Ask the author...

[Charlie Sheldon]

Which character do you most identify with?

Good question. I would say, Travis....

[Obinna Chima Agoms]

I have two questions for the author...

First, of all titles you could have chosen from, why Totem?

Secondly, are you planning on continuing this series?

[Charlie Sheldon]

I have two questions for the author...

First, of all titles you could have chosen from, why Totem?

Secondly, are you planning on continuing this series?

I wrote the first third book which was the first half of Totem, Book One, Kill Sites, and that was titled "Found" for a few years, a reference to resolving and finding the answers to the questions raised, but then I realized I needed to write more so I wrote another book, which became the Unnamed Lake, then merged it with Found and the title Totem just rose before me. I think it fits the tone of the series and the reveals in the third book.

I wanted to finish the sewries; ie, come to a conclusion, rather than get trapped in an endless cycle of sequels, and the idea of a trilogy appeals to me, so I did that, of course leaving open things (a bit) for anything more, and yes, I am working on something else, referenced in an earlier response in this forum, set mainly in the future, and not really an extension of the series but with some hard links to the events in the series as a foundation for more, all set in the future. We shall see. It takes time, I am not getting any younger, I absolutely loathe the whole promotion side of this as much as I love the creation and writing side of this, but some of my characters are whispering to me, or their descendants are.....

[Obinna Chima Agoms]

I have two questions for the author...

First, of all titles you could have chosen from, why Totem?

Secondly, are you planning on continuing this series?

I wrote the first third book which was the first half of Totem, Book One, Kill Sites, and that was titled "Found" for a few years, a reference to resolving and finding the answers to the questions raised, but then I realized I needed to write more so I wrote another book, which became the Unnamed Lake, then merged it with Found and the title Totem just rose before me. I think it fits the tone of the series and the reveals in the third book.

I wanted to finish the sewries; ie, come to a conclusion, rather than get trapped in an endless cycle of sequels, and the idea of a trilogy appeals to me, so I did that, of course leaving open things (a bit) for anything more, and yes, I am working on something else, referenced in an earlier response in this forum, set mainly in the future, and not really an extension of the series but with some hard links to the events in the series as a foundation for more, all set in the future. We shall see. It takes time, I am not getting any younger, I absolutely loathe the whole promotion side of this as much as I love the creation and writing side of this, but some of my characters are whispering to me, or their descendants are.....

I perfectly understand that age isn't on your side. You've done well for yourself. I hope there's someone carrying your legacy into the next generation?

[Tori_J]

I think this book is beautiful from what I have read so far. I am also considering reading the previous book in the series. First, would you advice that I read that one first? I have already read this to the midway though. Also, what gave you the inspiration for this series?

[Lucy Vera]

How did you manage to write down such awesomeness and complete it? I would like to know what keeps your creative process focused.

[Mbenma Esther 080]

Did you at any point got loss on ideas that you wanted to quit?

[Charlie Sheldon]

Re: source of inspiration (question above) - this is well covered in some earlier similar questions.
Re: what keeps creative processes going - no idea. However, when I am about to write and then writing a tale, I am always thinking about it somewhere in y mind, considering things, testing things, wondering. I think a lot of it is subconscious.
Re: did I ever lose my ideas and want to quit? some times I come to a place where I am not sure what happens next, and I have learned to just be patientr and wait for the answer to come. So far it always has come. Do I ever want to quit? Every single day.

[Bezos]

What inspired you to set characters in Indian-like history? In addition to the whale killer marriage to the bear, the totem historical information is very intriguing.

[Charlie Sheldon]

What inspired you to set characters in Indian-like history? In addition to the whale killer marriage to the bear, the totem historical information is very intriguing.

I wanted to set these tales on the Olympic Peninsula, and the Gulf of Alaska, and have them be as real as possible. On the Olympic Peninsula there are several tribes of First Peoples, there are reservations, fishing issues, a number of gaming facilities, and a real and clear tribal presence in the communities. You cannot write of this place, then, without considering First Peoples.

[Ayindelaw]

what gives you the quality to write in such a consistent manner?

Thanks for suggesting I am consistent. I would say time and persistence is the quality needed for a consistent style, whatever that style is. I don't know how other authors do their work, actually, everyone is different. Some do outlines, some write whole backstories of their characters, some others do not. Many do research and I am among them. For me, personally, a book takes three years to become "right." It only takes me four to five months to write a first draft of an 80,000 word novel, an intense period of writing every day, steeped in the tale, watching it appear. Then it takes another 2.5 years to edit it myself, let it simmer and steep, give it to someone else, sometimes more than once, to edit as well. The whole effort is to only have in the story what is needed, cutting the rest away, and because we writers cannot see our own flaws we desperately need someone else's eyes to spot things, repetitions, repeats, sloppy prose....A final step I take (this is only possible due to the wonder of cumputer systems) is to find certain words, like "that" and "said" and "then" and "smile", "laugh," etc which tend to be used a lot and go through and whenever possible strip them away, leaving a hopefully spare and clean style for the reader.

So, you go through these processes. Not a surprise your name is quite popular on these onlinebookclub streets.

[Janelydia Mwangi]

Why use Sarah to relieve the spirit of the Elk yet their were older characters who had such knowledge? Are you not alienating the young generation in practising what they learn of their culture because she even gets suspension from school and the uncle has to get her homework and return it?

[Raquel Sojo]

Which is your favorite character from Totem or the series and why?

[Tim Toby]

What made you choose the animals part of the culture and not other things in the indian culture, like the bear being the totem animal?

I also wonder about this. This is the question that comes to mind too. Like, I wonder why the author chose the bear, that was an unexpected choice.

[Charlie Sheldon]

Why use Sarah to relieve the spirit of the Elk yet their were older characters who had such knowledge? Are you not alienating the young generation in practising what they learn of their culture because she even gets suspension from school and the uncle has to get her homework and return it?

In the moment the elk was hurt by Jared's wild throw, none of the adults present had weapons or the means to kill it, if one wanted to choose to do so. Only when the police, and ranger, arrived might there have been, say a rifle for such a use. Sarah acted immediately with the weapon to hand, and she was acting based on her understanding of that earlier, and much more elemental, life. Had she not had the atlatl with her, that animal would have been limping and struggling, maybe for days, and certainly a ranger or wildlife warden would have found it and killed it. Sarah did the right, and necessary thing, by dispatching a mortally wounded animal, and she did it in a way modern society is uncomfortable with, even ignorant of. Carl the wildlife guy understood that, as did Sarah's grandfather, and maybe Travis and some of the other adults, but from the standpoint of the school officials Sarah had used a dangerous weapon to kill something beautiful, which was in their mind a grave sin, because they did not understand the animal had to be killed in any case due to its grave injury. Sarah is the young generation and she did the right thing, the only thing and wuickly, so this is the opposite of alienating the young generation, at least to me.