An Interesting Mashup

Greetings friends and readers! I'm really excited about this week's guest post. Kris Hanson approached me a short while back and asked me to edit his first novel. After reading the first couple of chapters, I knew I couldn't pass it up. Yes, like most firsts, it was a bit rough, but workable, yet the story hooked me right from the beginning.

Immediately, Kris drew me into his world. He was quick to develop characters and set a stage for a grand fantasy adventure. Once we got further into the project, I discovered there was so much more to it. Rather than steal his thunder, I'll let Kris himself tell you more. More about himself, about his process, and about his books.

First thing I want to do is say hello to everyone who is a fan or friend of Laurie's. I am glad I met her, and glad that I had the opportunity to collaborate with her. If anything, I learned so much from her editing that it made me feel like I was back in grade school again. With The Attuning being my first book, I quickly learned form her that I still have to learn about writing. Honestly, my book would not read as well as it does now without her guidance. 

Okay, Laurie-praising aside, I wanted to introduce myself since this is my first book and my first guest appearance on her blog. I am Kristofer M. Hanson (Kris, preferably), and I am a 38-year-old proud father of a teen (never said it was fun, just proud) and have been a happily married husband for 18 years. Up until 2014, I proudly served my nation in the United States Air Force for 18.5 years, being honorably and medically retired as a Wounded Warrior and disabled veteran. I currently reside in Georgia, and my wife and I have swapped roles. She is pursuing her career while I maintain life as a house-husband. Having this new job and being retired this early in my life has given me the opportunity to pursue my passion for writing.

Since I was a kid, I have always wanted to write something fantasy-related. I would spend hours writing and crafting my own Dungeons and Dragons adventures for my friends and me to play. I was never brave enough to try and publish them in any of the various magazines that hosts these, but I would absolutely read and devour anything fantasy-related as I grew up. I joined the Air Force in 1996 and was kept pretty busy as I pursued my career there and fought in numerous conflicts like Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. This whole time I had tried to write, and I kept putting ideas on paper and slowly created the world showcased in The Attuning. The story had been building for so long that when I retired and I sat down to type, it only took me two months to write the book, start to finish. 

The Attuning is the culmination of a world over a decade in the making. I wanted to do something unique, different than what I was used to reading in the typical fantasy genre. While R. A. Salvatore and Robert Jordan are my strongest influences, I wanted to create a world where fantasy and science fiction collide. The Attuning itself is heavy on fantasy, and light on science fiction, but this will change as I continue this first trilogy. I asked myself: What would happen if a fantasy-like culture collided head to head with a space-faring culture? I answered this question with The Attuning, and I plan on finishing the answer through the next two books.

Right now, I have finished the plot for the second book in The Athran Saga, and I am about to plot the third before I start writing the second. Finishing the first book was so fulfilling that I plan on keeping at it. So, my advice for the aspiring writer? Just write. No matter what, grab the keyboard or put pen to paper. Even if you feel it is crap, and you only slogged through a page, you are one page closer to being done. Basically, once you start writing, do not stop until you are done. If you choose to do it, do it every day. Disabilities and health issues aside, I could not ever think of doing another job other than writing. I have a story to tell, and I hope readers enjoy that story.

The Attuning released on August 1st, and I hope people will check it out. If you do, I am running a contest for people who read it. The details are on my Facebook page: Kristofer M. Hanson. In summary, the first three people to read my book and review it (thorough review, whether positive or negative) will receive a free autographed copy from me. With that, I want to say thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope I am able to spark your imagination with the world of Athran. Write on. 

Note: If you don't use Facebook, you can also contact me through GoodReads at Kristofer M. Hanson or through Twitter @TheKMHanson. 

Happy Reading!

He's at It Again!

As my most prolific client (and very dear friend) Tony Healey releases the latest installment of his Far From Home series, he is also working on the next step in his newer series The Fallen Crown, among other things. Therefore, I've invited him back to talk a bit about writing in installments and his current projects.

He's also got a giveaway brewing, so read down for information on that.

Spectre, #16 in the Far From Home series, is now available on Amazon

I've had phenomenal success with my sci-fi adventure series, Far From Home. I always envisioned it spanning three series, told through a mixture of serial-style episodes and short novels. And thrilling as it was to start plotting the third series out, I realised I would now have time (and energy!) to write the fantasy series I'd daydreamed about for over ten years.

My first attempt at the opening chapter fell flat and I deleted it. I started again. And again. And again. It took many attempts to get the voice right, to find my rhythm. But once it was there, boy was the book a blast to write. I took my time, enjoyed the process, and by all accounts had a real hoot writing The Bloody North. I truly believed it was my best work, and I sent it off to Laurie with my fingers crossed. Was I just deluding myself? Would the manuscript come back to me criss-crossed with furious red pen?

No.

Laurie loved it and proclaimed it the best thing I'd ever written. I have some other projects to do before I can get on to the second book, The Rising Fire. But the story is right there, at the back of my mind, bugging me. I can't wait until I can sit down and continue the story I've started, widen our view of the world in which The Fallen Crown series takes place. Introduce and explore more and more characters.

From the get-go I didn't want to be writing massive tomes, dealing with multiple characters. I wanted to tell the story in shorter chunks of 200-250 pages, each one dealing with either one main character or perhaps two to three at the same time. What I've wanted to write about for over a decade cannot be told in a simple trilogy. It will take many books, spanning many years in our characters' lives, before there's anything close to an ending. Eventually, I will be finished writing the final fifteen installments of Far From Home. The Fallen Crown will then get my full, undivided attention, and I foresee readers getting a new book every two months. But until then, I really want The Bloody North to reach as wide an audience as possible, which is why I'm asking for your assistance. In return, you could win signed goodies. All you have to do is visit my site, www.tonyhealey.com – everything you need to know is right there.

Don't get me wrong, The Bloody North is doing REALLY well, both in terms of sales and reviews. 90% of feedback is extremely positive. The Rising Fire will come out at the end of this year, and readers who have enjoyed The Bloody North will be thrilled with what's in store. Of course it will feature the same gritty action as Book 1 (that goes without saying!) and tease more of what is to come whilst, at the same time, being its own self-contained story.

I'm hijacking Laurie's blog today, to get you interested in The Bloody North because I truly believe in it. It really is my very best work so far, and I want you to read it. I want you to get a chance at owning a sexy signed paperback edition (and a chapbook of a free short story, "A Man With Purpose," that acts as a prequel). I think it's rocky ground for a writer to shout from the rooftops about his own work.

But, damn it, this one deserves the added attention.

The Bloody North is also available on Amazon

I second that. Thank you, Tony.

Happy Reading!

To Beta or Not to Beta. . .

That's my question.

I'm not a big user of beta readers when I write. My editor is the toughest critic of my work, next to me, so when I'm soliciting feedback, the most important opinion is his.

That said, if I send out a beta copy of my own work, I'm not usually looking for editing advice; I'm simply asking for a review.

But most of the writers for whom I edit are quite different from me. One doesn't use betas at all. He puts out a "call to arms" on twitter if he needs reviews, so he doesn't always get the same readers. One uses betas solely for review purposes and generally ignores any other suggestions. But one. . .sigh. . .seems to be afraid to make any sort of move without approval from a few excellent beta readers with whom she's worked for several years.

It works for her. She is by far the most successful author I've edited. But at what cost?

The others are so free, creatively. However, she worries herself sick over some of the tiniest little details.

I do that as well sometimes, but that's my job. If a book sucks, many readers these days blame the editor.

Perhaps I'm overthinking as my latest editing project sits in the hands of beta readers.

Writers: I'd love your opinion on this one.

Happy Reading!

Local Flavor or Culture Shock?

Oh my gosh! I'm writing about editing for a second week in a row. I can't explain it. I suppose I just felt the need. Anyhow...

I talk to my clients quite a bit about "vernacular." Basically, what that means is the way locals speak in their day-to-day lives. It's the less formal, regional speech.

As writers and/or editors, we need to be careful of how much local flavor we inject into our stories or we risk alienating readers. Let's face it; if a reader doesn't "get" what a writer is saying, all may be lost.

If you read last week's post, you already know that a writer with whom I work once (okay, maybe more than once) received a review that demanded I be fired for the numerous spelling errors in his book. You also know that the same book was written in the Queen's English, not American English, because the writer is British. Situations like this, I can not, and will not, change. I believe if an author is a Brit, then he should write like a Brit. Besides, the writer in question is fairly successful and becoming more popular. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

However, there are times when too much is simply too much. Especially (but not exclusively) with American writers. You see, this nation is so large that regional dialect can be as difficult to understand as when one moves between nations in Europe. Our ears must become accustomed to dialect, and even varying expressions, before we can fully understand our neighbors.

For an over-the-top example of local dialect, try reading Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence. Lawrence, in my opinion as both a reader and an editor, seriously overused the less educated accent in Oliver Mellors speech. I found the dialogue quite difficult to read. So much so that twenty years later, I still hold it out as a bad example. (I'll save Lawrence's misogynistic views for another time.)

We need to be aware that not everyone will understand our own vernacular and that we should inject it into our stories with some restraint. If your story takes place where you've lived your entire life, you will fully understand all of it, right? But think about the visitor to your home.

I'll give you some examples:

• In New England we call a particular dish "Chinese Pie," but most of the rest of the world calls it "Shepherd's Pie."
• "Goulash" or "Macaroni and Beef," in most of the country, is "American Chop Suey" where I come from.
• Order a "Sub/Submarine Sandwich," or a "Hoagie," or a "Grinder," and you'll get the same thing in various parts of the country.
• Do you know the difference between a "Shake" and a "Frappe"? There is none, except location.
• And let's go across the pond for a cup of "Rosie Lee," then return to the States for a cup of tea.

Although food choices are the easiest to spot, they do not hold an exclusive, for instance:

• In Oklahoma City, "Putting your boots on in the street" means you're rushing out of the house or on your way to your destination. In Boston, it means you're homeless.
• In Pittsburgh, something that "needs fixed" is broken and needs to be fixed.
• Most of the American South is "fixing to" do something, but the rest of the country is just getting ready to do it.

My point is that local flavor is a beautiful thing, but too much of a good thing will give your readers a belly ache.

Happy Writing!