Ask the Author: K. Caffee
Answered Questions (7)
K. Caffee
There are gong to be 4 more novels in this series. Book 2 "Into the Sunlits" is approximately half finished, and the plot map for the other 3 is done. Now, it is down into the nuts and bolts of getting the words on the page for editing and publication.
And, I have a mental nibble for another series, though it has not yet completely solidified. Trying to keep that one on a slow simmer until I can get the first series finished! Don't want to jumble the two together.
Thanks for the question, feel free to ask more.
And, I have a mental nibble for another series, though it has not yet completely solidified. Trying to keep that one on a slow simmer until I can get the first series finished! Don't want to jumble the two together.
Thanks for the question, feel free to ask more.
K. Caffee
For "Followers of Torments" I added a new form of torture to my main character. I could tell if he wasn't suffering enough just by how well the story was flowing from my fingers onto the screen. When things were too easy, I would stall, struggle, and get almost no where - a paragraph, a sentence - by the end of the day. When he was actively being put through literary Hades I could see almost a full chapter emerge by the time I had to admit to being too exhausted to type coherently any longer.
Not sure how things are going to work in the next series. But, I am sure something will come along to provide signposts for me to follow about keeping things moving.
Not sure how things are going to work in the next series. But, I am sure something will come along to provide signposts for me to follow about keeping things moving.
K. Caffee
I get to create. I have an itch that can only be satisfied by some type of artistic outlet. Writing provides a chance to satisfy that itch while providing entertainment to myself and any potential readers who come along.
K. Caffee
Write. It sounds cliche but sit down and write. Write anything you want to. If you are comfortable, or think you can be come comfortable, then set up a blog, and write there. Get in the habit of writing, of getting your thoughts out there to be discovered. It will help you on the day you have to send your manuscript off to the editor or to your beta readers.
And, the other BIG thing that has proven extremely helpful to me: Develop a circle of friends able and willing to answer questions over just about anything at just about any hour of the day or night. You may think that you will be able to hold yourself to a set schedule of only writing between X and Z hours, but having friends who are awake and able to talk on the opposite side of the day from this in reserve remains a good idea. There have been times when I know I have been very, very grateful to my friends who work the night shift, because I was on a roll late into the early morning and hit a snag. Those friends still up provided just the nudge I needed to finish out the scenes I was in the middle of. If I hadn't had them, I am not sure the story would have been finished the way it is.
And, the other BIG thing that has proven extremely helpful to me: Develop a circle of friends able and willing to answer questions over just about anything at just about any hour of the day or night. You may think that you will be able to hold yourself to a set schedule of only writing between X and Z hours, but having friends who are awake and able to talk on the opposite side of the day from this in reserve remains a good idea. There have been times when I know I have been very, very grateful to my friends who work the night shift, because I was on a roll late into the early morning and hit a snag. Those friends still up provided just the nudge I needed to finish out the scenes I was in the middle of. If I hadn't had them, I am not sure the story would have been finished the way it is.
K. Caffee
Right now I am working on book 2 "Into the Sunlits." Though, book 3 is beginning to peer around the shroud of the unknown, much to my disgruntlement. Because I am still new enough, I prefer to have the story flow chronologically through my mind, so I do not upset the natural pace of the piece. I have tried before to rush or delay the pace with the sad experience of having the entire plot line unravel on me beyond what my meager skills could recover.
K. Caffee
Listen to the inner voices talking. Most of the time, I get lucky, and they are talking about what ever story I am working on now. When they are not, I let them mumble on while ignoring them. But, when I am ready to sit down and burn through another set of batteries in the keyboard, I'll review what I have written and then ask the character a question or two.
When I get really, really stuck, and reviewing the last paragraph or five does not spark anything new, I tend to head out and find the friends who were involved in the initial development of what ever character I am writing about today. (Mostly, Nameless - the main character in my debut series.) With a little nudging, and small talk about almost anything, I can usually unlock the door that the character has hidden behind and coax them out for more tormenting... err ... writing practice.
When I get really, really stuck, and reviewing the last paragraph or five does not spark anything new, I tend to head out and find the friends who were involved in the initial development of what ever character I am writing about today. (Mostly, Nameless - the main character in my debut series.) With a little nudging, and small talk about almost anything, I can usually unlock the door that the character has hidden behind and coax them out for more tormenting... err ... writing practice.
K. Caffee
I first was introduced to the series on the 3-D chat platform IMVU where a large percentage of the people behind the monitors enjoyed role play with vampires, werewolves, or other dark beings. Personally, I never managed to become totally enraptured with these types of characters, though I do like the occasional book about them. But, to participate, almost every open chat room advised human characters to stay out, or become dinner/slaves/pets/skins tacked to a wall/ you name it. That’s fine with me! I enjoy dipping my feet into the fantastical. But, what type of character did I want?
I have dipped my feet into the Dungeons and Dragons realms, gleefully running elves, half elves, and winged elves through numerous campaigns. But, all of these more-or-less established characters were aligned with the good guys. The rooms I wanted to play in now would have erupted into a constant battle zone (an offense worth suspending privileges over if the room owner stopped by!) or I would have had to let the character die (something else to be avoided if possible.)
I had bumped into the White Wolf Changeling system, but had never really explored it. So, I decided to try out one of the character races. Now, normally, I am a lurker in a chat room, occasionally offering snippets of wisdom if I can make the room fall apart in laughter. The character type that fit best for this are the pukah. So, I did a little research beyond just the White Wolf gaming system.
The bulk of the information came from Wikipedia (everyone’s go to source, right?).
OK. These are shy, mischievous little buggers. That fits me to a “T”! So, since I was not yet an accepted member of the room’s residents, I never did offer a name for the character. Woops! As time went past, and I began interacting more and more, Nameless’ remained nameless, and became a more fleshed out character. And, the havoc he could wreak! (Have you ever had a day when an active chat went silent for a good five minutes because people were laughing so hard they couldn't type? Yeah, I can claim that glory with Nameless.) Yet even with the humor I brought with him, he did not fit. I was accepted, but the atmosphere of the room was completely wrong for a happy-go-lucky character. I started slowly changing his attitudes and expressions to become a better fit with the room. His bright, shiny self dimmed, then went black. His light hearted humor took on a more malicious bent. His pranks quit being harmless (using holy water in the bucket propped over the door when you know a vampire is due in any moment type change.)
Now, a definite story line had started developing with a smaller sub-group in the room, and we decided to branch off a bit to explore this potential. Along the way, one of the other players asked before a session started, “But, where did Nameless come from?”
You know, that was probably the best question I have ever been asked. Sure, I could have changed Nameless from a pukah to one of the darker races offered within the White Wolf system. But, to do that, he would no longer have been… Nameless. Not the syntax mangling, laughter inducing maniac our group had come to love and hate and love to hate. So, I began to consider what would have caused a creature meant to bring laughter, happiness, and general light minded mischief to be such a hard hearted, cruel, violent being.
The series Followers of Torments is the answer.
I have dipped my feet into the Dungeons and Dragons realms, gleefully running elves, half elves, and winged elves through numerous campaigns. But, all of these more-or-less established characters were aligned with the good guys. The rooms I wanted to play in now would have erupted into a constant battle zone (an offense worth suspending privileges over if the room owner stopped by!) or I would have had to let the character die (something else to be avoided if possible.)
I had bumped into the White Wolf Changeling system, but had never really explored it. So, I decided to try out one of the character races. Now, normally, I am a lurker in a chat room, occasionally offering snippets of wisdom if I can make the room fall apart in laughter. The character type that fit best for this are the pukah. So, I did a little research beyond just the White Wolf gaming system.
The bulk of the information came from Wikipedia (everyone’s go to source, right?).
OK. These are shy, mischievous little buggers. That fits me to a “T”! So, since I was not yet an accepted member of the room’s residents, I never did offer a name for the character. Woops! As time went past, and I began interacting more and more, Nameless’ remained nameless, and became a more fleshed out character. And, the havoc he could wreak! (Have you ever had a day when an active chat went silent for a good five minutes because people were laughing so hard they couldn't type? Yeah, I can claim that glory with Nameless.) Yet even with the humor I brought with him, he did not fit. I was accepted, but the atmosphere of the room was completely wrong for a happy-go-lucky character. I started slowly changing his attitudes and expressions to become a better fit with the room. His bright, shiny self dimmed, then went black. His light hearted humor took on a more malicious bent. His pranks quit being harmless (using holy water in the bucket propped over the door when you know a vampire is due in any moment type change.)
Now, a definite story line had started developing with a smaller sub-group in the room, and we decided to branch off a bit to explore this potential. Along the way, one of the other players asked before a session started, “But, where did Nameless come from?”
You know, that was probably the best question I have ever been asked. Sure, I could have changed Nameless from a pukah to one of the darker races offered within the White Wolf system. But, to do that, he would no longer have been… Nameless. Not the syntax mangling, laughter inducing maniac our group had come to love and hate and love to hate. So, I began to consider what would have caused a creature meant to bring laughter, happiness, and general light minded mischief to be such a hard hearted, cruel, violent being.
The series Followers of Torments is the answer.
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