What I wanted out of this story
Will O' the Wisp is the newest release
from C. S. Boyack. It involves a mildly handicapped girl facing a mysterious
threat. The wisp has been killing off Patty Hall's family for generations, and
she's next on the list. It is suitable for young adult readers.
I've blogged many times about how I
set challenges for myself with each novel. These won't be evident to the
reader, but they help me grow as an author. At various times the challenge is
as simple as writing a buddy story, or using fairy tale structure.
In Will O' the Wisp, I wanted to add
another tool to my writer's toolbox. This is my first story written in first
person point of view. It involved a little hair pulling at first, because
"meanwhile, back at the ranch" isn't possible. If Patty Hall can't
see it, read it, or hear it, it cannot be inserted into the story. It's a
wonderful challenge, and one every author should attempt at least once.
I also wanted to use some of my
suspense techniques. I have a living document where these tips have been
languishing long enough. It was time to take them out and play with them.
There were challenges in writing this
tale, to be sure. Not the least of which is a 54 year old man writing from the
perspective of a 15 year old girl. Never one to run from a challenge, I
referred to my raising of a fifteen year old girl. According to my advance
readers, I pulled it off just fine. We authors worry about everything, and the
reader is the ultimate judge here.
This doesn't mean all my other tools
were off limits. I still managed to shoehorn in a couple of fairy tale
elements. As an example, the color purple appears three times in the story at
defining moments in Patty's journey.
I also relied upon a technique I call
plants and payoffs. The story is filled with seemingly small elements that wind
up playing more important roles later on. This is a fun technique to use. This
is how 70s pop culture icon Euell Gibbons and the words of Abraham Lincoln got
into my story.
Sometimes I am satisfied with my
personal goals, sometimes they fall a bit short. This is all personal growth
information, and doesn't reflect in the story itself. The stories are solid,
and readers should enjoy them. In the case of Will O' the Wisp, all my goals
were exceeded. I am very happy with this story.
Will O' the Wisp is suitable for a
young adult crowd. All my advanced readers are adults, and they seem to have
enjoyed it too. I never set out with a goal like that in mind, and don't shy
away from adult themes. Several of my stories are better suited for adults. The
Cock of the South can be brutal and bloody at times. Arson gets hot in more
ways than one. Will O' the Wisp didn't need any of that, and it would detract
from the story. I wouldn't be afraid to share it with my oldest granddaughter.
***
Patty Hall is perfectly prepared for
the wrong problem. She is enamored with the space race, and knows the history
of NASA by heart. She is faced with an ancient threat that has been targeting
the Hall family for generations.
Hampered by an overprotective mother, if Patty can't figure it all out
in time, she may be the next member in the Hall family cemetery plot.
It's not hard enough to be a fifteen
year old girl, and a social outcast. As she watches her friends mature and grow,
she has to face the idea of never turning sixteen. Please consider joining
Patty on her incredible adventure.
You can pick up a copy on Amazon using
your Kindle or a free reading app. Download it here:
Follow Craig at the following
locations:
Follow my blog:
http://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com
Check out all my novels here:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00ILXBXUY
Twitter:
https://mobile.twitter.com/Virgilante
Author Bio:
I was born in a town
called Elko, Nevada. I like to tell everyone I was born in
a small town in the 1940s. I'm not quite that old, but Elko has always been a
little behind the times. This gives me a unique perspective of earlier times,
and other ways of getting by. Some of this bleeds through into my fiction.
I moved to Idaho
right after the turn of the century, and never looked back. My writing career
was born here, with access to other writers and critique groups I jumped in
with both feet.
I like to write about things that have something unusual. My works are in the
realm of science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy. The goal is to entertain you
for a few hours. I hope you enjoy the ride.
Talk back I'm listening
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