The Stream, by A. R. Silverberry
I’m honored! Two talented and prolific writers tagged me in the My Writing Process Blog Hop. The first tag was from one of my oldest writing friends, Shevi Arnold (author of Toren, the Apprentice’s Tale, Ride of Your Life, and Why my Life Sucks). The second tag was from Lisa M Lilly, author of Amazon Occult bestseller, The Awakening. She’s currently penning book two in the series. Her poems and short fiction have appeared in numerous print and on-line magazines, including PARADE OF PHANTOMS, STRONG COFFEE, and HAIR TRIGGER.
The My Writing Process Blog Hop asks these four questions:
What am I working on?
I just published The Steam. Here’s a synopsis:
What if your world was six miles wide and endlessly long?
After a devastating storm kills his parents, five-year-old Wend awakens to the strange world of the Stream. He discovers he can only travel downstream, and dangers lurk at every turn: deadly rapids, ruthless pirates, a mysterious pavilion that lures him into intoxicating fantasies, and rumor of a giant waterfall at the edge of the world. Defenseless, alone, with only courage and his will to survive, Wend begins his quest to become a man. Will tragic loss trap him in a shadow world, or will he enter the Stream, with all its passion and peril?
Part coming-of-age tale, part adventure, part spiritual journey, The Stream is a fable about life, impermanence, and the gifts found in each moment.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Some novels defy categorization, and The Stream is one of them. Is it a fantasy? An adventure? A coming-of-age tale? Is it for adults? For teens? The answer is all of these. What binds it together is the novel’s central metaphor, which I discuss in the post Fables, Allegorical Tales, and Filet Mignon, which will be live next Friday.
Why do I write what I do?
From as far back as I can remember, I’ve needed a creative outlet! My brother and used to put on puppet shows. (I was in charge of the stage lights. I can remember one shocking shock while plugging them in!) We moved on to movies; he was behind the camera, I was in front of it. In high school, I played in jazz bands. In college I majored in music composition. In 1998, after reading a bunch of the Oz books, I thought, I can write one of these. After that, I was bitten by the writing bug and haven’t looked back.
Also, it’s fun! Through this journey, I’ve met a lot of wonderful people!
How does your writing process work?
I actually just wrote an extensive piece on that here!
Briefly, I go from idea, to theme. Once I’ve got the theme, I develop the characters and start to map out the plot. Though I work systematically, I’m open to going where the story wants to go. That keeps things surprising, for me and the reader!
I’ve tagged two fellow writers. They will post their writing process next Monday (or soon!).
If you don’t know them, take some time to meet both. They are incredibly fun and talented writers!
Angie Azur, Children’s and YA Writer
Angie Azur is a YA writer, staff writer for PALEO Magazine (interviews coming out in 2014), 2013 Intern at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, freelance writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, SCBWI Member SF North & East Bay Area, and one of my good friends!
Agy Wilson is the author-illustrator of Room Wars and Nana’s Gift.
