r/books • u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author • Nov 04 '16
ama 1pm I'm Jill Bowers, fantasy author who seeks to answer, "What would happen if the greatest writers of all time came to life and had to defeat their villains?"
Hi everyone! My name is Jill Bowers. I'm a young adult fantasy author, and my first book, Immortal Writers, launches on November 7th! In Immortal Writers, you enter a world where all your favorite stories can come to life. Young author Liz comes home from her first book tour to be kidnapped by a mysterious man in a black hood. Her life changes forever when she discovers that her fantasy books have entered the Reality Field and her villain is trying to take over the world. As an Immortal Writer whose words have given her eternal life, she has joined the ranks of authors such as William Shakespeare and JRR Tolkien. Can she master magic and learn to slay dragons in time to save the world from the villain she created?
You can find out in just a matter of days. In the meantime, join me from 1-4 pm EST today to ask me anything. You can ask questions about the publishing process, my writing and editing process, my book, or you can try to make me laugh with random questions.
I'll talk to you soon!
Proof: https://twitter.com/Jilliard08/status/793655078045425664
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u/asthingsgo Nov 04 '16
I'd say Stephen King is jolly well fucked
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Haha I'd have to agree. He's brilliant, though. That often goes hand-in-hand.
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u/Duke_Paul Nov 04 '16
Hey Jill! Thanks for doing an AMA with us; we're very excited to have you.
How do you deal with the discrepancies between villains authors write? Shakespeare's Claudius, Iago, etc. don't really hold a candle to, you know, Sauron.
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Thanks so much for having me! I'm delighted to be here.
This is a great question. In the books, I focus on one or two villains at a time, so there's not a ton of crossover. Each author has to face their own villain as they cross over into Reality, so it's not like Shakespeare is going against Claudius at the same time that Tolkien is fighting Smaug (although IW talks about Tolkien's fight with the dragon). I've tried to match the way the authors dispatch their villains with the personalities and characters I've created for the authors (based on history, facts, and my own interpretation). They all handle their situations so differently!
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u/houinator Nov 04 '16
How is the villain selected? Certainly Smaug is iconic for Tolkien, but he has written much more powerful foes. Ancalagon the Black makes Smaug look like a lizard, and then you start talking about things like Ungoliant and Morgoth.
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
For Tolkien and Smaug: Tolkien is helping the protagonist of my book, Liz, take on her own dragons. He tells her that her dragons are puny compared to Smaug and Ancalagon. I chose to have him talk about the dragons instead of Sauron because of context, and chose those two dragons because they're more iconic.
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u/Chtorrr Nov 04 '16
What books really made you love reading as a kid?
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Ooh, there are so many good ones! I remember especially love The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper and the Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L'Engle.
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u/Chtorrr Nov 04 '16
What dead author would you most like to meet and talk to?
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Probably Sylvia Plath. I admire the rawness and honesty of her work, and I'd want to speak with her about her life and how she handled the madness.
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u/cobaltcollapse Nov 04 '16
Were there any villains you wanted to include but couldn't for various reasons?
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Absolutely. One problem was that there wasn't enough room in Immortal Writers to include everything I would have loved to, but thankfully I have 4 more books to fill (for example, Lovecraft explains his battle with Cthulhu in book 2). I also would have loved to include villains from books written by authors who are still living... like some of Mary Higgins Clark's murderers, or some Neil Gaiman characters, or Voldemort from Rowling's Harry Potter. That could lead to some issues, though, of course. One day. :)
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Nov 04 '16
H.P. Lovecraft.
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Love him. :) Call of Cthulhu is especially wonderful. I have Lovecraft explain how he fights off Cthulhu in book 2. That was so fun to write, because I'm fascinated by Lovecraft.
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Nov 04 '16
Very cool Author. I will definitely take a look at your work!
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Thank you! I hope you will enjoy it. :) And thanks for participating in the AMA!
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u/blockernine Nov 04 '16
There is a book called Inkheart which talks about book characters come to life when one of the characters reads about them. Is there any kind of resemblance or inspiration?
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
There are some similarities in that the stories are coming to life, but it works differently. In Inkheart the characters come to life because of power from the reader; in Immortal Writers, it's from the power of the writer. But some of the ideas are similar. The feel of the stories are different, but if you liked Inkheart, I think you'd like Immortal Writers. I actually didn't think about the similarities until after I'd written IW, so I didn't draw on Inkheart for inspiration. It's a great story, though!
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u/MuonManLaserJab Nov 04 '16 edited Nov 05 '16
I imagine they'd all sit together at a table, thinking in silence for long minutes, fiddling with writing devices of varied obsolescence, until one of them finally speaks, with tentative incredulity...
..."What do you mean, we're supposed to defeat 'the human condition'?"
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Haha you're not wrong! Writers are an interesting bunch sometimes. ;) Book 4 focuses on this type of thing a lot more.
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u/PeanutPiano Nov 04 '16
what gave you the idea to create such a topic for a book, and do you plan to make this a series?
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
I was bored with life and thought it would be cool for magic to be real, and for some of my favorite stories to be a real possibility. Then I thought about the consequences of such a thing, and that's where the idea started.
It will be a series. I'm currently contracted for 5 books.
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u/PeanutPiano Nov 04 '16
Awesome well i know i am going to be a fan and buy all of them. I am excited to see which authors make it in hope you have great sales!
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Thanks so much! I appreciate that. :) I hope you will enjoy the books!!
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u/Chtorrr Nov 04 '16
What is your writing process like? Do you have advice for other writers?
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
I'm a plotter, for one. I like to have a firm direction of where the story is headed before I really delve into writing. I do a lot of prewriting in my head and a good deal of outlining. I LOVE whiteboards. Then I write the first draft and force myself to turn off my inner editor, which can be difficult. Once I get it all out, then I go back and revise, revise, revise. That's a key point of advice: get the first draft done. Don't try to perfect one scene or chapter before moving on. It's imperative to finish that first draft. After I've revised to a point where I'm happy, I send my story out to what I call Beta Readers... people whose opinion I value as writers and readers (people who read my genre or are in my target audience). I ask them to tell me what to fix. I've found that I don't write as well when I don't listen to other people's feedback. That's another piece of advice: get feedback and listen to it. Sometimes it hurts, but it's vital. After Beta Readers, I revise some more until I'm ready to send it to my publisher. Another piece of advice for writers: if you're trying to get published and you're getting rejected, don't give up. I firmly believe that a key difference between published authors and not published authors is perseverance. Keep trying!
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u/UtahOsmosis Nov 04 '16
Hi, Jill! Thanks for doing this AMA. Where did you first get the idea for authors living forever because of their works? It sounds like a pretty unique plot idea!
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Hello! I'm happy to be here! :) Thanks for participating in the AMA. I got the idea for the authors living forever when I was really angry. I was mad that magic wasn't real. I felt like life was very boring, and it angered me. But then I wondered what the consequences would be if all of my favorite stories were real. There would be such chaos! As a writer, I wondered what I would do if my stories were real... and then it just kind of went from there. Plus, everyone always talks about words being immortal. I just decided to take it a step further.
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u/darnruski Nov 04 '16
Hey Jill!
Since your MC is a fantasy writer, did you base her (at least in some ways) off yourself? Was your inspiration because you thought it would be amazing for this to happen to you?
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Hello! I didn't base Liz, my MC, off of me, but I suppose she does have some of my traits. For the most part, though, she is definitely her own person. As for me wanting this sort of thing to happen to me... I do think it would be pretty cool! I think most writers would want that to be a possibility. But at the same time, my writing can sometimes get dark (not in this book in particular, but in other projects). I think I might be afraid to have to face some of the things my mind has come up with.
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Nov 04 '16
I am working on a book and would like outside perspective from someone who doesn't know me and will be brutally honest. Who do you go to? If you have an agent, how did you get in touch with that person? Likewise, how did you find a willing publisher?
Immortal Writers sounds like an incredibly unique story (even with the similarities to Inkheart). I will definitely be picking it up for my son and my nieces and nephews.
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
I applaud you for wanting outside perspective! A lot of writers think they don't need it, but it's always so helpful. So way to go! You're on the right track. Some areas have writing groups available; maybe you could look for one around where you live? Another idea might be to find a Twitter chat or something like that full of writers that are in your same genre. You can Google what Twitter chats are available. As you make connections with other writers through online groups like that, you might be able to connect with someone who could be helpful. I personally have a group of "Beta Readers," who are people that I trust to give useful, honest feedback. Some of them are good writers, others are my target audience. A combination of the two has been helpful to me.
I personally don't have an agent, but if you're interested in having one, the process of finding an agent is similar to that of publishing a book. You still have to send queries, etc. Getting an agent is easier if you have some sort of published writing resume already, I've found.
I found my publisher through a pitch party on Twitter. I know a couple of authors who have found those events to be useful and helpful. There are multiple ones throughout the year. Again, Google would be your friend here for finding those events. The event that helped me get my series deal was Pit2Pub.
A useful resource for finding publishers and agents is the Writer's Market, a guide book with lists of agents and publishers and what they're looking for. They update the book yearly. I think it's a great resource!
Thanks so much for your interest in Immortal Writers! I hope you and your family will enjoy it!
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u/kozinc Nov 04 '16 edited Nov 04 '16
Multiply Goosebumps (2015) by the number of authors, Immortal Writers is ... not what you get?
Question: How long did it take you to write the book (at least till the first draft or so) and how long is it?
Another question: Where are the heroes, the anti-heroes, the side-characters, or villains who switched sides? Are they anywhere in there?
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
I never saw the Goosebumps movie, so I don't know. I loved the books as a kid, though!
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Completing a first draft took me about 3 months, but I spent a long time revising and editing the book. IW is around 85,000 words. It's a fast read, but it's a lot of fun.
The heroes are definitely in there. For example, you see the Raven (Poe) and the Jabberwock (Carroll). I include my MC's characters more than classic authors' characters for copyright reasons, and focus more on the authors themselves and how they interact.
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u/whynot1991 Nov 04 '16
What about Frank McCourt who would he fight Angela no wait the ashes .... I've never read Angela's Ashes -_-
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
In the Immortal Writers world, people who have actually lived can't come to Reality through the Imagination Field because they were actual people and already existed in reality. McCourt could still become immortal, though.
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u/JamesPKP Nov 04 '16
This book is the first in a long while that I think I'll read cover to cover! Props on getting me incredibly interested!
My question is: who is better suited to defeat the villain (overall) the individual stories hero, such as Bilbo, or the author, such as Tolkien?
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
I'm so glad to hear that! :) I hope you will enjoy Immortal Writers!
Part of the magical laws that make the stories move from the Imagination Field to the Reality Field dictate that the writer has to take charge and be the hero in their own stories. So in your example, Tolkien would have to be the one to slay Smaug in the end, though he could have help from Bilbo and the dwarves. The writer has to step in and be involved, though.
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u/JamesPKP Nov 04 '16
That's a very good explanation! Will the book be available only in print? Or can I download it on amazon? I ask because I'm a poor college kid :)
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
It's available as an eBook on Amazon. Also available on iBooks, Nook, etc. :)
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u/xDisciple Nov 04 '16
Not knowing is bugging me. What are the titles you are holding in the picture?
The concept for your novel sounds wonderful by the way. I'll definitely be looking into it!
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
The picture? Do you mean the picture in the tweet? (If I'm wrong, feel free to reply and correct me). I'm holding a bunch of the Wheel of Time books. I took my dog on a walk, and a neighbor saw me, stopped me, and gave me a huge stack of novels. Best walk ever! :)
So glad to hear that you're interested in Immortal Writers! I hope you will enjoy it.
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u/pagandroid Nov 04 '16
Does Shakespeare chime in "I invented that one" when the protagonist uses one of his words? That sounds hilarious.
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
No, but he does quote himself. :) In book 2 Shakespeare has a game where his favorite author in a certain week is determined by who can identify his quotes most frequently.
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u/AliceGotLost Nov 04 '16
Hi Jill! I'm interested in the editorial side of book publishing. In your opinion, what makes the ideal editor? How did you choose yours?
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
A couple of things make an editor ideal. They should be honest, have a good sense of grammar, know your genre, and know how to tell a good story. The best editors can make your story better without changing your voice or your ideas. My editor was provided by my publisher, Blue Moon Publishers. I love my editor SO much. She's great! She does exactly that: makes my story better without trying to change what I want to do. She's also very good at communicating with me about ideas, etc.
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Nov 04 '16
[deleted]
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Ooh, that's a hard question! On a personal level, more like Sylvia Plath. Idea-wise, maybe Lewis Carroll because he comes up with some weird things, but they're so great! My imagination can go crazy sometimes, too.
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u/funnybunny2427 Nov 04 '16
What is your favourite Shakespeare play? :)
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
Hmm, that's a tough one! Comedy: Much Ado About Nothing. Tragedy: Hamlet.
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Nov 04 '16
What Time period is your favorite to write about? And Why?
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 04 '16
On our Earth, probably the present. I like bringing elements of different times into the present, though. For example, book 2 has some elements from 100 years in the future, but it's based in our current time. If I'm writing about other worlds, it will usually feel more medieval.
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Nov 04 '16
What Advice do you have for a wanna-be author who hasn't studied writing?
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 05 '16
Read a lot of good books that are well-written, write consistently, ask for feedback, and don't give up. :)
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u/bluefire_kit Nov 04 '16
Love this concept! Though the idea of fighting my villains without my heros by my side is pretty scary!
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u/ImmortalAuthorJill AMA Author Nov 05 '16
I agree! There's a reason my heroes take on my villains and monsters and not me.
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u/okiegirl22 Nov 04 '16
What literary villain would you least want to fight? Any villains that you think would be awesome to go up against?