Inspiration is the Key

I have been encouraged by the kind comments that continue to come my way concerning The Sixth World of Men series. By I am astounded at how many different opinions have been giving about what they liked about the series.
    Some people tell me that they like the humorous parts of the series. They say that the mild humor is refreshing and stays out of the way of the plot.
    Others tell me that they like the romantic plots in the series. One person said that the romance in this series is the way all romances should be. I'm not sure exactly what was meant by that comment, but I think it was a complement.
    Some people tell me that they enjoy the intrigue, mystery and suspense in the series. I suppose that it wouldn't be a good fantasy without those things, so I appreciate those comments greatly.
    Other folks tell me that it the descriptions of technology that really set this series apart. I did work hard on researching a bevy of "possible" technologies, so I am glad that my time spent in research was worthwhile.
    The variety of characters is sited by some as the thing that keeps the series so interesting. Some have even gone so far as saying that they can see themselves in a particular character. I, of course, tell them that it wasn't intentional, but I am glad that people see the characters as being real and believable.
    But the comment the thrills me the most is when people tell me that a scene or a character inspired them. The greatest goal I have is to inspire my readers. Inspiration is my main purpose in writing. It is my dream that everyone who reads the series will find inspiration somewhere.
    Thank you to all those who have put up with my post-reading interviews to let me gain their insights. They have been most valuable and, might I say, they have been an inspiration to me.

Pronunciation Guide for Beacon

A few folks have requested that I give phonectic spellings for a few of the names in Beacon. I must admit that I've heard a variety of pronunciation of the names as more and more people I know read the book. There has been enough requests for this now from both folks that I know and folks that I don't know that I feel compelled to provided a crude pronunciation guide.
I didn't use any phonectic symbols in this guide except for a few vowel markings. Instead I tried to use letter combinations to illustrate vowel sounds. Bold syllables are the primary emphasis syllable.

Pronunciation Guide for A Beacon of Hope

Characters with Speaking Parts
Jahnu          Jahn-oo
Odanoi        O-dăn-oy
Phrunoi       Froon-oy
Agap            Uh-gahp
Agapoi         Uh-gahp-oy
Agapu          Uh-gahp-oo
Holon           Hall-ōn
Holu             Hall-oo
Yotux            Yō-tŭx
Axopen        Ags-ō-pěn
Supeb         Soo-pěb
Kowtsom    Kōt-sum
Phunex       Foo-něx
Opsil           Ŏp-seel
Eutay           Oo-tay
Ketesku      Kě-těs-koo
Temeos      Tĭm-ē-ōs
Tryllos         Trē-yōs
Abin             Ah-bĭn
Nenavis      Nĭn-uh-vĭs
Neaotomo  Nee-ō-tō-mō
Laysa          Lay-sah
Degmer      Děg-mėr
Beltram       Bell-trŭm

Countries
Cirri                   Sear-ee
Calisla              Cah-lees-lah
Jontu Etirraze  Han-too E-tir-ah-zee
Doetora            Doh-ay-tor-uh
Dricho               Dree-koh
O'ONaso          Ō--ō-nah-sō
Minnunglindor Mĭn-ung-leen-door
Cargagru          Car-gah-grew
Nurd                   Nerd
Schwinn            Shwĭn

Other Words
Grasso      Grah-sō
Thaoi          Thah-oy
Manku        Man-koo
Anark          Ann-ark
Zaria           Zuh-ree-uh

The Importance of Building

Many people that have read all of the manuscripts that I have written so far have asked me why it is that the first book of an epic series always seems to dwell on details more than the other books. I would like to attempt to answer that question in this blog.
The reader needs to understand that an epic series, especially one set in a fictional world, has to build a bank of knowledge. The first book generally sets the general causality conditions for events that will occur in the series. It also has to acquaint the reader with the characters, the natural and cultural setting, and the beginning of the actual story itself. That's a lot to get done in one book of a multi-book series.
The details of the first book are necessary to form a basis of understanding for the reader as he or she progresses through the story. They help the reader to understand the why's and how's as well as the who's of the rest of the story.
Although the second or even the third book of the series might still be somewhat entertaining if the first book is not read, the reader will certainly be lacking full understanding of the characters and events that transpire in these books.
Every author of epic series tries to keep the pace of the fist book as quick as possible, but if the author goes too quickly in the first book, the author will find that he must decrease the pace of the rest of the series just to give the details necessary for plot and character development. Therefore, most authors will try to incorporate as much detail in the first book as can be handled by the average reader in order to expedite the rest of the story.
A Beacon of Hope is no exception to this general rule. Three major story arcs are begun in this book and two minor arcs are begun and completed in this book. Another three minor arcs are begun without completion in this book. Obviously, the establishment of so many arcs requires some detail to be given in the book. The trick is to give the details in an entertaining fashion. That is a trick that I hope that I've managed to accomplish in Beacon.

Walter E. Mark
www.sixthworldofmen.com
Authors: Get help at http://tateauthors.freeforums.org

The Fantasy World

Fantasy is a wonderful genre of fiction. It's my favorite genre for a lot a reasons, but the most compelling one for me is the endless possibilities that fantasy allows my mind to imagine.
     The creation of the fantasy world in my mind is the best part of reading a fantasy for me. The world becomes the launching point for all of the other possibilities that a fantasy presents. Even fantasies need to have order. The fantasy world establishes this order. I love to guess with the author how the premise of the fantasy world will affect the characters and thus have effect on the storyline.
     The fantasy world has to be much more than a physical world. It has to explore possibilities. The world must be given depth. It should have its own history. It should have its own culture. It should have it own life, and this life must be defined.
     Most people remember the TV series, Heroes. What was the reason that it lost popularity with its viewership so suddenly after booming onto the scene at it's inception? Former fans of the show say that they lost interest because the rules kept changing. The fantasy world of Heroes was never defined well and all of the visual effects and plots twists couldn't sustain the show because it didn't have a solid foundation.
     Developing a solid fantasy world is the first step in the development of a fantasy. In my next blog, I'll look at what can be done to develop a different kind of fantasy world.

Walter E. Mark
www.sixthworldofmen.com
Authors: Get help at http://tateauthors.freeforums.org