I
started writing in 2007 and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that
everything in the publishing industry takes time - loads of it. So patience and
persistence are two virtues I'm learning to develop, whilst chipping away at my
novel and sending out submissions.
Today
I'm honoured to host author, publisher and all round good guy, (he has a black
belt - ok?) Paul Collins, here Under the
Apple Tree to talk about persistence and share with us his
latest novel in the Maximus Black Files series, The Only Game in the
Galaxy.
In a galaxy of cutthroat companies, shadowy clans and a
million agendas, spy agency RIM barely wields enough control to keep order.
Maximus Black is RIM’s star cadet.
But he has a problem. One of RIM’s best agents, Anneke
Longshadow, knows there’s a mole in the organisation.
And Maximus has a lot to hide.
Paul Collins has written over 150 books and 140 short
stories. He is best known for The
Quentaris Chronicles (The Spell of
Undoing is Book #1 in the new series), which he co-edits with Michael Pryor, The Jelindel Chronicles, The Earthborn
Wars and The World of Grrym
trilogy in collaboration with Danny Willis. Paul’s latest book is The Only Game in the Galaxy, book three
in The Maximus Black Files. The Beckoning is Paul’s first adult
novel http://tinyurl.com/ny6urwy.
He is also the publisher at Ford Street Publishing.
Paul has been short-listed for many awards and won the
Aurealis, William Atheling and the inaugural Peter McNamara awards. He recently
received the A Bertram Chandler Award for lifetime achievement in Australian
science fiction. He has had two Notable Books in the Children’s Book Council of
Australia Awards.
He has black belts in both ju jitsu and taekwondo – this
experience can be seen in The Jelindel
Chronicles and The Maximus Black
Files.
Welcome Paul and thanks for visiting:
Paul Collins - guest post
The key to successful writing is simple: PERSISTENCE.
It’s taken 30 years to see my adult horror novel The Beckoning in print. Originally typed
on a counter in a St Kilda bookshop, it was typed into a computer in the mid
90s, saved via various storage devices such as 3.5 floppies, CDs, zip drives
(remember them?) and finally USB sticks.
Diversity is another key word in a writer’s career. Writing
for adults might get a writer some kudos – writers of children’s books
sometimes get asked when they’re going to write a real book – but it doesn’t pay the rent.
It took me twenty years to realise that writing books for
adults and many short stories that I’d never make a financial career of writing
unless I diversified. Luckily for me I fell into writing for children and
HarperCollins took my first book, The
Wizards’ Torment, in 1995. Over a period of time I realised something else:
cross-subsidisation. There are few A list authors who can make a living at
writing alone. Part of my strategy was owning various bookshops while I typed
stories on the counter.
These days I run a publishing company called Ford Street
Publishing www.fordstreetpublishing.com, a speakers’ agency called Creative Net
www.fordstreetpublishing.com/cnet, and I also write www.paulcollins.com.au.
Combined, I make a living.
Somewhere along the line I decided that writing everything
from picture books through to young adult fiction was spreading myself a bit
thin. I now mainly concentrate on YA literature.
According to publishers and booksellers, young adult fiction
– or YA, as it’s known in the trade – is today’s hottest publishing category.
It shares the virtues of youth itself – energy, intensity and passion. And just
like adolescents themselves, YA novels revolve around drama and tackle Life’s
Big Questions.
Until the erotic fiction titles in the 50 Shades of Grey series took its place, the Hunger Games trilogy
by Susanne Collins was at the top of Australia’s best seller list – for all fiction – not just YA and
children’s books. And YA titles continually rank among these lists.
YA used to be defined as literature with adolescent themes
for readers ranging from 12 to 18 – but these days this range seems to have
extended in both directions – covering readers from as young as 10 up to their
mid-twenties – and many adults are reading YA books as well.
YA novels are often about the period of transition between
childhood and adulthood – a time when young people are asking questions like
‘Who am I’ and ‘Where do I fit in’ and even ‘Do I fit in at all?’
They focus on issues that are commonly found in teen
culture: identity, sexuality, personal and social issues, depression, substance
abuse, relationships with both family members and other teens. They offer a
world which young people can identify with – and which can help them find a
safe passage through these difficult years.
Apart from a ripping story, you need to start with memorable
characters that are well-rounded. They need flaws if they are to be believable,
and for your readers to relate to.
Your readers need to bond with your characters right from
the beginning of the book – even if they’re a bad guy like Maximus Black in my
trilogy, The Maximus Black Files – give them some traits that make them
irresistible so your reader cares enough about them to cheer them on throughout
the ups and downs of the storyline.
YA books need plenty of conflict and suspense to keep those
pages turning.
With science fiction, you build a universe with elements so
real that the reader can easily fall into it with a suspension of disbelief.
Voice and style must be distinctive enough so that the
reader wants to keep coming back for more.
Personally, I love the main characters that are ‘bad’. Think
Modesty Blaise, think Artemis Fowl. The problem is, these characters are
fundamentally good. They’re Robin
Hood characters, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor.
Hence, I indulged in a little mayhem and created an
anti-hero called Maximus Black http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S-eKDYqpEs.
There’s nothing to like about him (he’s a psychopath!), which is why major
publishers shied away from the series. However,
surprisingly enough, readers of this series have taken to Maximus. And possibly
for all the reasons I’ve outlined above about writing young adult, or new adult
literature as it’s now called. I like to think I’ve bundled all that stuff into
The Maximus Black Files.
Time will tell if I’ve been successful!
Paul
The Only Game in the Galaxy
Author: Paul Collins
Publisher: Ford Street Publishing
Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/mshxpsx
RRP: $9.99
Print: http://tinyurl.com/lfubra6
RRP $19.95
3 comments:
Hi Angela,
fantastic blog and great advice.
Came here to double check your Blog address for my Bailey Tour.
Thanks,
Karen :)
Great interview, Angela. :)
Thank you, Patricia and Karen. It's great to have you pop in and I'm pleased you enjoyed this post. Paul certainly had some words of wisdom I will be taking on board..
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