I've just finished the 3rd draft of my epic fantasy novel at 105k words (420 book-sized pages). I'm sharing the revised prologue and the first four chapters (about 6800 words or 27 book-sized pages). I'm debating whether I should share more, but that seems like a good chunk. I'd love to hear what you think of the excerpt and if it is holding your interest or not.
It's in beta now, as I mentioned in a prior post. I will be shopping it around for some agents soon and then looking for a publisher. We'll see how this goes.
Happy reading!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Heyyy Beta, Beta, Beta...
The 3rd draft is done. Finally.
Hestea Hammerblood is at last taking shape and I'm laying the whole novel out *gulp* for some scrutinizing eyes: my beta readers. They are seven hapless individuals whom I will be ever grateful for their time and energy. Thank you, my beta readers. Thank you.
I've finally given the book a true title: The Veil of a Warrior, and it is weighing in at about 105,000 words. It is a struggle against a dark force, with an emphasis on characters. I believe strongly in how much a character can pull you through a book of their own accord. As much as I want to just cram the story full of magic and strange creations, I have held myself back and kept the focus (hopefully) on Hestea and a select few that drive this story forward.
This will be book 1 of 4. Book 2 is somewhere between a third to a half of the way done, and the last two are outlined in various levels of detail. I will be sharing a couple more chapters of the story soon for anyone interested in reading them on the blog. If all goes well, perhaps soon after the beta readers give me their feedback, I may send it around and look for an agent and publisher. That also means I need to start doing some research. Oh boy... where do I start?
This critique process will be interesting. I've only gone through this once before and it was for a short story. I know there will be some feedback that will be hard to take. That's without question. I will try to not take it personal, and just try to learn. As many advise, I will be keeping myself busy with other projects while I wait for everyone's reply.
I'm also trying to mentally gear myself up for NaNoWriMo next month. I think I know which story I want to work on for the month. I really don't have the time, but then the whole purpose of Nano is to produce words and to do so quickly. So with that in mind it should be doable.
So, are you participating in NaNoWriMo next month? If so, are you ready?
Hestea Hammerblood is at last taking shape and I'm laying the whole novel out *gulp* for some scrutinizing eyes: my beta readers. They are seven hapless individuals whom I will be ever grateful for their time and energy. Thank you, my beta readers. Thank you.
I've finally given the book a true title: The Veil of a Warrior, and it is weighing in at about 105,000 words. It is a struggle against a dark force, with an emphasis on characters. I believe strongly in how much a character can pull you through a book of their own accord. As much as I want to just cram the story full of magic and strange creations, I have held myself back and kept the focus (hopefully) on Hestea and a select few that drive this story forward.
This will be book 1 of 4. Book 2 is somewhere between a third to a half of the way done, and the last two are outlined in various levels of detail. I will be sharing a couple more chapters of the story soon for anyone interested in reading them on the blog. If all goes well, perhaps soon after the beta readers give me their feedback, I may send it around and look for an agent and publisher. That also means I need to start doing some research. Oh boy... where do I start?
This critique process will be interesting. I've only gone through this once before and it was for a short story. I know there will be some feedback that will be hard to take. That's without question. I will try to not take it personal, and just try to learn. As many advise, I will be keeping myself busy with other projects while I wait for everyone's reply.
I'm also trying to mentally gear myself up for NaNoWriMo next month. I think I know which story I want to work on for the month. I really don't have the time, but then the whole purpose of Nano is to produce words and to do so quickly. So with that in mind it should be doable.
So, are you participating in NaNoWriMo next month? If so, are you ready?
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Book Review: Warbreaker, by Brandon Sanderson
(This is a repost of my review that appeared on SF Signal recently - reposted here for posterity)
Mass Market Paperback: 688 pages
Publisher: Tor Fantasy; First Edition edition (March 30, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0765360039
ISBN-13: 978-0765360038
Warbreaker is an epic story of a kingdom in peril, a god that is more AND less than what he seems, a sister’s love and jealousy, magical breath, and an army of the walking dead (and running, and slashing, and stabbing...).
I went into Warbreaker with some of that remaining curiosity about this fellow Sanderson that was finishing up the Wheel of Time. How was he doing in his craft? Had he grown? Would he manage the reigns well? I was nervous after enjoying, but not being impressed by Elantris and Mistborn. Warbreaker turned out to be the last book I read of his before The Gathering Storm. It was good, alleviated my concern a little more, but TGS was amazing! If I ever do a review on it I’d rank it near the top, that’s for sure.
The story starts strong in the city of Hallandren, with a mysterious character that just oozes personality and conflict. He’s dark, uncompromising and he fights for what is right—we hope. The setting expands, we find ourselves in Idris, spend a little time building the world and the conflicts at hand, including a very personal one for the King. All is well...then some strange things happen. Some good for the story and one that derails a new character.
Let’s talk about magic: It’s Sanderson’s signature, something original. While I haven’t read all there is in the fantasy universe, the magic of BioChromatic breath used by Awakeners in Warbreaker felt different and well done. But...I didn’t like how specific he sometimes got with the expenditure. Just didn’t seem quantifiable to that degree and made it feel like I was playing a video game or table top—kicking me out of the story each and every time.
Great characters are what really holds a story together and drags us hapless readers along. Warbreaker delivers. Lightsong in particular is delightfully irreverent and conflicted. But Vivenna never quite holds up to reader expectations with inconsistent decisions that uproot her character motivations. Maybe Sanderson was trying to show the uncertainty of growth as Vivenna grew in her awareness of the world, changing through her arc. I just wasn’t convinced.
The twists and reveals in Warbreaker came off flat and underwhelming. Sure, the foreshadowing was always there, but the execution lacked and kept stealing that WOW moment. Primarily, I think, the motivations of the antagonists lacked the punch needed to make these moments shine.
Despite a strong start, the story meandered for the rest with some good points and bad, until reaching for the sky towards the end. I know that a good beginning can sell a book, and a bad beginning can almost kill it, so it makes sense to focus your energies. I will grant that he writes epic fantasy, writes them long, and writes a lot, so it is hard to make sure each one shines from head to toe. But it still feels like a cheat. The Gathering Storm was an exception and I have hopes for Way of Kings. We’ll see. Ultimately I think Sanderson bit off more than he could tell in a book of this size and it would have been better with a narrower focus.
This book ended up better than good, but not quite great and I rate it a 3.5 out of 5. It shines sometimes and other times it drags. Overall well conceived, but lacking in consistency. Not something to drag me back for a second read any time soon.
If you’re curious, go read it, you’ll find enjoyment. If not, there are plenty of other books in the sea.
So what did you think?
Mass Market Paperback: 688 pages
Publisher: Tor Fantasy; First Edition edition (March 30, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0765360039
ISBN-13: 978-0765360038
Warbreaker is an epic story of a kingdom in peril, a god that is more AND less than what he seems, a sister’s love and jealousy, magical breath, and an army of the walking dead (and running, and slashing, and stabbing...).
I went into Warbreaker with some of that remaining curiosity about this fellow Sanderson that was finishing up the Wheel of Time. How was he doing in his craft? Had he grown? Would he manage the reigns well? I was nervous after enjoying, but not being impressed by Elantris and Mistborn. Warbreaker turned out to be the last book I read of his before The Gathering Storm. It was good, alleviated my concern a little more, but TGS was amazing! If I ever do a review on it I’d rank it near the top, that’s for sure.
The story starts strong in the city of Hallandren, with a mysterious character that just oozes personality and conflict. He’s dark, uncompromising and he fights for what is right—we hope. The setting expands, we find ourselves in Idris, spend a little time building the world and the conflicts at hand, including a very personal one for the King. All is well...then some strange things happen. Some good for the story and one that derails a new character.
Let’s talk about magic: It’s Sanderson’s signature, something original. While I haven’t read all there is in the fantasy universe, the magic of BioChromatic breath used by Awakeners in Warbreaker felt different and well done. But...I didn’t like how specific he sometimes got with the expenditure. Just didn’t seem quantifiable to that degree and made it feel like I was playing a video game or table top—kicking me out of the story each and every time.
Great characters are what really holds a story together and drags us hapless readers along. Warbreaker delivers. Lightsong in particular is delightfully irreverent and conflicted. But Vivenna never quite holds up to reader expectations with inconsistent decisions that uproot her character motivations. Maybe Sanderson was trying to show the uncertainty of growth as Vivenna grew in her awareness of the world, changing through her arc. I just wasn’t convinced.
The twists and reveals in Warbreaker came off flat and underwhelming. Sure, the foreshadowing was always there, but the execution lacked and kept stealing that WOW moment. Primarily, I think, the motivations of the antagonists lacked the punch needed to make these moments shine.
Despite a strong start, the story meandered for the rest with some good points and bad, until reaching for the sky towards the end. I know that a good beginning can sell a book, and a bad beginning can almost kill it, so it makes sense to focus your energies. I will grant that he writes epic fantasy, writes them long, and writes a lot, so it is hard to make sure each one shines from head to toe. But it still feels like a cheat. The Gathering Storm was an exception and I have hopes for Way of Kings. We’ll see. Ultimately I think Sanderson bit off more than he could tell in a book of this size and it would have been better with a narrower focus.
This book ended up better than good, but not quite great and I rate it a 3.5 out of 5. It shines sometimes and other times it drags. Overall well conceived, but lacking in consistency. Not something to drag me back for a second read any time soon.
If you’re curious, go read it, you’ll find enjoyment. If not, there are plenty of other books in the sea.
So what did you think?
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
One List to Rule them All.
The New York Times Bestseller List is synonymous with success. Though it does not sway me from reading a novel without one, it stands boldly out on those that do. Awards and mentions of any kind are always helpful in the pursuit to sell more books, but the attention garnered from this list seems more valuable than most. We've all heard of it, and for the general reading populace I think it strikes a familiar--perhaps subconscious--chord.
So how does one make this list and attain Star Writer status? Ensuring a future and a steady income to rely upon (or so we hope)? Unfortunately...I don't know, and after doing some research, it seems no one else does either.
It is a trade secret.
Yes, numbers count, but there is more than that. Read this fascinating and occasionally facetious article by Jamie Ford for more.
In my wanderings I also found this Wikipedia entry both intriguing and horrifying, where co-authors schemed to gain the NY Times Bestseller list artificially by buying up their own books in strategic locations. Apparently it worked--as unethical as it may have been.
I have heard (by Brandon Sanderson--I believe) that you can gain a foothold in this esteemed list by as little as 10,000 books sold (not bought by bookstores, but by actual people). This seems such a small number, yet so large when you consider that time is of the essence and the ever-increasing glut of content you have to stand out from.
So, do you care about the NY Times list? Do you see it as beneficial or helpful? Are there other lists that are more relevant and helpful for one pursuing fantasy or sci-fi publishing? I can't recall ever seeing them on the cover of a novel before, but perhaps I was merely blind to it...
So how does one make this list and attain Star Writer status? Ensuring a future and a steady income to rely upon (or so we hope)? Unfortunately...I don't know, and after doing some research, it seems no one else does either.
It is a trade secret.
Yes, numbers count, but there is more than that. Read this fascinating and occasionally facetious article by Jamie Ford for more.
In my wanderings I also found this Wikipedia entry both intriguing and horrifying, where co-authors schemed to gain the NY Times Bestseller list artificially by buying up their own books in strategic locations. Apparently it worked--as unethical as it may have been.
I have heard (by Brandon Sanderson--I believe) that you can gain a foothold in this esteemed list by as little as 10,000 books sold (not bought by bookstores, but by actual people). This seems such a small number, yet so large when you consider that time is of the essence and the ever-increasing glut of content you have to stand out from.
So, do you care about the NY Times list? Do you see it as beneficial or helpful? Are there other lists that are more relevant and helpful for one pursuing fantasy or sci-fi publishing? I can't recall ever seeing them on the cover of a novel before, but perhaps I was merely blind to it...
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Blogging for SF Signal
http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2010/10/review-warbreaker-by-brandon-sanderson/
SF Signal, if you aren't aware, is a growing group blog for science fiction and fantasy work. They have an enjoyable podcast that started recently--powered by the Functional Nerds. Give them a shot if they're new to you.
So click on over and tell me what you thought of the book review.
On a side note, I am reading Way of Kings...which is AMAZING. So far. No real nitpicks I can think of. There's a few moments of infodump, but pretty sparse and the flow of the story and the conception of the detailed and different world is great.
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