Hi, StarShardLover!

Thank you for your fantastic letter!  Wow, you ask some really great questions! Let's see. . . .

First, I'm thrilled and honored that this story brought you some inspiration to keep on writing. That's one thing stories do for us -- any story that's good, I'm not necessarily talking about mine -- they make us want to read more, imagine more, and write more. That's a large part of the answer to a couple of your questions later. To develop your own believable fantasy world: read a lot! To overcome writer's block: read a lot! (I'll try to explain that better in a minute or two.)

The one book I have published so far is called Dragonfly. It's somewhere between a children's book and a grownup's book -- it's hard to define! It's a little darker and scarier than "The Star Shard," but there are also some similarities. Also, if you ever have access to a collection of Cricket Magazines from the past ten years, I've had a number of stories in it. (If you Google me and find my Web site, you can find a list of the exact issues and titles of those stories.)

So you and I love the same authors! How did they influence me and what did I learn from them? Well, from Tolkien I learned the love of trying to imagine a detailed other world -- and the love of trying to tell a big, LONG story. Also, Tolkien taught me to pay close attention to the "ordinary" natural world around us. From the time I was a child, I've always loved trees and hedgerows, grass, meadows, tree roots, leaves, moss, bark, the sky, the sunset, birds, etc. Tolkien loved all those things, too. He would walk for hours through the countryside, sketching them and studying them. And a large part of the reason his Middle-earth is so vivid and appealing to us is because he filled it with the very trees and leaves and shadows around us! He knew a very important secret that all fantasy writers would do well to learn: the natural world around us is the most magical place there is! What is more enchanting than the hour of dusk in your own backyard or park? (Another book that treats nature like the magic it is is Lud-in-the-Mist, by Hope Mirrlees.)

Also, Tolkien loved words and languages. Much of his career was studying the origins and gradual changes in words. You can tell in the way he writes that words were sacred to him -- their sounds, their meanings, their nuances. They weren't just clumsy tools. He treated language like the treasure it is!

And finally, Tolkien's ideals of love and friendship, loyalty and self-sacrifice -- those are at the heart of The Lord of the Rings. If you write about characters who are devoted to each other and willing to walk into Mordor for each other, you can hardly go wrong!

For creating a world: first, read all you can, so that you have a lot to draw upon. You may take some things you've learned about, say, a culture of people in New Guinea and combine it with something you've learned about the American Civil War. It's really about assembling pieces from various real things and giving them your own unique spin -- answering questions to fill in the gaps. It also really helps me to draw a map; because when you start thinking about the practical aspects of the land, what's next to what, where the nearest harbor is, etc. -- and where people's food comes from -- a lot of plot ideas suggest themselves. Your world becomes real all that much faster!

I would also suggest that you not limit yourself to worlds that are like Medieval Europe. Tolkien has done that so well! We'll never be better than Tolkien at doing exactly what Tolkien did. I used the name "Sidhe" for Loric's people to help myself lean deliberately away from Tolkien's Elves. It's probably best not to write about Dwarves who live under the mountains and hammer gold. (You can, but then you have to work that much harder to make them original.) Also, your characters don't necessarily have to be on a long journey or quest. In "The Star Shard," the Rake is constantly moving, but Cymbril's "quest" is to get off it and take Loric with her!

I'm just now reading Sabriel, a wonderful book by Garth Nix. In it, he has developed a system of magic that is nothing like that of the Harry Potter world. Also, when his heroine Sabriel goes into the Old Kingdom behind the Wall, it's a winter journey and she's on skis! See, that's different from the usual fantasy quests we read about with characters marching off into a green, summer landscape.

Plot lines: I think the key there is to keep in mind that there's one overarching problem to be solved. (Frodo has to destroy the ring; Cymbril has to escape from the Rake.) Everything in the book is slowly building toward that, and it can't be easy. Let your character make a little progress, then throw a bigger obstacle in her/his way. Make the goal seem impossible to attain. Let the character have failures and serious doubts. Let there be interesting people, places, and harrowing adventures along the way. Probably your character should have to give up something very important -- or lose a person he/she loves. Above all, don't make it easy on your character. If we, the readers, cry along the way, you're doing your job well -- we'll probably end up loving the story. We'll certainly stand up and cheer when your character finally succeeds! Does that help? Plot is really just overcoming a series of hurdles, and letting your character think, feel, and react along the way just like a real person would in those situations. Put yourself into your character's shoes.

Finding a publisher? That's a big question. (No, don't put an ad in the paper! You have to find the specific publisher: none of them will come looking for you in response to an ad!) There are reference books in public or university libraries that can help you; there are magazines specifically for writers that list all sorts of publishers and what they're looking for; and there's a wealth of information on-line. Also, notice which publisher has published the books you love (it's written on the cover or title page) -- go to that publisher's Web site and look for their Writer's Guidelines. Teachers and librarians may be able to point you in the right direction, too.

A movie? Yes, I'd LOVE to see a movie made of "The Star Shard"! If I could choose, I'd have the illustrator, Emily Fiegenschuh, work with an animator and use her artwork; I can't imagine any better depictions of Cymbril, Loric, and the Armfolk than hers!

Writer's block: the sad truth is, "block" usually means "don't wanna." It means you don't want to think hard, sit in your chair, and work. Usually, if you keep thinking and writing, you can break through the block, even if you later have to throw away some of what you wrote. However, it is good to get away from your desk, too. Go outdoors, soak up nature, sunlight, and wind . . . see a movie . . . spend time with friends. Listen to how people talk. Do chores, do schoolwork, eat dinner, help your family. Believe it or not, all these things make you a better writer. And sometimes, when you're out walking or brushing your teeth, the block will dissolve by itself, and you'll know just what you should write next.

Thank you again for a wonderful letter! Never give up on your writing!

Warmest regards,

Fred