Mary Ann: Hi! Welcome to All Things Writing. We're glad to have you as
a guest today!
Tell us a
little about yourself and your latest novel, The 5 Moons of Tiiana.
Paul: Well for starters, I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada when
it was a small, dusty town of about 60,000 in population. Our home was situated
on the outskirts of town, surrounded by desert and there wasn't a whole lot to
do. Back then, there were only three television stations and they went off the
air fairly early, though that didn't matter as I didn't get to watch a lot of
TV anyway. My father wasn't a big fan of the idiot box or the boob tube as he
called it—he was a reader.
I can't remember exactly how young I was when he first gave
me a book to read, but I do remember the book itself. It was A Princess
of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. That book opened up the universe for
me. It was unlike anything I had read before and I was smitten. From that point
on, I devoured every book in the series, and from there I went onto Burroughs’
Tarzan series. Along the way, I took in books by Asimov, Frederick Pohl, Robert
Heinlein and many others. These were the writers that inspired me and filled my
head with dreams of fantastic ambition. They were the cornerstone for me
wanting to become a writer—that and the other curse my father gave me. He
insisted that I learned how to type.
I didn't actually begin writing until I was in college, and
I didn't start off by writing science fiction. During my high school and
college years I was involved in theater, and my first piece of writing was
actually a rock opera that I co-wrote with two other individuals. Later, after
college I got married, and it was then that I ventured back into writing as
more serious endeavor. Still, it wasn't until I started writing screenplays
that I obtained a small measure of success.
Most of my screenplays and short stories at that time
revolved around science fiction concepts, but it was also around this time, the
germ of an idea began to form for The 5 Moons of Tiiana. I think it
lay in my head for a good 10 and 12 years smoldering and developing until I
realized I needed to sit down and write it.
As for the novel itself, here’s a quick teaser.
The 5 Moons of Tiiana
is a science fiction narration on a soldier caught up in the middle of an
interstellar war, faced with rescuing the princess he loves, and solving a 2000
year-old mystery that just might yield the secret to bringing peace to both
sides of the galaxy.
Captain Rez Cantor is a commander in the Imperial Army’s
Shadow Guard, and the personal attaché to Princess Leanna, the sixteen-year-old
daughter of the Emperor, and sole heir to the Melelan throne.
On the eve of a treaty signing ending the twelve-year-war
between the alien-hybrid Relcor and the Empire, Rez learns that the Imperial
family has been slated for death. Under orders from the Queen, Rez is given his
final command–save the Princess at all costs.
Faced with overwhelming odds, Rez abducts Leanna from the
Imperial palace, and the two flee Melela along with others of the Imperial
guard. Unfortunately, their ship is nuked as it enters warp, creating an event
horizon that sends the ship 128,000 light years across the galaxy to the Moons
of Tiiana. It is on one of these moons that Rez awakens upon a beach–injured
and alone–without the Princess.
So begins the sojourn of Rez Cantor upon the Moons of
Tiiana: Five moons stagnating from a 2000 year-old war that has left its alien
races in limbo and decay. Five moons that crave a hero bold enough to lead its
people out of the darkness. Five moons that hold the future of the Melelan
Empire deep within the ashes of war.
So there you have it—pure adventure with hostile alien races
and bizarre landscapes, a man searching for a young princess, but instead
discovering a beautiful woman and a perilous mission where the fate of the
galaxy is at risk. It’s all here for
your reading enjoyment.
Is science fiction
your main genre or do you like to experiment in other areas?
For the most part I have stayed within the field of science
fiction. It’s not that wouldn’t like or try other venues, it’s just that I
enjoy tinkering with the “what if” factor too much.
According to your
author bio on Amazon, you also write screenplays? Is The 5 Moons of Tiiana
something you've also written in that format? Is it hard to switch from
screenplays to novels?
No, The 5 Moons of Tiiana has not been
written as a screenplay, not as of yet, anyway. For one thing, the scope of the
story is far too large to be put into just one movie. It would have to be a
series of movies. Additionally, I'm considering writing a prequel and a sequel
to the book to fill in the back
story on the Relcor (the bad guys) and the continued adventures of my hero, Rez
Cantor. So, with that said, putting The
5 Moons of Tiiana on the big screen would take an effort equal to that of Star
Wars.
Now regarding the second portion of your question—I don’t
think switching from a screenplay to a novel is any more difficult than
determining how you want to tell the story. Okay, I can see some of you rolling
your eyes, so let me clarify that statement. It goes without saying that screenplays
and novels are drastically different birds of a feather. Each venue holds its
own format, point of view, nuances, and the method of delivery must be crafted
precisely if the story is to be successful. And yet, it just really depends on
what you want to accomplish as a writer, and how you see your story unfolding. For
me, I saw The 5 Moons of Tiiana as a
novel. It was too expansive a story for a two hour screenplay. And honestly, I
think screenwriting has become too competitive today; it’s much more difficult than
ever before. Twenty years ago, before the advent of the internet and
e-publishing the reverse was true. Back then it was it easier to penetrate the facade
of Hollywood. Additionally, I think the biggest drawback for screenwriters is
giving up ownership to your writing. If you write a novel, a short story, or
novella, the work is yours, minus the edits and corrections by your editor.
With a screenplay you can end up with twenty fingers in the pie and still not
get greenlighted.
Okay, your protagonist, Rez Cantor, sounds like a bad ass! He reminds
me of an Indiana Jones type in space. How did you go about creating his
character?
The truth is I borrowed a lot of Rez from Edgar Rice Burroughs’
character, John Carter of Mars. I wanted to take the reader back to a time
where the protagonist was swashbuckling hero, intelligent and honorable, if not
flawed. I wanted him to be smart, cool, and calculated, but with a certain
level of charm. With that said, I actually owe a lot to the development of Rez to
Dr. Jennifer Dare. She was the English professor I ran the story by when it was
in development, and because of her Rez became stronger and more rounded as a
character. What I like most about Rez is
his ability to adapt to any given situation.
I always like to know
what other authors are reading. What's the latest book you've read that really
grabbed your attention?
Destiny of Souls
by Dr. Martin Newton, PH.D., and before that, Journey of Souls by the same author. I found his research into our lives between
lives astounding. His work gives real meaning to the adage: fact is stranger
than fiction. Of course, not everyone will agree to his hypothesis, but still
it’s a fascinating read.
I gotta ask: Agent or
no agent? What's your take on authors and agents?
If Hollywood is on the line offering you an option on your
book or screenplay, get an agent or better yet, an entertainment attorney—just
make it one who is a Writer’s Guild affiliate. Truth is, I can’t really say.
The last agent I had I fired because he was an idiot.
Thanks for being with
us today. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
Yes. In addition to my earlier comments about writing a
novel verses a screenplay I stated that the writer needed to determine the
right voice for his narration. That was especially the case with The 5 Moons of Tiiana. It was my first narration
written in first person and it worked far better than I could have ever have
imagined. It was a blast to write and I think that comes through in the prose.
I do hope all of you will give this novel a read and let me know what you
think. And thanks for having me!
To learn more about Paul T. Harry or to purchase his book from Amazon, click on the following links:
Amazon code:
Paul T Harry Online:
Website http://5moons.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/RezCantor
Mary Ann,
ReplyDeleteThanks for having me by today.
Paul Harry