Ask the Author

[Wayne Batson]

Questions!

Can you tell us anything about what The Dark Sea Annals will be about? Sounds veeery interesting...

How did you come up with the names for your characters? (the Door Within in particular) Do they have meanings or are they just random syllables that sound fantasy-ish?

Hi, Ivy

Sorry I took so long to respond. I can't tell you much about the Dark Sea Annals because I'm not yet under contract. But I can tell you it will be my largest and most creative work. I'm really delving deep into worldbuilding, creating cultures, histories, fantastic settings, and tons of creatures to inhabit it all. I've outlined 7 books so far and the plot looks good.

As far as fantasy names go, I draw them from all over the place. Sometimes I take bits of several friends names and mess with them to see if they sound like something. Other times I research Norse or Celtic names for things. I have a couple of general guidelines when creating names for fantasy creations:

1. The name should fit the character. By this I mean I need to find a name that sounds like or hints at meaning. Nock and Bolt are archers. Mallik sounds like Mallet, and he wields, you guessed it, a big hammer.

2. Names should be pronounceable. I know, I know, it's fantasy, right? But still, ridiculous names with awkward apostrophes all over the place just bog the reader down. You can get great-sounding fantasy names and still have them obey English rules of pronunciation. Bek'ur'dalphian is just too much of a mouthful. My fantasy names sound otherworldly but you can still sound them out: Aidan, Gwenne, Valithor, Boldoak, etc.

3. Names should fit the culture or race of your creation. If you have a civilization of mountain-dwellers, and they speak in a dialect with a more guttural sound, then create rough, consonant heavy names.

4. I also like names that match the character's bent. If a character is a villain, I like to give them sinister names---BUT I don't want them to be obvious. Paragor, Kearn, Rucifel--all sound evil. Think of Darth Vader, the Sith, Mordor, Sauron--great names.

What are some of your favorite fantasy names?

[James Somers]

wayne,

Dark Sea Annals sounds like it will be very interesting. wow, seven books...quite a monumental undertaking. Sounds down right epic!

I look forward to hearing more about it in the future.

James

[fantastyfreak]

Yay another seven book series, man a book drought for me hit when another seven part series I have followed for nine years ended! Can't wait to read it!!!

[Philip]

Wayne,

I absoballyflippinlutely loved the Door Within Trilogy! When I finally got the Final storm, I started reading it at like 7:30 when we got home from church on a sunday night, went to bed at 11:00, and finished it before lunch the next day. Anyway, I told my siblings about the interview you had with Kevin Lucia and who you said you would want to be actors if there was a movie. And my sister said "Lemme guess, you wanna play as Aidan?" The more I thought about it, the more I thought that I might actually fit the character. I will be 14 in early march. I am slightly pudgy (like Aidan), I have somewhat crooked teeth (which might add to the fact that Aidan only has one good freind. What would be the small chance that I could play as Aidan?


Also, my sister noticed when reading the pronunciations in the front of the Door Within that Alleble and Paragory are Parable and Allegory mixed together. Did you do that on purpose?

[Wayne Batson]

Wayne,

I absoballyflippinlutely loved the Door Within Trilogy! When I finally got the Final storm, I started reading it at like 7:30 when we got home from church on a sunday night, went to bed at 11:00, and finished it before lunch the next day. Anyway, I told my siblings about the interview you had with Kevin Lucia and who you said you would want to be actors if there was a movie. And my sister said "Lemme guess, you wanna play as Aidan?" The more I thought about it, the more I thought that I might actually fit the character. I will be 14 in early march. I am slightly pudgy (like Aidan), I have somewhat crooked teeth (which might add to the fact that Aidan only has one good freind. What would be the small chance that I could play as Aidan?


Also, my sister noticed when reading the pronunciations in the front of the Door Within that Alleble and Paragory are Parable and Allegory mixed together. Did you do that on purpose?

Hi Philip! Thanks for the kind words. If The Door Within is made into a movie, I will likely have little control over who plays the parts. Unfortunately, that is the way it is in show biz.

And brilliant observation about Alleble and Paragory. You are only the second reader to figure that out!

Never alone.

-WtB

[Philip]

I give credit to my sister. When is the sequel to the Isle of Swords coming out?

[Wayne Batson]

Isle of Fire will be out this August!

[Thelmarie]

Sir Batson,

Is Yewland inspired by Lothlorien in LotR? I've noticed some veeeeery similar characters, scenes, and places. Nock reminds me of Legolas a lot. the Blackwood seems almost like Mirkwood to me! I'm a LotR geek too; count on me to notice things like that! Just kidding!

God bless,
Thelmarie

[Wayne Batson]

Yewland--Lothlorien; I know that there's some Tolkien in there. Tolkiens books got me into fantasy, and I've read them 16-17 times. lol So no doubt there's influence. It wasn't a conscious thing, however. The flets and the slides were all kind of just fun adventure touches and the Blackwood being immersed so close by...that was hopefully different enough. Tolkien created such a rich and diverse world that it's really hard to create any fantasy without similarities to his work. I can't wait to meet him in Heaven one day. I wonder what amazing stories he's been working on...

[Thelmarie]

Yewland--Lothlorien; I know that there's some Tolkien in there. Tolkiens books got me into fantasy, and I've read them 16-17 times. lol So no doubt there's influence. It wasn't a conscious thing, however. The flets and the slides were all kind of just fun adventure touches and the Blackwood being immersed so close by...that was hopefully different enough. Tolkien created such a rich and diverse world that it's really hard to create any fantasy without similarities to his work. I can't wait to meet him in Heaven one day. I wonder what amazing stories he's been working on...

What better way to get into fantasy? The slides sound like fun (if you have a strong grip). I agree, Middle-Earth is, like C.S. Lewis put it, multifarious. (I like that word!) I can't wait either!

Never alone!,
Thelmarie

[Thelmarie]

Dear Sir Batson,

When you said, in the beginning of the Door Within, that adventures can "arrive in an envelope", were you alluding to Harry Potter? 'Cause in those books, an adventure definitely arrives in an envelope. Just a thought.
Never alone!,
Thelmarie

[emily.elric.93]

This thread seems to be dead, but here's hoping!

I'm working on a paper on good writing for my Freshman English II class. My focus is themes, messages and morals in current fiction. I have a few specific questions I was wondering if you could answer for me.

1. How many titles have you published? In what genres?
2. What are your most popular titles?
3. What is the theme in your most popular books? Does this theme carry social and moral connotations?
4. Did you set out with this theme in mind?
5. How did you display this theme?
6. If your theme deals with a specific moral issue how do you display the “popular” opinion of the book?
7. In your opinion, what is the best way to convey a message in your writing?
8. Does your book attempt to persuade people that a moral issue is actually a non-issue or that a non-issue is a moral issue?
9. Have readers complained about a moral message being “beaten into their heads”?
10. Have there been any papers written on your book or a fan base you can direct me to?

Please and Thank you!
Emily Elric

[emily.elric.93]

This thread seems to be dead, but here's hoping!

I'm working on a paper on good writing for my Freshman English II class. My focus is themes, messages and morals in current fiction. I have a few specific questions I was wondering if you could answer for me.

1. How many titles have you published? In what genres?
2. What are your most popular titles?
3. What is the theme in your most popular books? Does this theme carry social and moral connotations?
4. Did you set out with this theme in mind?
5. How did you display this theme?
6. If your theme deals with a specific moral issue how do you display the “popular” opinion of the book?
7. In your opinion, what is the best way to convey a message in your writing?
8. Does your book attempt to persuade people that a moral issue is actually a non-issue or that a non-issue is a moral issue?
9. Have readers complained about a moral message being “beaten into their heads”?
10. Have there been any papers written on your book or a fan base you can direct me to?

Please and Thank you!
Emily Elric

[Wayne Batson]

Hi, Emily
Yeah, this thread has been rather dormant. Let me see if I can give you some quick answers:
1: Eleven books to date; genres: fantasy, adventure, historical fiction, supernatural thriller
2: The Door Within (nearly 300,000 sold), More Recently "The Errant King" and "Tide of Unmaking" have been the big sellers
3: Most of my books have multiple themes. But one of the themes from Rise of the Wyrm Lord (book 2 of The Door Within Series) is that God can make something beautiful out of tragedy; and definitely this theme has connotations. So often people look at the tragedies and violence of life and blame God; but so often, when these horrible things happen, that is when God shines the brightest.
4. Actually, no. That theme developed organically when the main character Antoinette Lynn Reed makes an awful mistake, but discovers something incredible in the midst of it
5. See above
6. Well, I think, deep down a lot of people draw a lot of hope from such themes. Christian or not, I think we're all searching.
7. Can't be preachy. You need to write the story that is on your heart to tell; themes will develop naturally.
8. No.
9. Oddly enough, I have had very few complaints about messages being preachy or pounded in. Once, I got an email from a well-meaning Christian fellow who felt that the messages were too clear. That made me laugh.
10. Several papers, but they aren't all stored somewhere. There are a couple of places you could look for more info:
• www.enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Thomas_Batson
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Door_Within_Trilogy
• http://thedoorwithin.wikia.com/wiki/...or_Within_Wiki

[emily.elric.93]

Wow, thank you! Now that you've pointed it out, I can really see that in Rise of the Wyrm Lord. I haven't actually finished it yet (I know! I've literally been reading it for three or four years now!) but I'm on the last few pages. I'll have to look at that again over break!