A society devoid of technology, a forced return to a simpler time. Three friends who struggle to dream again in a world of limits.
What might readers expect from your book? According to the synopsis, it has several interesting elements.
There Comes a Prophet is a dystopian novel about a stagnant society that has banned creativity and original thinking, the result of an overreaction to a dark past where progress had overtaken humanity and led to social collapse. But Prophet is also a coming of age story, a tale of three friends and their loyalty to each other as they discover how much has been lost. The story is less violent than the dystopias that pervade today’s market, but the challenges faced and the courage required by its main characters are at least as great. They must choose whether the power of an idea is worth dying for. As Nathaniel says: “What are we without dreams?”
If you were a prophet--or are you?--what three things would you predict?
Prophets aren’t necessarily people who predict the future. They may be someone who sees the potential of a world better than the one they were born into. As an agent for change, they always face opposition from the powers that be, whether it’s a government, religion or other calcified institution. Prophets need the courage of their ideas to overcome inertia and change the world.
What was your writing process for There Comes a Prophet? Any advice for aspiring writers?
I wrote There Comes a Prophet in about a year, my first novel in a long time. I loved the story but remained dissatisfied with the writing. I set it aside for an additional year, read a great deal, and wrote a second novel before coming back to it. When I did, I had a greater appreciation for the value of every single word. I sharpened my virtual pencil and went at it, keeping in mind my favorite quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author of that gem of a book, The Little Prince: “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” The rest was hard work. After several months, I had tightened the book, cutting 20%.
I learned my lesson. Write for the reader not the writer, and rewrite as much as you can, never settling for a single imperfect sentence or phrase. As Enrique Jardiel Poncel said so well: “When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing.”
My most important advice for aspiring writers—never give up. Follow the words of Abraham Lincoln (no stranger to adversity): “Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.”
What's next?
I just finished the final edits of a new novel, Along the Watchtower. It’s a mainstream fantasy about an Iraq war veteran from a troubled family background, who has been severely injured in an IED attack. Prior to the attack, he coped with tragedy and hardship by playing World of Warcraft every chance he had. Now, suffering from traumatic brain injury and PTSD, he lapses in and out of a dream world like in the fantasy game. But unlike World of Warcraft, his quest is not for gold or a higher level, but to find a reason to live.
I’m also far along with an alternate world story called The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky. It’s about a world divided between the Blessed Lands, a place of the spirit, and the Republic, whose people worship at the altar of reason. A mysterious nine-year-old girl from the Blessed Lands sails into the lives of a troubled couple in the Republic and changes everyone she meets. She reveals nothing about herself, other than to say she’s the daughter of the sea and the sky. But she harbors a secret wound she herself cannot heal.
For more of an advance look, you can check them out at www.davidlitwack.com.
The Author
The urge to write first struck when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter's editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line between reality and the fantastic.Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned. There Comes a Prophet is his first novel in this new stage of life.
David and his wife split their time between Cape Cod, Florida and anywhere else that catches their fancy. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor. To learn more about David, check out his Website, Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.
The Book
Author: David Litwack
Publisher: Double Dragon Publishing
Publishing Date: July 9, 2012
Pages: 282
Who among us will cast aside a comfortable existence and risk death to follow a dream?
A world kept peaceful for a thousand years by the magic of the ruling vicars. But a threat lurks from a violent past. Wizards from the darkness have hidden their sorcery in a place called the keep and left a trail of clues that have never been solved.
Nathaniel has grown up longing for more but unwilling to challenge the vicars. Until his friend Thomas is taken for a teaching, the mysterious coming-of-age ritual. Thomas returns but with his dreams ripped away. When Orah is taken next, Nathaniel tries to rescue her and ends up in the prisons of Temple City. There he meets the first keeper of the ancient clues. But when he seeks the keep, what he finds is not magic at all.
If he reveals the truth, the words of the book of light might come to pass:
“If there comes among you a prophet saying ‘Let us return to the darkness,’ you shall stone him, because he has sought to thrust you away from the light.”
A world kept peaceful for a thousand years by the magic of the ruling vicars. But a threat lurks from a violent past. Wizards from the darkness have hidden their sorcery in a place called the keep and left a trail of clues that have never been solved.
Nathaniel has grown up longing for more but unwilling to challenge the vicars. Until his friend Thomas is taken for a teaching, the mysterious coming-of-age ritual. Thomas returns but with his dreams ripped away. When Orah is taken next, Nathaniel tries to rescue her and ends up in the prisons of Temple City. There he meets the first keeper of the ancient clues. But when he seeks the keep, what he finds is not magic at all.
If he reveals the truth, the words of the book of light might come to pass:
“If there comes among you a prophet saying ‘Let us return to the darkness,’ you shall stone him, because he has sought to thrust you away from the light.”
Add There Comes A Prophet on Goodreads and purchase it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or The Book Depository.
The Giveaway
This giveaway is international! Up for grabs is an eBook copy of There Comes A Prophet!
No comments:
Post a Comment
I've been having s-to-the-pam issues, and I wasn't thrilled with Disqus, so sorry about the CAPTCHA!