ANK on Could I Be A Full Time Author?

Writing to my heart's content, being able to immerse myself in my stories all day - every day. Powering up my laptop in the morning and not leaving it until those 5k plus words are achieved... or more...
Sounds like a blissful existence - right? I would agree... where it not for the pesky little thing called "life," which kind of stops once you retreat to your "writer's corner."
I know it - because I live a writer's life... part-time at least. And I love it! I love the days of the week, which I have "to myself" - mundane tasks of daily life permitting. Because, no - I am not rich and cannot afford to pay somebody to do my washing, cleaning, cooking and shopping for me. This is still all very much a DIY job. And it bloody gets in the way of writing!
It doesn't get in the way of my "proper job" - the one that not only pays the bills but keeps me connected to reality; the people, the science, daily trivia, and - not so trivial - current affairs.
The commute to work gets me talking to people, the work I do gets me thinking outside the irreality-box (that's my brain in author mode. Because let's face it: anything goes in fiction!)
As much as I hate leaving my laptop behind: it is also essential for me to get away from it.
Even if it is only for a walk, taking in the scenery on #Anglesey is beautiful, breathtaking, and endlessly inspiring. I can go out and come back with bags full of ideas. Ideas, I couldn't come up with by sitting in m "writer's corner" and wrecking my brain.
A lot of my third novel, Homecoming (Sphere-World Series Book 3) is happening on Anglesey. Not only because of its natural beauty, and inspiring environment,  but also because it is a place of great mysticism, with a history drenched in myth and lore; a place that once was considered to be the centre of the #Druid world.
I am not a Druid, but Druidry is still an integral part of Welsh life, rich in history, and shrouded in mythology. Therefore, I examine it and learn about it. I can easily relate to its concept of living in harmony with Nature - not as an unknowing slave to its rhythm, but as a knowledgeable scientist, who understands its workings.

As a scientist, I endorse the educational aspects of Druidry.
As an author, I am intrigued by its mysticism and history.

As an author, I need the interaction with reality: real people, real problems, real life, real world. I couldn't write fiction otherwise.
I am glad I realise those restrictions. It makes me feel less guilty about not writing. Because I know it is not a waste of time, but a period of gathering ideas, digesting new impressions, think outside my brain-box.
And in a writer's life, that translates into words, and there is nothing better than sitting down and being able to hammer away at the keyboard, getting down those precious words, which get you closer to finishing your novel.

Din Lligwy; Ancient Settlement near Moelfre on the Isle of Anglesey

ANK on what I write

I write what I read. I read a lot, and the books I finish usually inspire me.
I love a book that keeps me hooked. The best ones render me oblivious to my surroundings.
Ask my partner - he knows all about spirited-away, unresponsive me who sits glued to her book and forgets about the here and now. Bliss!
You think that's bad? I am even worse when writing! I forget the time, I forget to eat (no worries! I have enough reserves to keep me going. Not going to wither away anytime soon...), and I get annoyed if the real world starts making demands; like the postman calling or the telephone ringing.
I love to immerse myself in the worlds of my stories. Love to fight my protagonists' battles, live their conflicts, feel their heartache.
I am a sucker for the not-so-obvious. I love the stories, which break genre-moulds. Stories that veer off the beaten track. I love genre mixers, genre breakers, and books that take novel twists on old favourites. The ones, which make you gasp and say to yourself: "I didn't see that one coming..."

Immortal beasts that become mortal, the epitome of evil transformed into something beautiful, and romantic heroines who leave the love of their life to stay true to themselves.

Casual flings rather than a full-blown love affair? Bring it on!

Aliens are just another species within our universe? Brilliant! Take the para out of paranormal, and it becomes - well, normal I guess.

And that means humanity has to deal with it.
How they deal with it, and with each other, depends on their background, the world they are in, the changes they undergo on a personal level, and on a species level. The permutations are endless! And I love this playing field, which is so full of possibilities.
A story may be going down an obvious path. But who says, that the protagonists will not choose one of the many trails, that veer off the beaten tracks and explore the hidden possibilities - the sinister side of the story, the side that divides the readers?
I love to read a story, that stretches my imagination; a story that toys with taboos and "what ifs." A story that makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, but manages to not completely alienate me.
I love thought-provoking, but I don't appreciate provocative thrown in-your-face, eat-or-die statements that won't allow exploring both sides of the coin.
For me, the fine art of crafting a story lies in finding a way to make the reader see right beyond the surface and make him/her appreciate the hidden beauty of the beast.

From Disney to Fallen Angels; ANK on naming characters

Apart from flagging up my already dodgy browsing history, name-chasing for my characters can be somewhat tricky.
Mostly, they introduce themselves, some bumble along with my stories until the end, change their identity halfway through, and then some more before they finally settle on a name.
Those usually have faces, features, and full-blown personalities long before they pick their names.
And that can be a bit of a struggle. They are picky, they are fussy, and they take their own sweet time.
I generally go with their suggestions, but I also had a few struggles - like the one with Bella.
She introduced herself as "Stella," when we first met. But two chapters into the story, her name didn't sit well with me: Stella on the space station, travelling through the universe (aka The Stars) sounded fatally cheesy - I mean: story-breakingly cheesy. And I couldn't let this happen. We bargained, we bartered, we fought, and we finally agreed on Bella.
Once agreed, she and I got on like a house on fire! (and I think it helped, that Dylan liked her name too.)
I find it easier to work with a character once they have a name - something I can call them by. "That woman," "the blonde," "the young man," or any such vague descriptor is just not very conducive to getting into a character's head.

Naming a character is a twisted analogy to eating meat: once an animal has a name, it becomes a pet and therefore inedible. Not because it changes its taste, but because we become emotionally attached.
The same goes for me with writing: I need a certain degree of emotional attachment to "write a character." There is no stepping back and observing from the outside. Intimacy is also the reason why I prefer a first-person POV over a third person narrative: It is closer, more insightful, and it reveals more of a character's true personality.
Getting into your character's head is also a balancing act: get too close, and you can never let them "do their thing" for fear of losing them; keep them at a distance and you will never truly understand what makes them tick - never mind their name!

Nick and I have a problem! ANK on getting from A to B

Nick Cole and I are at loggerheads. Once again!

He is one of the main characters of the Sphere-World series because he got himself involved, and now he is indispensable.

And he knows it!

It is mostly a joy to work with Nick because he is a team player, a great communicator, and he carries his heart on his sleeves.

Yet, he can also be extremely difficult. It's all about "fictional logistics" with him.

What do I mean by that? Well - he is always at the right place at the right time, and I appreciate his dedication.

He has an uncanny habit, though, of popping up all over the place - or rather all over the timeline to be precise.

One moment he is in the here and now, relaxed, ready to go along with my plot and do his thing to make the story progress - the next he jumps times and tells me exactly, where he will be twenty years down the line.

Hell! He is even as cocky as to jump books at times! It looks like he's inherited some of his father's ability to manipulate time.

Not that I have a problem with Nick pointing me in an exciting direction. I love fast-paced development. What I don't like is his laissez-fair attitude of shrugging his shoulders, looking at me, and telling me:

"Anathea, it is not my job but my yours to get me from A to B without boring myself and your readers into oblivion on the journey."

And he is right of course - but I often find it daunting to bridge years and sometimes even decades AND entertain Nick on the journey.

Nick definitely is one of the major sources of my "Writer's Dilemma."

Would I want him to be any different? I don't think so. If I rein him in too much, I stifle him and he goes into a major sulk. And then I lose him - his passion and his go-with-the-flow attitude as well as his fight.

Oh yes - he fights! Hardly a day when we agree on proceedings.

But when we do - it is bliss and harmony, and fast writing. And it all translates into words, and sentences, paragraphs, and pages closer to finishing the next book.

Today we had a good day. A 5,000-words-good day.

Thank you for your cooperation today, Nick!

ANK on A Writer's Dilemma

I thought I might be writing about writer's block here. But no! Far from! I have too many ideas, which need incorporating into my story. Too many details that I think are worth elaborating on. Too many crossroads and my characters are all pulling me in different directions!
The consequence? Is pretty much similar to writer's block. No writing... Just pondering, starting a scene, deleting it, start another scene, hit the del-key... You get the picture.
I was always under the illusion that having too many ideas was a good thing. Nope! Here I stand corrected!

I have a problem I never anticipated and consequently have no solution for. Risk assessment 101 anybody? Plan B, C, and D are not in place.

I am over 75,000 words into Homecoming - Book 3 of the Sphere-World series. Another 25 -40k should see the story wrapped up.

And here comes the problem: I know already, that a measly 25k words will not get me anywhere near the end of Homecoming! Yet, instead of writing away to my heart's content and cutting out surplus scenes, dialogues, and events later, I cannot progress. I get stuck half-way through every scene I try to write. Then I start fretting over it. Do I need it? Is it adding anything to the story? Dare I leave it out? Then I go back a few chapters and decide that - yes indeed, I do need this particular paragraph/sentence/scene to justify why my characters are acting the way they do, or why certain things had to happen or to simply thicken the plot. No easy way out! So, what am I going to do? I have been pondering this for a while now and I came to a decision: There is no other solution than to start drafting book 4 of the Sphere-World series! It has even got a working title already. It's called "Back In Time."
And while "Homecoming" is still in the making, "Back In Time" is already taking shape.
Soon as I decided to expand the Sphere-World series, I disentangled the proverbial Gordian Knot.
Scenes and events, which are not necessarily essential to understanding the motives and events in Homecoming will be incorporated into Back In Time, where I can explore them in more depth and give them the space they deserve, without having to fret over petty wordcounts. Not that I generally fret much over wordcounts anyway, but I think I would be mashing up different storylines and worlds if I didn't write the fourth book in the series.

Next to come in the Sphere-World series!
Stay tuned & check out this space or
* Subscribe to My Mailing List for updates.
* Follow me on Twitter @anatheakrrill or facebook

ANK on Do I know my characters?

Sure! ...or so I would have said when I first started writing The Sphere.
Bella and Dylan had been haunting my mind for a good while before I got my author's fingers into gear and decided to participate in NaNoWriMo 2016.
It was easy going with those two. Like a comfortable, long term relationship. I knew who they were, how they felt, and what they wanted to achieve.
Still - they managed to take me by surprise more than once! I plunged them into stressful, dangerous, and daunting situations, and I saw their loyalties and values challenged.
I witnessed their relationship and love being threatened and I discovered a darker, more sinister side to Bella, and a weakness in Dylan, which I never could have anticipated.

Their dynamics change. THEY change. Circumstances force them to, and sometimes they struggle to keep their relationship from crumbling.
They eventually find a balance of give and take, weakness and steel, resistance and surrender during the five-year journey to Earth on board The Odyssey.
And then there is Nick Cole. He was not a participant in the story to start with. But that changed radically when he first stepped out of a dark corner of my imagination.
He had to grow up fast when he started to take on great responsibilities for Bella. And he never asked much in return. He is totally at the mercy of his all-consuming love for Bella.
Bella lured Nick into her orbit under false pretences. Not because she is intrinsically mean or manipulative - but because she had to. Dylan's life was on the line - and the line is always thin, and getting thinner as the story develops! Nick never knew the full truth. He got fed whatever was necessary to keep the truth under wraps.
He was a no-holds-barred idealist. He dared to hope. He dared to dream.
He still is a dreamer - a disillusioned one, though.
He is also a doer.  And he did everything in his powers to make his visions come true. Single minded, determined, soft spoken, loyal, and kind. That was Nick Cole at the end of The Sphere (Book 1 of the Sphere-World Series).

When I started to write The Odyssey, Nick changed. He was in charge of The Odyssey - he built her, he designed her, he commanded her. There is power in Nick: the calm confidence of a person who knows their ways and their values. But there is also doubt, sorrow, and despair. Nick is a dual character, and he struggles to reconcile the polar opposites within himself, which constantly battle for the upper hand.
He is fiercely attached to life - yet he is ready to die, when the purpose of his efforts, the driving force, his motivator for escaping the space station turns out to be a red herring.
Once he realised that, he gave up.
It was hard to keep him alive!

I struggled, I fought for him, and I eventually managed to bring him back from the brink.
It came at a price, though: He wasn't the same. He couldn't be! Traumatic events demand changes - significant changes in fact.

And so I had to let him descend into his own personal abyss. Where was his anchor? Who tethered him? I didn't know at first. But it became apparent very soon.

I know my characters, yes. But not in their entirety. Like real people, they surprise me. They reveal additional layers of their personalities the better I get to know them. And I like this aspect of writing. Nothing is set in stone.
When crossroads are reached, my protagonists may strike the wrong path. They may turn around - and they may not. Perhaps they will get out at the other end: burned, warped, and perhaps rebuilt. But perhaps they will become stuck in the wrong; never to recover. After all - some people shatter when they are pushed too hard.

I also introduce new characters in each book. The story demands it.
It is exciting! I love working with new characters: the entirely unknown ones, the ones I can watch develop as the story progresses., and the ones which exist as a glimpse, and will only fully reveal themselves further down the line in the Sphere-World series.
Book 3 Homecoming will be out later this year.

Please stay tuned, and may you find many engaging books to read.

ANK on POV

Point Of View... Right... Where to start? Or should I rather say: Who to start with?
The boys of the Sphere-World series have been brought up as gentlemen. So it's good old "Ladies first".
It is Bella who gets the first word in.
In The Sphere (book 1 of the Sphere-Worl series) she is the lead character. The one whose life is turned upside down. The one who struggles to keep everything from falling apart; within herself and her environment.
Not that I want to diminish Dylan's or Nick's contribution, but book 1 of the Sphere-World series is mostly about Bella her background, and her fights. And it is she, who tells her story.

My other characters get their say as well.
And I make sure to give them the opportunity to tell things from their point of view.

After all: Nobody is better suited to tell what it is like to become human, what it feels like to change than Dylan, the gentle alien himself.

Then there is Nick. Nobody experiences his pain and conflicts first hand but the man himself. So it is he, who needs to tell us what it feels like to have his hopes and dreams shattered; in his own words - not via a narrator, who would only ever be able to give us a second-hand account; reheated; regurgitated; less than full-on.
It allows for deeper insights into a protagonists's character, and it makes for a more intriguing emotional landscape. And at the end of the day, my books are about emotions as much as they are about futuristic scenarios, historic events, and plain old imaginary worlds.

I hope this explains why my books always have multiple POVs.
So far I had almost 100% positive feedback on this policy; apart from one beta reader, who found a particular transition between POVs confusing.
Needless to say: I remedied the issue. Thanks for pointing it out, dear reader. It is this kind of constructive criticism that makes the story better, the narrative more concise, and ultimately improves the reading experience.

I genuinely hope you enjoy reading stories with different points of views.
Because one man's Valhalla is another man's Hell!

Book 1 and 2 of the Sphere-World series are out now on Amazon.

The Sphere and The Odyssey are both #free on #kindleunlimited

Enjoy!