In a way, this book, BEWARE OF THE WHITE, began with world building. In a post on Mayra Calvani’s blog, I talk about the inspiration behind the story and how dreaming up that one little character – a Molly – made me think…
Where would you find a Molly?
Who would use this Molly?
Why?
When I sat at the computer to start writing BotW, I already
knew I had to get Terra underground to use the adorable transportation animal I
dreamed up. So I imagined a well-disguised trapdoor in her yard that opened to
a long dark stairway. I realized that even at the bottom of the stairs, there
would still be a long trip ahead to get deep into the earth. That is when Terra
and her Introguide, Hermie, hop onto a Molly.
Having used the initial inspiration so early in the story, I
had a lot more world building to do. I had to take into account why Terra was
being escorted to the underground city, what role she was supposed to play
within the city and how it could get screwed up so that the story was worth
reading. Then I had to build a world around it.
Terra comes into contact with so many different creatures as
she moves through the new alien city. I had the most fun dreaming them up and
figuring out their place within the community. I imagined how Terra would react
interacting with creatures. Like when she wasn’t too thrilled about shaking
hands with a slimy skinned creature, but hid her concern when she noticed
Frank’s hand remained slime free after his handshake. As is always the case
with fantasy, so much of the world building got cut in the editing process.
There was one classroom in particular that I told my editor I’m making sure
gets into the movie version of BEWARE OF THE WHITE (wink.) It was so cool – but
didn’t really move the story along.
When building a world – whether it be fantasy or
contemporary – it is important that you be present alongside your characters to
step through the paths and jump over any obstacles and most importantly to make
sure everything there belongs and each reaction and interaction is noted. For
example, a Trepidus named Finny, visits Terra in her school. He is an
Underworld creature and it was important to note his reaction to the Outerworld
girl’s bathroom because even though a middle school bathroom isn’t a foreign
location to us, it certainly is to Finny.
In the end, this alien Underworld location of Concord
becomes so important to Terra, she is willing to risk her life to restore its
peace. The only way to make certain the readers understand Terra’s motivation
is to make them understand why she loves Concord so much. It is crucial your
reader fall in love with the location if it is the threatened entity of your
plot. Show them why it is worth protecting. Make them want to visit too.
About the book:
As is tradition, Terra learns on the Saturday past her
twelfth birthday that she is a Natures Spirit. It is her legacy to serve in the
peaceful underground city of Concord. Learning she is named in a prophecy and
being threatened by the leader of the death tribe…that part breaks tradition.
The Trepidus are the death janitors of the Underworld,
responsible for delivering fatalities with a smile and cleaning up after
themselves until Blanco, recent leader of the Trepidus, decides the day of
reckoning for his species is coming. He begins organizing the creatures and
leads them toward an uprising. The prophecy says there is one person who can
stop him. Terra.
With Spirit of Security, Frank, protecting her, Terra
attempts to complete her training and discover her Spirit talents. Together,
they go on a rogue investigation to learn how to defeat Blanco. In the end, it
comes down to a battle of the minds. The future of Concord is at stake. Will
Blanco, the older, more experienced being win? Or will Terra, the young, new
Spirit earn back the peace of the city?
Buy It:
Or look for it on iTunes
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About the author
Kai Strand writes
fiction for kids and teens. Her debut novel, The Weaver, was a finalist
in the 2012 EPIC eBook Awards. She is a (very lucky) wife and the mother of
four amazing kids. The most common sound in her household is laughter. The
second most common is, "Do your dishes!" She and her family hike,
geocache, and canoe in beautiful Central Oregon, where they call home.
To find out more
about Kai’s books, download companion documents, find links to her published
short stories and discover all the places to find Kai both virtually and in
person, visit her website: www.kaistrand.com.
She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to send her an email or visit her
facebook page, Kai Strand, Author.
To celebrate the
launch of BEWARE OF THE WHITE, Kai Strand has awesome book related prize
packages. Be sure to enter to win. And return again and again to claim entries
as you qualify. Kai will also have Spontaneous Giveaways during her book tour.
Those giveaways won’t be announced so be sure to follow Kai’s tour. Only
virtual stalkers will have the opportunity at all the fun!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for letting me gab about my extremely fun fantasy world, Stuart! I appreciate you letting me share Beware of the White with your readers.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Kai! Come build a world again for your next book!
ReplyDelete