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DAW Books is releasing the mass market paperback of Benjamin Tate's excellent novel WELL OF SORROWS on May 5, and in advance celebration, I thought I'd ask him a few questions about the book and about his writing. I thought it was an interesting conversation -- and I think you will as well. Here's how it went...
Oh -- and before you start reading, here's the book cover, and an author photo -- just so you can visualize the conversation better... :-)
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SL: What sets WELL OF SORROWS apart? What’s different and unusual and wonderful about the book that we won't find elsewhere?
BENJAMIN: I think what sets WELL OF SORROWS apart, the idea that got me excited about the book and made me want to write it, was the mixing of the “settling of the American West” with a fantasy setting. The basic premise of the book (or at least the first half of the book) is that a new continent has been discovered and partially settled along the coast. At the signs of an impending war, many people are fleeing to this new continent, and so many are eager to explore and settle in the interior as well. Colin, the main character, is dragged by his parents into a wagon train heading to the east into unexplored lands, and along they way they encounter more than they ever expected. I liked the idea of this type of exploration. In most fantasies, we’re exploring the world as readers, but the characters know the world already. In this case, we’re exploring the world at the same time the characters are, so no one knows what’s ahead. And I hadn’t seen this idea explored in many other fantasy novels out there (although Juliet E. McKenna did something like it in her first series).
I also wanted to explore a different kind of magic, one that threatens the humanity of the person that dares to wield it . . . in this case, drink from it. The Well is the source of the magic for this one, and the cost of the magic is high, hence the dark, atmospheric cover for the paperback. (I absolutely love this cover.) It doesn’t help that the water from the Well is also addictive, more so with long exposure. So there are some elements of addiction in this novel as well.
But mostly it was exploring the new world, meeting (and creating) new races, dealing with the dangers along that trek. Those who’ve read the book have said that the new races I created were unique and interesting, which is good, since I explore those races in much more depth in the sequel, LEAVES OF FLAME.
SL: Where did the original impetus for this novel come from? Was there a seminal "Aha!" moment that came from one thing, or did it spring from several sources?
BENJAMIN: WELL OF SORROWS originated while I was writing an earlier (unpublished) book actually. The main character, Colin, appeared in that book, but as a side character who helps the group along the way in a tight spot. But he was always a mysterious character, so he stayed in the back of my mind. I began wondering what his origins were, how he gained his powers, etc. But it was WAY too early at that stage (I was in college) to even think about writing Colin’s story. I had no idea what the story really was, only that it involved the Well. There wasn’t anything horribly compelling about Colin yet. I needed his story.
So I wrote a quick little short story about Colin and the Well and then filed it away, sort of as a reference. And then I waited. I wrote four other books. The idea of settling a new continent emerged and suddenly I realized that THAT was what brought Colin to the Well. But that wasn’t enough either. I needed something else, the key plot element, the story that happened AFTER Colin comes to the Well. But I started writing even though I didn’t have that yet. I figured that the real point of the book would appear as I wrote, and that the story of how Colin finds the Well was significant enough to get started. But that’s more about how I write, which is the next question:
SL: I love talking with writers about their writing process. So what's yours? Are you a 'fast' or 'slow' writer? Are you an "architect" who plans out everything before you ever set a word to paper, or are you a "gardener" who sets the characters in motion without knowing exactly where they're going to end up? Do you write through to THE END and then go back and revise, or do you have to polish and shine the prose before you can go on?
As hinted at in the previous answer, I tend to be the “gardener” kind of writer. I don’t plan anything out ahead of time, and let the characters and the plot take themselves wherever they want to go. Generally I start out with some idea of where the book is headed, but I don’t necessarily stick to that if it decides to go somewhere else. I’ve learned that where it wants to go is often better than where I thought it should have gone. So I start with a beginning scene that I’ve usually known for a while . . . and then just let things happen. I’m often surprised at how well it all works out in the end.
As for “fast” or “slow” . . . I don’t know. I try to write about 750-1000 words per day when I’m working the day job (teaching at a college). When I’m on break from that, such as during the summer, I try for 2500 words per day. As you can imagine, most of the books get written during the summer. I have good days and bad days though, but I figure they average out.
But I definitely write all the way to the end first, before going back and doing a revision. This is mostly because I really don’t know WHAT the book is actually about as I write it. If I revise something before it’s completely finished, I usually find that whatever I revised doesn’t work in the end either, so I have to revise it again, which meant I wasted my time on it earlier. So . . . get to that end first, then figure out what needs to be changed before diving into the revisions.
SL: When did you start writing fiction? Why?
I actually started writing fiction way back in the eighth grade. It all happened because of an English teacher. She assigned us a “Twilight Zone” story, one page, maybe not even 500 words. I groaned, like everyone else, even though it was SF-oriented and right up my alley. But I sat down and wrote a story about a man looking out the “porthole” of his spaceship as it took off. He sees the land he’s leaving behind being drowned by the ocean. TOTAL RIPOFF of Atlantis. *grin* But the English teacher thought it was cool and wrote “you should write more.”
And that was the revelation: PEOPLE ACTUALLY WROTE THE BOOKS I WAS READING! I’m not sure what I thought before this—that they magically appeared out of the ether or something. I honestly hadn’t thought about it much at all. But suddenly I wanted to be that person. So I started writing short stories. Crappy short stories, but I was writing. And then I tried writing short stories for Andre Norton’s MAGIC IN ITHKAR anthologies . . . even though I had no idea of how to get them into such anthologies. But by the end of that school year, I’d set aside the short stories in favor of THE NOVEL. It was the typical “my friends and I get transported to a magical world and OOOO look at all the cool stuff we can do!” juvenile novel, but at least I was writing. I turned to something more serious when I got to high school. (That’s actually the novel where Colin first appeared.)
During all of this time, I was pretty much writing to please myself, with no other real intentions other than that. But when I hit college I sat back and asked myself whether this was just going to be “for fun” or if I was going to seriously try to get it published. I decided to get serious . . . and 10 years and four books later, DAW said yes.
SL: As an author, what do you want the reader to bring to the reading experience? Who did you have in mind when you were writing this and imagining someone reading the final version?
I can’t honestly say that when I’m writing the novel itself, I have a vision of the reader reading the novel. At that point, I’M the reader. With the way I write, I’m the one experiencing everything for the first time, so I want the story to intrigue ME, to make ME wonder what’s going to happen next.
However after that, during the revision phase, I do think about the reader. And what I want from them is compassion for the characters, even the “evil” ones. I want the reader to care about them enough that they turn the next page. I also want them to immerse themselves in the world. I want it to be so real that the real world fades away. I want them to be on the edge of their seats during the intense moments. I guess all this boils down to: I want them to be INVOLVED. And I want them to have fun. If it isn’t fun or interesting, then why are you reading it?
SL: And here's the last question: "What question has no one asked you that you think is both vital and interesting, and what's your answer to it?"
I’ve spent more time thinking about this question than answering all of the others, and I honestly can’t think of anything. All of the important questions have been asked at some point. I almost put down a joke question, such as “Star Trek or Star Wars?” All of your questions have been great, and I thoroughly enjoyed answering them. Thanks for the chance to chat it up with you and visit with your fans. For all of you out there, if you’d like to learn more about Benjamin Tate (author of WELL OF SORROWS), check out www.benjamintate.com. And if you’d like to learn more about the books published under my other name, Joshua Palmatier, check out www.joshuapalmatier.com. I hope I’ve piqued your interest enough to take a chance on WELL OF SORROWS. *grin*
Oh, and the answer is Star Trek.
****************
Oh -- and before you start reading, here's the book cover, and an author photo -- just so you can visualize the conversation better... :-)
**********
SL: What sets WELL OF SORROWS apart? What’s different and unusual and wonderful about the book that we won't find elsewhere?
BENJAMIN: I think what sets WELL OF SORROWS apart, the idea that got me excited about the book and made me want to write it, was the mixing of the “settling of the American West” with a fantasy setting. The basic premise of the book (or at least the first half of the book) is that a new continent has been discovered and partially settled along the coast. At the signs of an impending war, many people are fleeing to this new continent, and so many are eager to explore and settle in the interior as well. Colin, the main character, is dragged by his parents into a wagon train heading to the east into unexplored lands, and along they way they encounter more than they ever expected. I liked the idea of this type of exploration. In most fantasies, we’re exploring the world as readers, but the characters know the world already. In this case, we’re exploring the world at the same time the characters are, so no one knows what’s ahead. And I hadn’t seen this idea explored in many other fantasy novels out there (although Juliet E. McKenna did something like it in her first series).
I also wanted to explore a different kind of magic, one that threatens the humanity of the person that dares to wield it . . . in this case, drink from it. The Well is the source of the magic for this one, and the cost of the magic is high, hence the dark, atmospheric cover for the paperback. (I absolutely love this cover.) It doesn’t help that the water from the Well is also addictive, more so with long exposure. So there are some elements of addiction in this novel as well.
But mostly it was exploring the new world, meeting (and creating) new races, dealing with the dangers along that trek. Those who’ve read the book have said that the new races I created were unique and interesting, which is good, since I explore those races in much more depth in the sequel, LEAVES OF FLAME.
SL: Where did the original impetus for this novel come from? Was there a seminal "Aha!" moment that came from one thing, or did it spring from several sources?
BENJAMIN: WELL OF SORROWS originated while I was writing an earlier (unpublished) book actually. The main character, Colin, appeared in that book, but as a side character who helps the group along the way in a tight spot. But he was always a mysterious character, so he stayed in the back of my mind. I began wondering what his origins were, how he gained his powers, etc. But it was WAY too early at that stage (I was in college) to even think about writing Colin’s story. I had no idea what the story really was, only that it involved the Well. There wasn’t anything horribly compelling about Colin yet. I needed his story.
So I wrote a quick little short story about Colin and the Well and then filed it away, sort of as a reference. And then I waited. I wrote four other books. The idea of settling a new continent emerged and suddenly I realized that THAT was what brought Colin to the Well. But that wasn’t enough either. I needed something else, the key plot element, the story that happened AFTER Colin comes to the Well. But I started writing even though I didn’t have that yet. I figured that the real point of the book would appear as I wrote, and that the story of how Colin finds the Well was significant enough to get started. But that’s more about how I write, which is the next question:
SL: I love talking with writers about their writing process. So what's yours? Are you a 'fast' or 'slow' writer? Are you an "architect" who plans out everything before you ever set a word to paper, or are you a "gardener" who sets the characters in motion without knowing exactly where they're going to end up? Do you write through to THE END and then go back and revise, or do you have to polish and shine the prose before you can go on?
As hinted at in the previous answer, I tend to be the “gardener” kind of writer. I don’t plan anything out ahead of time, and let the characters and the plot take themselves wherever they want to go. Generally I start out with some idea of where the book is headed, but I don’t necessarily stick to that if it decides to go somewhere else. I’ve learned that where it wants to go is often better than where I thought it should have gone. So I start with a beginning scene that I’ve usually known for a while . . . and then just let things happen. I’m often surprised at how well it all works out in the end.
As for “fast” or “slow” . . . I don’t know. I try to write about 750-1000 words per day when I’m working the day job (teaching at a college). When I’m on break from that, such as during the summer, I try for 2500 words per day. As you can imagine, most of the books get written during the summer. I have good days and bad days though, but I figure they average out.
But I definitely write all the way to the end first, before going back and doing a revision. This is mostly because I really don’t know WHAT the book is actually about as I write it. If I revise something before it’s completely finished, I usually find that whatever I revised doesn’t work in the end either, so I have to revise it again, which meant I wasted my time on it earlier. So . . . get to that end first, then figure out what needs to be changed before diving into the revisions.
SL: When did you start writing fiction? Why?
I actually started writing fiction way back in the eighth grade. It all happened because of an English teacher. She assigned us a “Twilight Zone” story, one page, maybe not even 500 words. I groaned, like everyone else, even though it was SF-oriented and right up my alley. But I sat down and wrote a story about a man looking out the “porthole” of his spaceship as it took off. He sees the land he’s leaving behind being drowned by the ocean. TOTAL RIPOFF of Atlantis. *grin* But the English teacher thought it was cool and wrote “you should write more.”
And that was the revelation: PEOPLE ACTUALLY WROTE THE BOOKS I WAS READING! I’m not sure what I thought before this—that they magically appeared out of the ether or something. I honestly hadn’t thought about it much at all. But suddenly I wanted to be that person. So I started writing short stories. Crappy short stories, but I was writing. And then I tried writing short stories for Andre Norton’s MAGIC IN ITHKAR anthologies . . . even though I had no idea of how to get them into such anthologies. But by the end of that school year, I’d set aside the short stories in favor of THE NOVEL. It was the typical “my friends and I get transported to a magical world and OOOO look at all the cool stuff we can do!” juvenile novel, but at least I was writing. I turned to something more serious when I got to high school. (That’s actually the novel where Colin first appeared.)
During all of this time, I was pretty much writing to please myself, with no other real intentions other than that. But when I hit college I sat back and asked myself whether this was just going to be “for fun” or if I was going to seriously try to get it published. I decided to get serious . . . and 10 years and four books later, DAW said yes.
SL: As an author, what do you want the reader to bring to the reading experience? Who did you have in mind when you were writing this and imagining someone reading the final version?
I can’t honestly say that when I’m writing the novel itself, I have a vision of the reader reading the novel. At that point, I’M the reader. With the way I write, I’m the one experiencing everything for the first time, so I want the story to intrigue ME, to make ME wonder what’s going to happen next.
However after that, during the revision phase, I do think about the reader. And what I want from them is compassion for the characters, even the “evil” ones. I want the reader to care about them enough that they turn the next page. I also want them to immerse themselves in the world. I want it to be so real that the real world fades away. I want them to be on the edge of their seats during the intense moments. I guess all this boils down to: I want them to be INVOLVED. And I want them to have fun. If it isn’t fun or interesting, then why are you reading it?
SL: And here's the last question: "What question has no one asked you that you think is both vital and interesting, and what's your answer to it?"
I’ve spent more time thinking about this question than answering all of the others, and I honestly can’t think of anything. All of the important questions have been asked at some point. I almost put down a joke question, such as “Star Trek or Star Wars?” All of your questions have been great, and I thoroughly enjoyed answering them. Thanks for the chance to chat it up with you and visit with your fans. For all of you out there, if you’d like to learn more about Benjamin Tate (author of WELL OF SORROWS), check out www.benjamintate.com. And if you’d like to learn more about the books published under my other name, Joshua Palmatier, check out www.joshuapalmatier.com. I hope I’ve piqued your interest enough to take a chance on WELL OF SORROWS. *grin*
Oh, and the answer is Star Trek.
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