Hi, Hayley! THANK YOU for your wonderful letter! I am delighted that you are enjoying the story and the writing style -- and very, very happy to hear that you are a writer yourself! Wow, you ask lots of great questions here. I'll do my best to answer them. If I miss something, please write back for clarification!

As to how I organize my thoughts before writing: usually I start with a concept of some kind. With "The Star Shard," I think I had an idea something like: "Cymbril is a slave on the Thunder Rake--make the Rake a really cool place. She has to sing for the merchants. She wants to escape." That's a pretty simple, basic concept, but that's what the story grew from. In my case, I'm really a writer of place. Places (settings) are just as important to me as characters. Settings almost are characters in and of themselves! As I think carefully about the setting, usually the story sort of grows out of that.

I like to start with at least a rough outline -- very rough. I start out knowing the main character, the setting, and the big problem that needs to be overcome. I usually have at least a vague idea of how the problem will be overcome, and some of the things that happen along the way, but I leave a lot of room for my ideas to change as I write. I discover most of the important parts of the story as I'm writing it. Stories seem to know better what they need than the writers writing them do! Sometimes the writer is surprised to discover this or that -- and that's a good sign! The story seems to work best when it takes on a life of its own. I think you just have to spend a lot of time IN your story -- sitting there at your computer or with your paper and pen/pencil. And also let it percolate in your head as you walk, sleep, and go through your day. Things tend to become clear as you need them to.

You also ask a very good question about discipline. I usually write in scenes. I generally have a pretty clear idea of the next scene I'm going to write, and I'll sit down with the idea that "I'm going to write this scene before I go to bed tonight." (I tend to do my best writing after supper, until bedtime -- but different people work differently. I like to start writing earlier in the day than that, because it takes me a long time to get rolling. If I can start in the morning or afternoon, I'm usually geared up for a great writing session in the evening. Many writers say that the first half-hour is the hardest!)

I have to go to class right now, but I will answer the rest of your letter within the next 24 hours!

Fred

[This is Part 2 of my reply to Hayley O.]

Hi again, Hayley! I managed to get back to a computer that could access the page, so I'll see if I can answer the rest of your letter now--thank you again for writing it!

I think it's true that, if you want to write and finish a story, you have to make yourself start working on it. We don't always "feel like" writing, so I don't think we can rely on "feeling like it" and only writing at those times. We'd never get anything written that way! When you get into it, writing is fun and fulfilling -- there's nothing I'd rather be doing! But it's certainly not easy all the time, and starting each time is usually the hardest part. Don't worry if starting seems like a chore to you. It does to me, too! Just plow ahead, and pretty soon you'll be writing along and won't want to stop! (But you have to remember to sleep, eat, take showers, and talk to people sometimes. Ha, ha!)

Tips on how to catch and keep a reader's interest? I think the biggest secret or key to that is: trouble. Right away, there has to come a big problem that threatens the main character in some way. A great many beginning writers are way too easy on their characters. Especially in fantasy, there's a danger that you'll build a wonderful, happy world for your character, you'll be totally into developing and describing that world . . . but nothing is happening. The character is happy, contented, and gets along fine with everyone around him/her. That probably doesn't make a story! You have to give your character trouble, and keep piling the trouble on. Let the character react and do what she/he would logically do when faced with that trouble. If you do that, I think you'll have the reader turning pages to see what happens!

Also notice the patterns of stories you read or see in movies. In an adventure story, we usually meet the character and find out what s/he's like right away by seeing a scene from that person's ordinary life. You can reveal who the character truly is by having him/her do something interesting or unique. Then the trouble starts. The character starts dealing with the trouble, and usually has a certain amount of success early on. Sometimes there's the feeling of, "This isn't so bad! I can do this!" But then the trouble starts to get worse and worse. Sometimes what the character does makes it worse! (And the trouble can come from one source or several sources, but make sure it all fits logically into the story: don't invent trouble out of the blue -- you should show it building from the beginning. Then things reach the peak of badness. The character is REALLY in trouble. There's usually some kind of a big confrontation at the end, some test of the character's courage, perseverance, skills, intelligence, determination, etc. Probably your character will overcome the problem, but it should never be easy, and in most stories, the character has to make some kind of sacrifice -- maybe losing someone or something, maybe coming through the experience "sadder and beaten up" . . . it can take many forms, but that's pretty much a standard pattern for a fantasy adventure story. I'm not saying it's a "formula." Your task as the writer is to breathe life into this pattern by using your own imagination, enriched by all your life's experiences.

I think the key to smooth transitions and logical progression is just to imagine yourself in the story. What would you do next after such-and-such happened? Remember that characters need to eat and sleep. Sometimes the end of a day makes a logical place to break a scene. But yes, ending a scene with a suspenseful twist is one of the most common tricks for getting a reader to want to keep reading. In "The Star Shard," I'll sometimes end sections with the hint that Cymbril is about to do something, such as, "She went to bed, but she knew that tonight she was not about to stay put in her room," etc. Or end a scene with someone hearing a scream, or a stranger arriving, or a monster breaking through the wall -- see? It's really fun to come up with these things, and the more fun you're having, the more fun the reader will have!

I guess a key is to always leave the reader wanting more. You're right: you don't have to reveal everything you know all at once. Dangle tidbits before the reader and then yank them away, drawing the reader on into your story!

I hope some of that is helpful. If you want to discuss any of it in more detail, I'm all ears! And happy writing!

Fred

Hi, Kaitlyn!

I am sooooo happy to hear how much you like "The Star Shard"!  I'm especially happy that you even reread all the episodes every weekend! I just got to see Part 8 yesterday, and I was thrilled -- the illustrations by Ms. Fiegenschuh just get better and better, don't they?

Thank you very much for wishing for 20 parts! I'm sorry to say that it only goes on for 10 parts. I'm already sad that it's almost over. But the good thing about stories is that they don't disappear when they're over. We can revisit them again and again, like old friends. When a few years pass and we go back to them, sometimes we discover all sorts of new things in them.

But here's some exciting news: I recently finished EXPANDING "The Star Shard" into a full-length novel! We're hoping to get it published as a book, with its own cover and all. It follows the story as you've read it here in CRICKET, but it also includes a lot more of Cymbril's adventures along the way. (She gets into a lot more trouble . . . but there's more about her friendships, too, and more exploration of the Rake!) If a publisher accepts it, I hope, hope, HOPE we can get Ms. Fiegenschuh to do the illustrations!

So anyway: there is a good, solid hope that this will become a book. But even if it does, I think my fondest memories of it will always be this wonderful year with CRICKET, and the chance to hear from readers like you!

Thank you so much for writing!

Fred

Hello, Andrew!

Thank YOU for spending so much of your time with my story--reading it and drawing beautiful artwork based on it! I truly am honored! And I'm delighted that you like the story so much. It means the world to a writer to know that his/her story has connected with someone. I've always loved stories, too. What would our lives be without these wonderful worlds of story? We not only escape into them and have adventures, but they give us courage, strength, and inspiration for living our own lives. It's no wonder stories have been around since before we developed written language. We need them!

Thanks for keeping your fingers crossed that The Star Shard will become a book!

And that's fantastic that you're reading Watership Down! I love that book! It's one of my favorites of all time. Don't you love Bigwig's line when he's defending the run? My book Dragonfly isn't nearly as good as Watership Down, but I hope you'll like it! Please tell me your reactions when you've read it! (^u^)

Your artwork really is amazing! I am totally impressed by the way you make the cloth look 3-D, like in the hem of Cymbril's dress. And I like the poses, and the colors, and the composition. . . . I hope you'll keep drawing and pursuing art.

No, I don't think there was one specific thing that inspired "The Star Shard." It's not the first story I've written for Cricket, and I think I went about it in about the same way I went about writing the others--taking a few core images or ideas, turning them around in my mind while I walked outdoors, asking myself questions about how they fit together . . . and pretty soon, the story started growing. (I had no idea it would grow so big!)

Heh, heh! I guess I can't tell you anything else about Cymbril's history or family yet, though I'd like to!

I really haven't seen or read too much anime and manga. I think it's a fascinating genre, but I don't know it well yet. Do you have some favorites? About all I know are the films of Hayao Miyazaki--do those count? (^_^)

Yes, I moved to Japan the year I graduated from college. I came over as part of a volunteer teaching/missionary program of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. I didn't know any Japanese before I came, but our program included six months of orientation and training, when we studied the language in a classroom every day. Yes, it's a hard language to learn, and I still don't read it very well. But after a couple years, I could express myself pretty well. Now I don't have any trouble in most daily situations, and I dream in both English and Japanese! Sometimes when I'm in the States, I'll accidentally come out with a Japanese sentence, and everyone stares at me!

Japan is different from the U.S. in that there's not all the racial diversity--there are people from other countries here, but not nearly like you see in the States, where people are from all over the world. So in many ways, an American living here is always a foreigner, no matter how well s/he speaks the language or knows the customs. I'm really comfortable now in Japanese society and feel accepted, but there's always the sense of being "other," too--because, for one thing, I obviously don't look Japanese! But the people here are kind, helpful, patient, and understanding. Americans are generally respected and treated very well.

Yes, when I first came over, I lived with a Japanese Christian family for that 6 months. They spoke English well. And since we had the most important thing in common (our Christian faith), it wasn't hard for me to adjust. Now, my best friends here are Japanese (who are also Christians).

Oops!--I have to go to class! But thank you very much for your WONDERFUL letter! Take care, and keep drawing!

Fred

Hi, Fred,

I am on a break from school and I just checked this site.  I am sorry the format on my comment is messed up; I don't know what happened.  When I sent it in it just did that.  I hope you can understand it.  If you know how to fix it you can.

Thanks, Ethan (wow, this time it is working)

Me again,

I also wrote something in the first message that disappeared.  Another favorite of mine is all of Emily's drawings of the Rake.  Somehow it vanished; are there busy gremlins in here?

Hi, Ethan!

Thanks for battling through the gremlins to get that message to me! (I hope you find this one: it won't be at the bottom of the column.) And thanks for your reactions to Part 8! I was especially excited about this part, too! Just when I think the illustrations can't get any better, they GET BETTER! Now I think my two favorite pictures of Cymbril are both from Part 8--on the first page, when she's at the railing with the two cats, and then in the wagon singing with Bobbin and Argent. (Is it my imagination, or is Cymbril getting steadily prettier? Maybe she's growing up....) I also LOVE how Argent and Bobbin look! Bobbin reminds me somehow of manga. Maybe it's the long, long ponytail. (Yes, Emily really took the "cord-bound boots" seriously! She is always wonderfully faithful to the descriptions in the story. For example, in that same picture, the embroidered leaves on Cymbril's cloak: those are there in the description. She really gives great attention to the details!)

I also like that Loric portrait you mentioned, the closeup of his face when they're communicating through the Shard.

Anyway, I'm happy you like how the story is going, too (not only the pictures)!

Thanks for telling me about your shenanigans with hiding Cricket so you can surprise the rest of your family with it! That had me cracking up laughing! I liked how you said first they all killed you, and then you got to read it--heh, heh, heh!

Glad you like the name "the Greenmouth"! Thanks!

How long has Cymbril lived on the Rake? I think since she was about 3. But then the next question is, just how old is she now?! Different readers have different opinions. I spell it out in the novel version, so we know exactly; but here in the Cricket story, we really don't know. Some readers insist she's 10 or 11, a lot think she's 12, and I've heard 15, and one reader says she must be 17!

I read The Hobbit right after I read Watership Down, because I was looking for the next Great Book. I think I was 10-11 when I read Watership Down, and then I was in 6th grade when I read The Hobbit, and from there I went into The Lord of the Rings, and that's about ALL I talked about all through junior high! (That and Star Wars, which also first appeared when I was 11. What a great year for stories that was for me, huh? :-) )

Thank you for your wonderful letter-s-s!

Fred