How does a series...and maybe a
spin-off series come to be? When you world-build, you invest time, energy,
dreams. You come up with nations, political systems, cultures - maybe
languages, races, religions.
Like Cyle Young mentioned, a storyworld can be the
foundation for unlimited stories. Today, Shawn Lamb is with us today, to share how her
seed of a story grew and spread into ALL THE BOOKS.
Why? Because of her fans. As an
indie author, Shawn has the freedom to write what her fans want, to supply the
demand. Let's take a look at how her one book morphed into so. much. more.
Writing a young adult fantasy series
was never on my agenda. My chosen genre is historical fiction. I love
swashbuckling adventure. However, God had different plans.
It all started with a request from
my daughter when she was thirteen. She wanted a good old-fashioned hero quest
fantasy like those written by Lewis and Tolkien. Since I had experience as a
screenwriter for animation, I accepted the challenge. My original plan was for
one book, so I could hurry back to historical fiction.
As the saying goes, “the best laid
plans of mice and men often go awry.” Or in my case, they got thwarted when my
daughter shared with her friends at school how her mom was writing her an “epic
fantasy adventure.”
When her friends would come over to
discuss the storyline, conversations turned to personal issues. Most of them
were immigrants of different belief and cultures, yet all of them struggled
with assimilation. The hope that brought their families to the U.S. had
quickly faded. They wanted to know why Americans think like we do. Why
Christians believe differently.
My spirit stirred to give these kids
what they needed – hope. The task required more than a single book, as I
allegorized spiritual principles to address their numerous issues. Yet no
matter what the characters faced in each story, the message of hope is
paramount.
After the publishing of Allon Book
1, I used events for promotion. From the first event, requests began in regards
to the series. Homeschool parents asked if I ever thought about teaching
my series. (They like to include fiction in their curriculum.) No, the thought
of teaching fiction had not crossed my mind. The questions continued at three
more events in different states. Finally, by the fourth event, I got
it. It was time to create a study guide.
Also at events, the younger siblings
of those reading the series - captivated by the bookmarks and animated book
trailers - expressed their curiosity about the books. From their avid interest
came The King’s Children, an illustrated trilogy featuring the
characters from Allon in childhood misadventures. We also created a
coloring/activity book.
Now, one would think a nine book YA
series, kids trilogy, coloring book and study guide would be enough. No,
requests for speaking and teaching workshops resulted in two non-fiction books.
Currently, there are 15 books under
my belt stemming from Allon, and I thought that would be enough. Not
according to readers. Ever since book 1, many have inquired about how the
Guardians fell. These characters have angelic qualities and help to illustrate
spiritual warfare. So once more, the Kingdom of Allon is expanding with The
Great Battle – Book 1 – Guardians of Allon. It will be a prequel
trilogy that answers all those questions. At least I hope so. *smile*
The
change of my plans still amazes me. I’ve watched what began with a simple
request expand into something I never expected.
Shawn
Lamb is an award-winning author and screenwriter. In the past she wrote for
television animation. Married for 30 years with an adult daughter in the film
business, Shawn and her husband Rob, travel the country speaking and teaching
at homeschool events, libraries, public schools and book festivals.
You can find her on Facebook or on her website: www.allonbooks.com
Shawn and all, thanks for swingin' by,
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