubled the amount of money that their master had given them by the time he returned, and the master was very happy with them: his investment had not gone to waste, but had instead doubled.

That’s the idea. If I invest my time and money in a jointed promotion with the author, it means that I’m trusting that the author will do a little investing of his own time and money, and that the result will turn a profit for the both of us. It’s worth the investment if the author is willing to work hard and the effort turns a profit…

It’s not worth the investment, however, if the author doesn’t plan on doing anything to further it. Like what happened in the story with the servant who only received one talent and buried it rather than trying to grow it. The master wasn’t happy with that servant because he had made an investment that the servant hadn’t taken any further… the servant hadn’t even tried! In the end, it might have been better for the rich man not to have invested that one talent to his servant at all.

You get the idea. I need to believe that the author is going to make my investment worth it… not that the books are just going to sit in a basement getting dusty. 


13) Publishing can be a risky business. How do you plan on making the legal side fair to both parties?

To start with, Magpie is a Christian company and bases all that it does on golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do onto you.”

With that said, I understand that legal matters can be tricky for both parties. Everything agreed upon between the author and the publisher will be drawn up in a contract that is signed and dated by both parties, and that is notarized through the government. The terms of a contract will be discussed by both the company and the author to ensure that everything is fair to both sides. Here at Magpie, we are NOT cheaters… we are not here to take advantage of our authors or their books. Everything is going to be as straight forward and black and white as possible. No mumbo-jumbo.

For this, I am most certainly grateful that I am also a writer, because I know what writers are looking for in a publisher, and as a Christian, I will be dealing fairly with Magpie’s authors according to what I myself would look for in a publishing deal. I won’t present anything in a contract that I wouldn’t agree with, or accept from a publisher myself. This publisher in particular was created with the intention to do justice to the writers out there who are to be published through us and who deserve better than what many of the other houses are dealing out. That’s why we want to make sure that the contracts are as clear cut as possible – that the author understands what’s going on from the get-go and can address any issues he or she might have a problem with.

Like with many of the other publishers out there, I anticipate that there will be some authors that don’t necessarily agree with what we might consider “Standard” in the contract. That’s ok. We are definitely willing to take the author’s ideas into consideration. We may have online discussions with the author about certain matters in the contract that are of concern to either the author or to us, but the ultimate goal of these conversations would be to come up with a contract that both parties are satisfied with in the end.


14) Do you plan to release e-books and paper back copies simultaneously?

At this point in time, it is a huge possibility, but my thoughts are that it will depend on the project. As some of you might have guessed already, each project must be approached differently… unique to how the last one was dealt with. It is quite possible that Magpie Eclectic Press will release one book in paperback first and then move into e-books, while a we release another book in both formats simultaneously, and yet another as an e-book first before moving into paperback.

Like I said, it all depends on the project and the marketing plan involved (which will be discussed with the author). Everything hinges on a good marketing plan, and every plan will differ from book to book depending on the target age, type of book, style, audience, etc, etc… We really can’t expect the same plan to work for all of our books, so we must be prepared for the chance that it won’t… we must be diverse and consider all of our options. A person can never really know for sure which plan will work best for a certain book, but switching up the release times of different formats for different types and styles of books will give us a good idea of how best to market our books to the public.


15) What is the best thing that a writer can do to catch the interest of a small press owner like yourself?

The first and foremost thing that an author can do to catch the eye of any publisher, not just a small press owner like myself, is to really, really learn their craft and hone it. Trust me when I say there is always room for improvement. Typos and other mistakes are expected in a long manuscript, but excessive grammatical mistakes and spelling errors, as well as plots that are continually inconsistent will not be tolerated in the slightest. If you, as a writer, really care about your art form, then you will do everything within your power to make your submission the absolute best it can be before you submit it… even if it means hiring an editor to help you (although a much less expensive way would be to have it gone over by one or even several critique groups either online or in person). Not only is this considerate, but it shows that you are truly serious about your craft, and both of those aspects are important to a publisher.

Also, be as original as possible. As C.S. Lewis once said, there is no new idea under the sun; everything has been done at least once before. But for a serious writer, this fact simply offers an opportunity. How can you take an idea that has already been done and make it into something new? What strange twist can you put on it? What new idea can you throw in? How does your story differ from everybody else’s and why? The more original your story is, the more likely it is to stand out… and for a publisher who is receiving at least several, if not hundreds or thousands of submissions a day, “standing out” is VERY important.

If an author believes that they’ve taken their book as far as they can take it by themselves, they’ve done their research, and they’ve had their book critiqued and then they’ve edited – if after that they are still interested in submitting to us, then they should read about us and check out our author guidelines. That will tell them what they need to know about submitting to us.


16) How long does Magpie Eclectic Press hold the rights to an author’s story?

This is actually a question that someone else brought up to me just the other day.  I’m glad you asked it again. It’s definitely an important one to address.

The contract of a book will last through the production period and for two years after the release of the book to the public before either the author or the publisher can terminate the contract.

This is set up to ensure fairness all around. Basically, this makes it so that the author can’t sign a contract with us and then decide after production to terminate the agreement and use the work we put into the book to either publish the book themselves or through another house. It also ensures that we (as a company) can’t break contract with the author before the author even gets a chance to see results for sales, etc… that wouldn’t be fair either.

After the initial two years, the contract will remain intact as a mutual agreement of publication between the publisher or the author until either the publisher or the author agrees to terminate the contract.

Now, after two years, if it is ever agreed that the contract should be terminated - whether instigated by the author or by the publisher - the contract will be voided within a default 6 months (or agreed upon time span) of both publisher and author having signed a written termination agreement.

The reason contract termination is handled this way is to make sure that we, as the publisher, can try to sell out any of the author's books that we might still have in stock (in stock, here, meaning placed in bookstores, on amazon, etc... we would have to get all of that cleared out and taken down so that the author would be free and clear to present their story to the world at a different time under their own name or a new company name.) If we are not able to sell out all physical copies of the books we have in stock, the author can buy any remaining stock for an extremely discounted price.

6 months after the termination agreement is signed, all rights automatically revert back to the author... period. :) And we will renounce all claims to that story's publishing rights or distribution rights. The story is and always will be the author’s. End of story.

It is the author's choice to publish with us, and our honored privilege. We don't want to impose on that privilege.

If the publisher were to be bought out, Magpie's authors would be given due notice, and we would be talking to the other publisher about author agreements. It would be our goal to give the authors published through us the option to stay signed on under Magpie (or whatever the publisher would then be), or else to take back their rights. Authors wishing to stay on will be offered a new contract that will need to be agreed upon and signed in order for Magpie to continue publishing those authors' stories. Authors wishing to take back all publishing rights will be offered a termination contract which will need to be agreed upon and signed. The termination contract will hold to the same standard as mentioned above (original contract voided within a default 6 months under the terms of the termination contract.)

Our goal is not to restrict authors but to help them grow. Because of this, we will not hinder our authors if they wish to take their stories elsewhere. However, we will most definitely try to give them everything we can offer to the best of our abilities, so that the author's decision to move is not (hopefully) because of bad service on our part.


17) Could an author self-publish as well as have work published by Magpie Eclectic Press (at the same time but different works)?

Most definitely. Authors are more than welcomed to self publish other works that they’ve written, while still having some books published through Magpie Eclectic Press. In fact, I think that’s a marvelous idea! Why not try swimming in both sides of the publishing pool? What’s wrong with that? 

However, it would be wise to note that the right of first print and distribution that is given to the publisher through a signed contract means that the author agrees not to write and publish (by themselves or through another house) another book that would “compete” with the book going through the one publisher… or in other words, another book that would be almost exactly like, or very close to, the book that they’ve already agreed a certain Publishing house or press has the right to publish.

That sounds confusing, I know, but before anyone gets all upset over it, let me try to explain (and hopefully I’ll do a decent job of it… :P). The word “compete” in this context does not refer to the second, or third, or fourth, etc… book in a series. That would just be silly. That’s not what is meant here.

What the word “compete” simply means here is that the author, upon signing the contract with a publisher, is agreeing not to write another book that is so similar to the first one that some readers might not be able to tell the difference. It’s not really fair to the publisher (your partner) if an author decides to just change a few sentences or a few words of a book they are already having published in order for them to sell the book themselves or through another house. To the original publisher, this feels like cheating. It sort of makes the publisher think that all their hard work wasn’t worth it, or that the author didn’t really care in the first place.

Basically, if your book is contracted to go through my company, that means that I have the right to publish it for/with you. If, for example, Magpie Eclectic Press decides that they want to publish a whole series of books – say a trilogy of science fiction novels, for instance – and the author agrees and signs a contract saying that Magpie Eclectic Press is given the right to do that, then it’s not fair if the author decides to go back on their word and publishes the second book of that series by themselves or with another house, even though they signed a contract saying that Magpie could publish it first.

It’s basically a matter of honor and honesty, and that’s what the contract is there to uphold. We’re all humans after all… whether we like it or not, there are bound to be snags in agreements from time to time. A contract is just there to make sure that what was originally agreed upon doesn’t get distorted or taken advantage of (or disadvantage of) in any way at any time. It makes those who signed the contract accountable for upholding their word. That’s the whole purpose of it.

I don’t foresee there being a lot of trouble with this issue (the issue of multiple book or series contracts). This is because it is my plan to contract only one book at a time, thereby giving the author more freedom over the publishing choices of their other books (including other books in a series) while also keeping things relatively simple on our end. Of course, it’s a lovely idea, in my opinion, to have a series of books published through the same publisher, but for the most part we plan to leave that decision up to the author, and we’ll address the issue one submission at a time.


And there you go. :) That was the interview. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know in the comments.

Writing Days -- Excuses That Shouldn't Exist

Ok, so I didn't lie in my last post, exactly, but I may not have spoken with complete accuracy. :P  This post is NOT a book review... (although I did write a book review when I said I did, but I'm waiting for a better time to post it. :D)

Instead, this post is about something that I seriously struggle with...

Writing.

For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while now, you know I absolutely LOVE the activity.  Beyond love it.  I could live on it.  I could eat, sleep, and breathe it.  It is what I want my life career to revolve around, and that is no small wish... it is a wish that I am slowly (and with God's help) working to see become a life-long reality.

But it seems that lately I've had a sort of love/hate relationship with my writing.  And that has lead to some serious procrastination.

Is it that I am having writer's block, you ask?  No actually, I don't have writer's block. :P  I could sit down and write a whole chapter if I really wanted to without even blinking an eye...

But that's just the problem.  While I don't have writer's block, I do have a handful of excuses that should have no business in my life, but that have taken over anyway... excuses for why I don't have time to write.  Most of these excuses revolve around school work and finding a job.  And for those of you who know me well, you know that a job is EXTREMELY important right now.

But here's the interesting thing: even though I've applied all over my area, no one seems willing to hire me.  I've wondered if it's because I'm a full-time student, or perhaps because I was discharged from my last job (for no good reason, I might add, but it's a long story that I won't get into here...).  I've wondered if the places that are hiring are looking for someone who looks different than me... (yes, I've wondered that; I'm sure looks are a factor in the hiring process... :P).  I've wondered if I don't have enough experience, or if people look at my majors and immediately assume that I could not qualify for the positions I've applied for.

I've wondered all of this and more.  But what interests me the most is the fact that every time I talk to people I know about the problem, or ask them to pray for me, they've told me the exact same thing: God has the right job for you... he knows what he's doing, and this may be a test.

Now, if only one person had told me this, I might think it was just coincidence, but you don't get a whole group of people saying basically the exact same thing to you every day.  It just doesn't happen.  And to make things even more curious, I've wondered why this all seems to be happening at the same time I'm trying to launch Magpie Eclectic Press.

Curiouser and Curiouser, as Alice would say.

Through all of this, though, there is one thing that I haven't been doing; I haven't been writing.  Not everyday... not for a very long time.  I've justified this by saying that I am too busy to write: I just don't have time.  But in all honesty, I know that I'm just putting it off.

Why?  I love writing, so why am I avoiding it?

Quite honestly, I'm not really sure why.  I think part of it might have to do with exhaustion... with everything that's been happening lately, I've been pushed and pushed until I feel like I have nothing left to give, and even though I have some time in which I could be writing, I haven't written anything because I think I'm just trying to avoid thinking in and of itself.  Writing is work, I won't deny it.  But it's work that I love.  Even though I'm tired, I shouldn't be avoiding it. :P

Well, today I sat down and started working on SOTD again.  It truly felt refreshing, and I'm hoping I will have more time to work on it later today, if I can find a quiet nook to hang out in on a rather crowded school campus.

The point of this post is now lost to me... :P  It has become rambling.  But I feel like the point I was trying to get at revolves around a confession... perhaps if I confess the trouble I am having, it will come easier for me.  *shrug*

Later I want to post about writing as a daily business.  Hopefully it won't ramble like this post. :P

Happy Blogaversary, P&P, my dear friend. :D

Wow, this has happened twice now.  Last year I forgot the anniversary of the beginning of this blog, and this year I forgot it as well. :P  I'm terrible at remembering it.  I really must strive to be better.

(It was April 1rst, in case any of you were wondering.)

The P&P is now 2 years old. ^_^

Now if you will please excuse me, I go to write a review that will hopefully be posted later today, and so end my procrastination of blogging. :)

Nichole White

Lyric Sense

Hello friends,

Yesterday I had a fairly bad day that ended in me being completely and totally stressed out and worried.  I got home, went to bed, and didn't sleep well at all for all of the stress still in my body.

This morning I woke up feeling extremely tired and not sure how I was going to make it through the day.  I have a recital tonight, auditions in the after noon, classes in the morning, and practice in between.  No time to go home at any point during the day...

So as I was preparing for my auditions this afternoon for a music show that my school is putting on, I was flipping through my digital documents for a song I'd written that would be appropriate and I came across a short chorus that touched my heart.  I'd almost forgotten that I'd written it, and I never finished the rest of the song.  The document was titled "Love Song", and it was about how I want my life to be a lovesong to God.

Well, I finished writing the song today, and auditioned with it at 1:20 pm.  The audition went well, and while I was singing the lyrics, I found that I truly meant what I was singing... it was like my heart's cry to God.  And afterward, I felt much better... like everything was going to be ok after all.   So here are the lyrics... perhaps they will touch your heart and help you remember just how much He really loves you, and just how much he wants us to love Him back. :D

(Note: the lyrics are written from line to line to match the rhythm of the song.  The song is written in 3/4 time, key of C. :D)

"Love Song"

V1:
Sometimes

Life just steps in the way

And my whole world starts falling apart

But each

Day your mercies ring new

Lord, your wonders have captured my heart

And I

Keep on falling....

You keep picking me up

Life would

Feel so empty

Without your love...

And you keep saying you love me

You remind me anew every day

It's a story of love never-ending and

It's a story of untainted grace...

so...

Chorus:
Let my life be a love song that plays your heartstrings

And may each breath I take be a sweet melody

And Lord if I please you, then be harmony

To this song that I'm making my entirety

Lord, with each pulse of life, may the notes ring true

In this love song I'm living for you

V2:

Each new

Day finds all of my failures

Piled way up above my head

But your

Grace reminds me your word says

My faith can move mountains like that

I don't know why you did it

But I'm sure glad you did

Forgive me for all of my failures when

My failures were all that I had

There's no way I could ever repay you

For my love is as small as my mind

But with each day anew, may my heart sing to you,

Let my life ring of your love devine!

Lord...

Chorus:
Let my life be a love song that plays your heartstrings

And may each breath I take be a sweet melody

And Lord if I please you, then be harmony

To this song that I'm making my entirety

Lord, with each pulse of life, may the notes ring true

In this love song I'm living for you

Bridge:
Take my heart, make it new

Take my life, Lord, I'm living for you (2x)

Chorus:
Let my life be a love song that plays your heartstrings

And may each breath I take be a sweet melody

And Lord if I please you, then be harmony

To this song that I'm making my entirety

Lord, with each pulse of life, may the notes ring true

In this love song I'm living for you...

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!

Hello friends!  Happy Easter and Praise the Risen Lord!!! :D

I thought I would share one of my favorite Easter songs of all time with you.  I love the lyrics so much!  Listen closely, and see if you can understand the inclination of the words "High Noon".  I was amazed when I finally made the connection, and so many of my friends still don't get it, but once you do, you will love the song EVEN MORE! :)  If you get it, drop me a comment. ;)



On a side note, I promise to start updating more frequently in the near future.  I've been a little crazy lately with keeping up with school, looking for work, and preparing things for Magpie.  But just know, I have several amazing books to review very soon, and hopefully get a couple of meaningful writing posts out there as well.

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!

Updates and More Fun in Music

Hello friends,

You've probably noticed, but I haven't been around a lot.  I've just been really busy. :D  And the busy isn't ending - not yet at least - I'm just taking a few minutes to pause and update my life. ^_^

For starters, the person who wins a free copy of my e-book short story "Blue Moon" is....

GALADRIEL!!!!!

Congratulations. ^_^  To claim your copy, please email me at silverdreams3@gmail.com. :)

On another note, I'm preparing to host another giveaway... this time for Frank Peretti's new book "Illusion".  I FINALLY received my ARC of the book about a week and a half ago... after it was already in stores. :p  But that's ok.  I'm slowly working through my copy of the book, and Simon & Schuster sent me an extra copy of the ARC as well... a book that has never, and will never see a bookstore shelf... a book that I should have been able to offer you long before the rest of the copies came out in stores, but oh well. :)

SO in the very near future, I'll be posting more info on how you can get your hands on it. ^_^

In the mean time, I've been spending WAY to much time doing things that are not related to writing novels.  In  fact, I've been writing music.  ^_^  You see, I've been playing around with the demo version of a program called FL Studios, and having an absolute BLAST with it.  I've put together three pieces of music since downloading the demo program three days ago. lol!

The first piece... needs some work. :P :P  I'll go back and edit it later.  Now that I'm getting the hang of the program, I know I can do much better than that. (even though I still like the original music. lol!)

The Second and third pieces are much better, and the third is my FAVORITE. ^_^  It's called "Beautiful Storm" and was inspired by... you guessed it... a very beautiful storm that blew over my house the other night.  I just LOVE listening to the rain on my roof at night!  And I think that this composition portrays the wonder of it fairly well... or at least I hope it does.

Enjoy!  And let me know what you think of the music.

Nichole

The Delicate Art of Torture – A Study in Conflict and Character Building

(A warning to any who read this, this post is rather long so be prepared to sit and really think about what your reading here. ^_^)

Now, if you are a writer, you’ve probably guessed what this blog post is going to be about from the title, right?  And if you are not a writer, then you probably have no idea what I’m talking about and have most likely conjured horrible bloody pictures in your head of writers using pens and pencils to stab people, flailing keyboards around like bludgeons, or else something of a similar nature to barbarianism. 

Oh please… *rolls eyes sarcastically*.  Trust me here; the art of torture requires so much more finesse than that.  >:)

Of course I’m talking about the writing process and a writer’s relationship with their characters.  It’s a very delicate balance, you see, that between creator and imaginary creation.  While the people in our stories do not have physical bodies, for say, they are very much alive in our heads.  However, until we start actually writing about them, they are usually floating around in white space waiting for something to happen.

The trick is in making something happen to them that is actually interesting.  In order to do that, a writer needs to infuse their story with conflict.  Personally, I feel that the subject of conflict is a sticky one to approach, but basically conflict is the element of the story that makes reading the story interesting.  Just recently I read a really awesome post on the subject here:

http://lydiasharp.blogspot.com/2012/01/back-to-basics-every-scene-must-have.html

That posts breaks it down nice and simple, and really drives home the importance of conflict – not just in your story, but in every scene of your story. 

Now as many writers already know, there is usually an overall conflict in any story to begin with.  I find that this is normally what the story’s overall plot is based off of. 

For instance:

1)  The girl is in love with the guy but can’t have him. (or vise versa)  

2) There is an evil magic ring that corrupts people placed in the hand of young hobbit, and a dark lord is rising up in the east.

3) A girl finds out that she has inherited the ability to read characters out of their books from her father, but what happens when her father accidentally reads a villain out of his story?

Etc…

These are all good examples of a conflict central to the story line, but there should also be a form of conflict within each and every scene of the book; something that drives the story forward continually, without leaving the reader in a lag of interest.  This is, I’m finding, not only very important for a writer to adhere to, but it’s also rather difficult to do well because it means that EVERY scene must have a goal… a set point in the plot that you are writing towards. 

If this all sounds confusing, try thinking of every scene as one thread in a tapestry.  A single thread may seem small, and on its own it doesn’t appear to be of much worth: it starts at a certain point… it ends at a certain point, and it doesn’t change colors.  Where that thread is tied off, another thread is tied on, its life span much the same as the previous one.  However, when the weaver is finished with her work, and we finally get to see the tapestry as a full picture, the life span of those two little threads suddenly makes sense.  They were aiding in the overall creation of the tapestry, strung out and woven tightly (which of course means “with tension” or in this case “with conflict”) between other threads in order that the purpose of the whole picture might be fulfilled. 

What wouldn’t have made sense was if these threads were tied on, and then just hung limply down instead of being woven in (like a scene that has no conflict in it… it doesn’t drive the story forward but just “is”).

What my friend Lydia states in her blog post is simply that without a goal, conflict is not possible.   And since conflict is what drives your story forward and makes it interesting to read, you want to have some form of it in every part of your story.  To do that, you must realize the goal of a scene (or, if you prefer, the importance of the scene and how it parallels with your plot) before or as you are writing said scene.  You can be an outliner or a pantster – in this case, it really doesn’t matter – but sooner or later, you are going to have to realize your scene’s goal.

Now, you are probably wondering at the moment what this has to do with the title of this post, but I promise that I’m getting there.

You see, I find that a great way to encourage conflict in my story is through the delicate art of torturing my characters on a regular basis.  Such evil actions can be planned out ahead of time, or they can be written in at a minute’s notice, but in my opinion, torture definitely presents itself as a form of conflict.

For example, the very definition of torture is as follows:

1.  to inflict pain on somebody: to inflict extreme pain or physical punishment on somebody 

2.  to cause somebody anguish: to cause somebody mental or physical anguish

3.  to distort something: to twist or distort something into an unnatural form 

If none of those definitions ring of conflict to you, then I don’t know what will. ;)

However, inflicting torment on a character is a sensitive business for writers.  If done wrong, the reader could be taken out of the story because the situation feels unrealistic, or (in the worst of circumstances) a writer’s characters might turn on him or her and cause a bloody massacre of said writer’s inspiration.

Of course we want to try to avoid such drastic and bloody measures on the character’s part, so it is the writer’s job to learn how to exact their planned persecutions on the character without the character ever thinking for a moment that all of his or her troubles in life become the fault of their writer.  

But how can this be done in a graceful manner?

Well, it is a tricky business to be sure, and to fully do the subject justice, I must touch on a theme that may seem completely off subject.

World and Character building.  Especially Character building, in this case.

For those of you who have been at this for a while, what I’m saying may seem “old hat” to you, but I wonder… have you ever really considered how close your character really is to the situations that you put him or her through?  I mean, of course it is happening to them, but what do you suppose they believe is the reason it is happening?  Obviously we are trying to avoid having characters guess that it is really our fault that they are going through so much trouble, but what is the excuse that their minds make in order to deter them from thinking of us as the writers?

If you think of it this way, it might make sense: the entirety of our world is based off of the rule of cause and effect.  For every effect, there is a cause.  In order to make our stories seem real to our readers, a writer must apply this same rule to their stories and the worlds that exist there.  BUT… just as every effect must have a cause, so must every cause match its effect and vice versa.

For instance… you wouldn’t want your dog character to step into a puddle of water (the cause) and then suddenly die (the effect).  It wouldn’t match up.  If the water was just ordinary water and the dog was just an ordinary dog, as is the case with this example, then there should be no reason for the dog to die by simply touching a patch of random, normal water.

You might, however, have your dog step into a puddle of highly radioactive muck (the cause) and then turn into a super hero (the effect).  This would make sense in a story, both to the reader and to the characters, as radioactive muck is known to be toxic, in many cases deadly, and in the comic books often all-empowering.

To apply the cause and effect rule to people and the dealings of people rather than a dog is a lot more difficult though.  This is because each person has a unique story behind them that may drive their actions in a scene.  

An example would be something I’ve written into my story, “Song of the Daystar”.

In one of the scenes in SOTD, I have a very complicated meeting between Commander Olan and his brother, Caellahn, where they are discussing a movement of believers in the kingdom of Alayia.  My main character, Curron, is listening in and tries to escape without being discovered, but changes his mind when Olan grabs his friend in a drunken state and is harassing her. (Nothing overly drastic, I assure you.)  In that instance, Curron decides to stand up for his friend and gets himself thrown in prison where he awaits his trial and his death.

The question that I’m sure you are asking by now is, why would Curron’s actions warrant him death?  According to the summary above, it would seem that Curron didn’t commit a crime worthy of death… not exactly, anyway.

And the answer really does have to be as complicated as my characters are (besides the fact, of course, that Curron tries to slam a heavy mug over Olan’s head… <_<)

You see, it’s quite obvious by now that by me having Curron thrown in prison and sentenced to die, I am applying a writer’s “torture” technique to him.  But in order to do this and make it feel reasonable to the reader, I have to give each of the characters involved a background that would warrant their actions… and, not just warrant their actions, but also support their actions since it would seem that many different character backgrounds are based on each characters’ unique personality.

For example, in my story Commander Olan is not happy that his brother has returned(as is made quite evident in a fight scene that happens just before Curron is sentenced).  In fact, Olan hates his brother because Caellahn was his father’s favorite son, though he was also the youngest and illegitimate.  Also, Olan has a strong (almost instinctive) sense of following the rules… any rules set… which in this case and sense put my MC in danger.  He also doesn’t like my MC, partially because he feels that Curron’s very presence is a breach of the king’s law (for multiple reasons, of course), and partially because Curron reminds him of his brother, Caellahn. 

Caellahn, on the other hand, doesn’t have trouble with his brother so much as he had trouble with his father.  He recognized the fact that his father’s favoritism was the cause of his brother’s hatred, and once he became a believer in his younger years, he resented his father’s choice of having an illegitimate son, even if he was it.  To that end, he left the fort in an attempt to outrun his troubles, his past, and his heritage, and eventually his adventures gained him a name among Alayia’s believers.  However, he did come to forgive his father in due course, but has not yet been able to win over his brother.  Caellahn is a loner, and much more erratic than his brother, with a strong sense of right and wrong despite what the law has to say about the matter.  He can see what Olan hates about Curron (mostly that Curron reminds olan of him), and so, feeling guilty for at least part of Olan’s hate for the boy, he steps in to protect Curron, thereby furthering Olan’s wrath.

In the mean time, Curron is a young boy who doesn’t yet know where he stands one way or the other.  When he was ten he watched as his guardian was hung for her beliefs, and the event has scarred him deeply, making him doubt the way of Anahdor.  And yet, however clouded his beliefs are, he still has a young and naïve sense about him that makes him sensitive to right and wrong, and ultimately loyal, once a person had actually gained his trust.  On that same note, because of Olan’s hate for him, his guardians awful death, and the terrible treatment he has received since then, his trust is not easily earned… and that becomes both a hindrance and a blessing within the contents of the book.  He definitely has a strong sense of protectiveness that is triggered when he sees another person being wrongly mistreated, especially if he knows and is fond of that person. 

It is during such a moment that Curron decides to step up to protect his friend, thereby triggering Olan’s hate for him (based on his hate for his brother, and his inward need to uphold the law at all cost), which in turn triggers Caellahn’s need to protect Curron (partially because he recognizes the reason that Olan is targeting Curron and feels guilt), which further stokes Olan’s wrath at his brother and at Curron who reminds Olan of his hated brother, thereby causing him to throw Curron in jail and sentence him to death as a punishment to Curron and, by effect, Caellahn as well.

I’m hoping this is all starting to make sense now.  You see, it is the conflict within each character’s life and background that drives forward the conflict within the scene, which in turn ultimately drives forward the conflict of the whole story and allows me to throw in more obstacles and tortures for my characters without having to worry about Curron stepping out of the tale to berate me.  In the same way, it is how the world is built (in this case with the King’s Law driving forward most of the conflict in each of these characters’ lives) that adds to the conflict in both the scene and the story. 

And, because all of these problems are within Curron’s mental and physical background and makeup, I find that he doesn’t often question my motives because he understands the hardships within the context of the story and the backgrounds of the other characters.

In essence, it is the world of the story itself which averts my characters’ wrath from me.

This post is getting a bit long now, so I’m going to try and stop very soon, but I would like to end on this note: the world as we know it is a very complex thing.  Everything within our world, including human lives and our histories, are governed by a set of unspoken and unwritten rules.  Scientists have pondered the nature of these rules for centuries, though of course there is no scientist who ever lived or is now living who could fully understand the complexities that God created and is holding this world together with.

In a sense, one might say that the very nature of humanity is conflict.  We are often fighting each other, hurting each other, even running away from each other.  From sibling rivalry to all out war, one could even say that humans are masters of discord, especially among ourselves, and as complex as the world around us may be, our very nature is even more complex.  After all, you don’t see monkeys or any of the other animals going around building cities and making world changing discoveries in technology.

The point is that while we writers can never hope to make our worlds as complete and complex as God made this one, we still must work to make our worlds as believable as possible.  To that end, we must create and write, not only our worlds, but our characters and the other inhabitance of our worlds with some sort of complexity in mind, including common rules that those worlds and people are built and live by.  Only by following what we know of this world can we ever hope to create our worlds with any sense of reality.  It’s true that we may never be able to hope for our creations to live on into eternity or take on an actual living and breathing life of their own, but that is not our goal after all: a writer’s goal is for the stories that we create to take on only some brief semblance of reality for the few precious hours that readers enjoy our books… and once we have reached that point, that’s when our characters truly step out of the white static of our minds and actually come to life… if only for a moment. 

A New Novella??

Lately I've had a flurry of writing inspiration, but strangely enough, none of it has been aimed at SOTD.  I'd like to say that SOTD has moved forward, but sadly enough it has not.  Instead, I've been filling notebooks with the ideas for a possible novella titled "Siren".

"Siren", is a story about a character named Syren.  (Obviously there is an unmistakable connection between the title of the piece and the MC's name.)  The plot is still in being worked over, but I know that the piece is going to be slightly allegorical, and yet will still explore some fun mermaid mythology. ^_^

Here's a picture of my main character at the age of the initial story:

(I'll share some of what the story is going to have in it, and then post a short excerpt of what I've written so far.)

First of all, this story is going to have two different perspectives that a reader can take... there's the face value of the story, and the allegorical value of the story, of course. :D

On the surface, I want this story to resemble one of those stories told of medieval times where the girl was offered up to the dragon, etc, etc... sort of like in the story of St. George and the Dragon.  However, it won't be like the traditional versions of the story, as Syren's village will be offering her to a sea monster rather than a dragon... and besides that, the story will also have strong allegorical ties (that may not be entirely apparent at the very first, but that will grow more recognizable as the story progresses.)

For instance (and don't laugh here... I'm totally serious), in the story Syren is sort of going to represent Christ... She's a pure, young, innocent girl that stands out from the crowd because of her different views which are truthful and honest and loving in a world filled with darkness and sin.  The sea will represent God... obviously I've named this book "Siren" for a reason... Syren has an intimate connection with the sea and can hear it speak to her, and... well, it gets more complicated than that of course. ;D  The village in which Syren has lived represents mankind; the village commits a terrible sin and for its crime it is going to be destroyed by the Monster of the Sea (which represents the devil).  The village comes to believe that the reason for the coming destruction is Syren's fault.  To abate the coming massacre, they decide so sacrifice her to the Sea Monster... but Syren knows that her sacrifice will not save the village from being destroyed unless she forgives them their transgressions against her and lays her life down willing in the stead of all of the lives within the village.

I'm hoping to make the allegorical ties much more apparent within the story itself.  :D  Hopefully the novella can be enjoyed for both of perspectives within the tale.

Here's a small excerpt of what I have so far.  It's the opening scene -- a flashback of when Syren remembers seeing the Sea for the first time.  Let me know what you think of it! :D

****

            I remember the first time I really saw the sea, as clear as if it were only yesterday.  I was six, and stood on a rocky ledge sheltered by the Cliffside, facing the water in awe and terror.    The sky rolled with dark clouds that sped across it like frightened spirits fleeing death.  The air smelled of threatened rain and salt.  Lightning flashed purple and silver within the roiling thunderhead, and wind flayed the rocky shore like a bull whip.  Blue green waves swelled up on high, towering over my tiny shelter as if they wanted a closer look at me and weren’t quite sure they liked what they saw.  When they’d had their view, they plunge back into the depths with a tremendous crash to whisper about my oddity.  I could hear their rushing, gurgling voices, even so far above them, pondering, contemplating… calling.

            What was I?

            The hand on my shoulder tightened its grip as if afraid I would wrench free and disappear into the waters below.  Rúweth had to shout in order to be heard over the pounding surf.

            “Do you know why I brought you here, Syren?  Do you understand?”

            His words were kindly, but his voice was strained.  I knew he meant well by bringing me here; somehow this was supposed to be for good – a lesson maybe, or a story: a parable.  But I did not want to be here.  This was a bad place for me… I could sense it.  I shook my head in answer to his question rather than attempting to shout over the incessant roar.  I did not know why Rúweth had brought me, and I certainly didn’t understand.  The sea was a dark and terrible thing, raw and beautiful and dangerous.  It was perfection, a flawless seductress in a world of faults.    I felt as if it would just as soon swallow me whole as allow me to look at it. 

            Rúweth’s grip on my shoulder grew firmer, and he gently pulled me closer to him as if by keeping me near he could hold back the waters that wished to devour me.

            “Syren,” he said, and though he was shouting to be heard, I recognized the underlying concern in his voice.  “Syren, do not pretend with me.  This is important.  You deny that you know why I’ve brought you here, yet I think that deep down you do indeed know.  I can see the look in your eyes, and feel the tremble in your bones: you hear the call of the waves clearer than any sea-loving man in Boatswain.    I brought you here because the sea has a stronger hold on you than on any living person I know, and I wanted to show you the dangers that it harbors.  To you, Syren, it is like a clouded and poisonous jewel, deadly in every sense of the word just as it is beautiful.  While I am here with you I can protect you from its malice, shield you from its spite…but you must promise me; promise me that you will never come out here alone to answer its call.  Promise me that you will remember its cruelness and keep far away.  For should I ever think that you would come here to look upon the sea, by yourself or otherwise, I would be forced to send you away, somewhere far inland where the water’s voices cannot reach you.  I will protect you, Syren, by any means possible, but that, my dear child, would break my heart.”

            The last words choked in Rúweth’s throat, and his arms encircled me in a tight embrace as he bent his wizened face to kiss the top of my curly head.  I felt his tears drip into my hair and tickle my scalp.  Around the side of his arm I saw another wave rise up from the sea, towering green and glistening in all of its majestic horror.  And I could have sworn then that the smooth surface of the wave transformed into a long face with a frothy beard, as a spout of water stretched forth like an arm to beckon me come.  I could almost feel the wave-creature’s longing, almost hear its fluid and rippling voice calling out to me, begging me to return…

            And there I promised Rúweth that I would never come back to the sea.  Not alone – not ever.  I would by no means return to gaze out at the vast watery expanse because deep down I knew that should I ever come back, I would not return to the village of Boatswain, my home, or my dear Rúweth again.

***

Blogging with a New Perspective

I have been reading a book by John Locke recently about online marketing titled "How I sold 1 Million Ebooks in 5 Months".   One of the things that this book highlights is the importance of blogging and how it effects you as a writer, a reader, a businessman, and basically a person.    I've found it very eye opening.

Since starting the book, I've gone back over some of the blog posts I've written in the past, and there's one thing I've noticed about these posts that remains consistent.  They all scream "off the cuff"... as if I didn't spend much time thinking about what I was going to write about.  I don't like that thought... not at all. Several of these posts seem chaotic and disorganized... a rambling mess of thoughts thrown out in no particular order.  Other posts appear more thought through and consistent, but perhaps they are too long (I seem to like posts that sit somewhere over 1,000 words at least. :P) or maybe they shy off topic near the end.

No more.  It's time I start blogging with a new perspective... a more thoughtful perspective.  It's time that my blog lives up to the passion I hold for my craft.  No more rambling posts; no more halfhearted attempts to update the P&P with small, uninteresting facts about my life that don't pertain to anything in particular.

As a writer, I know that I should be doing better than this.  In fact, I know that I could be doing better than this, and all of you deserve better.

As a writer who is also an avid reader, I know what others who are like me or who share my interests might find engaging.  I know all of this... and it's time I start putting this knowledge to work.  The way things are around here will be changing in the near future, hopefully for the better.  It's time that I made the change.

Thank you, John Locke, for the inspiration your book provided me.  I may not have read any of your other works, but I will hand you this: you sure know how to write!  Every writer I know should get this book and study it thoroughly. It's well worth the price, I'll tell you that!

Nichole
"Blue Moon" by Nichole White


*

Excerpts From My Life

Hello friends,


This post is sort of a mix of an update and a mix of something else - I'm not exactly sure what. :P


On the "Update" side, I have some exciting news. ^_^  If you've been reading my posts, and you've read through the comments on the post "Updates on my life... and no, I'm not dead yet", then you might have noticed that I've mentioned I was in the middle of an experimental project in which I prepare several of my short stories for publications through Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords.

Well, step one in said experiment is now complete... which means, in essence, that the first of a set of my short stories is now available on Amazon for Kindle. ^_^  The first object of the experiment is to test my text formatting and type setting skills when it comes to digital publication, so that I'm 100% prepared for Magpie Eclectic Press' first title.  Well, according to my kindle, I have a good handle on the type setting and formatting for amazon.  Now I just have to prepare the book for Smashwords and B&N.


The second (and currently less important) object (which I will explain about in a moment), is to test my online marketing skills.  The book just went live a little over 12 hours ago, and the story is only 4k long.  It's also one of my older pieces, but it's one that I still really like and I've been "tweaking" it. :D


Here is the cover and the blurb:


(Note about the cover: My name is really dim on purpose, because I didn't want the extra words to take away from the picture's effect.  However, if you find this troublesome, please let me know. :D)

ZI Mara is an elite soldier in the F.A.H (that's Faeries Among Humans for those of you without fae blood).  When an enraged male ghoul escapes the faerie realms and begins on a rampage for Chicago, Mara and her friend, Officer Lee Moker, are the only ones who can stop the monster and save the humans from disaster.  However, the ghoul has already taken a large bite out of Mara's shoulder and its venom is slowly rendering her immobile.  The only hope for the people of Chicago rests in Mara's hands... and that hope could cost her her life.

(A disclaimer for those of you who are a bit more sensitive, the word "heck" is used several times throughout the story.)

The book is now available for $0.99 on Kindle. ^_^  It was not released under Magpie Eclectic Press, as it is more of an experimental personal project.

As the story is only 4k, and hasn't been previously advertised before release (which would be standard procedure with a novel), I don't expect the story to really "take off", but I still hope it does well.  I don't write short stories very often, and this is definitely one of my better pieces.  Hopefully it will help me gain a few new readers and maybe even a couple of fans... which, of course, would be nice and encouraging. :)

Here's the Amazon link:

"Blue Moon" by Nichole White

In other news, school is going well and so is the progress on Magpie's new site. :D  It's not live yet, but it's coming.  In the mean time I've been working on a new writing post called "The Delicate Art of Torture", which is about conflict and torturing your characters... *evil look*

I've also been working on more jewelry... really fun pieces which are all twisty and beaded. :)  I've created an FB page for them, and I'm working to set up an etsy shop. Here's the FB page if any of you are interested:

Handmade wire wrapped jewelry

And in between that, music theory homework, and life in general, I've also found some time to squeeze writing in through the cracks of my crazy, wonderful life.  I have a few more book reviews due to be up within a couple of weeks, and I'm really, REALLY hoping that this will be the last "update" post in a while (meaning that instead, I will be posting more book reviews, writing posts, and perhaps even hosting a contest in the near future... ^_^)

In the mean time, how about a giveaway... The prize is either a PDF or Kindle Formated author review copy of my short story "Blue Moon" (which is exactly the same as the published version, only you will be getting it for free. :D)

To join, you must:
1) follow this blog (1 pnt)

2) Post a comment (1)

To earn more points, you can:

1) Post to FB (1) 

2) Tweet about it (1)

3) blog about it (something thoughtful if possible) and post the link in the comments (2)

4) get a friend to follow the P&P (and for this to count, your friend must post a comment saying who it was that referred them) (3)

I wonder who will win this contest. :D  I've never hosted one like this before, so it should be interesting... good luck to you all!