Creating Worlds - Jeanette O'Hagan

By Jeanette O'Hagan

For me one of the joys of reading —and writing— is being transported to another place and time. Maybe to encounter ancient or not so ancient societies and cultures (Medieval, Egyptian or Incan). It might be to a strange dystopian future or across the universe in a FTL spaceship. Or it might be the streets of New York or Sydney, the vast Australian Outback or the green hills of England. Books have whisked me away to all these places – and fired my imagination.

Creating Nardva

I changed schools in the middle of grade one, the first of many such shifts. The playground became a lonely place until I discovered the school library. My imagination was already fired up as each night my parents read from the pages of Narnia. Enriched by story-worlds, I began creating my own and this world grew and grew and grew. The result was Nardva – a planet in many ways like our own, but with two moons, strange cultures, shape-shifters, special magical gifts and epic and every-day challenges.

As a teen, I moved from recording my world-building (maps, languages, genealogies, customs, art, images) to writing down the stories. Most of my fiction, from the underground adventure of Heart of the Mountain, to courtly the intrigue of Akrad’s Children to my futuristic cyborg story in Project Chameleon (Quantum Soul anthology), happens within this fictional world.

Worlds with Depth

Even the most fantastical world draws inspiration from our world. As writers, we walk in the steps of our own Maker who spoke the cosmos into being. I find this thought both inspiring and very, very humbling.

Setting is important. Stories without sense of place result in ‘white space’ and ‘talking heads’ — boring, paper-thin worlds and characters. Just as we are shaped by our environment, our ‘where’ and ‘when’, so too are our characters and so are their motivations and the challenges they face. For me, the best stories have a sense of history, the sense that the world stretches to the horizon, the sense that if you peeked behind you’d find more than two-dimensional set pieces of plyboard and badly applied paint. A fictional world should be complex, dynamic and interactive. History, geography, ecology, economics, cultures all interact, yet are rarely monolithic, and are always changing. A fictional fantasy world, even more than the real world, needs to be consistent and coherent, with believable conflicts and power struggles.

Engaging Worlds

On the other hand, as my editor reminds me, I need be careful not to clutter my story-telling with too much detail, too much back-story, too much description, too much history and legend. I’ve spun and woven my world into existence over many decades and, as a result, my Nardvan stories are interconnected and occur in different time periods, geographical locales and among different Nardvan peoples. Writing whole scenes of tangential backstory or lengthy description of customs and architecture is a temptation that must be resisted.

We live in an age where readers become inpatient with huge slabs of description or information dumps. Our fictional worlds can be woven in through telling details in the narrative, fused with the point of view of our character, through their thoughts and reactions, through their interaction with the world, and through their speech. We need to make descriptive detail work for us.

Here Ruhanna (from Ruhanna’s Flight, in Glimpses of Light anthology), waits for her father to arrive at her island home.

From the little kitchen came tantalising smells fit for the palace in Silantis. Mariam had surpassed herself with Baba’s favourite dishes—turtle and seaweed soup, baked fish, baby tomatoes and sea-sage, oysters and rock crays with a creamy dill sauce, stuffed quails and fresh wave-berries with yarma cheese to finish off. Everything was ready by late morning. Ruhanna sank down on a cushion in the reception room, stroking the carved albatross on Baba’s box, and waited.

In contrast, the twins Retza and Delvina (from the novellas Heart of the Mountain and Blood Crystal) live deep under the mountain, their diet and perception of the world is very different from Ruhanna’s or indeed, Zadeki, a young shapeshifer whose people live in the forests.

Though Delvina’s stomach grumbled with hunger at the savoury fragrance, her fingers hovered over each bowl offered to her. Some looked like cooked leaves or roots, others held rolled up balls of white stuff sprinkled with seeds. Only when she saw the snails in a green tinted broth and a bowl of fried mushrooms, did the tension release in her shoulders. At last, something she understood in this strange land.

Whereas, Dana (features in Space Junk, Mixed Blessings: Genre-lly speaking, and Rendezvous at Alexgaia, Futurevision anthology) lives in Nardva’s space-age.

Dana snatched a food packet and shoved it into the rehydrator, keying in the sequence. Red lights flashed as the mechanism whined. She gave it a brisk shake. A sharp hiccough, it hummed, green lights winking on.

A close point of view and telling details help conjure world setting even in a few words.

I firmly believe that desire to create reflects the image of our Maker and Saviour. Writing immersive fictional worlds with stories of hope can fire the imaginations of our readers and open their minds to His grace.

Jeanette O’Hagan first started spinning tales in the world of Nardva at the age of nine. She enjoys writing secondary world fantasy, science fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, time and cultures.

Recent publications include her debut Novel Akrad’s Children and novellas Heart of the Mountain and Blood Crystal. She also has over a dozen stories and poems published in different anthologies such as Glimpses of Light, Futurevision, and Quantum Soul.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life and communicating God’s great love. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.

Find her at her Facebook Page, Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon or on her website Jeanette O'Hagan Writes.

Destiny’s Rebel, Interview with Philip Davies

Philip, that title makes it sound like you’re a rebel. Is there any truth in that?

Well, it’s not fair if only young people can have a “teenage rebellion”, so maybe mine has come thirty years too late! I feel strongly that, under God, we can each assert our independence and free will in the world, to make conscious choices instead of mindless conformity. But the book title also hints at the fact that we are all rebels against God’s gracious destiny for us.

You must be so excited to have your first book, Destiny’s Rebel published. Tell us about the book.

It is the story of Kat, a seventeen-year-old girl who is about to become Queen. And she’s dreading it, because of the conflicts and responsibilities it will bring. So she runs away, and the story becomes a race against time for her to return and save her people from disaster, while at the same time struggling to accept her role in the Kingdom.

It’s set in an imaginary medieval world, with castles and kingdoms, swords and sailing ships, because those are the stories I love. It’s an adventure story with a fantasy element of the gods in the world, who interact with the characters. So my heroine wrestles with her identity and purpose, but also learns about guidance, healing, duty, service, friendship, self-sacrifice, hope and faith.

How did you come to write it? I mean, teenage fantasy novels aren’t usually the first thing one expects a minister to write.

I must still be a teenager at heart then, because I wrote it primarily for myself! And one old lady who read it thrilled me by commenting: “It made me feel young again”.

After fifteen years as a Church of England Vicar, I became concerned at the absence of older children, teenagers and young adults from our congregations. If they won’t come to us, then I had to go to them, to where they are. So Destiny’s Rebel is written for the general market, to appeal to young readers of fantasy, who might have no prior contact with the Church or Christianity.

I believe that stories are the most powerful medium we have for communicating the important things of life and death, as Jesus did with His parables. In them we can portray the truths of our human experience, about joy and despair, faith and hope, and about God, in ways we can relate to, and be touched by their power. As Christian Fiction Writers, this is the awesome, crucial and humbling task in which we’re engaged.

What other writing have you done?

I’ve written short stories and poems, for both children and adults, and also the occasional blog post, article and writing tips. I think it’s important to try a lot of things as a writer, to discover where our talent and enjoyment lies. But novels remain my first love, for the scope they offer to develop character, setting, storyline and tone.

Philip, we got acquainted through the Association of Christian Writers, a wonderful group of Christian writers mostly based in the UK, how has ACW helped you in your journey as a writer? What other organizations do you belong to?

ACW has stopped me from feeling crazy and alone in attempting this writing business! Because writing is a solitary endeavor, I have valued enormously the opportunities to compare notes with others, to give and receive encouragement to keep going. I’ve also appreciated the critiques in local writing groups, and the constant striving for excellence in our work.

Because I write for young people in the general market, I’m also a member of SCBWI, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

I understand this is the first book in a series. What’s next for Princess Katelin?

I love reading series myself, to develop a love for characters and places across a number of books, but I hate it when I’m left with an unresolved twist or cliff-hanger at the end of a book. I don’t like being forced to buy another book before reaching a resolution.

So my series resolves properly at the end of each novel, with the next one picking up an existing thread, or starting with a new occurrence for the story of that book. I enjoy reaching the end of one story, like a landing between flights of stairs, for my creative mind then to explore “what happens next?”

So Book Two in the Destiny series, Destiny’s Revenge, is set in the same world, about six months after the end of Destiny’s Rebel. It contains many of the same characters and relationships, and some great new ones. It is due for release in September 2016, and I’m currently writing Book Three in the series, Destiny’s Usurper.

What do you like to read?

I’ve always enjoyed fantasy and science fiction, and feel quite at home in imaginary and futuristic worlds, provided they are well-drawn. I also read recent releases in Teenage and Young Adult fiction, but confess that I find many of these grim and depressing. From this stems my desire to write something more wholesome and optimistic. But I enjoy adult fiction too, and occasional classics, where I feel that my literary education has been lacking (because I’m a medieval historian by degree).

What else do you want our readers to know about you?

I’m thrilled to share my life with my wife, Ann, who is a hospice nurse, and our two wonderful children, Mark (12) and Rachel (9). My study looks out on fields and across a valley in Oxfordshire, such that sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe I’m living this particular dream.

Where can our readers find you and Princess Katelin online?

Website: www.philipsdavies.com

Find Destiny’s Rebel on Amazon.com: here.

And on Goodreads: here.

Find Philip Davies on Facebook: here.

And on Twitter: here.

Posted by Donna Fletcher Crow. A Newly Crimsoned Reliquary, set in Oxford, is the latest in her Monastery Murders series

Interview with Lizbeth Klein and book giveaway

Narelle here. I'm delighted to welcome Aussie author Lizbeth Klein to our blog today. Lizbeth is giving away a print copy of her debut YA fantasy novel, Firelight of Heaven (Australian addresses only).

LIZBETH KLEIN lives in the Sutherland Shire in Sydney, Australia, with her husband. She has over nineteen years of experience in the classroom and six years as tutor of English for both primary and high school students. Four of her students have completed fiction manuscripts. 

She has published several stories for the Yellow Box, a reading kit for early readers in primary school. She has also had many on-line educational articles and lessons published, as well as poetry and stories in two anthologies. In 2010, her YA novel Firelight of Heaven was short-listed in the Caleb Unpublished Manuscript Competition. In 2012, it was accepted for publication by Wombat Books. Her second book in the YA series, Green Heart of the Forest, was awarded a finalist position in the 2011 Caleb competition and has also been accepted for publication by Wombat Books. In the 2012 Caleb competition, her novel Ice Breath of the Earth was also short-listed. She has judged several children's competitions in the Sutherland Shire.

Back cover blurb:

A hundred years ago, Morgran began his conquest of Bethloria. Most of the seven kingdoms have already fallen to his Black Empire.

While he searches for the last king to gain total control, two orphaned brothers and an Elf girl begin a quest to locate the seven lost crystals of the Morning Star. This jewel alone holds the key to Morgran's overthrow.

Their journey leads them through the perilous land of Gardenia, where their friendship is tested. But one dark secret threatens to tear them apart altogether ... 

Firelight of Heaven is the first volume in the Bethloria fantasy series.

Narelle: What inspired you to write Firelight of Heaven?

Lizbeth: Originally, Firelight of Heaven was a 3000 word short story called Faery Rock! When I wrote it, the story didn’t quite sound finished and I realised it was because it had the essence of a much larger adventure where incredible worlds and characters had yet to be created. That original short story has now ballooned into seven novels. I was inspired to write it because I wanted to find out what happened in the mythical world called Bethloria, where the story was set. Almost four of the books are now written.

Narelle: Does Firelight of Heaven have a stronger or more subtle Christian theme?

Lizbeth: There are threads of Christianity throughout Firelight of Heaven, but as with all the books they are woven into the story in subtle ways. Neither God nor Jesus are mentioned, but the Morning Star is the deity that is alluded to throughout the series. Jesus Himself declared that He was the Bright and Morning Star in Revelation 22:16. The Morning Star’s unseen presence is revealed in many infallible ways throughout this and my other books in the series. Some strong Christian themes in Firelight of Heaven are forgiveness, faith, courage, trust and the triumph of good over evil. I wrote the books with the unchurched audience in mind and wanted them for the general market as well as the Christian.

Narelle: Please share with us some of your research tips.

Lizbeth: I always seem to be researching something and most of the time the internet suffices. The last research included finding out how catacombs smelt. I have no way of finding this out other than going to a catacomb overseas which is a bit impractical, but there are sites on the internet where people describe their experiences. These are what I look for when minor research is required. Sometimes, research may involve library time. Once I needed to learn how swords or knives were made and I travelled to forges and spoke to blacksmiths about the process. I’ve also read books on this topic. I’m also building up my own resources, which means buying books on topics I know I’ll often revisit.

Narelle: How has your faith influenced your writing?

Lizbeth: Largely. The mere fact that I am a Christian influences everything that I write. For instance, I don’t ever write gratuitous sex or violence; there’s no need for either in good writing. I think the addition of sex is tacky. However, violence on a small scale does feature in my stories. I don’t see a problem with that. Subtle romance, too, will become more relevant in my later books. Foul language doesn’t feature in any of my stories either, nor do inappropriate themes. Although one of the prominent themes is magic in the Bethloria series, nothing explicit is written about it. The whole concept of magic is exposed as dangerous with deadly consequences for those who use it. 

Narelle: Please share your writing process with us. Do you plot or write ‘by the seat of your pants’? Do you write every day?

Lizbeth: When I first began the 7-novel project, I plotted out each one in an exercise book, chapter by chapter. After all, Sir Winston Churchill once said, “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.” But I soon discovered that the characters have a life of their own and take over the story. You could say they hijack the plot and take the story where they want it to go. I just tagged along. At the end of Firelight of Heaven, changes needed to be made in the plot of book 2. However, I didn’t make them on paper. Instead, I began to visualise the scenes in my mind—how the characters spoke, how they faced danger, etc. Visualising what’s happening is just as important as plotting. I don’t write now until I see what’s happening first. Often by book’s end, I begin to get an inkling of what’s going to happen in the next book and how it’s going to open. Then I’m able to write the scene. I try and write most days, although work often encroaches on my time.

Narelle: What do you hope your readers will take away after reading Firelight of Heaven?

Lizbeth: I’d like my readers to remember the story the way we remember a beautiful film. I want readers to pick up the book and read it again and again, and find new gems glinting within the pages.

Narelle: Please tell us about your upcoming releases.

Lizbeth: Book 2, Green Heart of the Forest, will be released early in 2014. It continues where Firelight of Heaven left off. More of the mystery surrounding the two protagonists will be revealed, but slowly like a dripping tap. Much will be left veiled to add to the suspense and intrigue. The element of danger will be raised as evil increases, but overriding it all is God’s sovereignty and care as the Morning Star. In this way, there’s a subtle but powerful Christian influence throughout the book. A varied cast of new and interesting characters is also introduced, and the themes of courage, resilience, loyalty and truth are explored.

Lizbeth, thanks for visiting with us today. By commenting on today’s post, Australian  readers can enter the drawing to win a print copy of Firelight of Heaven. The drawing will take place on Thursday, September 19 and the winner announced on Sunday, 22 September. Please leave an email address [ ] at [ ] dot [ ] where you can be reached. 

"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws."

To learn more about Lizbeth Klein and her books, please visit her website.

NARELLE ATKINS writes contemporary inspirational romance and lives in Canberra, Australia. She sold her debut novel, set in Australia, to Harlequin's Love Inspired Heartsong Presents line in a 6-book contract. Her first book, Falling for the Farmer, will be a February 2014 release.

Narelle is a co-founder with Jenny Blake of the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance (ACRBA). http://acrba.blogspot.com

Website: http://www.narelleatkins.com
Blog: http://narelleatkins.wordpress.com 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NarelleAtkinsAuthor
Twitter: @NarelleAtkins https://twitter.com/NarelleAtkins

Resemblances of Real Life Locations

Sometimes the settings in my head for fictive stories are strictly the product of my imagination, though it’s been said there’s nothing new under the sun. Other times I’m fully aware that I’ve been inspired by real life locations. In fact, I will occasionally have a place in mind where I’ve visited or have seen before via photographs that captured my attention and deepened my interest.

I recently undertook a genre swap from romantic political intrigue set in Argentina to a work of fantasy romance. Working on an eNovella series with six installments, the first soon to be published by Soul Mate Publishing, the location from which to draw inspiration for eNovella #1, Wind’s Aria, came to mind near the beginning of the venture.

Have you ever seen pictures of the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia? Or perhaps you live in the region; after all, we are a very international group here. Needless to say, it’s gorgeous—and naturally looks like a realm that belongs in a delightful fairy-tale.

As once a member of an internationally acclaimed Croatian dance ensemble, I was first introduced to the Plitvice Lakes National Park twenty years ago. It made such an impression on me that I knew someday it would stir something more, further awakening the creative aspect in my life.

So as I started writing Wind’s Aria, it dawned on me that I was painting a picture resembling this real life location that made such an imprint on me many years ago. Once I realized this, I studied the images of the Croatian lakes online, clipped out photos from magazines, and examined travel logs. I stretched the region out on my mental canvas and then began adding more of my own embellishments, such as a bridge here, a dock there, a cottage or garden, livestock, the people, form of dress and culture for a timeless generation in a literary sphere of fantasy.

One thing I noticed . . . if a touch of writer’s block hit me I only had to pull out those images of the real life region, take a deep breath while admiring the beauty, and I was on my way to plotting the story again.

What about you? In the world of fiction, in whichever genre you dwell, do you find your inspiration from real life locations, basing stories around places and settings that actually exist? How do you keep these locales fresh in your mind?

As someone who appreciates other places and cultures, and who loves the world of fiction—both as a writer and a reader—I’d love to hear about the regional resemblances in your work-in-progress stories!

Tessa is a veteran of the performing arts and worldwide missions, having come from a long line of musical arts professionals. She loved seeing the world and absorbing the beauty of other cultures . . . an enriching life full of dance, music, faith, and interesting cuisine. She’d always dreamed of becoming a romance writer, conveying words that inspire and the thrill that occurs when two destined souls meet. www.TessaStockton.com
 

Publishing Down Under

My publishing journey began in earnest in 2001 atop a lonely windswept hill on an island called Aotea (Great Barrier Island in English, but the Maori name is far more poetic, never mind its original name, and less confusable with the Great Barrier Reef which isn't even in this country). I carried a hardback notebook up the steep winding track from the settlement, past near-vertical cow pastures and acres of fragrant manuka trees clacking their skinny branches in the wind, and sat with my back to a bald rock that offered a little shelter from the punishing sun. And there I penned the first words of my first novel. Seven years later, having changed the setting to Ireland somewhere along the way, I finished it in Germany, and it was published in America.

Sounds international? My second novel's got it beat. I began it in Germany, finished it in Ireland, edited it in America, and it'll be published in New Zealand. And since it happens in space, it kind of transcends the definition of international, although I was careful to season the inhabited planets with plenty of culture.

Beyond the writing, I have discovered a passion for book design, which along with my penchant for science fiction and fantasy, paved the way one step at a time to open the doors at Splashdown Books - to publish authors in these oft-neglected genres, no matter where they come from.

So far it's certainly a fascinating experience to publish from down under. I have to make use of all the tools available in the online global village, since in-person marketing events are out of the question. The experiment's just begun with the recent release of The Muse by Fred Warren, who lives in Kansas but was happy to accept my offer of publication. After nearly a year of collaborative editing work, we're celebrating its first sales.

There's no question that the publishing world has changed enough that such a venture can be a success. I pray I can work hard enough to make it so.

Visit Splashdown Books here

View my first novel here: Faith Awakened
View The Muse by Fred Warren here