“Spotlight” Author Blog Tour #RRBC Karl Morgan @karljmorgan
I’m excited to host “Spotlight” Author on my blog. Please join me to welcome #RRBC member Karl Morgan. We will learn more about his writing, his life and his book Carl Prescott and the Demon Queen.
Sometimes I wish I was an Outliner and not a Pantser
In my darkest thoughts, I see an author who outlines their story even before they start to write. How smug to know where your story is going before you get there. You snicker under your breath when you encounter a pantser like me who is desperately searching for the next idea to keep their story alive. You have to leave the room before you burst into hysterics of laughter as you see the poor, sad pantser shake their head while deleting days or weeks of work. Later, the outliners will gather for a coffee or beer to share their superiority and disdain for the lowly pantser.
I said that was my darkest thoughts, right? Of course, the outliner is nothing like that. We are all on the same road and heading toward the same destination: Popular Authorville. We all live for our characters, stories, and love of words. Each of us is a storyteller first and foremost. I also know that an outline is only a plan. Having spent many, many years in the corporate world, I recognize that plans always require tweaks if not complete overhauls.
In a way, that makes me an outliner too, but just barely. When my fingers first hit the keyboard, I have an idea I believe will make a perfect crescendo finish. Reality sets in after a few pages and that conclusion begins to morph. For example, in my book 2125: Home of the Brave, I expected the bombing of the cannibal stronghold would be the end. Blow up the evil dudes and the hero wins. Yay! I got to that point and said, “Meh. Too easy.” Trust me. It really was not easy. In fact, it was horrifying. Someday, I will tell you about Galloping Goblins. Anyway, I decided my hero, Jack Kennedy (no, not the one you think), needed a more dastardly finale. In the final ending, Jack was slowly being sliced to pieces by the leader of the cannibals. Yada, yada, yada, he survives and wins.
Ultimately, I am thrilled to be a pantser, although I prefer to call it a stream-of-consciousness writer. First, because that is the way my brain works. I also believe my story improves as I go along. New ideas pop in my head, I switch gears, and am off to the races again. Of course, there is a downside. With the story I am writing now, I got totally off-track. That is easy to do when you are dealing with supernatural beings, time travel, and alternate universes. I had to take out my trusty machete and whack off a bunch of text that did not fit where I wanted to go. Currently, I am on a hiatus from that tale while my mind rests and figures out the next steps.
It does not matter what writing style you like. If you like it, that is what counts. We each need to remember something truly amazing about us. We are writers! That is an incredible gift and a rare talent indeed. We are on the same journey, and as members of the Rave Reviews Book Club, we take that trip together. Whether you use a computer, dictation software, tablet, Smith-Corona typewriter, or even a legal pad, you write. We are artists and masters of the written word. Embrace and celebrate that! We will all leave a legacy in print that will survive long after we are gone (except me of course, I plan to live forever…). Today, I celebrate you.
CARL PRESCOTT AND THE DEMON QUEEN
Carl Prescott may have saved the world from the Beast, but the duties of the Invisible Hand never end. The story begins when a medieval castle is discovered hidden beneath the Thorndike Institution. While the professors search for clues, our hero is summoned to Hell to meet the demon Sylvia. She once ruled a satanic kingdom in Eastern Europe from that castle, and will do so again.
There is much more to this beautiful woman than evil intentions. To stop her plan, Carl must first understand why she is so focused on him. To learn the truth, he must face God, Satan, and Death. In this nonstop action-packed adventure, he must stand at the Crossroads of Existence and cross the Rope Bridge to meet his destiny.
If he succeeds, life can return to normal. If not, the galaxy and every soul therein will be devoured by a voracious black hole, which even God will be powerless to stop.
Author Bio:
Karl Morgan has a lifelong fascination with stories in the science fiction and fantasy genres, whether it was the Tom Swift novels by Victor Appleton he read as a young boy, or television like Lost in Space and Star Trek, and especially films like Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. All of those tales put the protagonist in terrible situations where the odds are against them and, yet, somehow they prevail. The reader/viewer is always left with a sense that something greater than ourselves is watching over us.
In his new Carl Prescott young adult fantasy series, the journey continues as our hero faces terrible danger and odds to help his friends and family. At the end, he will learn new things that will change his perspective on life.
Karl lives in the San Diego area with his best, four-legged friend, his toy poodle Chachis.
Follow Karl online:
great post, carl! I shall be reading this!
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Thank you, Carol!
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Great post, Karl. Characters often surprise us and take us down paths we never expected. Thank you for hosting today’s fascinating tour, Miriam.
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Thank you, Gwen for stopping by. Karl’s post is very insightful. It was my pleasure to have him on my blog!
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Thanks for your pantser explanation – you are so right in that each author must figure out what works for them.
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Thank you for visiting, Wendy. Yes, we all have different writing styles. They all are good for us writers!
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Enjoying your blog tour, Karl! Thank you for hosting, Miriam!
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Thank you for stopping by and comment, Mar!!
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Hi, Karl! Thanks again for sharing. I have to admit, I’m a bit of both, an outliner and a pantser. I like to write a loose outline, to begin with, just to know in what direction to go and because I hate wasting time. At some point, my characters take over and the story continues organically. I also write a bio for each of my characters which includes sex, age, physical descriptions, traits, quirks, abilities . . .
Thanks for hosting, Miriam. ❤
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Hi Vashti, thank you for stopping by and sharing your writing style also. I came across a website for character building. It’s like what you’re doing and I like it. ❤
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It’s a lot of fun and you get to know your characters really well. 😀 ❤
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Yes, I can see how fun it is so different characters act differently. I haven’t written any novels but when I read them, I recognize all the techniques go into them. I’m reading one best seller paperback and the author has incredible writing skills. He writes it as first person, that has its challenge. He had 20 years of journalist and publishing background. ❤ 🙂
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I’m crazier than you, Vashti! Seat of the pants is the place to be.
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Hi, Karl. I loved today’s post! I am a devout pantser and wouldn’t be able to follow an outline if F Scott Fitz Gerald wrote it for me. I do have a list of the next 10 or 12 books in the Drill series, along with a 1 or 2 sentence description of the potential plot, but that’s as far as my planning goes. 😄
Miriam, thanks for hosting Karl.
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Thank you, Rhani for your visit. It’s great to have Karl here. I’m excited tho hear your wiring style and that you have a dozen books in progress.
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Congrats on your Spotlight, Carl! Keep shining…
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Thank you for stopping by, Bette. It’s great to have Karl here.
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Thank you for stopping by, Bette.
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Karl, CONGRATULATIONS, and enjoyed your piece.
I had to go look up the definition of pantser. I’m just trying to keep up with you.
Thank you Miriam and its nice to visit you again, and you nice blog.
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Hi Shirley, good tho see you. Thank you for your comment. It’s great that Karl is a pantser!
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Thank you so much, Miriam for your wonderful post! All the best!
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You’re welcome, Karl. My pleasure. I read the Look Inside, iyour book is very interesting!
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This is a fantastic insight from Karl. I too, am what I would term as a pantser, but also I have a vague idea about where the story is going and to jot down some notes, so does that make me a pantliner? 🙂 Just kidding. Great post. Thanks for hosting, Miriam!
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Thanks for the comment, Jan. Being a pantser is really where it’s at. Let the mind go where it wants to go. Don’t fence me in. Special thanks to Miriam for hosting.
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You’re welcome, Karl. This is a good insight!
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Hi Jan, when I studies psychology, I understand that as far as personality type, we have primary and secondary personalities. I guess when it comes to writing. I can say, primarily I’m an outliner, but at times, I’m a pantser.
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Congratulations to Karl! Wishing you a fabulous month in the Spotlight. 🙂
Thanks for hosting and sharing, Miriam.
Cheers to you both! 🙂
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Thanks Natalie! My Spotlight is a dream come true. Miriam, thank you for bringing it to life.
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You’re welcome, Karl. It’s my pleasure to have you and your exciting book!
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Thank you for stopping by, Natalie! I’m excited for Karl. 🙂
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I’ve outlined and pantsered. I think I know where I’m going but those characters always have ideas of their own:)
Hope you have fantastic month in the Spotlight, Karl! Congrats.
Thanks for hosting, Miriam.
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Thanks DL! I have tried outlining and even bought Scrivener to help out. But my messy mind would have none of it!
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Thank you, Denise for stopping by. Yes, Karl, we must do whatever works for us.
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Thank you for stopping by, Denise. I had a classmate who had photographic memory. She would be a good pantser to visualize all the characters and the plot without outlining it.
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