tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post7440103845053943855..comments2023-05-22T04:57:22.141-05:00Comments on Homeschooled Authors: Interview with C. F. BarrowsSarah Holmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904631370384156831noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-33530083491778246162013-05-06T11:53:24.400-05:002013-05-06T11:53:24.400-05:00Thanks for participating, everyone, and thanks to ...Thanks for participating, everyone, and thanks to Sarah for hosting this interview and giveaway -- it was a lot of fun! :) Congratulations, Emily! <br />I just wanted y'alls to know that the ebook version of 'The Follower' is free on Smashwords until Thursday night ET, so if you still want to read it, but are hesitant to spend any money, this is your chance to get it risk-free! :) It's available here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/263044Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09004728642178562146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-79879657645895391382013-04-23T11:19:52.776-05:002013-04-23T11:19:52.776-05:00@Brian: Well, I think what inspired the core messa...@Brian: Well, I think what inspired the core message was a combination of my favorite verse (Jeremiah 29:11) and my own experiences with learning to embrace its message of trusting that God has a purpose for my life and my sufferings beyond what I can see. From a literary standpoint, there can be found traces of many of my favorite authors (mostly Christian suspense, I think), but I've been told by several people that they could tell I was a fan of C.S. Lewis by reading this book. And I can certainly think of a few instances where my love of 'The Screwtape Letters' in particular showed. <br /><br />The world of Sehret, most of the nations and their cultures, and even some of the main characters were inspired by 'The Game Without a Name,' the rather mixed-up and over-thought version of Make-Believe that I played with my little brother when we were kids. In particular, one story referenced (referred to as 'Rhedan's Revolt' by the characters) is drawn directly from a storyline I'd fashioned years ago for use in our game, and many of the original relationships between the nations still exist, even if some of the circumstances have changed. I even tried making up a language for one of the nations once, and who knows -- maybe I'll reference that attempt in the future, as well. :) Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09004728642178562146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-6403463885624835772013-04-23T11:06:03.847-05:002013-04-23T11:06:03.847-05:00Wow, such great questions! :) Y'alls are reall...Wow, such great questions! :) Y'alls are really making me think here. <br /><br />@Leah: I think my favorite method -- though I tend to use it mostly for my more complex and/or villainous characters -- is to write a short piece, such as a free-verse poem or a firsthand account of a scene that defines the character, in first-person from my character's point of view. This helps me think about him/her as a real person, and think through how they might see themselves and others, and also how they would express those views. That, in turn, makes me think about why they see things that way, or act the way they do, etc. One example would be a piece I wrote defining the person of the ChessMaster, a villain who now drives one of my more serious side-projects: <br /><br />"I am the Chess Master.<br /><br />You are cordially invited to occupy a place on my board.<br />You can be anything you want to be…<br />Even the king. <br />That’s the best place to be. <br />Pawns are expendable.<br />Rooks and bishops are limited.<br />Without the queen, the game goes on.<br />But as the king…<br />It’s your game – you are in command.<br />If you fall, all others fall with you.<br />The world is your chessboard.<br />All the other pieces are under your authority.<br />I have only one condition.<br />You may be the king…<br />But even the king has a commander.<br />Even the king is a pawn.<br /><br />All the world’s a stage.<br /><br />All the world’s a chessboard. <br /><br />The game has begun.<br /><br />Your move." <br /><br />(c) 2011 C.F. Barrows <br /><br />That's my usual format for villains -- pieces regarding a protagonist or a neutral character tend to be more conversational, like the character's sitting across from the reader and telling his/her story. But you get the idea. :) Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09004728642178562146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-70042993888792520572013-04-22T14:58:51.469-05:002013-04-22T14:58:51.469-05:00What inspired your book?What inspired your book?Brian Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00069539442682466132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-72909123796387572932013-04-22T07:28:16.285-05:002013-04-22T07:28:16.285-05:00Looks like an interesting story. I would love to r...Looks like an interesting story. I would love to read it.<br /><br />What is your favorite way to get to know your characters?Leah E. Goodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13266134192771082815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-19223920943623468212013-04-21T21:02:08.045-05:002013-04-21T21:02:08.045-05:00@Rachel: Great! :) I sincerely hope you (and they)...@Rachel: Great! :) I sincerely hope you (and they) like it, should you end up reading it. <br /><br />Oh, my favorite part... I suppose that would be creating the characters and telling their stories, which ends up involving pretty much everything else. But I love fleshing them out and making the reader care about them.(Consequently, I feel a great sense of triumph when my readers call me a horrible person for putting a character in distress, or express joy in their successes.) But then, I also seem to derive a sadistic pleasure from putting them through hardships (all in the name of advancing the story, of course). ;) It sounds cruel, but it's what gets many readers emotionally involved, and apparently I'm not the only author with this (slightly disturbing) quality, so I'm not afraid to admit it. <br /><br />My second-favorite part, almost tied with the first, is probably discovering new things about the story or the characters along the way. Beyond coming up with a premise and some defining points (especially the ones that affect my characters the most), I really hate plotting, and prefer the sense of adventure that comes with not knowing exactly where I'm going past the next few scenes. (Generally when I try to plot out every detail, I get bored and frustrated very quickly.) <br /><br />All of the elements you listed are important, of course, but these are the parts I tend to enjoy the most. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09004728642178562146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-87709139046617297152013-04-20T09:43:09.855-05:002013-04-20T09:43:09.855-05:00I too don't normally read in this genre but th...I too don't normally read in this genre but the characters and plot intrigue me and I think my brothers would enjoy this a lot too. :D Excellent interview...it was a pleasure to meet you!<br /><br />My question: What is your favorite part about writing a new story...the characters, creating the plot, taking your characters to new places, the heart or message of your story...? :)<br /><br />~Rachel~Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01145673580087798403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-15086690638762128972013-04-18T14:10:05.918-05:002013-04-18T14:10:05.918-05:00@Emily: Oh, that's an interesting question... ...@Emily: Oh, that's an interesting question... :) Well, mostly, I write wherever it's quiet, free of distractions (or at least contains a minimum number of them), and where I have a pair of headphones on hand. I'm rarely able to concentrate with other people in the room, but if I'm in a comfortable position and the sound on my headphones is turned way up, sometimes I can get away with it. <br /><br />I do have a few favorite places and positions for writing: <br /><br />1. On my bed, with my laptop as close to me as I can manage, <br />2. At a table or desk, <br />3. On a porch bench, as long as it's not in the direct sunlight, and <br />4. If I'm using a notebook, then no matter where I'm sitting, I usually have to have the page as close to my face as possible, or else I get distracted. (I have no clue why, and I suppose it makes me look very funny sometimes, but that's how I always end up.) Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09004728642178562146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-90407490556819211802013-04-18T14:00:55.017-05:002013-04-18T14:00:55.017-05:00@Bethany: Thanks! :) I really hope you like it.
...@Bethany: Thanks! :) I really hope you like it. <br /><br />Well, technically I didn't "get serious" about the book until it was assigned to me as a school project, so I pretty much had from the beginning of the school year (the end of August 2011) until the end of the same school year (May 2012). I finished the book a month early, on April 1st (which made me feel a little strange posting on Facebook about it, considering the traditions of the day, lol), so overall it took me about seven months to finish the first draft. <br />Of course, the full span of time between conception and publication was a lot longer (about two years, I think), but a lot of the first year was spent with my ignoring or just plain not working on it. So as for *serious* writing time -- yeah, about seven months. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09004728642178562146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-79646797496230701342013-04-18T08:18:24.613-05:002013-04-18T08:18:24.613-05:00Hi CF! Emily from Camp NaNo here :) My question is...Hi CF! Emily from Camp NaNo here :) My question is kind-of prompted by the recent writing spaces contest at Go Teen Writers - where do you write? I write mostly at my desk, but my friends at GTW write everywhere from desks and beds to cafes and trees.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02266041077178607623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-90654676837319737652013-04-17T13:01:06.244-05:002013-04-17T13:01:06.244-05:00Hey C.F.! It's Bethany from the NaNo cabin. Ho...Hey C.F.! It's Bethany from the NaNo cabin. How long did it take you to write your novel, when it became serious for you? <br /><br /> It looks like such a good book. Definitely adding it to my list!Bethany Baldwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160544671105522363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-18346992471982659782013-04-16T21:23:19.955-05:002013-04-16T21:23:19.955-05:00@Gillian: Oh, it's my pleasure -- I hope to do...@Gillian: Oh, it's my pleasure -- I hope to do more giveaways in the future! :) <br /><br />An inspiring beverage... Hm. Well, I do very much love Dr. Pepper, but I'm afraid it doesn't love me. lol I don't really drink caffeine these days, but I suppose my beverage of choice for a late night of writing would be a cup of sugar-free, dairy-free hot chocolate or homemade egg nog. (My sweet tooth always kicks in when I settle in for a writing session.) I've never really been much for tea or coffee, though a few of my late-night writing bugs have made me wish for a cup of highly-caffeinated cup of coffee. ;) Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09004728642178562146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-91551505291564023102013-04-16T20:50:04.592-05:002013-04-16T20:50:04.592-05:00Gillian, Dr. Pepper is my favorite as well.Gillian, Dr. Pepper is my favorite as well.Sarah Holmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11904631370384156831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-64042033050315164082013-04-16T17:44:45.002-05:002013-04-16T17:44:45.002-05:00Your book sounds intriguing! I'll have to look...Your book sounds intriguing! I'll have to look it up. Thank you for hosting a giveaway! :)<br /><br />Hmm, a question. Okay. Do you prefer tea or coffee while you're writing, or is there some other inspiring beverage you enjoy? (My personal favorite would be Dr Pepper.) :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00204802545454891530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-50004560680847539132013-04-15T22:32:57.696-05:002013-04-15T22:32:57.696-05:00Great interview! I look forward to reading "...Great interview! I look forward to reading "The Follower"!Dan vonBergennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-13577093301327054032013-04-15T15:48:57.798-05:002013-04-15T15:48:57.798-05:00This isn't normally a genre that I read a lot,...This isn't normally a genre that I read a lot, but I think it sounds interesting. :D.Haydenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03463147465564735374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-6118747534685352252013-04-15T15:00:06.074-05:002013-04-15T15:00:06.074-05:00Thanks for reading, everyone! :) This interview wa...Thanks for reading, everyone! :) This interview was a lot of fun. <br /><br />@Jessica: Great question! I guess one of my greatest struggles with my writing is learning to quell my perfectionist nature. Now, on the one hand, I love being a perfectionist -- it drives me to do my best, to leave no stone unturned when editing, and pretty much shatters my rose-colored glasses in regards to my own work, which helps me avoid the "My work is perfect" syndrome. <br />On the other hand, being a perfectionist also mean that no matter how much nitpicking I do with my work, no matter how much others like it, I still have to fight the urge to spend all my time trying to "fix" what I've already written, while not spending enough time on writing what follows. Why is this a problem? Well, as an example, I'll have to confess something: I spent several months working on the first few chapters of 'The Follower' -- not writing them, but going back and trying to fix every little thing that could possibly be a problem. But as soon as my mom made the book a mandatory project, I was forced to stop nitpicking and get to work on writing the rest of the book. This resulted in my word count sky-rocketing, and in about as much time as it took me to write 4,700 words in the first few scenes, I finished the first draft, which came out to about 107,000 words, not counting the many scenes that I wrote on the side or immediately decided wouldn't work for the story. So setting goals is important. Editing is important, too, but remember, you'll have plenty of time for that when the draft is done. And if you spend too much time editing before you've even finished writing, you'll take far longer to finish, and may not even finish unless you get your priorities straight. <br />However, I do realize that sometimes help is needed for a work-in-progress, when you've tried to move forward, but something seems truly off about what you've written, to the extent that it will affect the story as a whole. In these cases, action may be necessary. Just be careful about who you ask for help, and how much time you spend on the scene. Sometimes reader feedback on a partial work can be helpful and encouraging, but in the wrong hands, it can be detrimental to one's motivation to write to the end, and not get hung up on one scene that doesn't sound quite right. Also, focusing too much on editing, at least for me, encourages thoughts of inadequacy and doubts about whether my work is even worth reading. For this, I pray, asking God to lead me in my writing, and to help me trust that He'll work through my mistakes, as well as my successes. <br />So, in a nutshell... <br />My problem is: Perfectionism. <br />My solution is: Don't be afraid to make mistakes, as editing will do you no good unless you actually finish the work you started, try to think positively, and trust God to work everything out in the end. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09004728642178562146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-36350494395516877102013-04-15T12:15:45.795-05:002013-04-15T12:15:45.795-05:00Good thoughts, C.F. I do my best to encourage othe...Good thoughts, C.F. I do my best to encourage other writers like me, and it's nice to see someone else doing it (and doing a good job of it) too.Mary Ruth Pursselleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03325447738032828151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-35166720207965339802013-04-15T12:01:36.302-05:002013-04-15T12:01:36.302-05:00I'm so excited about this giveaway and book! I...I'm so excited about this giveaway and book! It looks so good! Okay, so here's my question: What do you struggle most with in your writing and what do you do to try and improve yourself in that area?<br /><br />-Jessica P.Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16768284765619727184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8832410260230794314.post-64833462732230725482013-04-15T11:22:32.621-05:002013-04-15T11:22:32.621-05:00Congratulations, it looks like it might be a good ...Congratulations, it looks like it might be a good read.David Bergslandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770168278252558436noreply@blogger.com