Today I have author Clint Stoker on the blog for a guest post. I haven't read any of his books, but they seem to have some great reviews!
One of the fun parts about writing is doing all the
research. Some facts can be learned from reading, but others have to be experienced
first-hand.
Here is some of the research it took to write All for Owen.
1.
Eat Dandelions.
I had heard they were edible and they are
certainly everywhere. What better staple could a post-apocalyptic traveler ask
for? I have to admit, dandelions don’t taste great.
2.
Brush up on Black Plague History.
The character on the cover is wearing an
Italian plague doctor’s mask. The history is fascinating, but I couldn’t help
wonder what it would take for those practices to emerge in society again.
3.
Shoot Big Guns.
Because All for Owen is a stew of historical
elements, I tried my hand at shooting a WWII-era Russian rifle, the Mosin
Nagant.
4.
Reminiscing on Teenage Pressures and Problems.
You can’t write about young adults without
getting in-touch with your inner teen.
5.
Learn How to Make Colloidal Silver.
The science is interesting, but don’t drink
too much of this home-brewed, cure-all. It will turn your skin blue,
permanently.
6.
Get My Creep On.
To write a tense scene, it helps to watch a
scary movie or think about creepy scenarios while lying in bed at night.
Remember how it feels to hear a bump in the night. Cherish it and write down,
because you never know when a character will need to feel those same feelings.
7.
Read About Philosophy.
Yeah, I know, this doesn’t sound like riveting
research, but to write dimensional characters, I need to understand how
different people adopt different ideologies. It makes for great villains.
To see how all these random activities relate, pick up a
copy of All for Owen and see for
yourself.
About the Book:
About the Book:
Seventeen-year-old Jason Lowe has been able to hide from a broken world in his forgotten neighborhood. He can hide from the horrors of the man-made plague, because he’s immune. But when the creatures called Angsts discover Sunset Street, he can’t hide anymore.
The night Jason is late for watch, the Angsts, creatures clad in historical masks, bring the plague and infect his community. But Jason isn't the one chosen to save his home. Instead, he becomes the side-kick to twelve-year-old Owen Rosner, Sunset's least valuable resident.
Now the boys of Sunset have one shot at saving their community, to travel across the hazardous valley and trade for antidotes. But everything rests on keeping Owen Alive.
I've heard that people eat dandelions too, but goodness, it would take a lot for me to try one. Nothing short of apocalypse, in fact. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'd prefer not to be in touch with my inner teen, which is why I could never be a YA writer. :)
Great post!
Great guest post! I love that the author has to get their "creep on" before writing any big scary scenes!
ReplyDeleteI love history and doing research. That is the fun part. Only if the subject is interesting.
ReplyDeleteEww eating dandelions doesn't sound very tasty. I remember reading a fantasy book and the heroine made dandelion soup, and I thought maybe if they're in a soup they might be edible, but still they don't sound very tasty. Awesome guest post, I appreciate all the research that went into this!
ReplyDelete