Into Another World is a book review and writing blog featuring author interviews and insight to how writers think about themselves, their work, and their careers. The blog is hosted by Susan Leigh Noble, author of a trilogy of fantasy novels about dragons, magic, and a telepathic cat.
Her first novel, THE ELEMENTAL: SUMMONED, is the story of Lina, who discovers she carries the long-lost art of fire-starting, using nothing but her thoughts. When a strange urge compels her to travel from her homeland, she finds there is much in the world her family never told her. Her journey takes her to a foreign land filled with gypsies, magic, and mystical creatures she had only dreamed of. As she begins to use her innate Elemental power, she becomes more certain someone is using magic against her. There's more to the world than heaven and earth.
As for Into Another World, Noble also includes advice on writing, and for her audience a basic concept is creating believable magic. Her advice, "There must be limits on magic otherwise the person using magic would always win and there would be no conflict in your story," may sound obvious, but clearly there's a hook here. Merlin couldn't do everything, neither can Harry Potter. Even Superman can't see through lead with his x-ray vision, and of course he loses his powers around kryptonite.
So, the question for you is, "What's your writing kryptonite?" What is it that's keeping your writing from going mainstream and catching a larger audience? Does your overall story need punching-up? Do your characters need to go from minor cardboard cutouts to believable individuals? Or do you just need to define the magic and keep it real enough for your readers to enjoy the story's realism and accept that the skies can be filled with dragons in your fantasy land?
Whatever the answers, don't be discouraged. There are a million other authors out there wishing they could sell their work. If you are working daily on your stories, you already ahead of the pack. Keep your story believable, keep your characters compelling, and keep your pace steady most of the time but with snippets of break-neck speed and you're on your way!
Thanks for reading - Al W Moe
Her first novel, THE ELEMENTAL: SUMMONED, is the story of Lina, who discovers she carries the long-lost art of fire-starting, using nothing but her thoughts. When a strange urge compels her to travel from her homeland, she finds there is much in the world her family never told her. Her journey takes her to a foreign land filled with gypsies, magic, and mystical creatures she had only dreamed of. As she begins to use her innate Elemental power, she becomes more certain someone is using magic against her. There's more to the world than heaven and earth.
As for Into Another World, Noble also includes advice on writing, and for her audience a basic concept is creating believable magic. Her advice, "There must be limits on magic otherwise the person using magic would always win and there would be no conflict in your story," may sound obvious, but clearly there's a hook here. Merlin couldn't do everything, neither can Harry Potter. Even Superman can't see through lead with his x-ray vision, and of course he loses his powers around kryptonite.
So, the question for you is, "What's your writing kryptonite?" What is it that's keeping your writing from going mainstream and catching a larger audience? Does your overall story need punching-up? Do your characters need to go from minor cardboard cutouts to believable individuals? Or do you just need to define the magic and keep it real enough for your readers to enjoy the story's realism and accept that the skies can be filled with dragons in your fantasy land?
Whatever the answers, don't be discouraged. There are a million other authors out there wishing they could sell their work. If you are working daily on your stories, you already ahead of the pack. Keep your story believable, keep your characters compelling, and keep your pace steady most of the time but with snippets of break-neck speed and you're on your way!
Thanks for reading - Al W Moe
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