I read a lot of fantasy and grew up on 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek.' I loved going to Middle Earth. 'Dungeons & Dragons' was a huge influence.
When you hear the words 'magic' and 'story', they will probably evoke thoughts of your favourite fairy tales from childhood. Storybook pages abound with all manner of magic: fantastical fairies, wish-granting genies, or even a certain boy wizard.
If you want the beautiful moments to shine, you have to contrast that with dark and gruesome moments. That's the way life is.
I loved stories as a kid, both being read to me and enjoying on my own. All these stories inspired my imagination, and that's what I have always aimed at doing for my readers: ignite their imaginations.
Illustrations can be a big window: a looking glass into the author's imagination.
I was a tremendous fan of the original Kenneth Grahame short story, 'The Reluctant Dragon.'
My outlines can be 10-20 pages in length and focus primarily on the physical active plot over the emotional plot.
In 2008, my one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Sophia, suffered a grand mal seizure. It came from nowhere, for no apparent reason, and took hold of my little fairy-girl.
I never want to dumb it down. If there's any simplification, it's just a simplification to make sure that the reader understands the point that the character is trying to make.
