Posters, Bookmarks, and Another Question

Before I get to the next question, I wanted to show you a couple of new goodies Shadow Mountain created for my signings and school visits. This is the poster. The words in white on the left side read, ?First find the Water Keep. Take Courage?the magic is already inside you.?


The is the front and back of the bookmark.

FarWorld Bookmark - Upload a doc

Read this doc on Scribd: FarWorld Bookmark

Great timing because I?m actually doing my first school presentation tomorrow. I?ll let you know how it goes.

Now on to the next question.

Growing up, I knew one of my grandfathers a little. He was my father?s father, but died when I was still pretty young. I do remember going out to his house in Carson City, NV and looking for arrow heads with him. Also playing horseshoes. But that?s pretty much it.

I knew my father?s stepfather better. He was a tough old carpenter who could start a hand-crank tractor with one hand, calculate how many board feet of lumber he?d need to build a house in his head, and who used to pour turpentine on open wounds to avoid infection. He also used to scare the crap out of us kids by wielding an axe and popping out his false teeth.

The grandfather I knew the longest and the best was my mother?s father. He was an independent sort who never worked for another person in his life. When my mom was born (back when you used to pay cash for medical care and stay in the hospital for a month after the birth of a baby), he showed up and said, ?I sold a bracelet. So you can stay in the hospital for another week.? He also used to travel across the country selling oven cleaner he?d made in the bathtub of a hotel to local restaurants. Some other time I?ll tell you about the time he left his new bride standing on the corner while he ducked out for a burger. That took a while to live down!

Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because my maternal grandfather gave me some advice relating to sales that also applies to World Builder Robin?s question about, oddly enough, world building. He said that too many salespeople are afraid to get on the phone or go knock on doors until they have studied all their manuals, prepared all their forms, done plenty of research, sharpened all of their pencils . . . you get the idea. He said that you should be prepared, but sometimes you?re better off to just go out and make sales calls.

Daren and Anna gave some great advice. It?s true that fantasy readers want to understand the rules of a new world. How does magic work? What is the currency? What is the hierarchy of the good guys and the bad guys? The civilization. The history. All that good stuff gives a depth that makes the world more real.

You actually can get away with a lot less background information when writing for a younger audience. There are two reasons for this. One is that a younger audience just doesn?t care that much about what makes things work. Mostly they just want to see them in action. The second reason is that the younger your readers, the less patience they have for back story. They would never endure all the filler information of Tolkien or Robert Jordon.

Even with YA or adult fantasy though, you can do too much research. Honestly, many times you don?t even know what you don?t know until you dive into writing the story. The nice thing is, you can take notes as you go and fill in extra details later. And once you do have the information, be careful about how and when you present it. In my opinion, Tolkien would have a difficult time getting published today, because he spent so much time on language, songs, poetry, side stories, politics, history. If you can, it?s much better to present the information in context. Implied history is also cool. If I mention an archive of old scrolls in passing, I don?t have to show them all right now. And remember, if you are doing a series, it may not be necessary to show your entire hand right away. Sometimes it?s better to leave a few things shrouded in mystery at first.

I like to set up information for future books. I have a character hint at what happened when he was gone for a while. But don?t tell any more in the first book. I explain enough of how magic works to satisfy (hopefully) young and old readers alike. But I leave plenty for the protagonists to discover along with the reader. One example of this is a character who wants a magic wand really bad. The wizard tells him that his wand will find him when his magic is ready for it. Not to be a spoiler, but that doesn?t happen in this book. It?s enough that the reader understands the role of a wand in this world, and that at some future point the wand may appear.

I know quite a bit about my world, but there is plenty more I will discover along the way. One thing I am a stickler for?and this is just me?is not starting a series or a book until you know the end. One of the most fun things for me in a series is having things set up in earlier books for later books. Sometimes the things I set up are obvious enough that an alert reader may catch them and think, ?Aha! I?ll bet this will come into play later.? Other times the reader won?t even know I am setting something up. But either way, it gives your series a feeling of continuity or circularity you wouldn?t otherwise have.

So, I guess my answer is: before you publish the book, you need a pretty solid knowledge of your world. But sometimes it?s best to just dive right in and figure things out as you go.

Marketing Part III?Finding the Magic

When I was in eighth grade, my family moved from Pleasant Hill, CA to New Providence, New Jersey. I soon met another boy my age who lived just down the street. He was seriously into rock and roll, and introduced me to a lot of the groups I came to love. He also taught me the basics of playing the bass guitar. One day I asked him what kinds of books he liked to read.

I have to stop here for a minute to point out how important books have been in my life. Some kids played sports, some played musical instruments. Some kids spent all their time watching TV, or in generations after mine, playing computer or video games. Some kids spent all their time at the movie theater. I spent not all my time, but a great deal of it, with books. I actually used to cut school to go to the library. (Not suggesting that at all Brian and Anna!) The point is, I grew up surrounding myself with all the books I could get my hands on. That?s why I was beyond shocked when my friend told me he didn?t read books. Not that he couldn?t read them?he was fully capable of reading?he just didn?t like to.

That very day, I gave him a copy of S.E. Hinton?s classic novel of rival gangs, ?The Outsiders.? I remember coming to his house a few days later. The first words out of his mouth were, ?I had no idea anyone wrote books like this.? Within the month, he?d read every Hinton book published at the time and was looking for other books to read as well. I don?t know if reading those books changed his life or not. We moved a few years later. But I do know the statistics about kids who read vs. kids who don?t, and let me tell you they are astounding. Do a little research on the effects of literacy and you?ll be amazed.

Here I am, thirty plus years later, with the incredible opportunity of making a full time living writing the very kinds of books I loved to read as a kid (and still do for that matter.) It seems to me, I have not only the opportunity to share the?I was going to say importance, but that?s the wrong word. To share the love of reading with kids who think the only thing that can hold their attention comes on a screen or a monitor.

Fortunately, my publisher feels the same way. When my book comes out, they will send me on a two week tour of schools all across the country. In addition, they will send me to even more schools throughout the course of the year. Every one of their YA fantasy authors has the opportunity to do this. In addition, each of the authors brings a unique message all their own. James Dashner calls his tour the ?Change the World Tour.? Brandon Mull?s tour focuses on using your imagination. I?m planning on calling my tour the?and this shouldn?t surprise anyone here??Find Your Magic Tour.?

My publisher will probably shoot me for this, but I?m going to post a small section of my book. Since I haven?t received my final edits yet, this could change. But I?ll take my chances. I want you to understand a little of why I call this blog, the Find Your Magic blog and why my tour will focus on the same thing. Here?s a little snippet from Farworld?Water.

Master Therapass glanced suspiciously up at Riph Raph, and the skyte quickly averted its big yellow eyes. ?Come, little one, and sit.? The wizard pointed a finger at Kyja?s chair and she reluctantly took a seat.

The old man stroked his long gray beard, his face crinkled in thought. ?Kyja,? he said softly. ?A horse may wish to fly. And it may briefly be able to launch itself into the air. But shortly it must return to land again. A duck may wish to carry a melody like a song bird. A goat may wish to swim beneath the waters. But ultimately, every animal, plant, even the rock in the field, must accept what it is, and in doing so, fulfill the measure of its creation.?

Kyja could feel her lips trembling as her eyes began to fill with tears. ?You?re saying I should quit trying? Just give up??

?Is casting spells really so important?? he asked, his deep brown eyes mirroring the pain in her glistening green ones.

?Yes!? Kyja cried leaping from her chair. ?Everyone has some magic. Cooks, farmers, blacksmiths. Babies turn their rattles into sweets. Mothers command scrub brushes to wash their children. Even plants and animals have magic.?

?Everyone but you.?

?Exactly!? Kyja began pacing about the room. ?I?m an outcast. It?s not bad enough I can?t do magic. But I can?t even take part in the magic the other kids do. Charms don?t work on me, spells bounce off, potions might as well be water for all the good they do me. I can?t play in any of their games.?

Master Therapass traced his boney fingers across the surface of the table. ?Don?t you see, little one? The very fact that magic does not affect you makes you special.?

?Not special?strange.? Kyja said, unable to stop the tears from dripping down her cheeks. ?Do you have any idea how I feel when the other kids make fun because I can?t do spells? They laugh behind my back and call me halfwit. They say I have to live in a barn because I?m as dumb as a cow. I don?t want to be different. I want to fit in.?

She waved her hand up at Riph Raph. ?Even he has . . .? Sudden understanding dawned on her as she stared up at the little skyte. ?It was you, wasn?t it? You were the one who made my hairclip move.?

Riph Raph tucked his head under his wing in shame. ?I?m sorry,? he said, his voice muffled. ?I just wanted to help. I was watching you try so hard. And I was concentrating with you. And suddenly . . .?

?Ohhhh,? Kyja cried. She dropped into her chair, burying her face in her arms. ?I?ll never be able to do magic. Never!?

?There, there.? The old wizard hobbled around the table and laid his hand gently upon the back of Kyja?s head. When her sobs changed to sniffles, he took her chin in his knobby fingers and raised it so she was looking into his eyes.

?Listen to me,? he said, his face dark and serious. ?You are right. Everything does have magic in it. From the smallest insect to the mighty trees of Before Time.?

Kyja looked up at him miserably. ?But not me.?

Master Therapass smiled. ?Even you, little one. But magic is not just spells. The magic you see on the outside?making pots and pans fly or brewing potions to make boys swoon before you?is but a tiny fraction of the power of true magic. The real power of magic lies within you. Who you are, what you do, and most importantly of all, what you may become.?

Kyja wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. ?You really think I might have some magic inside me then??

The wizard nodded. ?I know it.?

There you have it. The first public posting of any content from Book 1. If you see Lisa or Chris, we?ll just keep this quiet. But hopefully this will give you a small taste of a theme that seems to keep coming back in the book, and I?m sure in the series, although I didn?t intend that when I started writing. Every one of us has magic inside. I know that sounds corny, but I believe it wholeheartedly.

I can?t sing if my life depends on it, but when I listen to someone with a beautiful voice sing, it feels like I?m witnessing magic. When you see a painting that seems so incredible you can?t believe anyone made it with their own hands, tell me a part of you deep inside doesn?t believe some kind of magic had to be involved. Those are big examples, but little acts of magic happen around us all the time. One little kid cheering another kid up. A girl discovering she can play the flute. A boy discovering he stinks at kickball but is good in drama.

That?s the message I want to take to kids all across the US, and hopefully across the world. Every one of you has magic inside. All you have to do is start looking for it and eventually you?ll find it.

Of course this is still marketing. I?ll be selling books along the way. That?s what pays for the tour. But in way, that?s a kind of magic too. Because people buying books provide enough money that I can go to even more schools and spread the message to more kids. All of you have magic inside you and what better way to discover what it might be than reading books about different people in far away places.

I?m sure there must be a better job than writing books and telling kids how great they are, but if there is, I can?t imagine what it would be.