Oral Frazier is a name you may want to remember.
Completing one’s senior semester is a huge accomplishment all on its own, but Frazier has another reason to celebrate. After submitting his manuscript to about a dozen agents and directly to three to four companies, this month Argus Books International, member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, offered Frazier a five year contract.
Frazier became aware of the publishing company through the help of Dr. Delilah O’Haynes, professor of English.
Frazier started writing the fantasy story about two or three years ago when he resumed his college education after a brief break in academics. When asked how he found time for writing he simply replied, “[You] just have to.” Indeed, the single father can be found typing away on his laptop whenever an opportunity is presented, such as waiting for class to begin.
According to Writers’ Relief, an advice website for writers, there are five key obstacles that a writer must overcome – time, writer’s block, impatience, getting published, and fear of rejection. Frazier pushed past all of these, not stopping when he received rejections or no response, making use of any available time afforded to him and consistently writing despite juggling many roles. Instead of an impatient attitude, he portrayed an optimistic can-do attitude that is now being rewarded.
“I love to tell stories,” Frazier explains. Even as a child he entertained friends and family with stories.
The original manuscript was between 350-360 pages, but he cut that down so that the new book will run about 10 to 11 chapters with the remaining bits of story going into book two. He describes the series as being “obscenely large,” with at least a dozen books to unfold his universe to the readers.
The first volume will introduce the protagonist Tharagen, who lends his name to the current title “The Rise of Tharagen.” The Renaissance fantasy series contains masquerades, stage coaches, elves, warlocks and dwarves, mixing elements to form a cohesive story that links everything together from one novel to the next.
“I struggled against his blade limb with a hole in his chest oozing congealed dark blood all over me,” Frazier said, reading an excerpt of the book. “I couldn’t let this man take my life, I couldn’t fail. Not now.”
Though Frazier will be graduating this December with a Bachelor of Arts in English with emphases in professional and creative writing and a minor in social work, he still has plenty of work to do. There is the cover design to be hashed out, an official title to be determined, and promotional work to be done. At the moment there is not a set price or publishing date for the first volume in the series. Frazier is hoping to be published under the pen name of O.R. Frazier, saying that it reminds him of H.G. Wells and other great authors while also creating a bit of “mystery” to his name.
In addition to novel writing, Frazier maintains a blog called ORF, which can be found at orfrazier.wordpress.com. In this blog, one can find Frazier’s musings, blogs and publishing tips. He is also leading a project entitled “Frazier’s Publishing Aid,” which can be viewed and downloaded through the blog. This is filled with tips and guides to understanding “common methods of story publishing.”
Frazier’s success should be an inspiration to us all for not giving up on our dreams. With perseverance, a can-do attitude, and a bit of confidence, it is possible to achieve one’s goals