Q&A with C. Michael Lorion discussion

Just as the topic headline says, anything goes. Ask away!

What inspired you to write totem? Also is it a trilogy?

I originally started writing a family drama about what would happen if a parent was either directly or indirectly responsible for the death of his child. Nine months into the thing I realized I don't read family dramas, so I scrapped the plot, brought in a supernatural element, kept the characters, and went from there. I didn't scrap the entire plot, as the series (yes, it is a trilogy) will deal with a parent causing the death of a child.

I brought in the supernatural element via Native American mythology as I've long been interested in Native American culture and the impact on our country. Look at all the names of states and cities and lakes and rivers, their cultural impact is everywhere, and yet, where are the Native Americans today? I wanted to explore that aspect, and the second and third books will get more into that.

What advice do you have for writers who want to try their hand at writing a series?

This is difficult for me to answer because I've only published one book in my Totem series so far, though I am currently writing the second installment. I guess my advice would be to get the first one written. Don't wait until you've got the whole storyline and character arcs figured out, because that'll probably never happen. Get the first one written and see what happens from there.

C. wrote: "This is difficult for me to answer because I've only published one book in my Totem series so far, though I am currently writing the second installment. I guess my advice would be to get the first ..."

I've always thought you had to have the whole thing outlined. I'm working on book #2 of my trilogy and it's proving harder than I thought it would be lol.

Right now, early in my writing career, I have not used an outline. I don't think I'm that type of writer. I do know where my second book will end, and where the third book will end, but other than that, I have no idea, and I like it like that. It keeps the writing interesting for me.

What's the hardest part of writing book 2?

I'm basically in the same boat - I know the starts & ends but not the stuff in between. Hardest part is continuity for me. I'm constantly having to go back and make sure I don't have inconsistencies. It's only gonna be worse with book 3.

What about with you?

Yup. I have pages in one notebook of unanswered questions the reader is left with from book 1, making sure I answer certain ones in book 2. I'm also always checking the ages of my characters, what they know, etc., 'cuz it's easy for me to forget those things.