I am thrilled to be part of the blog tour celebrating the release of The Story Peddler by Lindsay A. Franklin.
This is a book written about the enchantment and love of storytelling. I was completely engrossed in the writing.
Tanwen is a peasant who peddles her stories. She is in training to become a registered story peddler- a person who weaves threads while telling a story to create a sellable sculpture. Tanwen's dream is to become a Royal Storyteller. But she is warned by her mentor Riwor to stick to the crown approved stories or she'll end up in the dungeon as the King has harsh restrictions on which stories can be told.
Join along and read while Tanwen is on the run with a band of rogue storytellers and artists.
I truly loved the creativity and pops of color that go along with this enchanting read about the love of story peddling.
Here's a bit about the author:
Lindsay lives in her native San Diego with her husband (master of the dad joke), their awesomely nerdy kids, two thunder pillows (AKA cats), and a stuffed wombat with his own Instagram following (@therealwombatman). You can find Lindsay on social media, too, if Wombatman hasn’t hijacked all her accounts. She’s @LinzyAFranklin on Instagram and Twitter, and she Facebooks at www.facebook.com/LindsayAFranklin. Sign up for her e-mail list here: http://eepurl.com/bwF64j.
Today, I'm also excited to say Lindsay provided me with the inside scoop on how she went about writing, "The Story Peddler" and the way she went about choosing her cast of characters. Now, onto her interview.
How do you start writing a story?
It varies a lot with each project. The Story Peddler idea began when I was at a writers' conference and an acquisitions editor was describing how she must pitch the projects she hopes to acquire to her publishing board. She said something like, "At the end of the day, I'm just a peddler of stories." And my fantasy-creating, daydreaming brain went wild. I imagined what a "story peddler" might look like in a fantasy world, then I built a story for Tanwen and her friends around that visual.
What part of a story is the hardest for you to write?
The outline! I'm a plotter, so I like to have my stories pretty clear in my head before I begin writing the actual chapters. During the outlining process is when I figure out all the broad strokes of the plot, look for holes, detail subplots, and character development arcs, and generally decide where I want everything to end up. And that's hard sometimes!
How do you know when a story is complete?
A story feels complete and ready for me when my critique partners and beta readers send me notes about moments they loved, difficult scenes that made them cry, and cliffhangers they want to strangle me for. Of course, it's only done-done when my editor says so!
If you had to describe your writing style, what words would you use?
This is actually a really tough question because my stories tend to range from light to dark, humor to heartbreak. Let's go with sassy, sparkly, and sincere.
Do you write every day?
Most days! I don't write fiction every day, but I'm almost always writing something.
Do you get writer's block?
Yes. When I'm really stressed out, it's hard for me to create. I will sometimes get stuck on a particular project, so writing something else--even a short piece of nonsense I never plan to publish anywhere--can help clear those clogged mental pipes. Also exercising help for some reason.
Who's your favorite author?
Oh man. Don't make me choose! My two favorites as a child were L. Frank Baum and Lynne Reid Banks. I also love Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, Edgar Allen Poe, J.D. Salinger, Charlotte Bronte, and so many others.
Which is your favorite character you wrote?
To divulge would be a spoiler. ;) But I do really love my main character, Tanwen. I set out to make her different from me on purpose (it's easy to accidentally write yourself into all your protagonists), and I ended up writing a girl who is very much like my daughter.
Do you use names of family and friends when you write characters?
No, though I do sometimes pull from the personalities of friends and family when building my characters. My naming system in The Story Peddler is based on Welsh as a nod to my Welsh heritage. My maiden name is Powell, and the origin of that name is from Ap-Howell, or "son of Howell." I used that concept when creating the last names for my characters. In The Weaver Trilogy world, Bo means "son of," En means "daughter of," and Ma means "wife of."
Make sure to stop by the epic Facebook party Lindsay is co-hosting with Sara Ella on May 1st at 7:00 pm CST! And don't miss the other stops on the blog tour! Here's the full schedule:
Wednesday, May 2nd
- Blog Tour Wrap-Up – Unicorn Quester
Lindsay is also celebrating with a giveaway! Use the image link below to enter to win a signed print copy of The Story Peddler, a blue strand book sleeve, a custom Story Peddler bookmark, a fluffhopper sticker, and a set of five mini Story Peddler art prints! (U.S. only.) Congratulations on your new release, Lindsay!
