The Karmic Creations, ” Best Entertainment Magazine in the World,” RL Baxter-Blue talks about the inspiration behind her new book Blue Lunar & The Apex Grail and its creative writing process.
Written by JJ BarnesTell me who you are.
Hello! I’m Ricky Lee Baxter, a British writer from London, England. I have always been interested in art and creativity. As a child I often dreamed of fantastic worlds, especially at school where I had to concentrate on the lessons. As an adult I worked for many museums and art spaces and wrote in my free time.
When did you first want from write a book?
That’s a very interesting question because I didn’t want to at first. However, I met her because of a school assignment. In high school, we were all responsible for writing an original story in English class. It was the first time I received such an order and I liked it immediately. The story was called Rei’s Big Adventure and I had about a month to make it.
I was a typical student who often neglected homework and assignments, so I knew something about those assignments resonated with me. I loved the power it gave me to create my own worlds with characters and rules. For me it was a great escape from what I felt was a difficult time at school. I ended up getting an A+ for my work, a result that surprised some of the other teachers, who then argued whether I was the original author of the story.
I remember that later I consciously wanted to write a full-fledged story that had nothing to do with schoolwork. I really wanted to write a book, and I’ve written a lot of novels from my teenage years through to the present day.
When did you decide to start writing?
Even though I wrote as a hobby, I would say that my good step towards serious writing (going public) was in 2010 when self-publishing started to catch on. I chose the Amazon route, so I read as much material as I needed while continuing to write my then story called Gideon and the Crimson Samurai.
How long did it take you to get your first book from idea to publication?
I would say it took about 3 years to complete Gideon and The Crimson Samurai. I still have fond memories of that process because I was so excited to be writing a book that will be available worldwide. I like to think that most authors hold a special place in their hearts for their first books.
Focus on your latest version. What made you decide to start Blue Lunar & Apex Grail?
My latest release is called Blue Lunar & The Apex Grail and I wrote it in notebooks as teenagers before storing it in one of the closets in the old family home. I loved this story so much that I promised myself I would write it again years later. Fast forward to adulthood and I decided to do it. I wanted to write (and rewrite) this book for its unique and vivid characters.
What were the biggest challenges writing Blue Lunar & The holy grail of the summit?
Compared to my other stories, I wanted to push the boundaries of what I can do in times of tragedy. I think it’s because I’m so attached to the main characters that I don’t want them to suffer any more than they already are. But this time I wanted them to have moments of real despair, moments that push them to become even bigger versions of themselves. Storytelling was a big challenge for me.
Who or what inspired you when developing The Protagonist?
The main character (Luke) was inspired by characters like The Goyder and Mighty Morphing Power Rangers, which I think is quite peculiar. That’s because I’ve always loved characters that can transform by yelling a sentence or doing some crazy action. The main character of my novel is similar in that she needs two of her own fingers on her forehead to transform. In terms of personality, I’d say that Luke (and maybe most of my characters) are sort of an extension of me because they usually have an issue with something I’ve been through.
Who or what inspired you to create The Antagonist?
I have been inspired to create my own antagonist through my many interactions with people throughout my life. Some of these people had a point of view that I didn’t necessarily agree with, but I found that circumstances made it so. A close friend of mine, for example, had a completely clouded view of love due to many failed relationships. As such, they no longer believe that love already exists. To the average person, that particular friend would be viewed as negative, but there is a story behind it. I found these cases incredibly painful, so I wanted to create a villain who becomes unlikable because of his situation.
what is blue lunar inflammation incident & The holy grail of the summit?
An arson incident occurs when the main character, Luke, is attacked and killed by an antagonist. After being brought back to life by the goddess, the hero decides to prevent the antagonist from obtaining an item that could threaten the world.
What is the main conflict of Blue Lunar & The holy grail of the summit?
The main conflict is Luke’s desire to live in a peaceful world where he can enjoy a normal life, which is the opposite of the antagonist, who desires a world of suffering. The promise of a better world drives Luke.
You have Blue Lunar & Flying the Apex Grail from above or behind the seat of your pants and typing freely?
I think you can say something about both! I don’t really like storytelling in general because I feel like it can hinder the creative process. In general, I like to keep specific points from specific chapters in mind and then let my thoughts complement the rest as I free write. I think it’s nice to have a balance between the two.
Have you received editing assistance and how many Blue Lunar & Need an Apex Grail?
Well, I usually go to Fiver to look for publishers to work on my books. As a self-published author, this can be difficult as the best publishers charge extortionate prices. However, I would say that Blue Lunar & Apex Grail required quite a bit of editing as it is quite a long book.
What is the first piece of writing advice you would give someone that inspired you to write a story?
The first piece of advice I want to give is to write. Don’t try to overthink things or worry about making a mistake. Just focus on writing your story and enjoy the process. Once done, you can start thinking about subsequent drafts, edits and revisions, etc. Writing a story is supposed to be fun, so leave the technical details for later.
Can you say me what other books you want to write?
I actually started watching the Blue Lunar & The Apex Grail and hopefully an ongoing book series!
And finally, are you proud of your advancement? It was worth it?
I’m very proud of my result, despite all the sleepless nights. It’s a great feeling that my novel will still be available years later. When I think about it, I really think it was worth it.
Paste any links to your books, websites, and social media here so readers can find you RL Baxter-Blue :
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ricky-Baxter/e/B00QHCK5VE/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
Independently published, Blue Lunar and the Apex Grail is available in paperback (£11.00) and Kindle format (£4.11 or free via Kindle Unlimited) on Amazon at https://tinyurl.com/bbts7z3k and https://tinyurl.com/2p9cehf9
It is also available at Amazon.com – https://tinyurl.com/22k6azb7