The Birth of Angel Falls (Part I)

I finished writing Angel Falls in early 2005.  It was published through Publish America as my first novel ever published.  I didn't pay to have any of my novels published and I would suggest to all of you not to pay anyone to publish.  It's not worth it at first.  There are other options if you take the time to check.

The inspiration for Angel Falls came straight from God.  There was nothing that sparked the idea but God.  It just appeared one day in my head.  Sometimes inspiration will hit like that and other times it will hit when you see something on television or hear a story, etc.  Angel Falls was originally going to be called, :A Small Town in Texas", but I changed it because that just didn't catch my ear, so to speak.

I wanted something completely different that would hold the reader's attention so much that they couldn't put the book down.  Although this was my first book published, it was not my first book written.  Married Alive was actually completed before Falls, but I decided to lead off with AF because I thought it was the stronger story.  It's funny how I look back and realize that Married Alive has outsold Angel Falls.  That will change.

AF is now out of print as of February 2012.  I have a few copies left, but I plan on holding on to those.  I also plan on rewriting Angel Falls and publishing it with a different company.  There will be a different cover as well.  I feel I have grown as a writer especially since I've been writing like crazy recently.  I started out with Angel Falls with the premise of only 36 people in a secluded God-fearing community up in the Sierra Blanca Mountains in Sierra Blanca Texas.  It happens to be a hop and a skip away from El Paso, Texas which is the town of my birth.  Once I started there I then  realized that I would have to at some point go into a detailed description about how the residents carried on a normal day without the modern conveniences we all take for granted.

This was probably the hardest thing to do, because I had to think about everything from going to the bathroom, to where the electricity came from.  I jammed everything into the first two chapters which I believe now to be a mistake, especially since it was a first person account as seen from the eyes of the resident and self-proclaimed "mayor",  Isaiah Morris.

Angel Falls and Married Alive are first person narratives, while The Treasure of Akkad is not.  There are some of the short stories in Levels that are and some that aren't.  I think you have to look at the story to make that decision for yourself.

The entire mystery unfolds around the eyes of our narrator, Isaiah.  Since I had the premise, and then decided to open with the "how to" of Angel Falls, all I needed was something to tie it all together.  Fortunately for me, Once I started writing, the characters (which I created as the story went along) started taking on minds of their own and everything was going beautifully.  The only thing that slowed me down was that I did a lot of research into the appropriate Bible scriptures to use to fit not only the situation but the story as well.  Now all I needed was an ending......(to be continued)

Don't force it...

Inspiration to write comes from anywhere and could come at any time.  You may be at a place where just writing down the idea or thought is all you can do.  Make sure you follow up on all of your ideas, even if you feel you lose the inspiration at a later date.

Being inspired as a writer means to open yourself up to your surroundings.  You don't have to be inspired by another author or a book.  Inspiration could come from any source and from none at all.  The idea for Angel Falls I believe, came straight from God, because there was no other influence present at the time.

Never push an idea or a book to work.  If it's not in you, it's not going to work.  Remember, if you don't enjoy writing then how do you expect anyone to enjoy reading your material.  Some people may try to push you to write a sequel, or on a particular topic.  Remember that suggestions are good; they show that the reader is interested in your writing, but don't let the reader decided what you should or even can write.

As a newer writer, it's easy to get caught up in trying to please the audience.  If you stay true to yourself and write what you enjoy, then your audience will enjoy it anyway.  As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I prefer to go with the story no matter what genre it happens to be in.

My new short story compilation novel, Levels, has a little bit of Christian Fiction; some horror; and mostly mystery with a twist!

http://www.amazon.com/Levels-Alan-Riehl/dp/1477542051/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338320959&sr=8-1

The more you write, not only the better you get, but the more people will want to input their ideas.  Always write down everything because you never know when you'll need it!

Feel free to contact me for more information!  alanriehl@hotmail.com