Author Interview: Steve Rzasa

     Hey guys. Please welcome Steve Rzasa, our guest for today. Steve is an author of several Sci-Fi and Steampunk novels. Check out his latest book on amazon.

     So Steve, when did you first realize you wanted to write books?

     I’ve always loved to write stories, but I think the first time I recognized a desire to write books was when I was in high school. It took me a couple years at the time but I finished a space opera tale called Unifying Factors. You will never see that one published. But it was my first experiment to see if I could start and finish something novel-length.

     How many books have you written?

     Five, all for the Christian speculative fiction publisher Marcher Lord Press: The Word Reclaimed (2009) and its sequel, The Word Unleashed (2010); Broken Sight (2011), which follows chronologically after those first two; Crosswind (2012) and its sequel Sandstorm (2013).

     What inspired Sandstorm?

     I had such a blast writing Crosswind that I knew I wanted to revisit the steampunk world of the Sark brothers and take them on a new adventure. This time I patterned the story in a very Indiana Jones­ style way, with ancient ruins, tomb traps and dusty artifacts. But as always it contains a very strong spiritual element, and takes a closer look at this alternate Earth in which Ice Age mammals roam and people flit about in steam-powered airplanes. So I guess you could say it was a mix of factors that inspired this newest story.

     What genres have you written?

     All kinds. The Word Reclaimed, The Word Unleashed, and Broken Sight are all science-fiction. Crosswind and Sandstorm are steampunk. I’m currently working with Vox Day (A Throne of Bones, MLP 2012) on a sci-fi murder mystery and I have a fantasy tale in the mix. So I’ve been dabbling in several genres as of late.

     What is your writing process? Do you write regularly at certain times or just when inspiration hits?

     A little of both. I write every Wednesday between 11:30 and noon before I work the evening shift at the library. Plus, when I work Saturdays, I have Fridays off and since the rest of my family is in school I use those days to catch up. But I also carry a notebook at all times to write down ideas, characters or whole pages when the ideas strike.

     What was your favorite book or author as a teen? What’s your favorite now?

     Back in the 1990s and my young teen days it was the six-book TRIO series by R.A. Montgomery, a post-apocalyptic adventure set in the late 2010s. My wife was kind enough to buy me the whole set for my birthday this year, and I found them just as much fun as I did at 14.

My favorite series right now is Jim Butcher’s Dresiden Files, about Chicago’s only wizard detective, Harry Dresden. I have yet to read one of his books and not chuckle a half dozen times, often aloud.

     Do you have any hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time?

     I love to read (of course) and draw. There’s tons of movies I enjoy watching, long trips I cherish with my family, and games I like playing with my boys. Bicycling and exploring new locales also rate highly on my list.

     Do you have any advice or resources you’d like to share with other writers?

     Just this: write. I know everyone says this is true, but it really is. I echo Michael Connelly, the mystery novelist who appeared as himself on the TV show Castle. His comment: “You know what I did after I wrote my first novel? I shut up and wrote twenty-three more.”

     And finally, where can we find you online?

     You can find me on Facebook and www.steverzasa.com.

     From all of us on YAWA, thanks for joining us.

"Hooking the Reader through World Building" with Sam Graber (part 3)

     Sam Graber is a homeschool graduate and avid reader and writer. He is a college student, and enjoys both playing and arranging music. Sam recently begun a novel titled Korina of Two Worlds, which he hopes to make his first published novel. You can find his author page on Facebook.

     Hey guys. Brian and Alex are both busy this week so I get to step in to give you a few tips on Hooking the Reader through World Building. Today I want to focus specifically on designing an interesting and realistic world, including a little bit about making maps.

 #1: Creating a landscape

     No matter what kind of story you're writing, it's going to be set in some kind of landscape. In a sense, this is similar to Alex's point that the world should reflect the story. In contemporary stories you'll have towns or cities. Often you can find real towns on the map to suit your purposes. Other times, you're creating your own world, so the landscape is up to you. In this case, you'll probably want to take some time to think about what your landscape is going to be like. This is especially important if you're making a map.

     Creating an interesting landscape isn't necessarily essential to a good story, but it can add interest. If you are creating a map, you probably want to make your landscape diverse, or else your map's going to look plain and not very realistic. However, sometimes it can be useful to make a 'plain' map with terrain that wouldn't appear in our world. That way you can draw attention to the world to add interest to the story. Brandon Sanderson does this in the Mistborn books, creating a desolate world where volcanic ashmounts cause ash to rain from the sky. The important thing is, if you're going to make an 'unrealistic' landscape, you'll want to draw attention to it in the story. Otherwise, readers will see your map and assume you were just too lazy to add terrain to it.

     #2: Making your populous realistic
   
     Another thing you'll need to think about for your story is what the populous is like. In particular, I'm going to focus on making your population sizes realistic. This is geared towards people who are building their own world, but it's also important to think about if you're writing in the real world. Are there too many people in the town?

     When creating a world, especially a less advanced world, you have to keep in mind that the cities aren't necessarily going to be the size of New York. The largest cities in the middle ages had populations of a few hundred thousand at the most. London had less than 50,000. Compare this with a present day population of over 8 million for both London and New York! One of the biggest reasons for this difference in population sizes is that farming techniques in the middle ages weren't capable of supporting that many people. If you're creating a medieval world, your population should be somewhere between 30 and 120 people per square mile. The largest city in your kingdom should be something on the order of 15 times the square root of the total population of the kingdom. That's about 15,000 for a kingdom of 1 million, and 47,500 for a kingdom of 10 million. For a more defined formula, as well as other helpful world building details, check out this article on medieval demographics: http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/blueroom/demog.htm.

     #3: Making your battles/wars realistic to the world

     Some of you may not have any major wars in your story, so this may not be relevant to you. For those who do, I want to give you a few tips specifically on making your army sizes realistic. If you have a kingdom with a population of 1 million and a capital of 15,000 people, they're not going to be fighting in a battle with an army of 500,000 men. If they did, the kingdom would experience a severe famine that year and they would probably lose more men to hunger than in battle! In reality, only a very small percent of a kingdom's population is actually going to find its way to the battlefield. Remember, half of the population is women. Unless your world is different, not many of them are going to join the army.

     Lets look at a few of the details. For an average kingdom, about 88% of your population isn't even going to make it to the draft pool for your army. This number is made up of women, men who are too old, boys who are too young, men who are exempt because of their profession, and outlaws who would refuse to serve in the army. Beyond that, only about 10% of your remaining pool (of the 12%) are likely to actually end up in the battle. Some will be unable to fight because of disease. Others will be called away to serve as the kingdom's navy, town watch, border guards, customs agents, bodyguards, garrisons, and camp guards. These men will be a part of the kingdom's military, but they won't actually end up on the battlefield. This leaves us with an estimate of about 1.2% of the kingdom's population on the battlefield. The kingdom with a population of 1 million would only be able to field 12,000 men. Depending on the circumstance, some kingdoms might be able to field more than 1.2% of it's population, but the army size is never going to go beyond 7% without risking a famine in the kingdom. Here's a site with a few more details about army sizes: http://www.writing-world.com/sf/hordes.shtml.


     Well, that concludes our third episode of "Hooking the Reader through World Building". I hope you enjoyed it and got a lot out of it, especially if you're planning to build a world of your own.

Author Interview and Giveaway: Rachelle Rea

     Hey writers. Today I would like to present author and freelance editor Rachelle Rea! Rachelle's a member of both our group and the Go Teen Writers group. In addition, she's offering a special giveaway of a 10-page edit. Don't miss the opportunity to sign up for it.

     And now, on with the interview.

   Tell us a little about yourself first.

   I am a homeschool graduate who sloshed through Algebra and soared through History. I am a college girl attending a Christian university in pursuit of a Communications degree—senior year is almost upon me! I am a freelance editor who loves to perfect punctuation and is fearlessly loyal to semi-colons. 

   I blog about books, writing, and my favorite word at my personal blog, Inspiring Daring, and I can also be found on Meditations of His Love, Kindred Grace, and Adornabelle. 

     How much research do you usually put into your books?

     I write historicals, so plenty. J My writers’ group (Word Weavers) has asked me a number of times how I know all this stuff. And it’s funny because I feel like such a cheater. Some authors say they spend months researching medieval Italy or the anatomy of a WWII bomber plane. Yet I find nonfiction tomes about the Dutch Revolution dry, but I’ll consume a biography about William of Orange and come away from it with all sorts of ideas. I just search the Internet for all the itty-gritty details not included in biographies.
     In other words, there’s no way I would have survived as a novelist pre-Google. J

     What are a few interesting things you’ve studied/researched for your latest novel?

     What nuns wore in the 16^th century (habits were indeed black by then). How far a horse can travel in a day (30-60 miles, depending on the horse’s health). How deep the English Channel is (at it’s deepest, app. 400 feet). The family tree of Philip II of Spain (convoluted). How to say “I love you” in Dutch (Ik hou van jou). 

     How does your real life interact/play a role in/interfere with your writing life?

    

     Oh, I like that you categorize “real life” and “writing life” as different. At this stage of my life (for the entirety of my college/university experience), my real life and writing life have operated in cycles. During semesters, I read, research, outline my next novel, edit my last one. During Christmas Break and summers, I write like mad.

     So, to answer the question, my real life and writing life glare at each other across the room because we all know only one of them can have my attention at a time. Talk to me in a year, though; that may have changed after I’m a college-educated woman no longer bound by the rigidity of the school year. J

     What do you do when you're not writing?

     I go to the beach or blast worship songs in my truck or watch TV dramas or princess movies. At my local YMCA, I coach gymnastics to preschoolers through pre-teens. Children are my joy; stories are my passion. I read. I blog. I blog about the books I’m reading.

     When you read, what is your favorite genre?

     Historical fiction, hands-down. My tastes have stretched recently; I’ll read dystopians (Roth rocks), YA (Stephanie Morrill and Laura Anderson Kurk), and even some contemporary (Jenny B. Jones and Kristen Heitzmann).

     But I start to get cranky after a fast from historical fiction—and a plunge into a different century is the only cure.

     What keeps you motivated?

     A pink sticky note greets me whenever I open the box that holds my earliest “manuscripts” (short stories riddled with perfect protagonists and speaker tags). It says, Write like you’re ten. When I was in middle and high school, I could sit for hours with a pen and paper (I detested the computer then) and just write. Not because I thought I should, but because I loved it. I lost that for a time, but I’ve got it back again: that thirst to put a story down in all its dazzling brilliance—and then edit it until it starts to actually resemble dazzling brilliance.

     If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?

     Can I pick something that’s still related to the publishing industry? I think I’d like to be a publicist. Becoming a book blogger/reviewer has allowed me to use my passion for great stories to get those same great stories into readers’ newsfeeds, hands, and hearts. When I fall in love with a book, I can’t shut up about it (on my blog, social media, or in real life). Doing that for a living would be amazing.

     If you could have time travel abilities and could meet anyone from any time, who would you like to meet?

     Queen Elizabeth I. She has always been my favorite historical figure, because she was daring and utterly unpredictable. I love reading her biographies. Plus, the Elizabethan era is my favorite time period in which to write, so research trip!

     If the Doctor and his Tardis showed up on my front lawn, that would be where I’d ask to go.

     And finally, where can we find you online?

     I love connecting with new friends and kindred spirits! Find me on…

     Facebook // Twitter // Goodreads // Pinterest // Google+ // LinkedIn // Inspiring Daring // My Newsletter

     From all of us at YAWA, thank you so much for being our guest today!

     My pleasure! Thank you for having me!

     And now, it is my pleasure to announce that Rachelle will be offering a 10-page edit to one lucky winner. Don't miss this awesome giveaway.

Rachelle Rea's Giveaway

Why Is That So Popular - Star Wars Edition

     Hey guys. Sam here. Today I want to talk about Star Wars, and a few reasons why I think it's as popular as it is. Star Wars has probably had more fanfiction written on it than almost any other series. Now I think it's picking up some renewed interest with the planned 7th episode coming out.

    First of all, I would like to explore a few reasons why I think Star Wars is popular.

    1: It's extremely imaginative. Star Wars introduces us to a large and extremely diverse array of weapons, starships, worlds, people, and even droids. Many of these ideas have influenced other science fiction works as well. As one of the pioneers of the science fiction genre, Star Wars has had a strong impact on the way we view sci-fi today.

     2: Star Wars was filmed on the cutting edge of computer generation techniques and special effects. I think this was a strong contributing factor in its initial popularity, as it allowed viewers glimpses of other worlds which were previously unavailable to them on the movie screen.



     3: The Star Wars story includes themes that are common and yet we enjoy seeing them played out with fresh variations. We have the rebel alliance, a relatively small organized rebellion that is facing seemingly hopeless odds as it struggles against the empire, and yet they prevail in the end. We also have Luke, the young 'rookie' hero who grows to become a key factor in the rebellion.

     4: Last but not least, Star Wars was also one of the pioneers into the world of epic movie soundtracks. It's one of the first major soundtracks in which the composer used themes to illustrate the scene in the music as well as the movie itself. One of the most recognizable is the dramatic imperial theme, which can often be heard in the background when imperial soldiers are shown on-screen.

     Thanks for joining us for our Star Wars edition of Why Is That So Popular. I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave a comment to let us know why you think Star Wars is so popular.

Author Interview: Morgan L. Busse

      Hey guys, Sam Graber here. Today I have the privilege of being introduce you to one of my favorite authors: Morgan L. Busse. I featured her book Daughter of Light in my Little Names, Big Stories post a few weeks ago.

Hi Morgan, we're so glad to have you here today. Tell us a little about yourself.

I am married to a wonderful man who is the pastor of a young church in Kansas. Together we are raising four children, two dogs, two cats, and two guinea pigs. When I am not writing, I love to read, bike, and play games with my family.

 

 

     How long have you been writing?

     I have now been writing for over eight years. Whew, that is a long time!

     Why did you start writing? Did you always want to be a writer?

     I was not one of those people who decided when they were six they would be a writer. But looking back, I realize that storytelling was in my blood. I would write plays and perform them for my family or write stories and illustrate them (there was one about a super hero squirrel, complete with a tiny red cape).

     I didn’t start writing until shortly after my second child was born. By then I had fallen in love with speculative fiction and was devouring any book I could find. One day I walked into a Christian book store and asked to see their fantasy section (I laugh about that now). The lady gave me a weird look and pointed to the one Frank Peretti book they had on the bottom shelf. I couldn’t believe it. That’s it?
     I went home and shared my disappointment with my husband. He said I should write a Christian fantasy. I said no way! But then a couple months later on a trip to Seattle, I had this idea of a young woman with a mark on her hand that allowed her to see inside people’s souls. And that is how my first novel, Daughter of Light, was born.

 

     What is your writing process? Do you write regularly at certain times or just when inspiration hits?

     I try and write everyday. Most of the time that is about 500-1,000 words. But sometimes life intervenes and I don’t write. For example, my children are home for the summer. Four children does not equal a nice, quiet house. So I’ve learned to fit in what I can, but be fine if I miss a day here or there. I never want my children growing up believing writing was more important than they were.

 

    

     If you could only share one piece of advice with aspiring authors, what would it be?

     Don’t be so focused on being published that you forget to live life. If you are married, enjoy your spouse. If you have children, enjoy the years you have with them. The writing will always be there, but the relationships may not. So enjoy them now. When the highs and lows in writing hit, it is the relationships in your life that will keep you grounded.

     Which are you - panster or plotter?

     I am a plotter. I have to know how the book begins, how it will end, and the main plot events before I write a book. My outline is like my map, showing me where I need to go next. However, I don’t plot out every detail, so I can be surprised as I am writing along. That helps keep the story fresh and exciting.

 

     Are you planning any other books?

     Yes. I have a steampunk novel that I am slowly plotting out right now. I also have a potential series set in the same world as Follower of the Word, only it takes place 400 years before and explains what happened during the Nordic Wars.

 

How many books have you written?

So far I have written two books, both in the Follower of the Word series (Daughter of Light and Son of Truth) with a third one in the works.

 

What are a few interesting things you’ve studied/researched for your latest novel?

Different knife fighting styles. I discovered a little known sicilian knife fighting technique that fit the personality of Caleb Tala (an assassin in my book).

 

 

 

     What’s your outlook on fan fiction?

     I enjoyed fan fiction long before I became a writer. I think as long as people put the appropriate disclaimers on their work and give credit to the original author, and the author doesn’t mind them playing in his or her world, then fan fiction is a fine way to exercise ideas, writing skills, and story enthusiasm. It is said that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and fan fiction is just that: imitating a story or author that you love. 

 

     When you read, what is your favorite genre?

     I read almost everything if it is a good story. I probably lean more toward the speculative, but I also enjoy historicals, suspense, even romance.

 

     If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?

     I was originally heading into the medical field, specifically research, when God changed the direction of my life. Instead, I worked my husband through seminary and became a mother. Looking back, I’m sure I would have enjoyed a medical career, but I don’t think I would have ever became a writer. I like God’s plan for my life better than the one I had charted out.

 

 

     What's the weirdest thing you've Googled?

     Funeral practices. There are some pretty interesting ways people take care of the dead!

 

     And finally, where can we find you online?

 

     Website: www.morganlbusse.com

     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morganlbusseauthor

     Twitter: https://twitter.com/MorganLBusse (@MorganLBusse)

     Thanks so much for joining us today!

The Written Word - Korina of Two Worlds

Kira Hellweg is a recent graduate with a passion for music, Jesus Christ, and (oh, yeah) writing. She is the unpublished author of The Legend of Harthore, which is currently in the editorial stage. Legend will be followed by The Legacy of Harthore and finally The Legion of Harthore to complete the imminent Trilogy of Harthore. To follow her coming adventures and writing, check out her blog, The Long-Expected Journey.


Welcome to The Written Word (TWW for short) on YAWA. This series (managed by yours truly) on our blog will be focused on the most important thing to the majority of our readers - the actual writing. Every Thursday, we will share an excerpt from someone's writing, published or not. To start, the five admins will feature sections of our own WIPs. We hope you enjoy our writing, and feel free to email us at yawriters.alumni@gmail.com if you'd like to see your own writing featured!

Last week's segment of TWW featured an Author Spotlight on Ms. Trixie Hall's WIP The Program and I - be sure to take a look in the blog history if you missed it. This week on YAWA, we bring you another teaser from one of our admins, Sam Graber!








Sam Graber is a homeschool graduate and avid reader and writer. He is a college student, and enjoys both playing and arranging music. Sam recently began a novel entitled Korina of Two Worlds, which he hopes to make his first published novel. You can find his author page on Facebook: Sam Graber, Author.

Born an Anaian, raised a Lithelian, Korina seeks to find where she truly belongs.

   Korina’s mother was killed by an assassin in the pay of a misguided Anaian nobleman just days

after her birth, leaving her in the charge of her godmother, Merilwen of Lithelia. Korina has a hard 

time fitting in in Lithelia, where the people are of the blue-skinned lithus race. Fearing that the same 

assassin would one day find Korina, Merilwen had her trained to beat assassins at their own game.

   Now years later, the council of Lithelia wishes to make use of her skills to protect Lady Roble, an 

Anaian noblewoman who may be the key to Lithelia’s survival. For years, a strong prejudice has 

grown between the humans and lithus. Now the Anaians are on the brink of declaring a war of 

extermination against Lithelia. Only Lady Roble stands in the way, and she may soon be the target of 

assassination by her misguided countrymen. It is up to Korina to protect Lady Roble while in the 

guise of a maid. But Korina, who was raised among the lithus, fears she will never be able to blend 

into the Anaian culture.

Excerpt from Korina of Two Worlds

by Sam Graber

(c) 2013

Little Names, Big Stories: Daughter of Light

Little Name: Morgan L. Busse

Big Story: Daughter of Light

Chosen By: Sam Graber

Goodreads Description: What is that mark? As the Shadonae rise in the west and war threatens the north, a young woman discovers she is not human . . . Rowen Mar finds a strange mark on her hand, and she is banished from her village as a witch. She covers the mark with a leather glove and seeks sanctuary in the White City. She lives in fear that if she touches another person, the power inside her will trigger again, a terrifying power that allows her to see the darkness inside the human heart . . . But the mark is a summons, and those called cannot hide forever. For the salvation of her people lies within her hand.

Why this story is so big to me: Daughter of Light is an incredibly gripping story and an example of good character development. Each of the characters has flaws and struggles that make them easy to relate to. The book also includes a unique and thought provoking style of “magic”, which requires the wielders to make sacrifices in order to help others.

About the author: Morgan L. Busse writes stories about the hope that in darkness there is light. She currently resides in the Midwest with her husband and four children. Daughter of Light is her first novel. Visit Morgan at www.morganlbusse.com

You can buy the book here