Searching for Inspiration and Character... and Magic?
What's New At The Magician's Workshop by Christopher Hansen and J. R. Fehr
The Magician's Workshop is going to be an epic tale that we expect
will span several volumes. Volume One introduces the reader to the characters
and the world and explores the pressures that exist for kids in a world where
everyone can do magic. Volume Two deals with the kids entering the coming of
age ceremony that everyone has to participate in.
Our inspiration for characters is everywhere. Every encounter—no
matter how brief—is a story waiting to unfold. We’ve also spent a lot of time
studying theories of personality. This knowledge has helped us craft the voices
of our characters and imagine how they might react in a certain situations.
Of course, this is a book about The Magician’s Workshop, so there has
to be some magic in it. But the magic in our book is not like any kind of magic
we know of. We spent many hundreds of hours creating all the details around
this new magic for our book. We had to figure out what a world that was based
on this magic would look like—what rules governed it. Then, as we figured out
the wide variety of magical powers possible, we could start thinking about
characters. We wanted to find the magical powers that were the right fit for
each character. We tried to make these powers feel like they were a natural
outgrowth of that character, like an expression of their very souls.
When we started writing, we anticipated a story with a handful of
primary characters. But new characters kept showing up, and we liked
them. We found ourselves writing additional scenes and chapters with these
characters. This was dangerous because soon we had enough material to fill
several volumes. We had to make a difficult choice: cut out half of the
characters and their stories or allow the story to grow. At first we decided to
cut. But when we went to actually delete the scenes, we didn’t want to say
goodbye. We looked at each other, and a big smile grew on our faces. “We’re
keeping them!” we said. “This is going to be mega!”
So, these novels are really different than a traditional fantasy
story. There isn’t one specific main character. There are several point of view
characters who our readers can relate to in different ways. Each one has their
own gifts and weaknesses. The two who get the most attention in the stories,
though, would have to be Kai and Layauna. Both of them have unique talents and
have a grandparent with grand expectations. But while Kai wants to do his own
thing and have fun with the magic he creates, Layauna is terrified of her
creations and seeks the approval of her elders.
Kai is a silly goofball who loves to spend time with his friends.
He’s supportive and encouraging to people yet at the same time isolated and cut
off from others. He wrestles with a lot of big issues relating to his place in
the world. Layauna, on the other hand, doesn’t have the time or freedom to be
silly. She desperately wants to create beautiful things with her magical
powers, but instead she makes horrible, savage monsters.
Like all of us, the characters in The Magician’s Workshop struggle
with who they are, who they want to be, and what they want to do.
While we were writing, we got to play with these characters, inside
this fantastical world, and now we are so excited to share this world with you,
for you to enjoy.
I'm excited too. I love that the stories are character driven, and that you've made the world make sense - magic as nature rather than deus ex machina perhaps. Add those ever-relevant questions of coming of age, and this will surely be a series to watch. Thank you so much for visiting my blog, and I'm delighted to have hosted you.
About the books:
The Magician’s Workshop, Volume One
Authors: Christopher Hansen, J.R. Fehr
Published by: Wondertale, California
Publication Date: November 8, 2016
ISBN: 1-945353-11-2
ASIN: B01MQGHGBH
Genre: Coming of Age, Fantasy, Magic
Ages: 12 and up.
Length: 85,000 words / 290 pages
Book Links:
Amazon * Goodreads
Everyone in the islands of O’Ceea has a magical ability: whatever they imagine can be brought into existence. Whoever becomes a master over these powers is granted the title of magician and is given fame, power, riches, and glory. This volume of books follows the journey of a group of kids as they strive to rise to the top and become members of the Magician’s Workshop.
Layauna desperately wants to create beautiful things with her magical powers, but all she can seem to do is make horrible, savage monsters. For years she has tried to hide her creations, but when her power is at last discovered by a great magician, she realizes that what she’s tried to hide might actually be of tremendous value.
Kai just wants to use his powers to have fun and play with his friends. Unfortunately, nearly everyone on his island sees him as a bad influence, so he’s forced to meet them in secret. When one of the creatures they create gets out of control and starts flinging fireballs at their town, Kai is tempted to believe that he is as nefarious as people say. However, his prospects change when two mysterious visitors arrive, praising his ability and making extraordinary promises about his future.
Follow the adventures of Kai, Layauna, and a boatload of other characters as they struggle to grow up well in this fantastical world.
The Magician’s Workshop, Volume Two
Authors: Christopher Hansen, J.R. Fehr
Print Length: 273 pages
Publisher: Wondertale
Publication Date: November 22, 2016
ASIN: B01N988TW7
Genre: Coming of Age, Fantasy, Magic
Ages: 12 and up.
Book Links:
Amazon * Goodreads
Return to the world of The Magician’s Workshop: Where Dreams Become Reality.
In Volume Two, the Festival of Stars has finally arrived, and the Color Ceremony is about to commence. As children from all over the islands gather to stand before a puller, one question remains: who will have a Color, and who will be found void?
Rejoin your favorite characters as they step forward and receive a label that will have the power to dramatically alter the course of their lives forever.
About the authors
Christopher Hansen
The first glimmering Chris Hansen had that there was far more to reality than he had ever imagined occurred six days after his ninth birthday. “Christopher!” cried a wise, old sage. “Life is full of deep magic. Miraculous things happen all the time and all around us, if you know where to look for them.” Full of expectation and childlike optimism, Chris began searching for this magic, prepared to be surprised and amazed by it. And he was: he found Wonder! Now he’s chosen to write stories about it.
J.R. Fehr
When J.R. Fehr popped out of the womb, he knew there was more to the world than the four boring hospital walls that he was seeing. “Zango!” his newborn mind exclaimed as he saw people appear and disappear through a mysterious portal in the wall. As a child he found life wowtazzling, but as he grew older the cold water of reality hit him, and the magic he once knew vanished. After spending some wet and shivering years lost in a joyless wasteland, he once again began to see magic in the world. He writes because the Wonder of true life is far grander than anything he ever thought possible.
Where to Find Them
Website * Facebook
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