AMA with the author (Lincoln Cole)

Discuss the April 2017 Book of the Month, Raven's Peak by Lincoln Cole.

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Lincoln
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AMA with the author (Lincoln Cole)

Post by Lincoln »

I just wanted to jump in here to say I'm completely willing to field any questions you guys might have for me! I love reading the discussion to see what people think about the book, and I have to see it is amazing to see people discussing various aspects of the book (both good and bad)! It's a surreal and awesome experience.

Anyway, if anyone has any questions for me just drop them in and I'll do my best to answer them!

Also, feel free to ask about any of my books, not just Raven's Peak!

Thanks!
Last edited by Lincoln on 03 Apr 2017, 11:50, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by gali »

Cool, thank you. :)

* How did you come up with the idea for the book?
* When you develop characters do you already know who they are before you begin writing or do you let them develop as you go?
* Which one of the protagonists do you feel you relate to the most?
* Where there alternate endings you considered?
* What are you working on now?
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Post by Lincoln »

* How did you come up with the idea for the book?

I actually had the title and setting of the book before anything else. I wanted to write a book about the town losing its mind and then the characters developed from there. I love horror and urban fantasy and wanted to write something fun.

* When you develop characters do you already know who they are before you begin writing or do you let them develop as you go?

I usually have a little bit of an idea for the characters when I start, but then things change as they develop on their own. I usually end up throwing a lot of my ideas out the window when personalities change during the story.

* Which one of the protagonists do you feel you relate to the most?


Hard to say, but probably Haatim since he's sort of the clueless guy through all of it. He realizes he's in over his head but tries to do the right thing.

* Where there alternate endings you considered?


Sort of, though the showdown was meant to be the end of the book. The added chapter was supposed to be a tie in for the second book and the series as a whole (an added teaser after the book is over to introduce the larger world) but when Kindle Press got the text they turned it into a final chapter of book I (much to my chagrin) and it sort of takes away from the overall climax of the book. I considered quite a few different ways of ending the book down to even having the town get destroyed, but as with everything else the characters sort of took control and did their own thing.

* What are you working on now?

A lot of projects, actually. The hardest part is finding the time since I only write in my spare time for fun. I have a prequel series for this one I'm working on about Arthur (why he is so twisted), another series about technology and science stuff, a third book in a science fiction planet exploration series I write for fun, and a horror science fiction series.

---

Thanks for the questions!
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Post by gali »

Lincoln wrote:* How did you come up with the idea for the book?

I actually had the title and setting of the book before anything else. I wanted to write a book about the town losing its mind and then the characters developed from there. I love horror and urban fantasy and wanted to write something fun.

* When you develop characters do you already know who they are before you begin writing or do you let them develop as you go?

I usually have a little bit of an idea for the characters when I start, but then things change as they develop on their own. I usually end up throwing a lot of my ideas out the window when personalities change during the story.

* Which one of the protagonists do you feel you relate to the most?


Hard to say, but probably Haatim since he's sort of the clueless guy through all of it. He realizes he's in over his head but tries to do the right thing.

* Where there alternate endings you considered?


Sort of, though the showdown was meant to be the end of the book. The added chapter was supposed to be a tie in for the second book and the series as a whole (an added teaser after the book is over to introduce the larger world) but when Kindle Press got the text they turned it into a final chapter of book I (much to my chagrin) and it sort of takes away from the overall climax of the book. I considered quite a few different ways of ending the book down to even having the town get destroyed, but as with everything else the characters sort of took control and did their own thing.

* What are you working on now?

A lot of projects, actually. The hardest part is finding the time since I only write in my spare time for fun. I have a prequel series for this one I'm working on about Arthur (why he is so twisted), another series about technology and science stuff, a third book in a science fiction planet exploration series I write for fun, and a horror science fiction series.

---

Thanks for the questions!
Wow, a lot of projects indeed. Good luck with all of them!

A book about Arthur should be most interesting. I would love to know more about him. Thank you for answering. :)
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Post by Lincoln »

gali wrote: Wow, a lot of projects indeed. Good luck with all of them!

A book about Arthur should be most interesting. I would love to know more about him. Thank you for answering. :)
No problem! Thanks for asking them. My biggest problem is sticking with one project at a time because I love starting new projects. I probably have five or six more projects I would like to start on top of those, but even I have to stop sometimes and take a step back!
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Post by Heidi M Simone »

These are great answers and thank you for opening this topic up! Your book has certainly generated a lot of discussion, so far!

My questions are:
- When did you start writing?
- What inspired you to become an author?
- As an author, how do you keep yourself motivated to continue writing?
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Post by Lincoln »

- When did you start writing?

I started writing when I was about eight to ten years old and finished my first novel when I was thirteen. It was terrible. For me, writing has been a lifelong passion and something I do just because I enjoy it.

- What inspired you to become an author?

I love telling stories and falling into fictional worlds. I would read great stories and want to make my own (decent) stories.

- As an author, how do you keep yourself motivated to continue writing?

It has nothing to do with motivation, at least not for me. I write because I enjoy it, and if it stopped being fun I would stop doing it. I don't write to make money or pay the bills, so the reward is in the process itself. I actually don't think I would enjoy writing if it was something I had to do for any reason except that I love it.
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Post by Dh_ »

Lincoln wrote:* How did you come up with the idea for the book?

I actually had the title and setting of the book before anything else. I wanted to write a book about the town losing its mind and then the characters developed from there. I love horror and urban fantasy and wanted to write something fun.

* When you develop characters do you already know who they are before you begin writing or do you let them develop as you go?

I usually have a little bit of an idea for the characters when I start, but then things change as they develop on their own. I usually end up throwing a lot of my ideas out the window when personalities change during the story.

* Which one of the protagonists do you feel you relate to the most?


Hard to say, but probably Haatim since he's sort of the clueless guy through all of it. He realizes he's in over his head but tries to do the right thing.

* Where there alternate endings you considered?


Sort of, though the showdown was meant to be the end of the book. The added chapter was supposed to be a tie in for the second book and the series as a whole (an added teaser after the book is over to introduce the larger world) but when Kindle Press got the text they turned it into a final chapter of book I (much to my chagrin) and it sort of takes away from the overall climax of the book. I considered quite a few different ways of ending the book down to even having the town get destroyed, but as with everything else the characters sort of took control and did their own thing.

* What are you working on now?

A lot of projects, actually. The hardest part is finding the time since I only write in my spare time for fun. I have a prequel series for this one I'm working on about Arthur (why he is so twisted), another series about technology and science stuff, a third book in a science fiction planet exploration series I write for fun, and a horror science fiction series.

---

Thanks for the questions!
You're writing a science fiction book? That's great. I'm looking forward to that. I just want to know:
-How long does it take you to write a book?
-Is there a certain place that you prefer to write?
-What is your favorite genre to write?
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Post by Thimble »

Are you an outliner or do you just start writing from your initial concept?
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Post by gali »

* You wrote your first novel when you were thirteen? Wow! Was it ever published?

* Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?

* Do you have any quirky writing habits?
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Post by Donnavila Marie01 »

The description of each character in Raven's peak is complicated that only an imaginative mind can do. The characters give us a jolt in the mind as we try to picture the appearance of each character in the story.
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Post by Lincoln »

-How long does it take you to write a book?

It completely depends: my two literary novels (Ripples Through Time and Second Chances) took about a year each to write, but a science fiction or fantasy book might only take a few months. However, it is also contingent on how much time I have to write since I also work full time as a software developer.

-Is there a certain place that you prefer to write?

Not really; for me it is about the ease of writing and being able to work on short sections at a time. If something goes wrong with my computer (for a while the 't' key on my keyboard wouldn't work) then I basically can't get anything accomplished until that is fixed. I have a study, but generally I prefer to be out of it with my laptop.

-What is your favorite genre to write?

Honestly, it comes down to what I am enjoying working on at the moment. I like to write a little bit of everything and mix it up, and sometimes it is even fun to blend different genres together to make something completely different. I love science fiction and space operas, but I also love urban fantasy and horror. It is whatever inspires me at the moment.

-Are you an outliner or do you just start writing from your initial concept?

I like to start an outline, but almost universally I end up scrapping it as the story progresses because the characters never do what I expect or want them to do. By the middle of the story the entire outline is useless and the story has changed, but that is part of what makes the process fun.

* You wrote your first novel when you were thirteen? Wow! Was it ever published?

Sort of. My dad printed out a bunch of copies through a book printer (back when the idea of self-publishing barely existed) and he still has a bunch in his basement. It was so terrible I can barely look at it now!

* Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?

Not necessarily the first ever for me, but the first that had such a huge impact was the Dark Tower series. The way in which it encompasses so many of his novels is awesome, and I can't wait for the movie to come out this summer!

* Do you have any quirky writing habits?

Not really. I know a lot of authors have rituals or things they do to prepare, but I don't have any of those. I'm guessing I might develop some over time, but for now I just like to spend time typing away.

The description of each character in Raven's peak is complicated that only an imaginative mind can do. The characters give us a jolt in the mind as we try to picture the appearance of each character in the story.

Thanks!
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Post by kandscreeley »

How do you get your ideas for your stories?
A book is a dream you hold in your hands.
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Post by Lincoln »

-How do you get your ideas for your stories?

Usually, I fall in love with a setting first and a story evolves out of it. I envision the world I want the story to take place in and then a few scenes in that story, and then the story itself is like a spider web connecting all of the scenes and the world together. The characters are sort of just plopped into the middle of the world and then I see what they do; they evolve out of it. It is actually something that I think I've gotten better at over time and with a lot of practice, and I'm still working on it with new projects to try and become a better writer and storyteller.
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Post by Kateen »

-What is your favorite book of all time?
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