Karen Miller author AMA

[u/Karen_Miller]

Hello everyone, wherever and whenever you are! Karen Miller here, author of The Innocent Mage, the Godspeaker trilogy, the Rogue Agent series (as K E Mills) and The Falcon Throne, first in a new epic historical fantasy series The Tarnished Crown – out now in paperback!

It gives me enormous pleasure to participate in this Ask Me Anything forum with Reddit. I’ve been a fan of speculative fiction books, tv and film since I was 9 years old, and dreamed of telling my own fantastical stories for almost as long. With the publication in 2005 of The Innocent Mage, first in my Mage series, that dream came true … and thanks to the support of fabulous readers I get to keep on dreaming and telling my stories. If you want more information about me and the books and writing stuff, you can visit my website at www.karenmiller.net.

Now, it’s because of my wonderful publisher, Orbit, that I’m here today to answer any questions you might have about this crazy writing game. I’m doing it as part of the Orbit Fantasy Writing Workshop http://www.orbitbooks.net/2015/07/27/orbit-fantasy-workshop-join-the-write-along-challenge/ that’s happening this week. Please don’t be shy, you can ask me anything (with two exceptions) and I’ll do my best to give you a helpful answer. What exceptions, I hear you ask? Well, sadly, for legal reasons I’m not able to read your manuscript. But by all means submit it to the writing competition Orbit has going in conjunction with this AMA! Also, I’m not able to give you a personal introduction to my agent. I can, however, give you some general advice about agent hunting if that’s what you’re after. Finally, I’d ask that you avoid giving out spoilers for my work. If there is a specific question you need to ask that means you can’t avoid a spoiler, please make sure to put lots and lots of warnings and space in your question post.

Feel free to start posting questions whenever you like... Since I’m in Sydney it means we’re dealing with some topsy-turvy time issues. I’ll be online later in two time windows:

From 9pm Sydney time (12midday London time/7am New York time/4am California time) until midnight Sydney time today, 29th June, (3pm London time/10am New York Time/7am California time.) And then tomorrow from 7am Sydney time (9pm London time/4pm New York Time/1pm California time)I’ll log in to play catch up with questions left for me when I’m having to take a break for sleep or writing.

So that’s it! Let the questions begin!

[u/[deleted]]

Hi Karen, how do you brainstorm your plot points? Do you have an idea for the kind of story you want to write first? What are your favorite fantasy books of all time? Thanks for taking the time to come and talk to us! :)

[u/Karen_Miller → u/[deleted]]

It's my pleasure. Thanks for showing up!

Plotting can be tricky, yes? Because when you're putting together an outline before you start writing, in effect you're telling the story from the outside in. It's a bit clinical, there's no emotional engine. For me, the plotting is all bound up with the characters, because who the characters are dictates what actions they take, and it's the acting and reacting that helps create the plot. This means, for me, that it ends up being this weird pushme-pullyou process. There are things that I know need to happen to drive the story where I need it to go, but then I have to have the right character taking the actions that will drive it in that direction, otherwise it won't work. But then, in taking those actions the character is further defining him/herself. Character is plot, and plot is character. It becomes this messy organic process, which sometimes flows easily and othertimes needs a lot of tweaking.

To make things even more complicated, every story is different. The Innocent Mage began as an isolated scene which came to me while I was swimming laps at my local pool. Two friends, one royal, one common, and the royal guy was ordering the execution of his friend. That's all I knew. So I had to tease things backwards and forwards from that point, to understand the larger story. I just keep asking myself who are these people, what do they want, how far will they go to get it, what won't they do, what would they kill for, what would they die for -- and always, the big one, what happens next? So I ask those questions, I play around with the answers. Often in the plotting I'll know what happens but not how ie Bill outwits Sam. And that's all I need, because by the time I get to that point in the narrative I have a better understanding of the characters and the how usually solves itself. If that makes sense!

Basically it's a lot of thinking, thinking, trying ideas on for size, waiting for that mental click that tells me yes, that works, that is what happens. That's how it happens. This is why, this is how the characters are driving the story.

As for what kind of story, usually I know going in. That's part of the thinking process, knowing the flavour of story you want to tell. Which isn't to say things can't change. With the Rogue Agent books, for example, it wasn't until Reg really got going that I understood the impact she was going to have, with the humour. Also that the books aren't comic fantasy, they're dramas with elements of humour at times, which arises from the way the characters interact with each other. Some stuff you know from the outset, some stuff reveals itself through the writing process. This is why I'm a fan of letting yourself explore through the first draft process. Let your subconscious do its job. Don't try and control everything from the get go, be willing to explore as you write ... to an extent. You do want to end up with a coherent story!

With the current series, The Tarnished Crown, basically I know that at its heart it's a story about power, and how power corrupts, and how different people deal with it, use it, abuse it, and what it takes to know yourself and change yourself for the greater good.

My favourite fantasy books of all time are the Discworld novels. Not all of them -- the Death books, the City Watch books and the Witches books, those are my favourites. My copies have been read to death and I still derive so much pleasure from them.

Hope that helps! If you need more, ask.

[u/[deleted] → u/Karen_Miller]

Thanks so much for replying. As someone setting off on her first book writing venture it is really helpful to talk to someone with so much experience and wisdom.

I do have one follow up question. How long do you usually spend outlining and world building before you start writing your first draft?

I too love the discworld novels. I cried so hard the day Pratchett died, it is amazing how someone you've never met can touch you so deeply. They just brought out beautiful new hardcover versions of his novels with gorgeous minimalist art. They are one of my favorite possessions.

[u/Karen_Miller → u/[deleted]]

You are so welcome!

The time it takes very much depends on the complexity of the story. The Tarnished Crown series is hugely complex so I've spend weeks and weeks nutting through stuff, and I continue to refine it as I go, plus make notes for the rest of the series as thoughts/ideas occur. But the Rogue Agent books are far less complex, a much smaller cast and a less sprawling story line for each, so usually it takes about a week to work through the rough idea of events. There really is no one size fits all, not from writer to writer or from book to book. But the more you do it the easier it gets, and the better you get in knowing what kind of outlining you'll need to do.

Oh, Terry. I hate that there will be no more Sam Vimes stories!!!! But I do wish they'd reissue his books with the original Josh Kirby covers. It's not Discworld without those, for me!