by A.E. Albert
@aealbert23
Author Interview:
Fred Strange
Book Title: Starchild: Prophecy
Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy
What inspired you to write your first book?
My first novel, Starchild: Prophecy, takes influences from a bit of Star Trek, a lot of Dungeons & Dragons, and a healthy dose of Harry Potter as well. It was the combination of those elements that coalesced into Aurora, Chris, and Zack, and the story around them. I am a sucker for the “fish out of water” stories, so I wanted to take the Sci-Fi character and throw her into a fantasy setting, and then make that setting as real as I could.
Is there a message in your book and/or books?
There isn't an over arching theme in Starchild, nor in many of my short stories that could suggest any kind of message. I do make it a point to show the difference between good clergy and bad clergy.
My first novel, Starchild: Prophecy, takes influences from a bit of Star Trek, a lot of Dungeons & Dragons, and a healthy dose of Harry Potter as well. It was the combination of those elements that coalesced into Aurora, Chris, and Zack, and the story around them. I am a sucker for the “fish out of water” stories, so I wanted to take the Sci-Fi character and throw her into a fantasy setting, and then make that setting as real as I could.
Is there a message in your book and/or books?
There isn't an over arching theme in Starchild, nor in many of my short stories that could suggest any kind of message. I do make it a point to show the difference between good clergy and bad clergy.
There is a lot of contemporary discussion about good or bad religions and the clergy that make up those religions and how they use or abuse their power. I eliminated much of the gray area and made the divide more striking in talking about the regular Clerics of Aymn and the Righteous Order. But that's just one element of the overall story, and not really a theme to wrap much of a message around. It's A message, not THE message.
Is there anything in your book and/or books based on real life experiences?
Based on my life, I'd say very little, if anything. I've got a few short stories where I use, and generally kill off, people I knew during my childhood. My short story “...and I loved her” is the best example of that. As far as Starchild and many others, I am a historian (I attempted to teach history at the secondary level... another story for later, maybe), so therefore I add a lot of history into the stories.
Is there anything in your book and/or books based on real life experiences?
Based on my life, I'd say very little, if anything. I've got a few short stories where I use, and generally kill off, people I knew during my childhood. My short story “...and I loved her” is the best example of that. As far as Starchild and many others, I am a historian (I attempted to teach history at the secondary level... another story for later, maybe), so therefore I add a lot of history into the stories.
The armor and weapons used by the people in the Starchild books are as accurate as I can make them, based on my knowledge of such things. What was it like to live in a medieval castle and village? What did it look like? What did it smell like? I try to put a bit of that into the novels and other stories. I'm not sure I succeed all the time, though.
What books and/or writers have influenced you the most?
Tolkeen is the master of fantasy, and yet he is very wordy, especially in The Fellowship and the Silmarillion books. The worlds are well constructed and thought out, however, so I've tried to borrow from that. The Dragonlance series by Weiss and Hickman were a big influence on world building and writing style. Weiss gets right to it, without Tolkien's wordy flourishes. I don't have time to read all of those flourishes, and I have less time to write them, so I appreciate Weiss' style.
What books and/or writers have influenced you the most?
Tolkeen is the master of fantasy, and yet he is very wordy, especially in The Fellowship and the Silmarillion books. The worlds are well constructed and thought out, however, so I've tried to borrow from that. The Dragonlance series by Weiss and Hickman were a big influence on world building and writing style. Weiss gets right to it, without Tolkien's wordy flourishes. I don't have time to read all of those flourishes, and I have less time to write them, so I appreciate Weiss' style.
Another would be Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. Also, direct storytelling, and yet builds a wonderfully complex world with real characters. Goodkind is also a lesson to me on what not to do. I didn't like how often he got away from his main characters, sometimes for an entire book, just so he could seem to tell a different story that had little, if anything, to do with the larger narrative. Somewhere around the middle of that series, I felt he lost his way. So that's a lesson to me to try and stay focused on the overall story and where I want my characters to go.
What has been your greatest challenge when writing?
The biggest challenge is just doing it. I'm easily distracted (I have ADD), and often busy with other things in general, so, even when I have a good thought line going, it's hard for me to force myself to sit down and write.
What has been your greatest challenge when writing?
The biggest challenge is just doing it. I'm easily distracted (I have ADD), and often busy with other things in general, so, even when I have a good thought line going, it's hard for me to force myself to sit down and write.
I also see my stories in pictures and often out of sequence. So I'll see scene D and then scene H and then scene B and so on. I can't draw, so I can't put the pictures in my head down onto paper, so I have to translate the images into words. And then I have to put those scenes into order and then find ways to connect them. I have scenes B and D, but no C to connect them. That's where I get stuck, get writer's block, and get distracted away from my writing. Those are my biggest challenges.
What are you working on right now?
Right now, I am a few chapters away from completing the rough draft of the sequel to Starchild: Prophecy. The next one will be Starchild: Regency, and will pick up where the first book left off. I've been working on it, off and on, for three years now. (See above for the reason why.) Hopefully I can have it beta read, edited, and out by the end of this year. So, keep an eye out.
What have you learned and do you have any advice for other authors?
I've learned what makes a good story, how not to cut corners, how to best get the images I see translated into words that are understandable to my reader, and how to try and stay disciplined enough to get the writing done. All of that is still a work in progress, and there's a lot of work there to still do, but at least I know where to focus.
As for advice? Read what you like to read, and write about what you like and know most about. Someone who doesn't like to read mystery probably shouldn't try to write it.
What are you working on right now?
Right now, I am a few chapters away from completing the rough draft of the sequel to Starchild: Prophecy. The next one will be Starchild: Regency, and will pick up where the first book left off. I've been working on it, off and on, for three years now. (See above for the reason why.) Hopefully I can have it beta read, edited, and out by the end of this year. So, keep an eye out.
What have you learned and do you have any advice for other authors?
I've learned what makes a good story, how not to cut corners, how to best get the images I see translated into words that are understandable to my reader, and how to try and stay disciplined enough to get the writing done. All of that is still a work in progress, and there's a lot of work there to still do, but at least I know where to focus.
As for advice? Read what you like to read, and write about what you like and know most about. Someone who doesn't like to read mystery probably shouldn't try to write it.
And don't be afraid to research things that you don't know about. Not just read about it, either. Experience it as much as you can. If you're doing anything that might have some basis in Earth's history, even if it's on a completely made-up world, a bit of research would do you good. Visit reenactors and learn how that musket was loaded and fired. Learn about how armor was worn and fused by medieval knights. how they Fired a bow and arrow.
Nothing takes me out of a story faster than seeing a fantasy character, for example, wearing full plate and chain armor, carrying ten weapons, packs and bags full of gold, food for a month, tents, and various treasures picked up or won along the way.
Nothing takes me out of a story faster than seeing a fantasy character, for example, wearing full plate and chain armor, carrying ten weapons, packs and bags full of gold, food for a month, tents, and various treasures picked up or won along the way.
Unless you're character is built like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and can bench press a tank (also unrealistic), then they will be literally crushed under all of that weight. It may be fantasy, but a certain amount of realism will help make and keep the story interesting.
About the Author
A very good interview - quite inspired questions :) I like it that he strives to keep things real. It's true - too often book characters are just too perfect and able to do/take no matter what, which IS unrealistic. Amazing post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ramona. I've been reading lately about embracing the 'quirky' character as an author. It's great see people doing it.
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