Someone is stoking the fires of revolution, and if the Ordre can’t stop them, millions could die. Fortunately, Jeanne’s left eye could turn the tide of battle if she survives.
Will Jeanne survive the battle, or will millions be left to their fate? Meet Jeanne, and the millions around her when author Scott Kinkade returns to ItsWriteNow.com to chat about the novel ‘The Game Called Revolution’. Scott, it’s great to see you back sharing this novel. What’s been going on for you since we last chatted?
More writing and lots more editing! I became a proofreader and so I’ve been taking care to clean up my own work.
Proofreading, now that’s a great way to become a much better writer. I’ve been really curious to find out more about how writers improve their craft recently, and I’d love to know if you’d tried joining a writing group to improve your work.
Yes, I joined a group a few years ago. They were instrumental in taking my work to a new level. I have since left the group due to burnout, but I encourage aspiring writers to join one.
I’d love to show those aspiring writers an example of what can be achieved by taking their work to the next level, so let’s dive into your book, ‘The Game Called Revolution’. For readers who haven’t heard about your book before, what’s it all about?
Basically, I took the steampunk subgenre and transported it to Revolutionary France. I gave the story strong female characters (one of which is still my favorite), fantastic inventions, and real heart. I have yet to see anything else quite like it.
How did this unique idea come to you?
The idea for The Game Called Revolution first came to me in the summer of 2010. I was just starting to become interested in the science fiction subgenre of steampunk, and I thought a steampunk version of the French Revolution would be awesome. However, most steampunk stories seem to take place in a Victorian setting, and I wasn’t sure if readers would accept a setting that is a century earlier and in a different country. Fortunately, though, I pitched the idea on an internet forum and found encouragement from other readers there. So, I boldly went ahead with the story.
When I first came up for the idea of this story, the only image I had in my head was Marie Antoinette with some sort of cybernetic eye (although even that was pretty awesome, I thought). As I researched the events of the French Revolution and fleshed out the story, my poor cyborg queen ended up being merely human, but I still wanted a strong female lead with some sort of eye patch. I think women characters with eye patches are really cool.
So, I ended up with the character of Jeanne de Fleur as my protagonist. And of course, she had her eye patch. I really wanted her to come off as being elegant, cool and sophisticated, so I made her nobility. It was only later that I got the idea to have her be a descendant of Joan of Arc.
Given that this book is set in the past, did you find it important to draw aspects of your own life into the tale? Can you tell us a little bit about what bits of your life made it into the book?
Yes, I drew from my own brush with suicide. I know what it takes to go to that place, and I wanted to impart that to readers.
And what was the central message that you wanted to impart to your readers by combining this personal experience with the historical setting and inspiration?
Never give up on living.
That’s a very strong message. Do you feel that it is really relevant to readers today, or do you have a feeling that it will become more important for readers in the future?
It is timeless, really. Suicidal thoughts will always plague mankind.
I agree it’s something that’s not going to go away. With the potentially sensitive nature of these themes, do you feel that there are people who shouldn’t read this book, despite the tale being timeless?
People who expect historical accuracy from steampunk shouldn’t read it. You laugh, but the book’s very first review complained it wasn’t accurate enough.
People do realise it’s fiction right? Fiction kind of gives you the licence to change things like accuracy so that you can explore different possibilities. Has this been the main feedback from readers?
Most readers seem to like it. But you can’t please everyone. That’s something a writer needs to always remember. And don’t let people bring you down and tell you that your writing sucks.
A great way to get readers who aren’t your best fit to self-select out is by building an author brand. Have you started branding your work yet? Have you thought about branding your book covers?
My first covers were designed by an artist I found on DeviantArt. But I had to fire her because she became very unprofessional. I’m currently using Ramon Macairap.
Has your commitment to professionalism extended to the web? Are you showcasing your work on a website for readers to check out?
Yes. I got rid off ScottKinkade.net because I wasn’t satisfied with it. Now, my main website is proofreadexcelsior.com
Nice work, a solid website is a great foundation for a writer. That of course and writing more books. What are you working on right now?
I’m currently finishing up my Divine Protector series. I’m waiting to get my manuscript back from the editor. It’s been a long but rewarding road.
And one that I hope you keep enjoying for a long time to come. Scott, thanks for sharing your journey with us today, and I hope to hear more about how both this series and your writing progresses in the future.
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Excited to read the book we discussed today? Find it here on Amazon: ‘The Game Called Revolution ( ASIN: ASIN: B0049B2CRA )‘.
Want to find out more about Scott Kinkade? Connect here!