Blog Blog Blog

This has been an absolutely crazy autumn. About the only thing that I have not had time to do is actually enjoy said autumn. But, don’t worry. I still love you and haven’t been able to stop thinking about all of you. It has just been busy with a move and the wildness of life. School! I am almost done! It seems like it has been going on forever, but in the spring I will finally graduate and possibly even get some free time.

Just think of it, more time equals more writing time. I am slowly but surely putting the finishing touches on Pearls of Solus. It is beginning to take a final shape, and I have to say that I enjoy where I am going with it. I hope you will too. Also, I am finalizing Super Dad Man, and hope to have it out by December 1st. If not, then it will definitely be out by Christmas.

So, just to recap. We have carved pumpkins and went trick or treating. Successfully passed midterms and are going full force into the holiday season. Just think. Soon we will have Christmas music playing on every single radio station. Children will be running and screaming because they don’t want to sit on Santa’s lap. Oh, the bliss of the season. Don’t forget about the holidays. I know that things can get hectic and crazy, but don’t forget about the little things. Take you kids to see the Christmas lights, or sing some carols. You are never too old to be a child.

Just to prove it, I am thirty years old, and I have every intention of losing myself completely in Assassin’s Creed Origins for probably the entire night soon.

I find it hard to grow up, because there is so much fun to be had while you are a child. I mean think about the possibilities. I remember playing Halo until all hours of the morning. Eating junk food and hanging out with friends. It seems crazy that it goes away. I was thinking about it yesterday and I realized that I hadn’t played video games in weeks. I made myself sit down one Saturday morning and play for like an hour. It was honestly one of the best hours that I have had in a long time.

Make sure you can get those times in your life. Don't spend your life working. Have a little bit of fun. Tell them I said it was alright. They will understand.

All The Hullabaloo

Many things have been happening lately in my life that have made me busier. Is that even possible? Yes. Sadly, it is very possible. Not all of it is necessarily negative. My home life is beginning to round out, for example. We found out recently that our newest edition to the family coming in January will be a boy. Harrison Clark, in case you were wondering. Which I knew you were. Not only that, but we found a house to move to. I don't mind a good town home, but when there are people flanking you day and night, it can get a bit annoying. So, a new baby and a new house. These are very exciting things. But what about the rest? Well, I can tell you that moving and taking care of a baby are jobs within themselves.  
 
We also have to account for my writing. I can say that with all of the hullabaloo, I haven't quite been able to write as much as I have wanted to. Super Dad man is written and ready to go, I am just waiting on my illustrations to finish it out. I feel good about it. It is a simple book for a child to read and enjoy. I cannot wait to get it out to everyone. I may be more excited about it, than I was about A Father's Guide. 
 
On that same thought, The Pearls of Solus series is going well, also. I am about 75% done with the story, which is really overestimating it, because I haven't accounted for all of the revisions and editing. There is probably a bit more left to do for a final and polished story, but from a simple story telling perspective, we are looking at around 75%. That is a good number. I feel really confidant in saying it. 
 
I also would like to thank my readers who have been getting my blog and reading it. At least I think they are actually reading it, though. I am getting "likes" so either they are reading it, or randomly liking things. I do have a monthly newsletter that I am working on getting out to everyone who is subscribing, so make sure you are checking for that. It will be here before you know it. You can follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Also, there is Goodreads. 
 
Speaking of Goodreads, I thought I would take some time to talk about the books that I have been reading lately. I feel like for a writer, reading is also a very important part of their lives too. I recently finished up the Harry Potter series, which leaves a dent that is hart to fill in the world of literature. I started the Lord of the Rings series now, and hopefully I can get through it just as easily. I love series, I just hate when they end. I am starting old school, though. All the way back at the Silmarillion. If you are lost, it is the story of the beginnings of Middle Earth, and how everything was created and came into being. It is lore-heavy and can get confusing, but nevertheless is an amazing read. 
 
I am also currently reading Bridge of Spies, by Giles Whittell. I love this because I love history. I am a big fan of intertwining storylines and the surprises that they bring. There are many in this story and it is a great read if you are looking for a historical thriller of sorts. 
 
Make sure you take the time to enjoy your life no matter how hectic it has become. 
 

Stephan J. Hahn

He/She Who Has Not Been Named Yet

I want to take a moment away from being an author today and talk about being a father. I am a father of three: Samuel, Brooklyn, and one the way. I would tell you his/her name, but we find out Friday. If your family is anything like my family, then information passes across the universe at light speed. So, you can understand why we haven’t openly publicized our possible baby names. Nevertheless, our children sound funny trying to say the names we have picked out, which is a necessary requirement we want in a name.

My children have pushed me to be a writer. I wanted to write before I had children, but when it comes down to it, I didn’t self-publish anything until they came along. A Father’s Guide is about them and the craziness in raising children. So, I blame them for that.

Now that I have yet another one on the way, I feel I have another reason to write and make sure I can make life all that it is. Your children count on you for everything. I miss my children when I am at work. Even though I know that I will see them when I get home, I still miss them. I suppose that is why I bring Sam with me to work when I can. They drive me absolutely up a wall, but I don’t know what I would do without them.

It makes sense that they would be my reason for getting back into writing. I mean all of the late nights and early mornings with them. It feels like I would be spending that time sleeping or doing other things. Just like my children’s book I am writing, Super Dad Man. I want my son to be able to read and enjoy a book, so I wrote one for him.

They also give me a fresh perspective. They allow you to write with emotion and to really learn to care about certain characters. The Pearls of Solus Series I am writing center around younger main characters, which are still new to adulthood. They are finding their way in a world they are not ready for. They are finding out who they are and what they are capable of accomplishing.

This is the ultimate goal for any child.

I am so proud and excited to be a father, and I can’t wait for January when my new baby is born. Two children have turned my world upside down; I can only imagine what three are going to do to me. All I can say is that I hope the one thing they do wind up doing is making me a better father and husband.

In what ways have your children influenced your passions and lives?

Stephan J. Hahn

The End

I believe that one of the hardest things in the world to do is write the ending of a book. How do you conclude a novel, or even a series in a way that will not only impress your readers but yourself? This is something that I have been focusing on the last couple of days as I continue to write and plan my Pearls of Solus series. 

I am concerned with the ending, just as any author should be. I know how it ends, but I have not specifically written the ending. Just as I know that characters are going to die. I have created a world which is beginning to be torn apart from war and discord. There are going to be deaths. How do you kill a character that you have become attached to? 

I outline my books, I always do. It is a short and less detailed outline, but I do it that way because much of what I create comes from writing on a whim. I could sit down and plan every single scene out in detail, but my imagination doesn't work that way.  

I just start writing. 

Some of my best and most interesting ideas have come to me as I was writing a chapter where I didn't know where it was going. Small specific details that you couldn't think of if you tried. I am getting better at typing without looking at the keyboard because I will close my eyes and imagine what is happening in my story. I want to see it. I want to feel it. One of the best pieces of advice I have ever read involved putting emotion into your story. 

You must be emotionally attached to your characters and your story. 

The truth is simple. If you don't care about the small emotional details, neither will your readers. You must make your characters human, they must have faults and weaknesses. Failing is never the goal, but what your character does after they fail to make up for it, now that is a story worth telling. 

I generally don't get into the habit of writing my ending before it happens, that way I can write it in the moment. I can also see the benefits to having a better outlined ending, such as having a more detailed story line to follow. I don't want to shackle myself to an ending, however, a story is a living and breathing entity. It can change with the authors mood on any given day. Maybe your story is beginning to develop in a different way, demanding a different outcome. 

The way you write is completely up to you. It all depends on the type of story you are telling. You should not be locked in to an ending, you have to give your story plenty of room to develop. 

Should you write the ending to your book first, so you can come to terms with where it is going? 

Stephan J. Hahn

Fourth Times the Charm

I realized something, just the other day. If you have a blog, you must really enjoy writing. Think about it. You write on social media. You write your books. You pour yourself out into a novel. And then, you dig down deep inside and are able to pull out a blog. It is almost irrational to think about. I know I enjoy writing. Well, I enjoy talking. Possibly babbling (as my wife would say). Even if you are the only one talking, as long as you have one person listening, you are doing something right.

As many of you know, I have a book out entitled: A Father’s Guide: When Children Fall Uncomfortably Close to the Tree. I love my children. But I am always astounded at the fact of how much they love me. They need us as parents to be the constant in their lives. Writing about my children was exhilarating because I got a chance to relive many experiences that made me a father, but also experiences that made my children who they are today.

I also have a few other books in the works, and these are not long or judgmental. They are not odious novels, they are children’s books. Something your children (assuming they are at a point where they read) should be able to ready by themselves, and hopefully enjoy.

Super Dad Man

This book comes from a chapter in my book: A Father’s Guide with the same name. It explores this idea that parents are super heroes whether we want to admit it or not. We will do small things for our children, such as making dinner or tying shoes and our children think we are the most amazing thing ever. And let’s face it. You are. You have to be. So, you may just as well embrace it. And don’t worry moms. This is simply a title I chose because I am a dad. There is always room for a super mom, as you will undoubtedly see in my book. I plan on having this one out before the end of the year.

The Very Unscary Monster

This book was inspired by my son, who recently discovered that too many scary stories or movies will have an effect on you when it is time to go to bed. For so long he was afraid to sleep in the dark, or go upstairs by himself. This is understandable, but as adults we know this is not true. Monsters don’t exist. But fear of the unknown does. When I wrote this book my goal was to take the fear away by making monsters seem less scary, or perhaps unscary if you will. I am hoping to have it out by the spring of next year.

In case you are wondering, my sister, Susannah has been doing illustrations for my books. If you enjoy them, make sure to thank her.

I am excited at what the future holds for my children, and am so glad I get to write about it. It makes it mean so much more. It keeps it archived. Something easily remembered. I enjoy the idea that I am able to hold on to these stories. And come to think about it, they will make for good embarrassing stories when they get older. What are we as parents if we can’t embarrass our children on a whim?

Are there any kinds of children’s books you would like to see written? Is there a topic that is rarely touched that should be explored?