So today, I decided to tell my very best friend, that I´ve spent the last week or so almost writing only and that I am quite excited about my story. It may not become a novel, maybe it´s only good enough for a short story, but it means a lot to me and I really wanna do this the right way.
So I haven´t got a lot by now. I mean, although I seemed to have worked quite a lot on it, I “only” have the pre-story to my story – so that things are clear – and a lot of characters. And since I want to make them as real for the reader as they are for me, I´m determined to work a lot on them. (I´ll write about characters later)
So, of course, she asked me what the story was about. I told her that I´m not rather sure about the details in the main plot yet so she wanted to know something about my main character.
And suddenly it occurred to me, OMG! What shall I say, so it won´t sound stupid?! I started to tell a little bit and it kind of felt really very personal, do you know what I mean? Like it´s kind of difficult to share the story at an early stage like that, and that I had spent much time in this other fictional world with those fictional characters that are so real to me (don´t wanna sound psycho, lol) and I was so afraid to have them criticized already.
So I really want to know if this is normal, that it´s like really personal stuff to you when you are writing. Because although I have written some kind of short stories already, I never talked about them to anyone and only two were read by teachers, so yeah, you might say I´m new at this telling others. I´m not sure if I really even want to tell anyone that this story is serious for me, and not just a joke or a pastime. I think, I won´t tell anyone about it whom I know in person, except maybe to this friend, but only later, when my story is more mature….
I have heard so many scary stories about how hard it is to get published – or finish your book. And there are sooo many people out there who want to become writers too and who get rejected many times……….
But I´m still determined to become a writer! I started a looot of “books”, and mostly stopped after a few chapters…..and now I finally think I got two quite decent ideas! yay!! I´m soooo excited! But I still have a long long way to go. And it´s gonna be tough, tough.
Why can´t it simply be like that:
(video made by Jackson Pearce, a writer herself!)
There really was a time I thought it was like that! hahaha, how naive!!
Recently, I was watching some videos on Youtube, when I suddenly got over that weird (not in a negative way, god no! =)) guy´s channel. The first video I saw from him, was “If I become a famous author”, where he talks about crazy things he would do if he…..became a really, really famous author.
So I really enjoyed that video (book vandal claims to be Kaleb Nation lol) and just thought something like: “Hey, why not go to his channel and watch some other videos, since I´ve got a loooot of time today?” (I mean he even had a Twilight cover on his avatar!!!) So I did that, and there I was. On a channel full of crazy, funny videos I really enjoyed (although I didn´t watch them all, sry).
And then I discovered it! The guy (=Kaleb Nation, aka The Twilightguy) is on and about to publish a book, which will come out in September (9-9-09, cool date, huh?). And he´s only 20!!! So he kind of became something like a huge role model for me.
(I really like the cover!)
There seems to be quite a big hype going on online about him and his book, which I think is very rare, since it is going to be his debut novel. And this really shows that KAleb absolutely knows how to market himself.
And this is how it all started:
On the third night of the third month in 2003 (3-3-03!!! see why the publishing date is cool?;)), 14-year-old Kaleb Nation lied innocently in his bed, staring at the ceiling. And suddenly, BOOM!! He had an idea. And not just any idea, no, no; it was THE idea!
He imagined a boy and a banker on a roof, waiting for a burglar to come. But this burglar wasn´t like any other burglar; no, he came to kidnap Bran Hambric. And Kaleb also knew that Bran wasn´t a normal kid. When he was six years old, he was found locked in a vault, with no memory of his past. For years, he has lived with one of the bankers, wondering why he was left behind — until one night, when he is fourteen, he is suddenly confronted by a maddened creature, speaking of Bran’s true past and trying to kidnap him.
Bran finds that he is at the center of a plot which started years before he was even born: the plot of a deadly curse his mother created…and one that her former masters are hunting for him to complete.
Haunted by the spirit of his mother’s master and living in a city where magic is illegal, Bran must undo the crimes of his past…before it is too late.
Kaleb really spent most of his teenage years on that book (from 14 to 20). A normal little kid, who was so excited about his magical idea is now – six years later – finally able to fulfill his dream and actually get his book published. This is really impressing and he is a role model too.
Plus, the book is already outed to be the “Harry Potter replacement”. And that really means something.
As for myself, I really wish him all the very best of luck!
Here are some tiny reviews of Bran Hambric:
“The Farfield Curse brims with mystery, magic and fun. Kaleb Nation’s wry sense of humor kept me smiling, even while the mystical sparks flew. Get ready for lots of surprises and watch out for gnomes!” D. J. MacHale, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Pendragon Series
“Everything a young adult read should be.”
Kim Harrison, author of Once Dead, Twice Shy
“Whimsy, magic, and suspense collide together in this breathtaking tale. The Farfield Curse
is a story you’ll want to pick up, but not put down!” Kaza Kingsley, author of the Erec Rex series
So if you got interested in his books or him, make sure to check out his websites:
[You can even download the first few chapters (about 50 pages) of his book on his website.]
However, not only is he a talented writer and blogger, no he´s even good at making music! He created some songs to his book and now he´s even getting out a soundtrack to Bran Hambric, which I personally really, really like. There are no lyrics in the songs, just pure melodies. But they are really beautiful! You can download most of the for free on his website.
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