Faith: Stories From The All by Shane Scott

4/9/2022

Multi-volume science fiction author, Shane Scott introduces us to his second book, “Faith: Stories From The All”:
In the year 3221, humanity teeters on the edge of annihilation. Devastated by religious crusades, evil government agencies, and disease, the world is populated with illiterate, superstitious people.

In a tiny country, agent Heather Marks fights for survival. Assisted by a strange AI salvaged a decade before, she is prepared and waiting for the apocalypse.

Brain rot arrives, and Heather rescues eight-year-old Sarah. That changes everything. A child was never part of the plan.

Can Heather overcome her own sense of self-preservation and take on a role she never prepared for? Or will everything crumble to dust at her feet?

I loved this book!
This is a great story set in a post-apocalyptic world. I really like the protagonist, Heather, who is a woman. She rescues a child who may or may not be carrying a deadly disease. Heather alters her plans to survive the destruction of her society to include the child.
Heather is so resourceful, and she gets a lot of help from an extremely advanced AI.
There is cute dialogue and excellent action, enough to provide a great balance with the narration.
You are going to love this book!

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Stories-All-Shane-Scott-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-faith-stories-from-the-ALL
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faith-Stories-All-Shane-Scott-ebook
I also reviewed Shane’s first book, here is the review: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-all-god-of-nothing
You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/TheALLwriter
https://www.facebook.com/TheALLwriter

Copyright ©Mark L. Schultz 2022 except for the author’s introduction

39 Comments

Shane Scott link

4/12/2022 04:12:46 pm

Mark, thank you for taking the time to review my book and interview me. It is nice talking to you again. You did a great job with my first book, God of Nothing.

Mark

4/12/2022 04:18:40 pm

Shane, you are very welcome. I enjoyed our last chat and am looking forward to part two, now.
You wrote this book as a side story, part of the All universe. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
First question. Are you going to write more side stories or continue writing with the main characters of the ALL?

4/12/2022 04:35:13 pm

I plan to do both. I think I can write a full novel and a novella in a year +/- these days. I wrote Faith because I found myself distracted writing God of Everything and always way ahead in the series, working on book 3 or 4. My wife has asked me over the last 10 years if I plan to apocalypse the Earth and I never had an answer until I wrote Faith. And yeah, I did apocalypse the Earth.

4/12/2022 04:52:54 pm

Your wife is pretty smart. I bet she knew all along.
Your fans are going to be very happy at this news. I know I am.
A good, old-fashioned apocalypse is the logical conclusion of a lot of circumstances.
New questions.
What are common traps for beginning writers?
Do you think a strong ego is an asset or liability for a writer and why?

4/12/2022 05:00:44 pm

When first starting to write it is easy to think "how hard can it be? I have a good story, I am going to write it." The problem comes from taking what is in the writers head and putting into words. That is a lot harder in practice. Also new writers often try to edit and proofread their work which I have found is impossible. Writing a single book takes a lot of hard work and effort to produce the quality the reader wants. It requires so much effort and outside help...Editor, Proofreader, Cover Art, not to mention the mundane tasks of figuring out ISBN numbers, copyright and publishing.

4/12/2022 05:30:00 pm

The field of unrealistic expectations has seen many writers' hopes and dreams crash and burn. So many beginning writers try to produce a perfect first draft and that is a certain road to failure because the muse is smothered and shutdown in the process. The purpose of a first draft is only to exist. It is supposed to be in the wrong order and missing lots of parts. It is supposed to be a hot mess. Getting it out of your head is the only way to edit and improve it. The perfect first draft has never been written and never will be.
There is a hidden trap in the process of getting the story on paper or the screen. After several drafts or revisions, the brain starts to experience fatigue and shows the author what the author wants to see. Spelling errors are ignored by the brain and the author sees all correctly spelled words. There are ways to trick the brain, but self-editing does require a particular mental rigor and tricks to see the manuscript in a fresh light for the brain.
You are very correct. After the first draft, maybe the second, writing ceases to be a solitary effort. A writer needs beta readers, critique partners and all of the others you already mentioned.
New questions.
Other than every person on earth, who do you wish would read your book?
Can you describe the demographic of your ideal reader?
Who is the person most likely to buy your book?

4/13/2022 05:54:36 am

Mark, the ideal reader based on demographics is male or female, in their 40s, in a relationship. I'm not sure that says a lot though. I write complicated big stories. That is my #1 compliment (and sometimes complaint). I like some romance in my books as well, that said, my ideal reader is a person who likes complex stories (Game of Thrones, LoTR, etc) with lots of characters and hidden subplots with some romance tossed in.

I can't tell you who is most likely to buy my book. We talked about this last time. Marketing an indie book is a difficult challenge and I don't sell a ton of books. If I knew the person most likely to buy my book I could perhaps market to them.

If I could have anyone read my books I'd want John Scalzi...so he could tell me what he thinks of it.

4/13/2022 06:31:25 am

Complicated stories. I do like them a lot. I read several of Ayn Rand's, LOTR three times before college, and Asimov's Foundation among others.
Marketing is a challenge, no question about that. However, it's not just an indie author's responsibility any longer. Many traditionally published authors face the same challenge. Because traditional publishing houses are operating on shrinking profit margins, they are dispensing smaller advances and investing less promoting a published book.
New questions.
Do you have anything you consider to be your writing lucky charm?
What is the biggest obstacle you face in writing?

4/13/2022 06:53:08 am

I don't know about a lucky writing charm but for sure, I need music playing when I write. I might count my editor as a lucky writing charm.

The biggest obstacle to me writing is again, the lack of marketing/sales/reviews. For me, writing is hard work and not something I want to do, it is something I have to do. Motivation is in short supply after so much effort for so little results.

4/13/2022 07:36:17 am

A good editor is worth their weight in gold. Every new writer has an idea about how their book will read. They quickly discover that the dream and reality are quite different. There are so many factors that go into the writing and reading of a good story. That is when a competent editor proves their worth. A poorly written story will flop without question.
You are running into the wall that every writer faces. With so many books being released every year, it is so very difficult to get your books noticed. The more books you have published the more books you will sell. Your sales will not depend only upon the newest book, the entire catalog can come into play and stimulate sales. Many readers like to read a series when they find a book, they like a lot. Other readers want to start at the beginning of the series when a book catches their eyes.
I hope I can encourage you to keep writing. A long view is needed in this endeavor. Don't forget, each book represents far more than one book. Sales will grow as you put your books into different formats, different platforms, different markets and different languages.
New questions.
This first question might be redundant to your answer above, feel free to ignore it if that is the case.
What is your writing Kryptonite and how has it affected you?
Do you struggle with writer's block, if so, how do you overcome it?

4/13/2022 10:09:38 am

Mark, I said last time I never have writer's block. If anything I have writer's overload. I don't start a story until I know the beginning middle and end. Some changes when I write it but a full story is in my head when I put the first word down. And yes, my kryptonite is the difficulty in marketing and I hate to admit it, but the few revenge reviews I've got. Amazon often snatches away my 5 star reviews (around 8 or 9 of them so far) but the 2 or three revenge reviews...those might as well be carved in stone. It bothers me someone with an ax to grind, who bought my book only to leave a 1 star review, and never read it, can get away with that type of behavior. Amazon is good at taking legitimate reviews away for no reason and won't do a thing for the revenge reviews. If and when I finish God of Everything, I am considering not publishing with Amazon. They make the entire process too hard for indie authors.

4/13/2022 11:11:50 am

Thanks for reminding me. I should have reviewed our last conversation.
I have never understood why Amazon does that. It makes no sense to me. Publishing books has been a big part of their growth. It's like they bite the hand that feeds them. It seems like they are not content with turning the entire traditional, publishing industry upside-down.
You would not be the first person to walk away from 'Zon. Many refuse to have anything to do with it.
Fortunately, there are a lot of other options. Many blogs have been written on that topic. Here is a copy-and-paste link about that very topic: https://selfpublishingadvice.org/authors-guide-book-distribution I hope it helps as a starting point.
New questions.
Do you see an advantage of writing under a pseudonym, why or why not?
If you branched out into a different genre, would you use a different pen name, why or why not?

Shane Scott

4/13/2022 01:18:22 pm

I wrote under a pen name because someone told me all rich and famous writers use a pen name. I don't know if it adds an advantage or not. I just didn't want ruin any chance I might have of turning into a rich and famous author by not having a pen name.

As for another genre I'd probably keep the same pen name. I'm trying to work on a novella while I write God of Everything however it deals with a hybrid human-succubus and it is sort of turning into porn. Given the subject, a hybrid human-succubus, I should of expected something like that. So yeah, depends on how it comes out what name I'd use.

4/13/2022 01:33:02 pm

I didn't realize all rich and famous writers use pen names. I should have
figured that. Some things you shouldn't take chances with, without a doubt.
You bring out a good point. Many authors use the same name when they cross genres, but quite a few balk when it comes to the XXX stuff. I know porn is pretty popular, but I don't read it myself.
I proofread a book with some pornographic scenes after the author highlighted the passages in a dark color, so they were easy for me to skip over.
I suppose a virgin succubus wouldn't be much of a story.
New questions.
This book falls pretty square into the apocalyptic science fiction category. Are there any issues that are peculiar to writing this genre that might not apply to other genres?
Are there any writing styles or genres that you disliked at first but soon came to like?

4/13/2022 05:00:01 pm

Mark, I didn't have any real trouble writing Faith...but it is set 1200 years from now after religious wars and disease devastated Earth. I needed to make it different than what we know today, without making it so different no one could understand it.

I've become more of a fan or regency romance, and crime thrillers...but my go to is still fantasy or science fiction.

4/13/2022 05:25:24 pm

I have read a couple of nice books in the Regency Romance genre. My wife has been prepping me for years, she loves to watch Jane Austin movies. There are some good ones out there. I have seen several versions of Pride and Prejudice and enjoyed them all.
I have read and reviewed a number of thrillers also as well cozy murders.
Like you, sci-fi and fantasy are my top two favorites to read.
New questions.
Do you think reading, watching movies or listening to music help you be a better writer?
At this time, do you read books for entertainment or just research homework?

4/14/2022 01:39:10 pm

I always listen to music when I write. It is a must have for me.

I think reading other people's books makes for a better author...you can see how they word things and say either, "I like that" or "That doesn't work" and then try to figure out why. It becomes habit to critiquing in your head other writer's work which I admit, lessens the fun of reading. I do still read for fun though (and research).

Watching movies is different than writing a book. Movies and TV can use music to set the mood, and even bad writing in a movie can get offset by music dragging the watcher alone. With books you only have the words on a page. It does help to watch a movie and consider to yourself, how you might write scenes, how would you say it in a book.

4/14/2022 02:03:09 pm

A lot of writers are like you. They need music, maybe for the muse or the mood, I don't know. Some have specific music to help write certain types of scenes. I have seen a few writers use a song title or a few lyrics to introduce a chapter. Those books frequently have music as a major component of theme of the story.
You are not the first author to mention that even casual reading can turn into a forensic examination of the plot, dialogue or some other aspect. I understand, because I find spelling errors in pretty much every published book I read.
New questions.
Have you ever read a book that changed the way you look at writing?
Would you agree or disagree with the statement: suffering is a requirement to be a good writer, and why?

4/14/2022 02:16:42 pm

Mark,

I fought for a long time to fully understand the "Show, Don't Tell" aspect of writing. My editor told me to go read this book and it finally turned the light bulb on over my head. That changed how I write in a radical way.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RQZ2534

As for suffering...God knows I've done enough of that but no, I don't think suffering is required to be a good writer. It takes practice and dedication. An author writes, learns about what is good writing and what isn't, learns the rules about punctuation, and writes some more. It also requires having a good outside team (Editor, Proofreader, Beta Readers, Artist) and not getting upset if any of them offer suggestions of things to change, things they did not like or found confusing.

4/14/2022 02:38:04 pm

Quite a few authors have struggled with that concept. Telling was the fashion many years ago. Otherwise, books wouldn't have had such lengthy discourses of narration.
That wheel has turned. Readers of today want a story to move along at a good pace, it reflects our fast-paced lives. If a reader gets bored they have many other choices to inspect. The market is flooded and readers are the beneficiary of the surplus.
Suffering is a fact of life, we all suffer. For some the suffering is invisible and the rest of us are not aware of it.
Right again. Writing is an adventure, a path to follow. There is always something new to learn to improve writing skill.
New questions.
What were your intentions or your goals when you wrote this book? Do you feel you were successful in getting that message across to the reader?

4/14/2022 03:00:21 pm

I wrote a first draft of Faith over two nights in the summer of 2021 and set it aside but kept coming back to it. One of the subtle points is there are 5 different points of Faith in that story, all different meanings. Walter had enough Faith for himself. Heather had enough for her and Sarah. Only the AI has enough Faith for all them..

As I wrote it the first time, and rewrote it last winter, I wanted to portray humans as not nice to each other, unwilling or unable to tolerate any type of differences without resorting to violence. But in all the hate, rage and anger, there is also kindness, love and the belief humans can be better than we are.

When the reader first meets Heather, she is jaded, and tired of the world and not selfish, but unable to care about anyone or anything except surviving another day in a post-apocalyptic world. Then things happen that allow her to start seeing a better future and bringing the real Heather out.

Sarah also changes throughout the story. At first she is a terrified 8 year old. In the start, Sarah is a reflection of the world around them. At the end, she is a reflection of how the world could be. She has confidence, intelligence and a kindness to her not often seen in that world.

4/14/2022 04:42:15 pm

I love the evolution of Heather and Sarah. Their changes are distinct and not always subtle.
I love that Heather is very capable and gets a lot of support from the AI. The two of them are pretty near unbeatable.
Bringing Sarah into the picture adds a lot of uncertainty for Heather's plans but she makes rapid adjustments and continues toward her objectives.
New questions.
Do you ever brainstorm with non-writers and if so, is it effective?
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer to enhance your career?

4/15/2022 06:11:22 am

I don't brainstorm with non-writers (or even writers for that matter). I might ask some of my friends or family, "How do you think this sounds?" for a specific part I wrote that I am not certain of.

Without question the best money I ever spent on writing was my Editor, Isabella and my proofreaders. Hands down the best money spent.

4/15/2022 07:15:13 am

Without counting, there seems to be a pretty even split among writers for the question of brainstorming with non-writers. Among those that do, I have a hunch your approach is widely used.
It makes sense to me to ask that question of people who don't write. They are a large subset of potential readers.
As a reader, I think it's very important to publish the best book possible. Editing and proofreading are critical components of that process.
Too many writers, editors and proofreaders rely on spellcheckers and grammar checkers. These tools are valuable to a point, but they miss things. Otherwise, I wouldn't find spelling and punctuation errors in 95 percent of the published books I read.
New questions.
Do you subscribe to any magazines, newsletters, blogs or podcasts that enhance your writing career? Feel free to share as many as you would like.
What are your favorite reference books for grammar and writing?

4/15/2022 09:36:16 am

I get several magazines and subscribe to some blogs but I am not great at reading them all the time.

There are three books I think every writer should have near them and all are available at Amazon (of course).

1. Janice Hardy Understanding Show, Don't Tell
2. The Emotion Thesaurus
3. Emotional Beats

4/15/2022 11:55:31 am

Thanks for the recommendations. Hardy's book sounds interesting. The concept of 'show don't tell' is an important one. It is missed by many beginning writers in their initial attempts at writing a book.
The other two books sound important also. Portraying emotion with words is not easy. But its importance cannot be overstated because showing emotions in a book allows the reader to connect with the characters and events. Action and dialogue are great ways to show emotion.
Thanks for sharing about those books.
New questions.
Have you ever created a throw-away character that developed into a major player?
Do you ever put a story aside and come back to it at a later date?

4/16/2022 09:48:43 am

Those are good questions. In God of Nothing both Miranda, God of Knowledge and Wen, God of Chaos started as minor characters and became major characters.

I had difficulty figuring out who was telling the story and tried different POV, 1st, 3rd, different characters. When I finally figured out Miranda was telling the story, it all clicked into place.

Wen, God of Chaos is such a great character to write, and also my editor, Isabella's favorite character. Wen became a major character....she teaches Aja how things work in the All throughout the series, like a big sister.

I put lots of stories aside. Some I come back to, others I don't. I wrote the first draft of Faith in a weekend and put it aside for half a year. Something kept drawing me back t it and I finished it in the fall/winter of 2021/2022.

I have a couple other stories like that, they keep drawing me back and will likely turn into novellas.

4/17/2022 08:50:52 am

Knowing who is telling the story is a fundamental question. Not being a writer, I hadn't thought of that. It makes a lot of sense and provides some continuity to the story.
Aja is a good character also. Her need to understand the world she was thrust in provided a great reason for her instruction.
New questions.
Why do most authors write in 3rd person POV instead of first and second POV?
Do you think you were born to write or did you have to learn the craft?

4/17/2022 09:30:17 am

Mark

For certain I wasn't born to write. I spent 10 years learning the craft, rules, and how to put what I had in my head onto paper.

And I am not 100% sure you right about most authors using 3rd person. In a class I took they claimed most writers prefer 1st person but any story with many characters, places, etc require a third person. 1st person is easier to connect the characters to the reader but limited in scope. 3rd person makes it harder for the writer to get the reader to connect with the characters but able to jump to different places and people.

I do think more fantasy/scifi writers use 3rd POV.

4/17/2022 12:35:25 pm

Good on you, for taking the time to learn how to write. You can't slap a bunch of words on paper and call it a great novel.
Most books, especially with many characters, I have read have been written in third person and frequently past tense. I do love a story told in first person especially present tense. As you say, those books usually have a limited number of characters. The characters are easier to connect with. That is one of the things I like about that type of storytelling. As long as the author avoids head hopping. If I don't know who the speaker is the magic is ruined for that moment.
Fantasy and science fiction are my two favorite genres.
New questions.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
What is the easiest part of writing a book in general?

4/17/2022 05:09:16 pm

Mark,

The most difficult is the actual writing part. That might be true for a lot of authors. It is often difficult to get the right words to convey what I want. I struggle with that and at times obsess doing revisions to a single chapter, time and time again.

The easiest part is the story itself and connecting all the dots. I never write a single word until I know the start, middle and end. The story changes when I write it, as if the characters are saying "no no no - do it this way." That is sort of weird but it happens. I'm great at not having plot holes or what I call a continuity error...like a digital watch in the 1960s.

4/17/2022 06:01:12 pm

I think getting the right words in the right order is something every author struggles with. The nuances and inflections available in the English language are manifold.
Many authors, notably pantsters, write the story to see how it ends. You are pretty unique in that aspect. Many authors, plotters included, do find themselves making adjustments to the story out of their plans, whether character motivated or muse inspired. It is good to be flexible.
Digital watches were sure cool.
New questions.
What did you buy with your first royalty check?
How did you celebrate when you published your first book?

4/18/2022 01:01:00 pm

Mark,

I think I bought a pizza with my first royalty check. It was for something like $20. So no big spending spree.

After I published my first book I just felt so relieved I think I stayed in pajamas and slept for a whole day. Probably not what you expected to hear, but there it is.

4/18/2022 01:32:54 pm

I have heard a similar story from many writers about their first royalty check. Most dined out.
Most authors shared feeling a great weight lifting from their shoulders also. I don't recall anyone sharing they stayed in their pajamas and slept for a day. That doesn't sound bad at all.
I can imagine the tension and the release after hitting publish. I think it might be similar to my feelings when I send a manuscript back to an author. Great relief followed by will the customer like my work?
New questions.
How many times did you rewrite the first page, the first chapter of this book?
Was there a particular chapter or section that was harder to write than the others?
Do you have a favorite filler word or two that you have to keep taking out of a story, like just, really or like like? ;-)

4/18/2022 02:11:11 pm

Mark,

I spent 10 years trying to write my first book. I rewrote the entire thing 5 different times. The first in 2008/2009. It took a lot of learning to understand how a book is done and I had the most difficulty in sequencing the time jumps so readers could follow easy enough.

I have the most difficulty writing the scenes where bad things happen to my characters. I don't like putting them through some of it.

One of the big lessons I learned is to not use filler words, filter words, and vague words. Unless is dialog, because that is how people talk, I got rid of as many of those words I could...just, really, maybe, almost...words like that.

But like most authors I can overuse words here and there. That gets caught in editing.

4/18/2022 03:22:18 pm

Ten years is a long time, but it seemed to be necessary for you to learn the craft. I have heard of some hardcore editors who when handed a manuscript from a new writer would say thanks. The editor would throw it in the garbage bin and tell the author to go write a new and much better book. I am glad your editor didn't do that to you.
You are not the only author to feel bad bringing calamity upon the characters. Though some writers use the opportunity to take disguised revenge upon a person they know in real life. The lesson here is to be kind to the writers you know.
I treat dialogue with greater freedom than narration. Unless the narrator is identified frequently as a part of the story, they don't have to talk like the other characters, and in my mind shouldn't, unless it is necessary for the plot.
The filler words should be eliminated in editing; however, I still see many of them in proofreading and in some published books. Way too many writers trust the spellchecker and all spellcheckers are fallible. No matter how good they are they will miss things.
Last questions.
What was the earliest experience that made you realize that you could influence and change lives with the power of writing?
Do you have a hidden message in your writings for a particular person or group?

4/18/2022 04:35:31 pm

I don't think I ever realized I could change lives with writing. I don't think I have. Writing this story became an obsession, to write the story, for the story itself. When I finished it I had to figure out what to then do.

If there is a hidden message in my stories it is, "Humans can be better than we are."

4/18/2022 04:43:59 pm

Many writers have a message or an agenda in their writing, beyond entertainment. I have heard many writers talk about how they have to get the stories out their head or they would go crazy. That might be your tribe. In a Venn diagram, I think there are a lot of overlapping circles for your writing.
That message is so true. We can be better, maybe in the next life, certainly not in this one.
No more questions.
Thank you, Shane, for being such a great guest. I appreciate your candor and sharing about your writing.
Until next time, keep on writing.

4/18/2022 05:03:05 pm

Mark,

It is always a pleasure when you interview me. You ask thought provoking questions and you make the entire week fun. We'll do it again for my next book.

Faith: Stories From The All by Shane Scott

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