Author

To Inspire, To Create: Character Development

Smiley FaceBy David Akseizer

In a recent interview, I was asked how it felt to hold the very first copy of The Legend of Pearl Cave. My answer, “Though I’ve never given birth myself, on account of being a man and all, I’d have to say the feeling was probably similar to having a baby. You gain weight, lose sleep and at times have mood swings. Every moment leading up to the book release is uncomfortable, nerve racking and painful.But when you finally hold the book in your hands, it’s the greatest feeling ever. [Read more…]

An Exclusive Interview with David Akseizer

Assistant Publisher Nadine Cauthen sat with author David Akseizer to discuss a few questions about the making of The Legend of Pearl Cave.

Author David Akseizer

Author David Akseizer

NC: When did you first decide you wanted to become a published author?

DA: Back in high school when dreaming big was all I did. My friends and I were gathered around a circular kitchen table playing cards on a Friday night. We bet with cookies of course, not real money. That’s the moment I first shared the idea of one day writing an underwater adventure novel. Everyone laughed at me, mostly because that’s what guys do, we poke fun at one another. I tried not to take it personally. Besides, I don’t think my buddies were laughing at the idea behind the novel. I think they doubted the possibility that one day I’d become an actual writer. And here I am, a published author who’s still not afraid of dreaming big. [Read more…]

To Inspire, To Create: The Beginning, Middle, and End

Smashing Piggy Banks

Smash Your Piggy Bank

By David Akseizer

Hello Legend fans. I hope everyone is doing well and preparing to smash their piggy banks to fund the purchase of their very own copy of The Legend of Pearl Cave. Now, I know I promised the release of The Legend of Pearl Cave this summer, but with any project worth launching, there will be missed deadlines and unforeseen snags. No author or publisher intentionally goes out of his or her way to create delays, but issues arise which may slow down the process. These minor delays are only for the benefit of my fans and it is my fans I aim to please. Let it be said, I am working very hard to write this novel to perfection and my publisher will release this masterpiece when every magical word on every crisp white page is just so. When you read The Legend of Pearl Cave for the first time, it will not disappoint. I am very proud of this magnum opus and cannot wait until it is in your hands.

Last time we discussed the importance of the “hook”. By “hook” I’m referring to your opening line as well as the opening paragraph to a story. We reviewed the importance of making a good first impression and how the first few sentences of a story are the most crucial.

Lesson 4: The Beginning, Middle, and End

Every paragraph, every chapter, and every book has a beginning, middle, and end. These three parts make a story whole and worth reading. There are other pieces of the puzzle, like plot and character development, but every great book has a beginning, middle and end.

The beginning of a book, starting with the “hook”, is what captures the reader. The first section of your book should propose a problem, establish a theme, introduce a character or group of characters, and build a setting the reader can easily envision using their imagination.

The middle of a book is where the author writes most of the story. It is where all the details of the story are unveiled. The middle is written to hold the readers attention, get them thinking, and build questions in their minds they must have answers to when they reach the end of the story. Another element is the climax. Think of the climax as the most exciting point in a story. A good climax occurs when the conflict is resolved and appears toward the end of the middle of the book.

The end of a book is just that, it is where the story ends. To write a great ending, an author can wrap up their story with a happy ending, sad ending, or somewhere in-between. In some cases, the author will leave the reader hanging, but this always angers me, and seems unfair to the reader after all the time they invested reading a story. The end deserves a conclusion and a solution the problem the author posed in the beginning of the book.

Tune in next time when I’ll discuss the importance of plot.

If you have any questions, please visit www.davidakseizer.com and shoot me an email. You can also follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/akseizer and send me a message. Until then!

To Inspire, To Create

The Idea

By David Akseizer

After a few years of rigorous work, I am finally going to be a published author. Please allow me to share my initial thoughts when I first began this endeavor.

Rookie Dave: Writing a novel seems easy enough. Write a solid story, obtain an agent, my agent submits my completed work to a publisher, and in just a few months, my book will be made available to every reader throughout the world. Check, check, check and check. I’ll be rich and famous in no time. (not exactly)

David Senior: The truth of the matter is that a dream is just that until you make it a reality. Unfortunately, none of what Rookie Dave initially thought is factual in any capacity. Writing a book worthy of publishing is hard work that requires zeal and dedication. And when your book is finally in the publishing stages you’ll need to dig deep and muster up more of that…what’s it called again? Oh yeah, zeal and dedication. (more realistic)

This series of short blogs, will provide readers with some helpful hints and tools that are essential to writing a fiction novel, including direct insight into my publishing experience. Learning the process from an authors perspective could potentially help you to decide whether this is something you’re serious about accomplishing. Over the course of several blogs, I will share what inspired me to write my first fiction novel and the details involved in publishing a book from start to finish. So sit back, relax, and prepare yourself for a wild ride.

LESSON 1: THE IDEA 

Do you write well? Most important if you don’t write well, do you at least have a great story to tell? At some point in the publishing process you will have the pleasure of working with a professional editor to hash out grammatical issues and inconsistencies with your story. To begin, I will focus on the creative process involved with writing a fiction novel. We will re-visit the editing process in later blogs. And to be honest with you, I’m still learning to perfect my grammatical skills as I learn to develop my craft.

A great story begins with a great idea. This great idea must be grand enough to support an entire story. A great idea can stem from, but is not limited to, your experiences in life or the life of someone you know. The great idea can also stem from your vivid imagination if you’ve been blessed with the gift of creativity. The fact remains that you need a great idea to write a great story.

To discover an idea, I suggest using the most important sense you have, your eyes. Start off by taking notes on what’s around you. Observe people and environments you encounter on a day to day basis. From there, tap into your imagination. We all have one, so why not use it. Want to write a love story? Focus on the couple kissing on a park bench and start asking yourself how they met or where they’ll be in 5 years. Want to write a thriller? Go for a drive and imagine a high speed chase where you’re a spy evading an evil mastermind who wants you dead. You get the idea. The point of this exercise is to use your senses and to let your imagination run wild. Once you let your imagination take control, you might find the beginnings of a great idea. Document your ideas on paper or using a word processor, such as iPages, Notes, or Word. Then, follow my blog to learn what to do next.

Tune in next time to learn how I develop an outline. Until then!