 One of the greatest challenges most authors face is not in the development of a story, but in its distribution. Whether or not a wordsmith is an introvert or extrovert, the process of marketing one’s creation is none too easy.
Many years ago, a publisher did much of the marketing for its favored scribes. But, with the explosion of stories and platforms for authors to share those stories, said publicity falls mainly on the shoulders of the writers. This is why I am going on tour for the next two weeks. A blog tour, that is. For the next two weeks, bloggers from around the country will feature my novel, Running. These book lovers have read my latest Jim Mitchell story and will give their honest opinion of its merits. While putting myself out there is scary, the potential payout in increased buzz (and hopefully book sales) is the price that must be paid. It would be easy to reject this option, and to remain safely ensconced behind my screen, selling a couple of books here and there. But part of being a storyteller is going out there and telling the tale you have to tell, whether or not people enjoy the adventure you have led them on. In that spirit, I shall venture forth.
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 Photo Credit Liz Ligon Ally Carter burst onto the YA scene in 2006 with her first Gallagher Girls novel I’d Tell You I Love You but Then I’d Have to Kill You. Since they she has launched two more popular series: Heist Society and Embassy Row.
Released in April, Not if I Save You First, a standalone book that takes place in the wilds of Alaska, features characters with the same determination and resourcefulness her readers have come to love. When did you first realize you were a storyteller? Honestly, that's something I still question every day. I first realized I WANTED to be a storyteller when I was in middle school and read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I was growing up in Oklahoma and reading this amazing book written by a teenage girl from Oklahoma made me obsessed with doing it too! What do you love about the writing process? I like to say that writing a book is like going on a really long international flight. When you start, you're super excited and can't wait to get going. Then you'll start to get tired or bored or your back will start hurting. About hour 10, you'll start to think this is the worst idea ever. But you're stuck. You can't get off the plane. Then, eventually, you'll look out the window and see the Great Wall of China or Eiffel Tower or whatever made you get on the plane to begin with and it will all be fun again. What is the hardest part of being a writer? Probably the writing? But there are other challenges that come and go. It's a tough business with no real support system. If I'm on deadline and my computer is acting weird I have to waste two days dealing with it instead of calling the IT department. I don't have health insurance through my job. I literally don't know where my next check is coming from. Now, I thankfully know some are coming! But when? I couldn't begin to guess. But all if it is worth it when you hear from someone whose life has been made better by something you've written. Where do you find your inspiration? Everywhere! For my newest book, Not if I Save You First, I was on an Alaskan cruise when I looked out over about a million acres of wilderness one night and saw one lone light burning in the distance. "If something happens here, you can't call 911" I thought to myself and that's how the idea of a story about a Secret Service agent's daughter who has to save the president's son when he's kidnapped in Alaska came to be! What are you working on right now? Right now, I'm finishing up my first nonfiction project! Dear Ally, How Do You Write a Book is my effort at answering some of the questions that writers hear all the time from teens who want to write themselves. It was so much fun to work on! I was able to draw on some of my favorite authors to tell us a little about their writing processes, and we cover everything from idea to publication. I'm extremely pleased with how it turned out! If you can’t get enough of Ally Carter’s tales of “teen spies, thieves, and diplomats” as she puts it, be sure to visit her website.  As a poli sci nerd of many, many years, The President is Missing was too good of a book to pass up on. James Patterson is a best-selling author, and Bill Clinton used to be president of the United States. This, combined with help from David Ellis and others, had the potential of turning this idea into a pretty good story.
While Patterson’s writing success is impeccable, there was no way this book would ring as true as it did without the help of President Clinton. You just can’t tell a story about the president in first person and expect it to work unless you have someone who has walked the halls and made the calls only the Commander in Chief can. The best scene in the book to illustrate this point is when President Duncan is required to drive a car and is totally amazed by the modern technological conveniences that come standard in today’s vehicles (as someone whose car is as older than the incoming freshman he will be teaching this fall, I can heartily relate). Since most of the narrative is confined to a single day, the book reads like an episode of 24, in that the action really is nonstop. Patterson and Clinton give us a character facing multiple challenges that he has to overcome in short order so he can be the hero and save the country. And the reason Duncan is compelling is because Clinton clearly helped shape the determined, self-assured and highly intelligent chief executive. Also, the love for his daughter, rang very true. There might be some clichés here and there, but they are the acceptable ones for this kind of action-adventure story. The authors do deserve a good deal of praise for explaining some highly technical concepts in ways the average reader can understand. Sure, the book tells more than it shows at points but you’re willing to forgive this transgression because of the novelty of having because you have a real president writing about a fictional president. While First Daughter Margaret Truman was a fairly successful murder mystery novelist, the leader of the free world, current or former, does not pen techothrillers. The only real problem with the story is the ending, where the aforementioned problem of telling rather than showing comes into play. Our protagonist is called to speak to a Joint Session of Congress and the authors (I am guessing it is Clinton here, because Patterson, a successful scribe, would know better) cannot resist the opportunity to give the readers a major policy address (OK, to be fair, we’re not talking a 60-plus-page Ayn Rand rant, but the entire chapter is devoted to the speech). A writer more focused on story that ideology would have condensed major portions of the speech, added narrative beats, and so forth. Interestingly enough, Duncan (and by default Clinton if my original premise is true) apologizes for the diatribe, but I think it gives us insight into the President, both fictional and real-life, that Chapter 128 wasn’t pruned down in the first place. However, if that is the worst of the offenses, then such is a minor imperfection in a pretty good story that you literally can’t put down (I had my nightlight on for an hour speeding through the last 80+ pages).  In Nyxia, the first book a YA trilogy that reads like Ender’s Game” meets “The Hunger Games”, Scott Reintgan weaves together an engaging tale for sci-fi readers of all ages. A self-described “back-row dreamer” Scott is a former English teacher dedicated to engaging readers through exciting characters and storylines. Nyxia Unleashed, book two of the Nyxia Triad, releases July 17th.
When did you first realize you were a storyteller? Storytelling clicked for me through video games. As I walked through quests in World of Warcraft and other games, I realized I loved all the narrative piece that tied everything together. That love grew with my love for reading, which eventually grew into my love for writing. I still use the fact that video games paved the path for my career against my mother. What do you love about the writing process? I love the act of creation. There is just nothing quite like that first spark of an idea, that first time we meet the bad guy, that first time we realize how it all will end. I'm actually a big fan of revision, too, which ends up being more like a puzzle that you have to slowly fit together. But that first run through of creating the story and the characters and the setting? It's the best. What is the hardest part of being a writer? The hardest part about being a writer is learning balance. Wiley Cash had a great Twitter thread about this recently, but the image of writers sitting a desk every day for 10 hours, humming along in story world, is just a little inaccurate. Writing involves so much more. Learning how to balance publicity and marketing and still being able to spend time with the characters we love? That's one of the hardest lessons I've had to figure out. Where do you find your inspiration? Inspiration is everywhere. I actually just gave a talk to local students where I discussed collaborating with the world around you. Opening up your eyes. Taking a step back. Listening closely. These are hallmarks of a great author in my opinion. Those threads of reality that we can pluck in our day to day end up being the core pieces of great stories. Just remember to write down those ideas as they come. Far too many authors have had wonderful ideas slip through their fingers for lack of a pen. What are you working on right now? Right now I'm working on the second novel in a middle grade series (the first one--When in Fancy--will release from Random House in 2020). I've finished the entire Nyxia series. Nyxia Unleashed comes out on July 17th, but book three will release in April 2019. I'm excited for people to read the conclusion. And as always, I'm working on like three other books simultaneously because I can't stop dabbling in all these lovely little ideas that come across the brain. To find out more about the North Carolinian wordsmith and us his new adventures, check out his website. |
AuthorI've been writing stories and taking photos since I was old enough to hold a pencil and stand behind a tripod. Archives
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