Writing Prompt #149

Here is this week's speculative fiction prompt. I'm not labeling it this week, so, as always, take it whatever direction you choose. Have fun!

You swear you catch glimpses of your long-dead childhood dog everywhere you go.

The Girl on the Wall: Newest Published Story

Check out my newest short story, published in The Were-Traveler's latest issue called The Realms of Death. As you can guess from that title, the theme of the issue was death. Click to read my story, The Girl on the Wall. Let me know what you think, either in the comments here or on the story's page at The Were-Traveler. Enjoy!

Writing Prompt #148

Here is this week's speculative fiction prompt. I'm not labeling it this week, so, as always, take it whatever direction you choose. Have fun!

It's a beautiful harvest this year for your very odd crop.

Short Overview of World Building

I'm in the beginning stages of creating a world for a new book series I have planned. I thought today I'd share a few tips I use to help you build your own fictional world to plot your stories in. (Note, this is basically for a fantasy world, as that's what I'm currently working on, but you can use many of these principles with any sort of world you're crafting.) It can be as time-consuming as you like - some people find playing a god to be quite exciting and fun, while others simply want it over so they can get to the meat of their saga. Whichever one you are, take at least some time to figure out what world your characters inhabit.

I usually find that deciding what sort of government rules the world (at least the part where your story takes place) is a great place to start. You can simply create a short description, like "It's a kingdom run exclusively by a king." That's enough to get started, and you can fill in other details later. Or, if you prefer, you can micromanage how the king gets everything done, from advisors to underlings in surrounding villages/towns, and everything in between. If government doesn't play much of a part of the story, the former is fine, but if you plan on having it be a big part of your tale, you should really know as much as you can before you get started.

Religion is also something that should be touched upon, as it often plays a big role in stories. Even if it doesn't, you should know at least what sort of god or gods the characters worship (or ignore). And if it doesn't exist at all, there needs to be a reason behind that, too. Like with government, you can fill in a bit to get you started, or you can fill in every detail you can think of. It depends, really, how important it is in your story.

You should also know what sort of economic system your world runs on. Is it trading/bartering, or a cash society? Are there pre-built shopping malls, or movable carts and stalls in a bazaar in the middle of town? Is there a huge gap in wealth in the society? What are the social/economic classes like in the big cities? How about in the smaller towns and villages?

What is the weather/climate and physical description of the land where the story takes place? Often this can create story points and complications all on its own. Cold and snowy mountainous regions are going to be quite different from hot and sandy desert regions. Make sure to think about if the story takes place in different locations. For example, a person from that mountainous region is going to have quite the shock when he or she hits the desert region for the first time. Or sees the vast ocean after being landlocked for his or her entire life. You'll need to know these things for descriptions, of course, but also for story and character moments.

This will get you a great start on building your world. As you go and discover the answers to the things above, other things will fall into place. What is the language like? What are people, places, and things named? How is time calculated? And plenty of other details. But get a good solid foundation, and you're well on your way to having a believable world, even if that world is inhabited by all-powerful wizards, dragons, and monsters. And, of course, have fun with it! Good luck!

Writing Prompt #147

Here is this week's speculative fiction prompt. I'm not labeling it this week, so, as always, take it whatever direction you choose. Have fun!

The word puzzle in your newspaper is giving you a secret message.

Writing Prompt #146

Here is this week's speculative fiction prompt. I'm not labeling it this week, so, as always, take it whatever direction you choose. Have fun!

Zombies rise from the grave to put on a play.

Next Contest

Okay, folks, I'm here to announce my next book giveaway. I'll be gifting a Kindle copy of my young adult contemporary fantasy novel, Dragon Guard, to one lucky person on Friday, August 2nd. That's my birthday, so I figured I'd be the one giving a gift this year. All you have to do to enter the drawing is comment in this blog post or follow me on Twitter: @ericjkrause and retweet the appropriate tweets. (You won't be able to miss them - I'll post the entry tweets two or three times a day until Friday the 2nd.)

That's all there is to it! I'll close the entries when I when I wake up on Friday morning, and I'll conduct the drawing. I've never given a gift on Amazon, but I figure it can't be too hard, right? I believe all I need is your email address, so I'll contact the winner on Friday to get which email address you want me to send it to. Then all the winner has to do is download and enjoy the book!

If you don't have a Kindle, you can still enter. Simply use the free Kindle app. You can get it on your smartphone, tablet, and even your desktop, laptop, or whatever! (Find it on Google Play, the iPhone app store, on Amazon, or Google it if you still can't find it.) So enter this contest so you can win and read my book! Of course, I'm hoping you read it and write a review for me on Amazon. I'm hoping you also tell your friends (real life ones and social media ones) if you enjoy it! If you win, it's not necessary, but I'd sure appreciate it!

So, that's it. Simply comment on this blog post or retweet the appropriate tweets, and you're entered in the drawing. Good luck!

Story Excerpt from Dragon Magic

I'm deep into my first draft for Dragon Magic, my young adult contemporary fantasy, which is the third and final book in the Prophecy of the Dragons series/trilogy, so I thought I'd share a few paragraphs from the ol' work in progress. No context here, just going to dive right in. This has not been edited in any way, so I apologize if it seems rough. Well, because it is rough. It's a rough draft, after all! I hope you enjoy!

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They approached the closed door, and Ben tried to lift the iron bar, but it didn't budge. He then tried to push. Maybe the bar was an illusion, a trick, but that didn't prove right, either. "You could go dragon and see if you can open it," he suggested to Andi.

"Or you could try the magic word."

He frowned, but nodded. Which word would that be? Certainly nothing Felix had taught him. Every magic word he learned from his master went with a specific spell. They were magic words, of course, but not the magic word. "Abracadabra," he tried. Nothing. "Open sesame." Nope. "Open says me?"

Andi snorted out laughter but smacked him in the shoulder. "I know your mother raised you better than that. Well, maybe not during the dark, fighting years, but before and after that. I saw the after first-hand."

Then it dawned on him. No, it couldn't be that simple. Could it? But Andi was so sure -- there was no mistaking that in her emotions. So there was only one thing to do. In a meek voice, he said, "Please?"

The iron bar disappeared, and the door swung open. Andi gave him a smirk, and said, "There, was that so hard?"
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I hope you enjoyed this brief peek into my story! Remember, you can purchase book 1, Dragon Guard, right now on either you Kindle, Kindle app, or in paperback. Simply click on the picture of the cover in the upper right corner of this page.

Writing Prompt #145

Here is this week's speculative fiction prompt. I'm labeling it as science fiction this week, but, as always, take it whatever direction you choose. Have fun!

Your new grandfather clock turns out to be a time machine.

Sample Sunday Hub

On Twitter, the hashtag #SampleSunday has been around for quite awhile. You post a link to a sample of your work and add that hashtag. It's a great way to let people get in a sample before they buy, and to get word out about said work. I've been doing it for quite some time, and I figured it was time to make a hub for it so readers can go to one place to find the samples. Take a look and enjoy!

Here's the hub for Dragon Guard, my Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy. You'll find links to the first four chapters, as well as a description, the cover image, and where to buy it.

Here's the hub for Ghost Betweens, my Young Adult Paranormal Adventure. You'll find links to the first ten chapters, as well as a description, the cover image, where to buy it, and an interview with me about the book and writing in general.

Here's the hub for Way Over the Line, my Young Adult Science Fiction Baseball story. You'll find links to the first fifteen chapters, as well as where to buy it. You can find the description and cover image when you click the link to the sample chapters.

Upcoming Giveaway: Which Book Would You Like?

Next Wednesday (July 24) I'll announce my next book giveaway. I'm going to give one lucky winner of a random drawing either a paperback copy of my YA Paranormal Adventure, Ghost Betweens, or I'll gift someone a Kindle copy of my newest book, Dragon Guard. 

My question to you, my fine online friends, is which would you prefer this time around? Basically, I'm taking requests. You can vote here on the blog in the comment section or by telling me on Twitter: @ericjkrause (throw me a mention with which one you'd like).

Again, your choices are: A paperback copy of Ghost Betweens or a Kindle e-book of Dragon Guard (which I will send to you using the gift option on Amazon). If your choice doesn't win, don't despair; I'll give the other one away at a later date. So get voting, either in the comments below or on Twitter (you can throw me a mention or send a direct message, whichever you prefer). Next Wednesday, I'll open up the contest with which one I'm giving away. See you then!

Writing Prompt #144

Here is this week's speculative fiction prompt. I'm labeling it as fantasy this week, but, as always, take it whatever direction you choose. Have fun!

A toy wand bought from a novelty shop actually contains magic.

Book Giveaways

After a week of buildup, I had a giveaway last week for my Young Adult Science Fiction Baseball Adventure novel (there's a mouthful!), Way Over the Line. You can see the original write-up here. On Thursday I conducted a drawing and came up with a winner. That winner was Jeff Beesler. Congrats, Jeff! That book will be in the mail soon, I promise (tomorrow morning if all goes well). 

I wasn't sure what to expect when I announced the contest. I figured I might get two or three people, or I could get dozens. It ended up being somewhere in the middle, which I was pleased with. I'll have more contests in the future, and I'm hoping to build on the success of this one. And I am calling it a success. It wasn't just two or three people who retweeted the contest link, but a bit more than that. Maybe some people who saw those links didn't try it this time, but might be more interested next time. Anytime I get a retweet, I view it as a win.

And speaking of book giveaways, I'm planning on having my next contest on August 2nd, my birthday. Why not give away a free book that day, eh? I'm trying to decide if I want to give away a paperback copy of my Young Adult Paranormal Adventure, Ghost Betweens (click here to see the Ghost Betweens hub right here on my blog for more info on that book), or if I want to gift someone a Kindle copy of my newest book, Dragon Guard (click here to see the Dragon Guard hub right here on my blog for more info on that book). I'll likely start the contest on Wednesday, July 24, giving a little over a week for everyone to enter. I'll write another post kicking it off, and I'll, of course, tell you what book is up for grabs then. In fact, if you have an opinion on which one you'd like to see me give away, feel free to say so in the comments. 

Looking at my bookshelf, I have two copies of Way Over the Line left, and two copies of Ghost Betweens. I plan on buying a couple of copies of Dragon Guard soon (my freebie copies from my publisher have long since gone) to give away, too. I'm also up for gifting Kindle copies of all three books. So I have plenty of giveaway opportunities for the future. I don't know if I'll do it every month, but I will hold regular-ish giveaways. I've sent the follow up to Dragon Guard to my publisher, and I guarantee I'll have a giveaway or two with that one when it comes out (haven't even started first edits, so a release date is not even on the horizon yet - I'll keep you posted). That will be book two of the trilogy, and I'm currently hard at work on the first draft of book 3. So, what I'm saying is, if you didn't win this time, keep trying! You'll have plenty of opportunity!  

Writing Prompt #143

Here is this week's speculative fiction prompt. I'm not labeling it this week, so, as always, take it whatever direction you choose. Have fun!

Everyone in the world goes blind, mute, and deaf except you.

Writing Prompt #142

Here is this week's speculative fiction prompt. I'm labeling it as fantasy this week, but, as always, take it whatever direction you choose. Have fun!

You awake to find a beanstalk rising to the heavens in your backyard.