I’m participating in NaNoWriMo 2014! This is my first year so I’m very excited.
NaNoWriMo, for those who don’t know, is National Novel Writing Month. It’s a challenge to write a 50k novel in the month of November and it’s a great cause.
The novel I’m writing is a new stand alone called ‘The Blessed Cursed.’ While still a Fantasy, this novel is more serious than my previous works and targeted towards adults. Unfortunately I’m a bit behind my word count as I’m trying to plan a wedding as well. But I’ll get there in the end!
I’m raising money to help the nonprofit that runs it:
Value and encourage all writers’ voices, no matter their gender, race, or background.
Provide free curriculum, workbooks, and virtual tools to students and educators in 2,000 classrooms.
Guide 700+ community leaders in building vibrant, writing and literacy-focused oases in their local neighborhoods, libraries, and bookstores.
Every dollar I raise will make a difference in the lives of so many. More importantly, your contribution will help the nonprofit behind National Novel Writing Month build a more engaged and inspiring world. You can help by:
Spreading the word, and sharing my page with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, or email.
Thank you so much for your support of my writing! To sweeten the deal even more, anyone who donates $35 or more will receive a free copy of Birth By Fire’s Embrace! To claim, just put your name on the donation and shoot me an email via the Contact page.
This week we are chatting with American Author Michael Fedison. Hi Mike!! Let’s dive straight in.
How long have you been a writer?
For as long as I can remember! Actually, I can in fact pinpoint the moment I knew I wanted to write creatively. It was in the second grade, and the teacher gave us an assignment to write a two-page paper on anything. I decided to write a short story, called “The Magic Key.” I’ve been hooked ever since.
What inspired you to write your first book?
Well, my first published novel is The Eye-Dancers, a YA sci-fi/fantasy novel. So many things inspired me to write this story. The main characters are all based on friends I knew growing up. The themes in the novel–friendship; coming of age; the struggles, achievements, and pressures of adolescence; quantum physics and parallel worlds; dreams; perception versus reality; and, in fact, the very nature of what we term “reality”–all resonate with me. I suppose it’s safe to say that I believe this was a novel I was meant and born to write.
What type of genre do you write in and why do you enjoy writing in this genre?
While The Eye-Danvers is YA sci-fi/fantasy, I don’t really limit myself to a single genre. As a writer, and as a reader, my interests are diverse. Many of my short stories, for example, are mainstream. I write about the things that matter to me–in whatever genre they may fall.
Where do you find your inspiration and what motivates you?
That’s a good question. I honestly feel that writing is innate–some individuals are simply born to write. The short answer is–everything motivates me! Life motivates me. The world. From an early age, my interaction with the world has always needed expression, and the way I express myself best is on the printed (or digital, as the case may be!) page.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Ray Bradbury tops the list. His imagination, enthusiasm, and poetic style have captivated me for years. I am also a big Truman Capote fan–he is a true master of the craft. And–though in a different medium–I am a huge fan of the original black-and-white Twilight Zone. Rod Serling was a humanist–someone who cared about the human condition and then wrote imaginative stories that force his audience to look more closely at themselves and the world around them.
Author Michael Fedison
What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
As most writers would answer, I’m sure, I love to read. Books are steadfast and loyal friends. I also enjoy most sports, with tennis my favorite. And I love to learn. Very few things strike me as “boring.” A single lifetime is nowhere near long enough to learn all the things I’d like to learn . . .
How many books/stories have you written? Do you have a favorite?
I’ve actually written four novels, but The Eye-Dancers is the only one seeing the light of day at the moment! I have written numerous short stories. It’s hard to select a favorite. Each story stems from a certain period or aspect of my life, and each one means something to me. But I would still choose The Eye-Dancers as my favorite.
When you write, do you have a routine?
Not really. Sometimes it’s just a challenge trying to carve out adequate time to write! It’s really a write-when-you-can kind of thing.
Tell us a bit about your latest book:
If I may, I’d like to use the official blurb for The Eye-Dancers for this one! . . .
Seventh-grader Mitchell Brant and three of his classmates inexplicably wake up at the back edge of a softball field to the sounds of a game, the cheering of the crowd. None of them remembers coming here. And as they soon learn, “here” is like no place they’ve ever seen. Cars resemble antiques from the 1950s. There are no cell phones, no PCs. Even the spelling of words is slightly off.
A compulsive liar, constantly telling fantastic stories to garner attention and approval, Mitchell can only wish this were just one more of his tall tales. But it isn’t. It’s all too real. Together, as they confront unexpected and life-threatening dangers, Mitchell and his friends must overcome their bickering and insecurities to learn what happened, where they are, and how to get back home.
The answers can be found only in the mysterious little girl with the blue, hypnotic eyes. The one they had each dreamed of three nights in a row before arriving here. She is their only hope. And, as they eventually discover, they are her only hope.
And time is running out.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Honestly, I don’t think so. I know it’s far from perfect–no book is ever 100% perfect, not even the masterpieces. But with The Eye-Dancers, I wrote about a subject and characters I love, and I worked as hard on it as I could. No regrets.
What do you find is the hardest part of writing your book?
Writing a novel is like running a marathon. It’s such a long and winding road. There are times when you doubt yourself, doubt your writing, your ideas, your story. Simply pushing forward when ideas are running dry and when belief is at low tide is probably the biggest hurdle.
What do you find is the easiest part of writing your book?
Getting lost in the story. Allowing the characters to tell the story themselves. Flying high in the creative furnace of the first draft, when the words flow and the paragraphs build, one upon the other. The flourish of writing the first draft in those moments when everything is spilling out of you is the high point of the writing process, and one of the greatest feelings in life.
Is this book part of a series?
Originally, I conceived The Eye-Dancers as a stand-alone novel. But I am now working on a sequel! It was unplanned, but the idea hit me with purpose–it was a story I knew I needed to write. The sequel takes place five years after the conclusion of The Eye-Dancers, and writing the story from that perspective, with the characters older, has been interesting and fun.
The Eye Dancers by Michael Fedison
Tell us about the cover. What do you like best about it?
The cover is eye-catching (no pun intended!). I owe a debt of gratitude to Matt Gaston, a lifelong friend and very talented graphic designer and visual artist. He took my conception of what the cover should look like and turned it into a work of art. Thanks, old friend!
How many of your books are published?
As of this moment, The Eye-Dancers is the only novel published. The sequel will come out hopefully by the end of 2015. I have also had short stories published in small, literary magazines.
Write what you love, love what you write. Don’t worry about what’s “hot” or trending. Write the things that pull at the strings of your heart, that grab hold and won’t let go until you let them out onto the page. Write the ideas, stories, poems, novels you are meant to write. It will make all the difference.
If you could go back 10 years, is there anything you would change or warn yourself about?
Not really. I try not to “go there” with my thoughts. The best you can do, always, is make the decisions you think are right at the time you make them. As long as you do your best, there are no regrets.
Where do you hope to be in 10 years?
Best-selling novelist, of course.:)
How can readers discover more about you and your work?
The best place is The Eye-Dancers website. Please stop in for a visit!
Thanks for your time Michael. The Eye Dancers sounds like a fantastic book and I wish you all the best luck for the future!
Michael is currently running a promotion for The Eye-Dancers. If 50 copies are sold between s few weeks ago and January 4, 2015, he will award a $125 gift card to a randomly selected winner. Details for the promo are provided in the following blog post . . .
Ashleigh Galvin, Author 