D.K. Reilly is one of the authors featured in the Fiddlehead Folio, launching December 2nd! The first chapter of his upcoming novel, New Justice, is in our journal. We are so excited for you to read it!
We asked D.K. some questions about his chapter and about his experience.
What inspired you to write your story? How does that inspiration manifest in this work?
I really enjoyed the idea of the “Century Knights” in Chris Wooding’s “Tales of the Ketty Jay” series, and wanted a story about a group of people like that. But a hundred characters seems like a BIT too much to handle, so I dropped it down to a more manageable number. The “century knights” in that world became the “Nineteen” in my world, and thus, the “Prime Justices” were born.
What was the hardest part of your writing process? Do you think it will be easier for your next story?
I think the hardest part was writing a scene that carries weight and meaning – in the first chapter of a story. How can I get people to connect to the characters so that actions and consequences have substance? I was close to it, and working with Kyra during the editorial process for the Folio, she helped me realize small changes I could make to make that connection happen. Now that I know what kind of word-choices help that, I hope that the next time is easier. But there’s also now this new confidence of “even if I miss the mark slightly, I know what happens in the editing steps with a publisher, so I know it can be fixed.” And I think that confidence helps me to push through scenes I’d otherwise get hung up and stall out on writing.
What was your first thought after hitting the “submit” button for your Folio submission? What was your first thought after being accepted?
After hitting submit, there was a sense of “okay, now I wait a few months for yet another rejection.” But that’s how it is, so I moved onto writing more in the interim. When I got the notice of acceptance, I was in a bit of disbelief. It’s hard, after a long series of rejections, to believe that there IS a place for your story, and that someone WILL want it. After the denial wore off, I was ecstatic.
What are you writing now (or next)?
I’m working to finish up the story of Askar this coming year. Running parallel, as a means of escaping writer’s block or distracting-while-remaining-productive, I’m working on another series that I’m dubbing the Ruined Prophecy. What happens when the chosen one never gets to meet his mentor, so they’re totally just a normal, unprepared kid when the big bad starts their campaign against the forces of good?
How has the Guild helped with your writing and storytelling? What do you want other writers to know about writing communities?
The Guild has been great! Just the inspiration of being part of a community of storytellers that are (mostly) all at the same stage of their writing careers – it helps me remain focused and confident in my writing, even when I’m not super active in the community in terms of posting. But I see all that happens, and what’s offered, so that when I’m ready or in need, I know I can turn to the Writer’s Guild in an instant, and receive a plethora of aid from people all over Metrowest.
The launch of the Fiddlehead Folio will take place at the Literary Extravaganza and Book Bazaar on Saturday, December 2nd from 10am-3pm at the Writers’ Loft in Hudson, MA. If you live in Massachusetts, we would love to see you and share the Folio (along with so many other books on sale that day!) with you! Planning to join us? Let us know on Facebook or Eventbrite!