The King of Carentan

Young twins, Jehanna and Jehan, are abandoned, presumed orphaned off the coast of Tennengaul. Brought up by a poor family in a small fishing village, they set out one day on an adventure that takes them across the country to find their fortune and discover their talents. Jehanna develops a skill for herbs and healing, while Jehan trains to be a soldier in a local garrison.

The new King of Carentan at only eighteen years of age is confronted by a national threat from the Southern Lands that soon becomes a threat to the entire Western Isles. Only months into his reign, it falls to Gereinte Andolin to draw together the combined might of the divided Western Isles to stand up to the threat of the Chevaliers of Arrontierre. But will it be enough? Read more…

Why we love a coming-of-age story

Coming-of-age is a genre that typically has a young protagonist who goes on a journey to find meaning to their life. We follow their moral and psychological growth from youth to adulthood with the expectation that they will face significant barriers along the way. They may make mistakes and face life or death circumstances, but the key factor is that the character learns from their experience and changes as a result.

The genre of Fantasy Fiction loves a coming-of-age story. The story arc takes our young protagonist on a journey that often starts with loss or alienation; think Harry Potter, or The Hunger Games. A common theme is the discovery of magical or special powers; Name of the Wind, A Wizard of Earthsea, and part of the quest is to discover how to use this special gift for good. This opens up the genre to that age-old battle between good and evil, often introducing a dark antagonist; Lord of the Rings, The Belgariad.

My all time favourite is The Thief by Megan Whelan Turner and its sequel The Queen of Attolia, which strictly speaking, you might not class as a coming-of-age story. However, it has all the elements that make it so in my mind; a young protagonist who faces a journey which forces him to make moral and psychological choices, love, loss – both physical and emotional – and circumstances that demand him to take responsibility not only for himself but for his family and his nation. Add to that a dash of supernatural powers, a few good fight scenes and I am sold.

We can all identify with the loss of innocence; right from the moment we discover that it is really our parents who are putting presents under the Christmas tree. As adults, our whole lives are coloured by perspectives that do not limit the imagination of the young. Somehow, we long to rid ourselves of the shackles of rational thought and return once again to that age of innocence, when life was so much simpler. So the coming-of-age story allows us to relive a life less complicated and find the answers to our own adult conundrums through youthful eyes. What’s not to love about that?

So what can I bring to bear from personal experience on this well documented genre? Well, I’m still waiting to come of age, so in the meantime I’ll just carry on writing stories.

Modern Faery Tale

Here is a modern take on a classic Faery tale.

Can you guess which one it is?

Bewildering Stories

 

A life of crime?

Just received news that I have been selected as one of 9 runners up in a crime writing competition run by Pan Macmillan and the award winning author M. R. Hall, who was nominated twice for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger for best novel of the year and is also a BAFTA-nominated screenwriter and producer, having written more than forty hours of prime time drama for BBC 1 and ITV.

The competition was opened up after completing a fantastic online course where M. R. Hall reveals his Seven Secrets of Successful Crime Writing.

Following the online videos, tips and worksheets has inspired me to complete my first crime novel and provided a much needed structure to a story that I have been struggling with for some time.

Thank you, M. R. Hall and Pan Macmillan for this fantastic opportunity!

Vertical Publishing

In this article from Futurebook, Chris McVeigh, digital publishing consultant considers the idea of Vertical Publishing.

Publishing as we know it is rapidly changing and any organisation, be it publisher, bookseller, retailer or writer alike, needs to adjust their business plan to take account of these changes.