Ask the Author: Nicholas Lawrence Carter
Answered Questions (8)
Nicholas Lawrence Carter
The doorknob rattled; those familiar heavy keys jangling, but when it opened, it wasn't her. It wasn't anyone he knew; instead, it was a woman with blood on her shirt, and she smiled as she walked in.
Nicholas Lawrence Carter
I'm a huge Star Wars fan; don't worry, I'm not *that* kind of fan! I'm loving the High Republic content so far. I'm currently reading Into the Dark. I have Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good and The Rising Storm on my list for Star Wars books.
I'm currently working may through Will Wight's Cradle series. I have The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch, and the last two of Mark Burnell's Stephanie Patrick series on my TBR list as well.
I'm currently working may through Will Wight's Cradle series. I have The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch, and the last two of Mark Burnell's Stephanie Patrick series on my TBR list as well.
Nicholas Lawrence Carter
I haven't had it in a long time, but I've had bouts with it. I had one that lasted a few years and I didn't write at all. Now, when I feel like I'm not getting anywhere or I'm just not happy with what I'm producing, I put it down and do something else. Clearing your mind will do wonders for you. I always take at least two days a week "off" and don't write. I try not to think too much about my books or the work I need to do on those days. Sure, they enter my mind some, and at times I feel like I'm just wasting a day if I don't do anything, but you need that downtime. It's just as important as writing.
Nicholas Lawrence Carter
Getting these stories out of my head!
Nicholas Lawrence Carter
Just write. As much as you or want to. Don't put limits or expectations on yourself. I know that's not easy for some of us, but it really does hurt your mental to do that. I'm five books in and still feel like I don't do enough, even when I spent 70%+ of my waking time working on my books on some level. You'll get there. It's not a race; or, at least, it doesn't have to be.
Nicholas Lawrence Carter
After Thanksgiving, I'll begin outlining the sequel to A World Fallen. After that, I have a few ideas that I'm tossing around; a high fantasy series, a proto-cyberpunk novel, and a Star Wars fanfic--just for fun. I'll write them all; I'm just not certain of the order yet.
I started outlining the first book of the fantasy series last year. I had originally planned to alternate writing that series and Legacy of Celestials, but when I got 40 chapters deep into the outline for the first fantasy book, which would amount to about 120k words. I looked at it and realized I wasn't halfway done with the book yet; so, I decided to finish Legacy first.
I started outlining the first book of the fantasy series last year. I had originally planned to alternate writing that series and Legacy of Celestials, but when I got 40 chapters deep into the outline for the first fantasy book, which would amount to about 120k words. I looked at it and realized I wasn't halfway done with the book yet; so, I decided to finish Legacy first.
Nicholas Lawrence Carter
I take inspiration from so many avenues; books, movies, shows, comics, video games, music. I'm a very visual person; for a long time, I thought I wanted to be a film director. I tried my hand at it, and it was fun for the most part, but writing has always been my biggest passion. Nothing compares.
A lot of my stories come from a single idea; a line of dialogue, character name, book or chapter title, or a sequence. These are often inspired by something I've read or seen. For my book A World Fallen, I was reading The Walking Dead comics and kept thinking, "I like this--a lot--but I'd like it more if the stakes felt higher when there were fewer zombies. What if the zombies were smarter, or at least some of them, so the 'big moments' of terror didn't have to be dependent on human characters complicating matters or the protagonists being overrun by a horde?"
Telltale's The Walking Dead video game does a great job of that. It has great characters, great dialogue, well-thought-out stories that are surprising, and it nails the quiet moments.
I wanted to write something like that, and I'd never read a zombie book/comic or watched a zombie movie/show where the zombies were the main threat, but also the background fodder. They didn't drive the story at all; the characters do. The quiet moments, the so very few moments of peace keep the story moving. I wanted to write something that was a character study, that had a sort of coming-of-age quality to it but could be relentless and brutal and invoke a sense of fear at a moment's notice.
What if the zombies could talk? Not just that, but what if they had a level of intelligence that allowed them to understand each other, understood their prey, and be capable of deceiving them?
For my science fantasy series, Legacy of Celestials, Mass Effect, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings were big inspirations. They say to write what you want to read; so I did. I wanted to create a new universe that wasn't dependent on human characters to tell the story. I didn't want to use humans at all. Mass Effect is great with its non-humans. Star Wars is as well, though the books are better than the movies or shows at that. A universe that could mirror the issues we face in our world while removing things that shouldn't exist: prejudice and inequality. Take those out, but still provide conflict and present relatable characters.
I also wanted to create a character that was the definition of over-powered, to where there isn't a believable physical threat to them, and then give them conflict. Put them in situations they can't win with force or power, and see if I can make that interesting. That was a big goal for the first book, Visions of Ascension.
A lot of my stories come from a single idea; a line of dialogue, character name, book or chapter title, or a sequence. These are often inspired by something I've read or seen. For my book A World Fallen, I was reading The Walking Dead comics and kept thinking, "I like this--a lot--but I'd like it more if the stakes felt higher when there were fewer zombies. What if the zombies were smarter, or at least some of them, so the 'big moments' of terror didn't have to be dependent on human characters complicating matters or the protagonists being overrun by a horde?"
Telltale's The Walking Dead video game does a great job of that. It has great characters, great dialogue, well-thought-out stories that are surprising, and it nails the quiet moments.
I wanted to write something like that, and I'd never read a zombie book/comic or watched a zombie movie/show where the zombies were the main threat, but also the background fodder. They didn't drive the story at all; the characters do. The quiet moments, the so very few moments of peace keep the story moving. I wanted to write something that was a character study, that had a sort of coming-of-age quality to it but could be relentless and brutal and invoke a sense of fear at a moment's notice.
What if the zombies could talk? Not just that, but what if they had a level of intelligence that allowed them to understand each other, understood their prey, and be capable of deceiving them?
For my science fantasy series, Legacy of Celestials, Mass Effect, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings were big inspirations. They say to write what you want to read; so I did. I wanted to create a new universe that wasn't dependent on human characters to tell the story. I didn't want to use humans at all. Mass Effect is great with its non-humans. Star Wars is as well, though the books are better than the movies or shows at that. A universe that could mirror the issues we face in our world while removing things that shouldn't exist: prejudice and inequality. Take those out, but still provide conflict and present relatable characters.
I also wanted to create a character that was the definition of over-powered, to where there isn't a believable physical threat to them, and then give them conflict. Put them in situations they can't win with force or power, and see if I can make that interesting. That was a big goal for the first book, Visions of Ascension.
Nicholas Lawrence Carter
My most recent book, Shadow of Destruction, is the third book of the Legacy of Celestials series. It's the "final" book of the series, as it does close out the main story. I plan, in the future, to return to that world and write more, but Corianna and Jana's story is finished.
A major plot point of the book is the main characters being hunted by the antagonist, but it's not a typical hunt. The villain is otherworldly, multiversal, and can appear nearly anywhere. I wanted to create a sense of constant dread and uneasiness.
But the book isn't a horror book, so I had to toe a line with that. The Intruders by Michael Marshall does a great job of that. The book isn't horror, it's a thriller with a dash of mystery, yet it feels foreboding. Marshall's works are a huge influence on my storytelling.
I wanted the book to feel frenetic, fast-paced, unpredictable, and above all, provoke a sense of desperation. Did I succeed at that? I don't know; you tell me! I certainly hope I did--at least, to some degree.
There's a big plot point at the end of the second book, A Time of Sorrow, that I had not planned to write. It came to when penning the final chapters, and I realized that if I went with it, I would have to throw out every idea I had for the third book. I loved the idea so much that I felt I had to do it.
I moved straight into outlining the third book after I finished A Time of Sorrow. I love a good chase scene. The Bourne series is filled with them, Graveslinger by Darren Lee Compton has a few that are edge-of-your-seat gripping, The Last Jedi is entirely based around a chase sequence (though it's more of a slow-burn), The Terminator is essentially one big chase. I wanted to create my own version of that and put a twist on it. I'm happy with how it turned out.
A major plot point of the book is the main characters being hunted by the antagonist, but it's not a typical hunt. The villain is otherworldly, multiversal, and can appear nearly anywhere. I wanted to create a sense of constant dread and uneasiness.
But the book isn't a horror book, so I had to toe a line with that. The Intruders by Michael Marshall does a great job of that. The book isn't horror, it's a thriller with a dash of mystery, yet it feels foreboding. Marshall's works are a huge influence on my storytelling.
I wanted the book to feel frenetic, fast-paced, unpredictable, and above all, provoke a sense of desperation. Did I succeed at that? I don't know; you tell me! I certainly hope I did--at least, to some degree.
There's a big plot point at the end of the second book, A Time of Sorrow, that I had not planned to write. It came to when penning the final chapters, and I realized that if I went with it, I would have to throw out every idea I had for the third book. I loved the idea so much that I felt I had to do it.
I moved straight into outlining the third book after I finished A Time of Sorrow. I love a good chase scene. The Bourne series is filled with them, Graveslinger by Darren Lee Compton has a few that are edge-of-your-seat gripping, The Last Jedi is entirely based around a chase sequence (though it's more of a slow-burn), The Terminator is essentially one big chase. I wanted to create my own version of that and put a twist on it. I'm happy with how it turned out.
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