Something that all published authors go back to is (in some form): "Write What You Know, Know What You Write."
I'm writing about a janitor at a retirement village. I work (in real life) as a maintenance guy AND the assistant to the center's director at a senior community center. In many ways, I live among the characters in my books. I get to be a party to the loss, joy, triumphs and failures of both the membership, clubs, and leadership of the place. Being a member of the city staff (our center is part of the cities infrastructure), I also get to stop by City Hall and the other service centers from time to time for various things on the monthly to-do list. In short, there is a lot of day-to-day human interest stuff / dramatic events going on and VERY human reactions / adjustments to it all!
Faces, personalities, interactions. All of it has a very humanistic side to it and is very much alive.
However;
Then comes the supernatural side of this book series. In this, I'm generally pulled in three directions:
1. What is considered 'cannon' in the public eye these days (pop culture magic)
2. What is historic 'old world' magic.
3. What I want to bring to the table (mash-ups, certain twists, etc.)
Much like the "house" where my wizards live, as a writer I let the chaos work itself out (as I work through my self-allotted 30-35 chapter plotting) and I present my observations to you, my good reader!
I'm writing about a janitor at a retirement village. I work (in real life) as a maintenance guy AND the assistant to the center's director at a senior community center. In many ways, I live among the characters in my books. I get to be a party to the loss, joy, triumphs and failures of both the membership, clubs, and leadership of the place. Being a member of the city staff (our center is part of the cities infrastructure), I also get to stop by City Hall and the other service centers from time to time for various things on the monthly to-do list. In short, there is a lot of day-to-day human interest stuff / dramatic events going on and VERY human reactions / adjustments to it all!
Faces, personalities, interactions. All of it has a very humanistic side to it and is very much alive.
However;
Then comes the supernatural side of this book series. In this, I'm generally pulled in three directions:
1. What is considered 'cannon' in the public eye these days (pop culture magic)
2. What is historic 'old world' magic.
3. What I want to bring to the table (mash-ups, certain twists, etc.)
Much like the "house" where my wizards live, as a writer I let the chaos work itself out (as I work through my self-allotted 30-35 chapter plotting) and I present my observations to you, my good reader!
-Dave
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