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What comes first? Character or plot?

By Gail Z. Martin

What happens first in the mind of a reader—character or plot?

My answer is—it depends.

Sometimes, I have a very strong feel for a character, and the more I think about that character, the more clear I get on what kind of adventure that character would have and how he/she would rise to the challenge.

In other cases, the plot and setting come to me, and I need to think about who the right kinds of characters would be who could carry of that plot in that setting.

The more I talk with other authors, the more I’m convinced that there is no single right way to write.  In fact, the more books I write (I’m up to about 14 published books as we speak), the more I’m also convinced that the process changes with each book, each character and every plotline.

When the character becomes clear to me first, I usually get a sense of that character as if I actually met the person.  Sometimes all at once, and sometimes a little at a time, I get the back story, the physical characteristics, the fears, hopes and dreams that have created my character.

When the plot firms up first, I see the story arc, the key milestones, the major twists and turns and the climax like a movie that needs to be cast.  So like any good casting agent, I think about what the hero of the piece would be like, who the love interest is, who the antagonists would be, who is in the supporting cast and what roles they play.  Then I “cast” the roles by creating characters who fit the requirements, characters who ultimately become very real to me.

Over the course of a writing career, it’s likely that you’ll have some books come to you in one way, and some in the other.  Try not to judge.  Both are equally legitimate.  They’re just different starting points, but you can get a good ending from either path.  Try to enjoy the journey.

When you begin with the plot, you may find that the action is very clear to you, but it takes more thought to figure out what motivates your characters and to make them real and emotionally accessible to your readers.

When you begin with the characters, it feels as if you’re writing about flesh-and-blood people you’ve known all your life, but you may struggle to get the story arc just right.  Be prepared for some rewrites as you go down a few dead ends and get inspiration partway through the first draft.  That’s just the nature of the muse.  Roll with it.

I’ve found both approaches to result in a very satisfactory outcome.  True, it takes some adaptability on the part of the author, but if you can be flexible, you may find that the end result is well worth the effort.

Regardless of which piece comes to you first, be glad your muse has spoken and run with it!  Rest assured that you will find the story that needs to be told.

 

Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in her new The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), plus The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven & Dark Lady’s Chosen ) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn  and The Dread).  She is also the author of two series on ebook short stories: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Series. Find her online at www.AscendantKingdoms.com.

 

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Sneak Peek for Reign of Ash

by Gail Z. Martin

Ice Forged launched the popular new Ascendant Kingdoms Saga in January 2013, and Book Two: Reign of Ash is coming in early 2014.  Author Gail Z. Martin is doing her annual “sneak peek” Hawthorn Moon event featuring Reign of Ash beginning June 21 with an international blog tour, podcasts, excerpts, readings, giveaways and more.  We asked her what readers should expect from Reign of Ash, and what she’s planning for the two new books she’s just signed with Orbit to write to extend the series into books 3 and 4.

Q:  What can you tell us about where Reign of Ash will take Ascendant Kingdoms readers?

A:  Reign of Ash picks up right after Ice Forged, with Blaine McFadden’s quest to restore his homeland of Donderath.  As Ice Forged readers know, the quest isn’t completed at the end of Book 1 because there is so much more to do, so much damage to overcome.  It’s going to take all that Blaine and his friends have to give to survive!

Q:  How have Blaine, Kestel, Piran and the other Ice Forged characters changed going into Reign of Ash?

A:  Exile and prison brought Blaine’s group together, so they’re used to having each others’ backs.  That serves them well in the very dangerous and unstable conditions in post-war Donderath.  Now that they’re free, there will be choices to make.  Blaine is still very much at the center of the group, and in Reign of Ash, several new characters get added to the circle, some old friends and new allies.  Going forward, they will be at the heart of bringing the ruined kingdom back to life, and the paths they choose will determine Donderath’s future.

Q: Will we see more of Connor and Lord Penhallow?

A:  Absolutely! Bevin Connor remains an important viewpoint character.  We met him in Ice Forged fleeing for his life when Donderath fell, and see him emerge as an unexpectedly heroic person.  No one is surprised at that more than Connor himself!  In Reign of Ash, Connor grows into an even more important role, playing an enormously important part in the book’s life-or-death climax.

Q:  Will Ice Forged’s bad guys be back for more?

A:  Bet on it! Pentreath Reece and Vedran Pollard have their own agenda for the post-war wreckage, and their vision involves seeing themselves emerging as the ultimate power players. Anarchy breeds opportunists, so Reece and Pollard are in their element, and the only thing standing in their way is Blaine McFadden.  Expect serious fireworks!

Q:  When will Reign of Ash be released?
A:  April, 2014 is the launch date.  Wondering what to read until then?  If you haven’t read my Fallen Kings Cycle books, The Sworn and The Dread, now is a good time!

Q:  What is your Hawthorn Moon sneak peek all about?

A:  It’s something I started with my first book, The Summoner, and it’s become a tradition.  The Hawthorn Moon blog tour is the first look at the next cover, plus book giveaways, excerpts, and exclusive guest blogs.

Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in her new The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), plus The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven & Dark Lady’s Chosen ) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn  and The Dread).  She is also the author of two series on ebook short stories: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Series. Find her online at www.AscendantKingdoms.com.

 

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Q&A with Fantasy Author Gail Z. Martin

Q:  For readers who haven’t met you, tell us a little about your books.

A:  I write the Chronicles of the Necromancer series for Solaris Books and the Fallen Kings Cycle and Ascendant Kingdoms Saga for Orbit Books.  I’ve also been in a variety of US and UK anthologies, and I publish two series of short stories on Kindle, Kobo and Nook—the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Adventure.  My most recent book is Ice Forged, the first book in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, and the next book, Reign of Ash, will come out in April, 2014.

Q:  Ice Forged started a new series for you, with a different world and all-new characters from what you’ve written before.  What made you decide to write a different series instead of continuing with your other characters?

A:  I still have plans to write more stories in the Chronicles world, but I had reached a good place to take a break and do something different for a while.  There’s a natural break in the plot line after The Dread that makes a logical resting point.  So while my characters are taking a much-deserved vacation, I had the opportunity to write some new stories that had been banging around in my head.

Q:  In Ice Forged, the plot hinges on a war going terribly wrong and mages on both sides launching a doomsday strike that not only rains down fire from the sky but also cause magic to stop working. Why is the failure of magic so important?

A: In Blaine McFadden’s world, magic is the convenient short-cut.  It’s like our power grid.  Sure, you can wash clothes without electric appliances, but it takes more work and nowadays, does anyone remember how?  It’s the same way in Blaine’s world.  The old ways of doing things without magic have been forgotten, and people have come to rely on magic for as a quick fix.  Imagine what a shoddy workman could do with a little bit of magic, things like propping up a poorly built wall or shoring up a sagging fence.  When the magic fails, so do those fixes, and things literally begin to fall apart.  Then there are the bigger magics, like keeping the sea from flooding the shoreline or using magic to heal.  When magic doesn’t work anymore, how do you heal the sick or keep back the tide?  Donderath has a really big problem on its hands.

Q:  Where did the genesis of the Ice Forged’s main character, Blaine “Mick” McFadden, begin?

I really started with the idea of exile, and what would it have been like if England had sent its prisoners north to somewhere like Iceland or Greenland instead of to Australia.  (Obviously Russia had Siberia, but that’s different, in part because there was no sea voyage.)  Then I started to think about why a character would be exiled, and murder was a good reason.  But it had to be a murder the reader would agree with (so many readers have commented that Ian McFadden “had it coming”).  Where Tris, in my first series, was accused of a crime he didn’t commit, I wanted Blaine to be unrepentant about a crime he did commit.

Q: The setting of Velant is a really interesting place, because you’ve combined elements of post-apocalyptic with the classical idea of northern wastes we often see in fantasy, but this setting really affects the characters, doesn’t it?

A: Being sent into exile in an arctic prison colony is bad enough, but having the magic fail is like losing the power grid—it takes away an important factor for survival.  I had focused on really big magic in my first books, and in Ice Forged, I wanted to look at what it would mean to lose the little magics that people used in their everyday lives.  Food spoils, herds die, crops fail, magical repairs to buildings and ships fall apart, and things people used magic to do as a short cut now needed to be done the old fashioned way, which few remember.

Velant is the same distance as a sea journey from Donderath that Australia was from England, in good weather.  The weather is dramatically different, harsh and inhospitable.  It gets the arctic 6-months of day and night.  The prison itself is run by a commander who was a “useful monster” during a war, but too feral to bring home, so they exiled him by putting him in command of a prison no one else wanted to run.  The guards are likewise exiled because they were unsuitable for normal military life and civilized society.  While many of the convicts were exiled for real crimes, many more were sent away for petty infractions, political reasons, or just being poor.

It’s not the kind of place anyone wants to live in, but it’s amazing what the human spirit will endure!  Prisoners who earn their “ticket of leave” become colonists, and manage to make Edgeland their home.

Q:  What’s next for you?

A:  Good question!  I’ve just signed on with Orbit for another two books in the Ascendant Kingdoms world, so I’m working on the sequel to Reign of Ashes (it’s weird how you’re working two books out from what anyone else has read).  I’m also committed to bringing out a new short story every month, so that’s actually turning out to be a lot of fun.  And I’ve got some different directions I’d like to explore in addition to epic fantasy, so I might just surprise you and turn up with something completely different one of these days!

The Hawthorn Moon Sneak Peek Event includes book giveaways, free excerpts and readings, all-new guest blog posts and author Q&A on 21 awesome partner sites around the globe.  For a full list of where to go to get the goodies, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com.

Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in her new The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), plus The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven & Dark Lady’s Chosen ) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn  and The Dread).  She is also the author of two series on ebook short stories: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Series.  Her books are available in bookstores worldwide and on Kindle, Kobo and Nook. Find her online at www.AscendantKingdoms.com.

 

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Q&A with Fantasy Author Gail Z. Martin

Q: What is your newest book and what inspired you to write it?

A: Ice Forged is my most recently published book, which launched in January 2013.  It’s a medieval post-apocalyptic story, when war not only destroys a kingdom but also causes the magic to fail.  Losing magic for the people of Donderath is a lot like it would be for us if the power grid went down permanently.  Sure, there are ways to do things without magic (just like there are ways to survive without electricity), but those methods are more difficult and it’s been so long, people don’t quite remember how they worked.  The only man who might be able to restore the magic is a convicted murder and disgraced lord exiled to a prison colony in the arctic.  Reign of Ash is the sequel, and it will come out in April, 2014.

My inspiration was thinking about “what if a culture depended on magic the way we rely on electricity, and the magic failed?”  The more I thought about it, the more ideas came to mind for where the story could go.  And I liked the idea of doing a post-apocalyptic story in a medieval setting because there are so many end-of-the-world stories set in modern times.  I wanted to do something different.

Q:  Why a post-apocalyptic medieval setting?

A:  Why not?  After all, the real Middle Ages were no stranger to devastating natural disasters like famine, plague, and even volcanic eruptions and severe climate swings.  For the people who lived through those hard times, I’m sure it felt like the end of the world.  I’ve always been fascinated with those periods in history, so I decided to create my own!

Q:  You write epic fantasy.  What got you interested in sword-and-sorcery stuff?

A:  As a kid, I loved anything about King Arthur, and I read every book I could find about Arthur, Merlin, Morgan LeFey, and the Round Table.  I know all the words to every song from Camelot! That got me interested in real history, and I read a lot about kings, castles, wars and then of course, magic.  Then I got into reading mythology and folklore, and when you put it all together, I started thinking up stories of my own!

Q:  You’re very active on social media.  Why?

A:  My books are available internationally, and in several languages.  Yet I can’t possibly be in everyone’s local bookstore.  From the very first book, The Summoner, I knew I wanted to reach out to readers and make a personal connection.  Social media makes that very easy.  So I’m very active on Twitter and Facebook, and I love to answer questions, talk about TV shows, movies and books, and generally hang out with people who enjoy fantasy and fandom.  I have a lot of fun sharing photos on Facebook and Pinterest of books I’ve read, genre conventions I’ve attended, and cool things that catch my attention.  It makes writing a lot more personal when I can connect with readers, and I don’t want anyone to feel left out just because I live too far away to meet up for coffee!

Q: What’s next after Reign of Ash?

A:  I’ve just signed a contract with Orbit Books for two more novels in the Ascendant Kingdoms series, and I’m hard at work on book three.  After that, I’ve got some more ideas and some different directions I’d like to explore!  I’ve also started writing a new short story every month for ebook in two different series.  My Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures explore the back story of one of the most popular characters from my Chronicles of the Necromancer books.  The Deadly Curiosities Adventures were a world I originally created for anthologies, but I started having so much fun with the characters, I wanted to write more stories.  It’s essentially an urban fantasy that spans 500 years.  My short stories are available on Kindle, Kobo and Nook, and they’re priced at the equivalent of 99 cents USD.  They’re a cheap thrill!

The Hawthorn Moon Sneak Peek Event includes book giveaways, free excerpts and readings, all-new guest blog posts and author Q&A on 21 awesome partner sites around the globe.  For a full list of where to go to get the goodies, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com.

Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in her new The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), plus The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven & Dark Lady’s Chosen ) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn  and The Dread).  She is also the author of two series on ebook short stories: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Series.  Her books are available in bookstores worldwide and on Kindle, Kobo and Nook. Find her online at www.AscendantKingdoms.com.

 

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A Hero for the End of the World

By Gail Z. Martin

Who do you want to have your back when the world ends?

When I first came up with the concept for my Ascendant Kingdoms Saga and its first book, Ice Forged, I envisioned a post-apocalyptic medieval world, one in which not only the land and buildings had been devastated by war, but also one in which the magic upon which people depended no longer worked.

With the death of the king and nobles, the kingdom of Donderath is in chaos.  The war that raged with neighboring Meroven led to a disastrous doomsday magic strike by mages on both sides.  Fire rains from the sky, and magic fails.

Heroes, I believe, are made not born.  Blaine McFadden was born the eldest son of Lord Ian McFadden.  Ian is violently abusive, a man who beats his sons and forces himself on his daughter.  Ice Forged begins when Blaine decides someone has to do something about Ian and takes matters into his own hands, killing Ian when he discovers what his father has done to Blaine’s sister, Mari.  Blaine fully expects to die for his crime, and accepts his fate.  But when the king shows mercy and sends Blaine into exile, Blaine has to survive a brutal prison colony at the top of the world.

By the time the Great Fire destroys Donderath, Blaine has served his time and been released from the prison as a “colonist”—still a prisoner in Edgeland, but no longer within prison walls.  He’s created a new life for himself, married and been widowed, and created a “family” of close friends who protect each other.  Then the ships stop coming from home and magic fails.  Several plot twists and turns later, Blaine realizes that he may be the only one who can restore the magic, and he has to choose whether to stay in the new home he has made for himself, or go back to the kingdom that exiled him.

What would you do?  I liked the idea of working with a not-perfect hero, someone who is unrepentant about his crime.  Yet at every step, Blaine’s actions develop the skills you’d want in a hero for the end of the world.  His abusive childhood prepared him to survive the prison’s brutality.  Prison also honed his fighting skills.  Among the dispossessed, Blaine’s education and well-to-do upbringing enabled him to emerge as a leader of the colonists.  His ability to draw a team together and inspire loyalty serves him well when he makes the decision to return. Living a bare-necessities existence in a harsh environment toughened him up for a post-apocalyptic environment.  And the deep loyalty that drove Blaine to commit murder compels him to do what he can to restore his ruined homeland.

Creating the world of the Ascendant Kingdoms has been a lot of fun.  But it’s been even more fun to allow the world to shape the character and supply just the right man for the job when the end of the world is nigh.

The Hawthorn Moon Sneak Peek Event includes book giveaways, free excerpts and readings, all-new guest blog posts and author Q&A on 21 awesome partner sites around the globe.  For a full list of where to go to get the goodies, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com.

Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in her new The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), plus The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven & Dark Lady’s Chosen ) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn  and The Dread).  She is also the author of two series on ebook short stories: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Series.  Her books are available in bookstores worldwide and on Kindle, Kobo and Nook. Find her online at www.AscendantKingdoms.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What’s New with Chronicles of the Necromancer author Gail Z. Martin

Solaris author Gail Z. Martin (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven, Dark Lady’s Chosen) stops by to catch us up on what she’s been doing lately.

Q:  Last year, you had a short story in our “Magic” anthology.  Folks who were expecting an epic fantasy tale may have been surprised by your contribution!

A:  I created my Deadly Curiosities world for the anthologies in which I was asked to participate.  So far, the stories have spanned about 500 years, from the 1500s to present day.  So when Solaris asked me to write a story for the “Magic” anthology and I wrote a modern-day Deadly Curiosities short piece of fiction.

Q:  What’s the concept behind your Deadly Curiosities world?

A:  In a nutshell: Cassidy Kincaide owns Trifles & Folly, an antique/curio store and high-end pawn shop in Charleston, South Carolina that is more than what it seems.  Dangerous magical and supernatural items sometimes find their way into mortal hands or onto the market, and Cassidy is part of a shadowy Alliance of mortals and mages whose job it is to take those deadly curiosities out of circulation.

Q:  Until now, you’ve focused on epic fantasy.  Why the change?

A:  It’s not really a change, it’s an addition.  I love the world I created for my world of the Winter Kingdom like The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven and Dark Lady’s Chosen.  But it’s fun to do something different, and writing something new adds some creative juice.  I’m having a blast!

Q:  What’s going on with your Hawthorn Moon Sneak Peek Online Event?

A:  The Hawthorn Moon was a festival in The Summoner that was a very important event, on the summer solstice.  When The Blood King was about to come out, I did the preview on June 21, and it has become a tradition ever since that on and around June 21 I offer a first look at the cover of my new book, plus excerpts, guest blog posts, Q&A, character interviews, book giveaways, readings, podcasts and more!  You can find all the details for this year’s big event at www.ChroniclesOfTheNecromancer.com.

Q:  You’ve got something going on Twitter during the event that is rather unique, don’t you?

A:  I love talking to readers on Twitter!  So on June 21, I’ll be picking 7 people at random to receive a free signed copy of some of my books.  Then tell your friends, because from 6/22-28, for every new 200 people who follow me @GailZMartin, I’ll do another drawing for a book, up to 20 books.

Q:  You’re also really active on Goodreads.  What do you like about that site?

A:  Goodreads lets me hang out with readers who might not be in places where I’m going to do a signing or a convention and have a conversation.  I host a different topic every month on something writing or fantasy related, and we have a good time talking about it.  I also enjoy posting the books I’ve recently read. During my Hawthorn Moon event, I’ll be giving away copies of one of my books, so find me at Goodreads.com/GailZMartin!

Q:  You’ve got some short stories on ebook set in the Deadly Curiosities world in time periods before the “Magic” story.  What can readers expect?

A:  I’ve been bringing out new direct-to-ebook short stories, one every month, to Kindle, Kobo and Nook.  Some tell the story of Jonmarc Vahanian (from my Chronicles of the Necromancer series) before his role in The Summoner.  The others are set at different time periods in my Deadly Curiosities world, where Sorren, the immortal behind the Alliance, works with a variety of mortal partners to keep the world safe from dangerous magical items.  It’s a lot of fun, and for the equivalent of 0.99 USD, it’s a cheap thrill, so please check it out!

Q:  Where else can readers find you?

A:  I love social media, because it gives me the chance to get to know readers all around the world.  So in addition to Twitter and Goodreads, I’m on Facebook as WinterKingdoms, on Shelfari, and on Pinterest, where I post photos from some of the sci-fi conventions I attend, plus other things that catch my fancy, like abandoned amusement parks. I blog at DisquietingVisions.com, and host the GhostInTheMachinePodcast.com with fun author readings and interviews.  All the details are at www.ChroniclesOfTheNecromancer.com!

The Hawthorn Moon Sneak Peek Event includes book giveaways, free excerpts and readings, all-new guest blog posts and author Q&A on 21 awesome partner sites around the globe.  For a full list of where to go to get the goodies, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com.

Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in her new The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), plus The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven & Dark Lady’s Chosen ) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn  and The Dread).  She is also the author of two series on ebook short stories: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Series. Find her online at www.AscendantKingdoms.com.

 

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The Beginning of The End (Of The World)

by Gail Z. Martin

BookLifeNow asked me about the story behind the first chapter of Ice Forged, so here we go!

Ice Forged begins with a murder. Blaine McFadden murders his father for molesting his sister. Ian McFadden has had it coming for a long time. He’s an abusive bully who beat his sons, killed their mother, and believes he’s entitled to anything he wants from anyone. After years of enduring his father’s abuse, Blaine is finally pushed too far. Ian McFadden dies.

We step into the middle of this family drama at its climax. Blaine expects to die for his crime. He figures his death is a small price to pay for his sister’s safety and for an end to his father’s abuse. He doesn’t count on mercy from the king, who decrees exile instead of execution. Now, instead of a quick death, Blaine is shipped out to a notorious prison colony in an arctic wasteland, where death isn’t to be feared—it’s to be courted.

I chose to begin the book at this point because it shows us who Blaine McFadden is. We see what he’s willing to give up, what he values above all else, and just what he’s made of. By stepping into Blaine’s story at this point, we also see his homeland, creating a contrast between the world from which he came and the world into which he is being thrust. And when the world that sent Blaine into exile comes crashing down as a result of a devastating war and a doomsday magical strike, the fate of civilization depends a man it threw away.

Gail Z. Martin’s newest book, Ice Forged: Book One in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), launched in January 2013. Gail is also the author of the Chronicles of the Necromancer series (Solaris Books) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (Orbit Books). For more about Gail’s books and short stories, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com. Be sure to “like” Gail’s Winter Kingdoms Facebook page, follow her on Twitter @GailZMartin, and join her for frequent discussions on Goodreads.

Read an excerpt from Ice Forged here: https://a.pgtb.me/JvGzTt

 

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Breaking In A New Pair of Boots—Or a New Fictional World, As The Case May Be

by Gail Z. Martin

Ever buy a pair of boots—or shoes or jeans—and while they fit, they don’t really “fit.” Not yet. They haven’t molded to your contours. You haven’t broken them in.

As a writer, there’s a “breaking in” period when you leave one fictional world that you’ve painstakingly developed and nurtured to begin a new fictional world. And I know that, as a reader, there’s a little bit of adjustment that also goes along with following a favorite author from one series into another, new set of books. It takes some getting used to.

I spent many years and six books developing my Chronicles Of The Necromancer/Fallen Kings Cycle world of the Winter Kingdoms, and writing in that world was as comfortable as slipping into a favorite pair of jeans or a well-worn pair of boots. I knew the neighborhood. I understood the culture like a native. I knew the characters well enough that I would sometimes dream in their voices. It was home.

Then those stories came to a natural resting point and I decided to create a new series in a totally new world with very different characters, which begins with Ice Forged. And the process of breaking in the new boots began again.

This time around, however, I knew what to expect. I knew it would take a while to hit my stride, to feel at home. I gave myself time to get to know the characters and their world. I sat with the story, explored the culture, and questioned the characters in my mind, and they became real to me. It’s a gradual process, like learning to feel at home in a new city. For a while after you move, everything seems strange. Then one day, like magic, you know where you’re going without thinking about it. And you realize that you’re home.

Just as I went through an adjustment moving from one series to another, I know readers of my first six books will also feel a little displaced. The worlds, characters, and cultures are very different, but I believe they are each intriguing in their own way. Yes, there’s a pang when you miss a favorite character, but my hope is that the concept of Ice Forged and the new series will intrigue readers enough to get past the “new kid on the block blues” and that they will move into the new neighborhood with me and share the adventure.

There are lots of stories I still hope to tell in my world of the Winter Kingdoms, but the plot line takes a natural break for a while, and as readers of my books can attest, I’ve put my characters through an awful lot—they deserve a chance to put their feet up and have a few beers. Duty will call them back to action soon enough.

In the meantime, c’mon over to my other world and explore the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, beginning with Ice Forged. It’s full of new favorite characters you haven’t met yet, a whole new world to explore, and an impossible quest (or two). Their story begins with the end of the world. Come join the adventure!

Gail Z. Martin’s newest book, Ice Forged: Book One in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), launched in January 2013. Gail is also the author of the Chronicles of the Necromancer series (Solaris Books) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (Orbit Books). For more about Gail’s books and short stories, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com. Be sure to “like” Gail’s Winter Kingdoms Facebook page, follow her on Twitter @GailZMartin, and join her for frequent discussions on Goodreads.

Read an excerpt from Ice Forged here: https://a.pgtb.me/JvGzTt

 

 

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It’s the End of the World as We Know It (Again)

by Gail Z. Martin

What is it about an impending apocalypse that captures the imagination?

Having just survived the “Mayan Calendar” apocalypse, the idea is pretty fresh in everyone’s mind. Thanks to the Internet, warnings of immanent doom seem to crop up fairly often, so much so that most of us roll our eyes, mutter “another one” and go about our daily business.

Until the time it turns out to be true.

In my new book, Ice Forged, I look at an end of the world scenario in a medieval setting, through the eyes of the survivors. The magic on which they have come to depend—in much the way we are dependent on our power grid—has vanished. With it goes the monarchies it upheld, the conveniences and necessities it had provided, and the control over the natural world it imposed. Amid the chaos and anarchy, the survivors are faced with the challenge to survive long enough to see if there is truth to ancient legends about a way to restore the magic.

I set my apocalyptic story in a medieval setting for several reasons. First off, most modern-day end of the world stories don’t capture my attention. I’m jaded, and they sound too much like overhyped headlines. That wasn’t the setting in which I wanted to immerse my imagination for the better part of a year.

Secondly, I wanted to explore the magic-instead-of-technology angle, as well as the idea that when we have a simple shortcut to do vital tasks, we are at risk of forgetting how to do things the old way. If the technology (or magic) fails, how do individuals or communities survive if the low-tech ways have been lost?

And the third element that intrigued me was the idea of who a society values and who it throws away. In Ice Forged, the man who may be able to restore the magic is a disgraced lord who has been exiled to a prison colony in the arctic. When social norms and civilized culture collapse, the skills and characteristics that made a person an exile—or even a criminal—just might be what it takes to survive.

It’s especially interesting to me because Western Europe did experience an apocalyptic scenario in the Black Plague. The sheer magnitude of casualties, the swiftness of the disease’s spread and the fear that accompanied it changed the economic, cultural, political and religious fabric of a continent. Most of the time, we read the 30,000-foot overview and see the Plague years through the lens of time. But to those who endured it, I’m certain it felt like the end of the world was upon them.

Books and stories are interesting things. They germinate from the odd bits and pieces in a writer’s memory, shaped by the question, “what if?” I’m looking forward to further exploring my medieval post-apocalyptic world, and I hope you’ll join me!

Gail Z. Martin’s newest book, Ice Forged: Book One in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), launched in January 2013. Gail is also the author of the Chronicles of the Necromancer series (Solaris Books) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (Orbit Books). For more about Gail’s books and short stories, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com. Be sure to “like” Gail’s Winter Kingdoms Facebook page, follow her on Twitter @GailZMartin, and join her for frequent discussions on Goodreads.

Read an excerpt from Ice Forged here: https://a.pgtb.me/JvGzTt

 

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Well Begun is Half Done (Especially with Writing!)

by Gail Z. Martin

How do you know where your story begins?

Doesn’t it begin at, well, the beginning?

Not necessarily—at least, not that the reader needs to know.

My new book, Ice Forged, begins with a murder.  It’s important for readers to see the murder occur so that they understand my main character, who commits the murder and is sent into exile.  Chapter two picks up six years later.

Why?  Because nothing else relevant happens to the plot happens until then.

Couldn’t I have just begun the book with Chapter 2 and done a flashback?  Perhaps.  But by beginning the book where I did, the reader gains an understanding of the main character that I don’t think would have been as strong had it been recounted through a flashback or a dream or by having someone just tell about it.

I faced a similar challenge in another book, where the action in the first chapter occurs immediately after the end of the previous book.  My hero is pinned down in a battle.  On my first draft, I had them take cover in a barn.  When I re-read the draft, I realized that having the book open with my hero hiding in a barn didn’t seem very, well, heroic.  So I jumped the action ahead to a few moments later, when he actively engages in the fight.

What’s the right place to begin a story?  That depends.  It depends on the reaction you want your reader to have as they read the beginning.  It also depends on where the meat of your story arc takes place.

Here’s the most important thing: Your beginning absolutely MUST grab the reader so hard with the first sentence, first paragraph and first page and he or she cannot set the book aside.

Agents and editors reading over a manuscript will only go on to page two if your first page has grabbed them.  Readers flipping through your book in a store or on line are just as particular.  You don’t have time to take dozens of pages setting the scene.  You’ve got to score a knock-out punch on page one.

I’ve done a lot of manuscript analysis for a book shepherd in California, and one of the most frequent issues I find in not-yet-published books is a slow beginning.  One book took more than 30 pages for the main character just to get out of bed!  If you find yourself with a slow beginning, ask yourself where the real action begins and try starting the book there.

Yes, you the author need to know all the other details.  But you don’t have to share them with the reader.  Remember, you’ve only got one sentence, one paragraph, one page to turn a browser into a buyer.  Grab ‘em by the lapels and give them a good shake so that they can’t stop turning the pages!

Gail Z. Martin’s newest book, Ice Forged: Book One in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), launched in January 2013.  Gail is also the author of the Chronicles of the Necromancer series (Solaris Books) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (Orbit Books).  For more about Gail’s books and short stories, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com. Be sure to “like” Gail’s Winter Kingdoms Facebook page, follow her on Twitter @GailZMartin, and join her for frequent discussions on Goodreads.

Read an excerpt from Ice Forged here: https://a.pgtb.me/JvGzTt

 

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Filed under Books, Gail Z. Martin