The Writer's Lair

Conversation with Mary and Maricossa

2012-01-27T08:43:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone! H.A. Titus, a dear friend of mine, as well as one of my co-authors on Falls the Shadow, has graciously allowed me to be a guest on her blog, Magical Ink. Originally she asked me to interview my character Maricossa from Falls the Shadow, but... well, Maricossa had other ideas. It ended up more along the lines of him interviewing me. He did come up with some great questions, though, about what it's like to live with fictional characters. I guess he would know, since he is a fictional character.
Anyway, if you'd like to read my conversation with Maricossa, click on over to Magical Ink for a visit. And if you have any additional questions for me or Maricossa, feel free to ask. : )

Burns' Night, and a New Short Story

2012-01-25T11:42:00.002-06:00

Happy Burns' Night, everyone!
For those of you who don't know what that is, January 25th is the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns, and Burns' Night is a celebration, typically observed in Scotland, of his life and work. So for all you fans of poetry out there, read a few Robert Burns poems and have a dish of haggis today! (That last part is optional, as I understand haggis can be difficult to find and is ill-received in many parts of the world.)

In other news, I have a new story up on Avenir Eclectia. Celeste is in for quite a surprise. Click Here to read 'Surprise'.

The Resurrection and the Wardrobe - "There are only 3 possibilities."

2012-01-23T10:29:00.009-06:00

"Logic!" said the Professor half to himself. "Why don't they teach logic at these schools? There are only three possibilities. Either your sister is telling lies, or she is mad, or she is telling the truth. You know she doesn't tell lies and it is obvious that she is not mad. For the moment then and until any further evidence turns up, we must assume that she is telling the truth."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Over the last couple of weeks my Sunday School teacher, Dave, has been talking about apologetics; specifically, evidence for the resurrection. This week's discussion focused on the five hundred+ people who saw Jesus following His resurrection, before His ascension.
Skeptics are willing to concede the fact that the disciples and others did have some kind of experience with someone they believed to be Jesus, after He had been killed. However, they don't consider the accounts to be accurate.
Dave pointed out that there are only three possibilities concerning the encounters people claimed to have had with Jesus after His death:

1. Everyone who claimed to have seen Jesus was lying.

2. Everyone who believed they had seen Jesus was either hallucinating or dreaming.

3. The people who said they had seen Jesus were telling the truth.

The notion that these people were all lying makes no sense. Look at the political scandals and cover-ups throughout history. There is always a leak somewhere. Humans are simply not good at keeping secrets under any circumstances - let alone when they're being hunted and tortured and killed as the early Christians were. If the encounters with Jesus were lies, someone would have spilled the beans.

The idea that all 500 people were hallucinating or dreaming also makes no sense. One night, a few years ago, my dad and I both dreamed that our great-aunt had passed away. It was kind of spooky, both of us dreaming the same thing on the same night. But, even though the basic dream was the same, the details were all different. And it was only two of us, not five hundred. No way are five hundred people all going to have the exact same dream or hallucination where all the details agree.

So logically, Dave concluded, we have to assume that the early Christians were telling the truth.

Hmm... I thought. I've heard that somewhere before!
While it's a well-known fact that C.S. Lewis was a theologian and apologist in addition to being a writer, we don't always notice how one bleeds into another. The Professor's conclusion that Lucy is telling the truth about finding a magical country inside a wardrobe is an essential part of the story, forcing Peter and Susan to consider for the first time the possibility of something they regarded as incredible. But it's also an example of great apologetics, a lesson to be learned.
Peter and Susan still weren't convinced by the irrefutable logic of the Professor's argument, and all the evidence and logic in the world isn't going to convince someone who isn't willing to accept the resurrection. That's the job of the Holy Spirit.
Aslan eventually convinced Peter and Susan by letting them through the wardrobe into Narnia. The Professor didn't have to convince them that it was real. He simply told them what he knew, and let Aslan do the rest. Our job isn't to convince an unbeliever, it's simply to tell them what we know and let the Holy Spirit show them the way through the wardrobe door, if they're willing to be shown.
For me, it's lessons like this - gems embedded so deeply into the story that they often go unnoticed - that set a truly great work of Christian fiction apart. For me, whose writing role model is C.S.Lewis, it's awesome to be able to see his beliefs and apologetics techniques at work even in his fiction, and it's my hope that my own writing will be influenced and sculpted by my faith in the way Lewis' was.
And the next time someone asks me how I know the resurrection really happened, I might just have to casually sit back and say "That is a point which certainly deserves considerations; very careful considerations..." (I wonder if I could pull it off without a British accent!)
Afterwards, I'll make myself a cup of tea and muse about "What do they teach them at these schools?"

What do you think sets a great work of fiction apart from the pack?
Do you have a writing role model?

Favorite Movie/TV Quotes

2012-01-20T01:00:00.000-06:00

I'm sure by now most of my followers know that I love collecting quotes. I get them everywhere, so I thought I'd share some of my personal favorites with you all! I thought about doing a post of my favorite quotes in general... but I realized that was way too broad of a category, so I narrowed it down to TV and movie quotes. I catch them everywhere - I can walk past a TV that's playing a movie I'm not even watching, and as I walk by hear a great quote that I just have to add to my quote book. So here are a few of my favorites.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I will use all my powers of persuasion. If that doesn't work I'll hit her in the head."
~ Bob Brown, from 'The Unit'

"I seen your Adam's apple bobbin' up and down, and that's how I knowed you was singin' opera."
~Gomer Pyle, from 'Gomer Pyle'

"I don't make things complicated, that's just the way they get, all by themselves."
~ -unknown character- from 'Lethal Weapon'

"I find that smuggling is the life for me, and I would be happy to kill your friend the maggot."
~Edmond Dantes, from 'The Count of Monte Cristo'

"'Eccentric' means 'loopy with money'."
~Bob the Tomato, from 'Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Samson's Hairbrush'

"Adventures are never fun when you're having them."
~Sharona Flemming, from 'Monk'

"Thanks for helping me and for... spitting on me."
~Clifford, from 'Wild Hearts Can't be Broken'

"I would like to think that, given the circumstances, I've been extremely forgiving up 'til now."
~Mike Wazowski, from 'Monsters Inc.'

"You keep using that word..."
~Inigo Montoya, from 'The Princess Bride'

What is your favorite movie or TV quote?

The Enduring Appeal of Zombies

2012-01-18T01:00:00.007-06:00

Recently, I received an email with the following question:

I would like to read your opinion (and the opinion of your followers) on the enduring fiction of the zombie.
Why does it endure?
How does it maintain a sizable subset of fringe culture?
What is its appeal?
etc.
Thank you for your consideration of this topic.
~Zombie Hater

I thought it was an interesting question. Personally, I am not a fan of the zombie trend at all, and had never been able to understand the appeal they hold for so many people, so I had never given it much thought. However, since zombies do have a considerable presence in the world of speculative fiction, I decided it was worth looking into.
I've done a great deal of online research as well as talking to several different people about it, but unfortunately there are few people willing to field explanations as to the reason for the un-dead monster's popularity.
I did hear and discover some interesting theories, though, so I thought I'd share them and let you all decide for yourselves.

- One theory is that in the case of zombie movies or video games, one can experience the adrenaline rush of action and combat without worrying about the moral or emotional implications of killing another human being.

I suppose that, since zombies are supposed to be dead bodies that have been somehow reanimated, this is a legitimate point. If the person is already technically dead, you really wouldn't be 'killing' them. And, while we as humans do have a God-given right to defend ourselves from attackers (even if defending ourselves involves the use of lethal force) there is still a huge emotional cost that comes with taking another human life. I suppose, then, that using lethal force against some kind of freakish monster like a zombie would eliminate some of that cost.
So this theory does, perhaps, explain the appeal of fighting against inhuman monsters rather than against human beings. But it leaves the question: why zombies specifically? Why not trolls or orcs or Sasquatches?

- Another more philosophical theory is that a culture's or people group's real fears are represented and reflected in its fictional fears. For instance, one person I talked to suggested that Godzilla was originally a symbol of the atomic bomb in Japan. Likewise, early zombie-era zombies were a symbolic representation of people's fear of radiation and nuclear war. Today, they represent people's fear of terrorism.

I've seen plenty of evidence to suggest that the 'zombie' concept is indeed symbolic. The phrase 'For When the Zombies Come' has come to represent a mindset of general awareness and preparedness (e.g. I'm doing physical fitness or weapons training 'For When the Zombies Come'; I keep extra food and supplies on hand 'For When the Zombies Come'), especially as disaster preparedness becomes more popular in our culture.
In addition, I do find it rather interesting to notice that the zombies portrayed in the earlier days of the trend were slow, lethargic creatures that killed people simply by being absolutely everywhere in inescapable numbers. I can see where this could coincide with the radiation/nuclear war concept (i.e. if a nuclear weapon was detonated, radiation would be everywhere in inescapable amounts). Also interesting to me is the fact that the zombies of today have become more fast, agile, and aggressive; they could pop up anywhere unexpectedly, and even a lone zombie could pose a serious threat to someone. This would tend to correspond with people's fear of terrorism; a single terrorist could pop up in any given location and, with little effort, kill or injure dozens if not hundreds of people before anyone could stop him.
So I understand the reasoning in this theory as well. But, like the first theory I mentioned, it still leaves the question: why zombies rather than some other kind of monster? In answer to that, I have my own theory.

- The idea of heroes battling hideous and terrible monsters is thousands of years old. It's basically a human instinct that's been built into us. Even the most ancient cultures had hero-versus-monster legends and stories they loved. And with each new culture or era come new trends in how those heroes and monsters are represented. In the days of ancient Greece the trend was for cursed humans or demigods to be turned into horrible monsters. In the days of King Arthur dragons and sorcerers were the trend. In the days of the wild West, it was savage, scalp-hunting Indians. It's entirely possible that zombies are simply today's monster of choice.

I have heard recently that there are people who really believe the government is experimenting and actually trying to create zombies. For what purpose, I have no idea, but if it's true that some people believe this, I suppose their apparent fascination with zombies could stem from this belief. In my personal opinion, watching zombie movies and reading zombie books as preparation is comparable to reading Jane Austen to learn how to get married. Just because it happens one way in Hollywood doesn't mean it'll happen that way in real life.
However, if there is a portion of society that believes in the scientific possibility of zombies, I suppose it makes sense that movie, book, or video game presentations of this would be marketable.

Do zombies have a place in Christian fiction? Truthfully, I don't know. Personally, I find them completely unappealing and have no interest whatsoever in movies or books built on that theme, but I know Christians who have read and enjoyed zombie fiction. I would encourage Christians to make careful, prayerful decisions about their reading and movie-viewing choices in regards to this topic just as they would with any other topic.

Zombie Hater, while I'm afraid this probably hasn't answered all the aspects of your question entirely, I hope it has at least shed a little light on it and given you some possibilities to think about. Thanks for the question, though! You've made me investigate and learn about a topic I hadn't really given any thought to before.

For the record, anyone can send me their questions, thoughts, or ideas by using the contact form at the top of the right-hand sidebar on this page. I'd love to see more thoughtful discussion starters like this one!

What are your thoughts on the zombie trend?

(P.S. My Blogger account hasn't been allowing me to post comments the last week or so, so my apologies to those of you who have commented that I haven't replied to.)

Chapter 17 of Falls the Shadow

2012-01-16T10:20:00.002-06:00

The discovery of a new room in the library has everyone excited - especially when they unearth a locked glass case with a thick, ancient-looking book inside.
But tension between Skylar and Maricossa is getting higher, and they both know it can't keep going on like this. When Maricossa reveals yet another surprising skill he possesses, Skylar can't help his growing suspicion. Who is this man, anyway?

Click Here to read Chapter 17 of Falls the Shadow.

The Jidra

2012-01-11T11:37:00.004-06:00

One day last week I was talking to a friend of mine who is currently in the process of researching mythical creatures to use in a fantasy story she's planning. One of the ones she had come across in her search was the Jidra. I had never heard of such a creature, so she told me all about its traditional definition and her own twists on the idea.
The Jidra (pronounced JYE-dra) is essentially a carnivorous plan with an acutely awful disposition. While it must remain attached to the ground by its main root (which can be cut to kill it), it also has tentacle-like roots that it uses to grab anything within reach - plants, animals... and yes, unsuspecting story characters. Once it grabs a victim, it cocoons them inside itself and slowly sucks the life out of them. What a way to go, eh?
Anyway, my friend had searched all over the internet for a good artist's interpretation of a Jidra, something she could use as a reference for describing it in her story. Unfortunately, the only things she had been able to find were weird, cartoonish creatures that didn't look anything like she wanted, so she and I spent some time combing the web for anything that came anywhere close. We discovered that a banyan tree has very cool and somewhat creepy roots that resemble tentacles, so we started searching specifically for pictures of banyan trees.
One particular picture popped up that looked almost exactly like my friend said she imagined the Jidra in her story, so I saved it. Of course, it had some problems - a fence, a sign post, a pedestrian in the background. And it was entirely too bright and sunny to accurately portray the creepiness of a real Jidra. ; )
So, I decided to put my own artistic abilities to work. With the help of some octopus tentacles and a little computer magic... voila! The Jidra:

I'm pretty pleased with the way it came out, and I can't wait to show my friend when I see her again. I just hope it will help her out with visualizing the Jidra when it comes time to describe it, because for me, that's one of the hardest parts of building a fictional story world. I can see things in my head, but it's not always easy to define them well enough for readers to see them like I do. Having a picture, drawing, or other reference always makes it a ton easier.
Plus, I'm always glad for an opportunity to learn about new mythical creatures and potential future story elements.
Question: would you be interested in seeing more features like this here at the Lair? Or is there another topic you're more interested in discussing?

Learning the Hard Way

2012-01-09T11:45:00.002-06:00

We all learn lessons the hard way from time to time. Sometimes it's because we just don't want to listen to people who really know better - like when you're a little kid and your mom tells you not to touch something hot. A lot of the time, though, it's just because no one ever thought of warning you away from something. That's how we learn lessons like "Don't clean your glasses with medicated tissues" or "Don't stand on a rolling chair to reach a high shelf" or "Don't try to fix a stuck syringe plunger by pushing it down on the counter top while the syringe is still full" (for the record, that one was my mom, not me).
Those are all silly, humorous examples. Sometimes, though, the lessons are a little more serious and hurt a little more in the learning process. Sometimes, they're quite a bit more embarrassing. Sometimes there is no easy way to learn certain lessons. And sometimes, the learning-the-hard-way experience could easily be avoided if we would just swallow our pride enough to ask someone who knows more than us.
I'm thinking in particular about my own experiences learning about writing and the literary world. I was fourteen when I realized that I was going to be a professional writer. At the time, I had a pretty severe case of the Sacred Art Syndrome (i.e. 'My work is the product of my genius, and to edit would be sacrilege!'). Needless to say, I wasn't exactly eager to admit to anyone that I had no idea what I was doing when it came to things like self-editing or submitting work to publications. So I learned a lot of lessons the hard way and endured quite a bit of embarrassment - all of which could have been avoided if I could have just swallowed a gulp or two of pride.

Lessons like those are part of what make life so interesting and (at times) entertaining. And it's at times like this, setting out at the beginning of a new year, while most people are making resolutions for what they plan to do in the upcoming year, that I like to look back instead at what I've learned in the past year. Some things are lessons that have come the hard way - like moving on after the loss of my grandparents. Some lessons I've learned from books as I continue my studies at home - like the importance of vigilance on the part of citizens, to prevent things like the holocaust ever happening again. Some lessons I never knew existed or imagined learning, but they've come with time as I live longer, experience more, and grow closer to God - lessons that I'm not even sure can be put into words.
So instead of making resolutions, I'm looking back over what I learned in 2011, and looking forward to learning even more in 2012.
Life is a hard teacher, no doubt about it. But in the end, the lessons learned from life are the ones that mean the most and stick with you the best. And when the Life you're learning from is also the Way and the Truth, it makes the hard lessons a joy.

What hard lessons have you learned over the past year?

Book Giveaway

2012-01-06T08:47:00.003-06:00

Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce you to a friend of mine: H.A. Titus, fantasy/sci-fi/steampunk writer extraordinaire, residing over at Magical Ink.
She's having a giveaway of Kat Heckenbach's book Finding Angel, the book she's chosen as the Magical Ink Book of the Year. If you'd like to enter the giveaway, Click Here for all the details.

A New Year at The Writer's Lair

2012-01-02T01:00:00.003-06:00

Good morning to all, and Happy New Year! I hope you've all been able to enjoy a wonderful holiday season with your friends and families, and that you're all ready to get a new year off to a great start. I certainly am! For me, 2012 is already promising to be a busy, eventful, and exciting year that I look forward to experiencing.
Since we're still in the 'kick-off' phase of the year, here are a few announcements you may be interested in:

Chapter 16 of Falls the Shadow is up and ready to read on The Lost Scribes. Even a surprise celebration dinner at the library isn't quite enough to alleviate the tensions and Libby's growing anxiety... but the lure of a new discovery in one of the excavation tunnels might do the trick. Click Here to read Chapter 16.

The entries from the Christmas Writing Exposition are posted and available to read, if you haven't already. Just click on the "Writing Exposition" page at the top of this page.

Some of you are aware that I write book reviews for several different publishing houses and book retailers. Part of that agreement is that I post my review on my blog as well as other sites, but I've found that I'm not always able to tie a given book review in with the speculative fiction theme I try to maintain here at the Lair. So, I've set up a blog just for posting my book reviews and journaling my reading habits. If you have enjoyed or benefited from the book reviews I've posted here at the Lair in the past, you may find The Flying Librarian's Hideout a helpful spot to visit. Why the quirky name? Well, you'll just have to visit to figure that out. ; )

As far as my own writing is concerned, I'm still going to be working on editing Son of the Shield and developing the Adelfian Prophecies series. I know it's been a long road, but my story world, Reyem, is developing and expanding in ways I never dreamed of when I first started writing Son of the Shield, so I wouldn't want it any other way.
I'm also going to be pouring some serious time and effort into my stories for Avenir Eclectia. I've really fallen in love with the characters and storyline, and after some conversations with Grace Bridges (the editor of Avenir Eclectia and Splashdown Books) I'm going to be taking the story a bit farther and exploring some bigger plot ideas. If you've read the stories I've published on Avenir Eclectia so far, you can look forward to more adventures with Celeste, Celia, and Robin coming up! If you haven't read any of my AE stories yet, you can do so by Clicking Here. They'll be in reverse order, so you'll have to start at the bottom to understand what's going on.

All these announcements are just the tip of the iceberg for what's coming up in 2012. I look forward to a year of continuing great discussions about the ever-expanding world of Christian speculative fiction writing, as well as more steps forward in both my own writing journey, and in the journeys of the other writers among my readers.

What are you looking forward to this year?

Writing Expo Submissions Posted!

2011-12-26T16:24:00.002-06:00

Hey, all! I hope everyone had as great a Christmas as I did!

The submissions for the first-ever Writer's Lair Writing Exposition are now available to read on the "Writing Exposition" page. Be sure to click over there and read them! (And by the way, my apologies for not getting them posted on the 24th as I had originally intended. Technical difficulties working in cooperation with unexpected Christmas Eve goings-on prevented me from posting them on schedule.) There will be more writing expositions here at the Lair in the future, but as yet I don't know for sure when they will be or what their themes will be, so stay tuned if you're interested in participating in the future.
I'm going to be continuing my little holiday blogging break until the new year, but after that there's lots of exciting stuff in the works for 2012. More on that later.
In the meantime, please enjoy the entries for the Christmas Writing Expo, and the rest of the holiday season with your loved ones.

Five Tips for Intensifying Your Fiction

2011-12-16T17:28:00.004-06:00

I'm pleased to have my sister Karri as a guest contributor for this post, since she's the one who inspired it. Please make her feel welcome, and enjoy!

Here are some tips and ideas guaranteed to create and promote doom, chaos, devastation, darkness, tumult, evil, despair, and mayhem - essential ingredients for every truly great work of fiction.

1. Give your main character not just one, but two step parents. If one can cause trouble, just think what two could do! (You can work it out any way you want. As the king of Siam would say: "You put in the details.")

2. Make each step parent arrange a marriage for your main character... with different people.

3. Make both parties to which your main character is betrothed hire someone to kidnap him or her. Then they can play keep-away.

4. Have your main character accidentally fall in love with both of the parties to which he or she has been unwillingly betrothed.

5. Give your main character serious personal insecurities, grotesque physical deformities, and a tendency to get amnesia easily.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to create more drama and trouble in their fiction? (Be as creative and silly as you want - this post is just for fun ;)

Chapter 15 of Falls the Shadow

2011-12-15T01:00:00.000-06:00

For months, Maricossa has been spending every spare minute working and reading at the library, letting his assignment from the White Tiger sit unheeded on the shelf.

But Skylar has had something on his mind and finally worked up the courage to talk to Maricossa about it. When he does, Maricossa suddenly discovers that he can't ignore his assignment any longer.

It's been dropped right into his lap.

Click Here to read Chapter 15 of Falls the Shadow.

Announcing the first-ever Writer's Lair Writing Exposition!

2011-12-12T12:53:00.005-06:00

For a long time now, I've been toying with the idea of hosting some kind of writing contest or something of that nature here at the Writer's Lair. I know a lot of my followers are incredibly talented writers, and I would love an opportunity to showcase some of that talent. You know me, though - never one to do things the same way everyone else does it. : )
After putting some thought into what I could do, I decided to scrap the contest idea all together, and instead decided to host a writing exposition. There's no competition involved, just skillful writing and creativity. (And besides, how could I resist the steampunk appeal of a term like 'writing exposition'? It brings to mind things like the World Fair and the old-time Science Expos. Totally delicious.)

So, ready or not, it's time to announce the Christmas 2011 Story-Writing Exposition!

Here's how it works:
-Write a piece that follows the specific Expo guidelines listed below.
-Submit it as a .doc or .docx file attached to an email to editor(dot)thewriterslair(at)gmail(dot)com on or by December 23, 2011.
-Be sure to include "Christmas Expo" in the subject line.
-Feel free to include a one-sentence blurb about yourself to be posted with your submission (e.g. "Jane lives in Montana and enjoys sushi and polo"). You may also include a link to your blog or website if you have one.
-A new blog page will be created here at the Lair, and all entries fitting the submission guidelines will be posted there in alphabetical order by author's last name on December 24.
-All copyrights will remain in the author's name.
-Your submission must be no longer than 1000 words.
-While your submission does not have to be 'preachy' or teach a specific moral (in fact, preachy-ness is discouraged), it must be Christ-honoring in its content (i.e. no foul language, sexual innuendos, etc.).

And here are the guidelines specifically for the Christmas Expo:
-Your story's plot or theme must revolve around or be otherwise closely tied to the lyrics of a Christmas song. This can be a traditional Christmas carol, a contemporary Christmas song, or something in between (such as a Tran-Siberian Orchestra remake of a traditional song). Really any song will do, as long as it's about Christmas.
-Your story can be fiction of any genre you'd like (I'd love to see some renditions of the Christmas story and/or message in speculative genres, hint-hint ; ), or it can be non-fiction, such as an account of a personal experience. Whatever you choose, just remember that the goal of this Writing Expo is to showcase skillful, well-crafted writing.

Have fun! I can't wait to see what you all come up with! I'll be writing a story for it too, by the way, so don't worry. I haven't just submitted you all to a bunch of guidelines I don't intend to follow myself. : )

New Short Story Published!

2011-12-07T10:13:00.003-06:00

Hey, all!
I am pleased to announce that I have a new short story published with Digital Dragon Magazine! This is my first time to publish with DDM, and I am very excited to become one of their contributors. Click Here to read my story, Butterfly Song - and be sure to let me know what you think. I love feedback! (And by the way, compliments are nice, but constructive criticism and critique are heartily welcomed too - maybe even preferred.)
Digital Dragon Magazine is a Christian publication dedicated to providing its audience with high-quality, family-friendly, and entertaining fantasy and science fiction. It's well worth checking out if you haven't already.
Click Here to visit their homepage.

Enjoy!

First Snow - Thoughts on the Natural Side of Fictional Story Worlds

2011-12-06T09:18:00.003-06:00

This morning I woke up, pushed my sleeping dog off of my sleeping foot, and looked out the window to see - snow!
After two weeks of the local weatherman predicting the first snow, it's finally arrived! My transition into the Christmas spirit suddenly feels completed (and I have the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's song 'First Snow' going around in my head). I'm not the only one who's excited about it, either. No sooner had I dressed and made my morning cup of tea than my friend Ashley called me, asking if I had looked outside yet and wasn't it exciting? (And yes, I know you northerners out there are probably already sick of snow for this year... but please bear with me.)
Aside from getting me all revved up for Christmas and caroling and baking and all of that, this first snow also got me thinking about the more natural side of world-building in our stories. As I edit Son of the Shield, I've been adding in little bits and pieces to flesh out the natural story world I rather neglected in the first couple of drafts. I've added in varieties of flowers and other plants, constellations, and weather patterns unique to that story world.
But the shared excitement over this first snow got me thinking about the other natural events that we humans tend to get excited about - the first sign of green grass and flowers in the spring, the first weekend warm enough to go swimming, geese flying south and the first sign of autumn color in the leaves - and made me realize that my story world contains virtually none of that.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that a lot of the time in fiction, unless something in the natural world plays a significant role in the plot, it gets ignored. I don't want that to happen in Son of the Shield, so this morning I've been starting to think of ways I can bring the natural side of the world of Reyem to life. I realized that through the entire story (which spans a year and a half of their time) there is not a single mention of it raining. So there's one problem in need of fixing. It's not a desert, so it has to rain sometime.
But in addition to that, I'd like to come up with some natural events that the people of Reyem look forward to, like our first snow... or even something they dread, like we dread the thermometer hitting 100 or 0.
So that's something new that I'm going to be working on developing in my story world. So much to think about, so much to develop. It's a wonder any novel ever gets finished.

What is your approach to the natural realm of your story world? What are some natural events that your characters might look forward to, or dread?

Emerging on the other side...

2011-12-01T11:29:00.002-06:00

... and finding that the world is still here!
After thirty long, grueling days and nights of NaNo (Has anyone else noticed that NaNo is only a few days shorter than the time God used to destroy the world in Noah's day?) we've at last emerged on the other side to find that, remarkably, life still goes on.
And better yet, there is no diabolical daily quota hanging over us any more! That uncanny internal clock that chants "You're getting behind, you're getting behind" has been silenced. No more annoying 'Stats' page telling us just how dismally far behind we are and how many millions of words we'll have to write per day to catch up.
Life's good, isn't it?
So, now that NaNo is safely behind us for another year (and by the way, my hearty congratulations to everyone who participated, whether you made the goal or not - merely taking part was no small thing), it's time to get back to life as we knew it.
And on that note, I'm pleased to announce that a new chapter of Falls the Shadow has been posted at The Lost Scribes! If you haven't already stopped by and read Chapter 14, you can Click Here to do so.
In this chapter, Skylar is beginning to struggle with the idea of keeping the library a secret from the professor who has done so much for him, and Coll, his best friend. The library is what they've been after for so long - now he's found it, and he can't even tell them.
He does make a surprising new discovery about the library, though... in the professor's study, of all places! Read Chapter 14 to find out what it is.

Journaling - Day 30 of NaNo

2011-11-30T19:37:00.005-06:00

I'm finished!

Total Word Count: 55, 103

I made the word count goal, and my story is completed. It turned out nothing like it was supposed to, not at all like I thought it would, and I'm relatively certain it's pretty sappy. Like I said in the last post, I'm an action writer, not a sit-around-and-think-and-make-tough-decisions-and-fall-in-love writer. Unfortunately that's just how this year's NaNo seemed determined to come out.
Eh, oh well. I've got that story idea off of my plate and out of the way, and I've completed my second successful year of NaNoWriMo. So all's not lost, even if the story didn't turn out quite the way I wanted it to.

On the whole, I think this year's NaNo has been a great way to get myself back into a serious hard-and-fast writing groove after a long, crazy-busy summer and fall. I'm ready to get back to Son of the Shield and hit it hard. That editing just isn't going to finish itself (believe me, I know - I've been waiting for it to for some time now). I'm ready to get back to the 'normal' writing life bright an early come December first!
Well... maybe I'll let myself sleep in a little. You know, just to recover from NaNo. But you get the picture.

Writers, have you finished yet? What's something interesting or unexpected you've learned about your story this month, or maybe even something you've learned about yourself as a writer?
Non-writers, are you ready for your writer friends and family to finally be getting back to normal?

Journaling - Day 28 of NaNo

2011-11-28T21:33:00.002-06:00

Total Word Count: 42, 717

Yes, by now I'm sure you're used to the fact that I'm behind. Between Thanksgiving and the nasty cold I've had that just refuses to go away, it's been tough catching up. I'm gonna have to really crank it tomorrow and the next day to finish on time. Frankly, I'll be glad to get it over with and get back to work on Son of the Shield, Falls the Shadow, and my bevvy of other projects.
One thing I've learned from this NaNo: I am totally an action writer, and I really don't do well when there's not a lot of action going on. Last year during NaNo I got to write naval battles and shipwrecks and invasions and last stands and espionage and kidnapping and escapes and plots and... yeah, you probably get the picture. This year, all my characters will do is sit or stand around and talk and think. And no matter what I do, they just won't do anything else. It's to the point now where I'm beginning to get very disgusted with all of them.
But, I only have to put up with them for two more days, and then I can get back to work on other things.
How's it going for everyone else? Have you reached the finish line already? Are you going to make it before the end of the month?

Journaling - Day 19 of NaNo

2011-11-19T23:01:00.005-06:00

Total Word Count: 26,333

Still behind, I know. But making headway! (Or at least, not falling any farther behind.)

I came across this quote today:

"A novel is a work of creative imagination and to write it an author's mind must be completely at peace."

~Fyodor Dostoevsky

The man had obviously never done NaNoWriMo

Journaling - Day 16 of NaNo

2011-11-16T13:45:00.002-06:00

Total word count: 21,370

Time to bring out the big guns, and employ shameless NaNo tactics. Today's weapon of choice: describe everything.

Journaling - Day 15 of NaNo

2011-11-15T09:10:00.003-06:00

Total word count - 20,613

Yes, I'm behind. Quite a bit behind, actually. I'm hoping to catch up over today and tomorrow. The weird thing is, I'm not even sure what happened that caused me to get so far behind. Oh well, such is NaNo, I guess.
At the moment I'm trying to find some exciting action points I can throw into my plot line to sort of liven things up. At the moment it seems like it's all just thinking and talking and thinking and talking.
One interesting note is that I watched The Scarlet Pimpernel over the weekend, and now I'm starting to find that my main character, Grayson, is behaving sort of like Percy Blakeney. He's all tough and rugged and gallant on the inside, but on the outside he comes across as being more like absurdly charming. He's currently in the process of befriending the cooking woman who brings meals to his cell every day, going way overboard with his politeness and charm.
All the while, of course, looking for a way to escape. I have absolutely no idea how that particular plot thread is going to unwind, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Oh, and by the by, in the excitement of NaNo Day 1 I forgot all about notifying you all about the release of Falls the Shadow chapter 12 on November 1. My apologies. However, with today being the 15th, Chapter 13 has just been released. You can Click Here to read it.

We're at the halfway point today, writers. The first half of NaNo is behind us. Here's to a wild and crazy and successful second half!

Journaling - Day 8 of NaNo

2011-11-08T20:53:00.002-06:00

Word Count so far: 13,376

I'm finally caught up after the weekend! Hurrah!

Ashamed as I am to admit it, at one point I was forced to resort to pulling one of the infamous NaNo stunts along the way:

Grayson forced a smile and said something mildly profound as a moving conclusion to the chapter, but at present the author is unable to think of what it is so it will be added later.

Shameless, I know. But hey, sometimes a writer's just gotta do what a writer's gotta do.

Writers, have you been forced to pull any 'NaNo stunts' so far?

Journaling - Day 7 of NaNo

2011-11-07T21:19:00.002-06:00

Total word count: 10,985

I'm a little behind on word count after the weekend, but I wrote over 2,500 words today alone so I'm sure I can catch up again... just in time for next weekend, probably. *rolls eyes* Oh well.
I've taken the excellent suggestion of several different people and shortened Tiberius' name to Ty for now. I may go back and change it once I don't have to worry about the NaNo deadline anymore, or Ty may turn out to really be Tiberius' nickname. Who knows?
I was kind of surprised to begin discovering today that my character Edea is pretty self-centered. It's not really how I imagined her, but the more I think about it the more I guess it makes sense. After all, she's royalty, and her entire life she's lived in the palace with servants to do everything for her, and until she became queen (just a little bit prior to the beginning of the story) all she ever had to worry about was entertaining herself. So even now that she is the queen her world still basically revolves around her.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this affects things when she sees my character Grayson offer to trade himself in as a prisoner of war in exchange for the freedom of his younger brother. I should get to that scene tomorrow, so I'll let you know!

How did your first NaNo weekend go?

Journaling - Day 4 of NaNo

2011-11-04T16:01:00.003-05:00

Word Count so far: 6591

No, I'm not quite to my daily quota yet, but in my defense I've been at orchestra all day so I'm just thrilled that I've done as much as I have. I can probably get the rest finished this evening after I get home.
I'm beginning to question the wisdom of naming a NaNo character 'Tiberius'. It just takes way too much time and effort to type, especially when you're in a hurry. At least he's a cool character--calm and committed.
Plot-wise, things are progressing... well, they're progressing. I guess that's a good sign, especially since I really don't know just how the whole thing is going to play out. Right now the good guys are staking out the castle and formulating a desperate plan to rescue another the main character's little brother. For future reference (to anyone who may be interested) you probably need more than two people to effectively stake out a castle.

Oh, and by the way, I have a new story up on Avenir Eclectia. If you've been following my stories on there, you'll probably want to be sure and catch this one. I won't give it away, but it's a significant plot point. : ) Click Here if you want to read it.

Journaling, Day 3 of NaNo

2011-11-03T18:08:00.002-05:00

Word Count so far: 5020

It's only Day 3 and already I feel like I'm barely staying afloat. I'm on schedule, but it's been a battle. I think I chose a storyline that involved way too much character turmoil and inter-character relationship stuff and all that. The story I did last year had a lot more action in it. Of course, this one may turn out to have a lot of action--the whole midsection of the plot is still a great big vacant blob in my head right now, so it may turn out to be action-packed, I just don't know.
As for my characters, they're still turning out to be different than I thought they would be--for the most part. Brant is exactly like I had imagined him, but Grayson (who was supposed to be a calm, laid-back, do-what-has-to-be-done sort of guy) seems a little panicky, and Queen Edea (who I had imagined as an insecure, people-pleaser type) so far seems like she has a lot of guts... maybe even a bit of attitude. That ought to make things really interesting when her advisers start usurping her authority later on in the novel. It might just turn out to be a lot of fun to write.
I guess we'll see! : )

Have you learned anything surprising or unexpected about your story or characters yet?

Journaling - Day 1 of NaNo

2011-11-01T17:19:00.001-05:00

Word Count so far: 1694

The first day went pretty well, all things considered. My horse sprained his ankle over the weekend, so I had to take a trip to the vet's office this morning to pick up some meds for him (meds which he now adamantly refuses to take), but that didn't take up a terrible amount of time, so I was able to make my word count for the day plus a few extra words. Always a good thing. : )
I'm a little unsure what to make of my main character from what I've seen of him so far. I had really anticipated him being this calm, laid-back sort of guy, but so far he seems pretty worry-prone and panicky. Of course, he did just find out that his little brother has been kidnapped by enemy soldiers... so I guess that could be part of it. Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions prematurely. It's been known to happen.

How did your first day of NaNo go?

The Clock is Ticking!

2011-10-31T10:35:00.004-05:00

Friends, we have only a few hours left until the beginning of the biggest writing event of the year:
NaNoWriMo!
In my timezone it's about 13 hours 'til midnight. I'm still waffling on whether to stay up late and start writing at midnight, or whether I should just go to bed really early and get up super early in the morning to get started. I'm not a night owl by any stretch of the imagination, so I'll probably go with getting up early like I did last year.
I've got my NaNo profile all updated, and a new computer file waiting, ready to go for this year's NaNo project: The Queen's Flower.
I've got a good stock of writing supplies laid in (supplies in this case consisting mostly of chocolate-covered pomegranates) and a November schedule that has been hacked down to bare minimum so as to allow the most writing time possible.
I'm planning to journal NaNo here at the Lair like I did last year, so you all will be able to keep up with how it's going, or you can add me as a writing buddy - I'm MaryRuth (one word) on the site.

The hour is upon us, writers. Are you ready?

Modesty in Christian Fiction

2011-10-26T03:00:00.001-05:00

One of my biggest pet peeves and tallest soap boxes is the issue of modesty and/or the lack thereof. The American culture has thrown modesty to the wind completely, and even a heartbreaking number of professing Christians have either ignored the issue or interpreted it so loosely that their definition and execution of it don't come close to the actual, Biblical meaning. This saddens and, honestly, infuriates me. I take every opportunity I can to talk to people about it, and I'm also going to take this opportunity to talk about the issue of modesty as it applies to Christian fiction.
When it comes to modesty, books have the advantage over movies in that a much greater amount of description and detail is left up to the reader's imagination. If a writer doesn't really describe a character's outfit in any way that applies to modesty, the reader's interpretation is going to be left up to their mindset. If they are inclined to envision a character as being dressed modestly, that's how they will see it, and vice versa.
I have never read a book in which the author took a great deal of time or effort to describe just exactly how high a character's collar was, or how far down their leg their skirt came, and I don't think it's really necessary to do so. The instances in fiction where modesty becomes a legitimate issue, and the instances I want to focus on in this post, are more in regard to modest behavior on the part of characters.

First off: Regarding male characters taking off their shirts.
Here's the deal (and this goes for guys and girls alike): If your shirt is on fire or has just been splashed with corrosive chemicals, then by all means take it off as quickly as possible and you will not hear one peep of protest from me. I'll even help you get it off under those circumstances, and lend you my jacket to wear until other arrangements can be made.
However, the circumstances had better be pretty convincing, and if it happens more than once in a story, I'm going to start getting very suspicious very quickly. I have lived on a farm for twenty-three years, working with large animals, heavy equipment, pesticides, and herbicides, I've been involved in multiple serious car accidents, and never once in all that time have I been faced with the sudden desperate need to take my shirt off. So it's not like these things just happen at the drop of a hat.
Now, I'm not saying the legitimate need never arises. When my cousin fell and landed in a giant hill of fire ants, that was a legitimate need. When my dad accidentally doused my brother with diesel, that was a legitimate need. It does happen, and those circumstances don't bother me.
What bothers me is when authors almost seem to be seeking out reasons for their male characters (and 99% of the time it just happens to be the main guy character whom the main girl character is falling in love with) to take their shirts off. I guess a lot of Christian authors really want to show that for some reason (probably in a crippled effort to make their fiction appealing and mainstream, but I really don't know), but because it's Christian fiction, they feel like they have to have some 'acceptable' excuse for doing it. In my opinion, those authors are missing the point of how and why Christian fiction is supposed to be fundamentally different from secular. And don't think the readers won't see through it, because they will.
This applies to a lot of 'exceptional' circumstances I've seen in fiction - circumstances where it was painfully obvious that the author was just aching for some excuse to push the line under the guise of 'an exceptional circumstance that couldn't be helped'. Those circumstances always seem to conveniently end up with the highly buff guy character ending up shirtless or the gorgeous girl character ending up in some weird corset-type thing that conveniently happens to showcase her figure perfectly. And it never seems to happen when a character is alone, it always happens in front of other people. It bugs me, and it doesn't make me inclined to like the author.
Am I saying guys should never have their shirts off for any reason in fiction, or that there aren't genuine, realistic circumstances in which a serious wardrobe malfunction or breakdown might occur? Of course not.
Injuries represent scenarios in which there's simply no way to get around a bit of immodesty. In speculative fiction, especially fantasy, severe injuries are a relatively common occurrence, and I can tell you that it's impossible to treat a life-threatening wound without removing some clothing. (Who would have thought First Responder training would come in handy for writing?) It's not a big deal, so don't waste time and effort worrying about it or dwelling on it. Just say what needs to be said and move on. It's that simple.

The second big issue I wanted to discuss is dealing with characters who simply don't dress modestly, period. After all, every character in Christian fiction doesn't necessarily conform to Christian standards of behavior and dress, and those characters love to cause problems for their authors. So how do we as writers deal with those characters and their skanky behavior while still holding to a high standard for clean content?
In my current WIP, I have a character who absolutely does not conform to any kind of Christian standard whatsoever, be it in dress or behavior. There's even a scene in the book where she has changed out of her military uniform into civilian dress and is primping in front of the mirror while contemplating how to enlist the help of one of the male characters for the plot she wants to set in motion. Suffice it to say that the dress she's wearing is part of how she plans to coerce him.
So here's a problematic situation. How do I deliver this significant but nonetheless distasteful plot point in a way that's clean and Christ-honoring? Here's how I did it:

"[She] turned sideways to the mirror, smoothing the front of her dress and examining her reflection. The green-gray silk was fitted and flattering, its floor-length skirt giving her the appearance of being taller than she actually was, and the color nicely complimenting her dark red hair and fair skin. The created effect was perfect: far from attention-grabbing, but far enough removed from the rigid convention of her uniform to provide a distraction for anyone even slightly willing to be distracted."

And then I move on with the story. Everything the reader needs to know is right there: the basic concept of the dress's appearance and style, and the character's attitude and purpose in wearing it. I didn't go into vivid, freaky detail, but the readers still (hopefully) get the idea pretty clearly.
I know we constantly having people pounding the 'Show, don't tell!' mantra into our heads, but in situations like this, telling is definitely the way to go. The power of suggestion plays a significant role in it too, by showing and suggesting just enough to the reader to let them put the pieces together on their own without you having to paint the whole picture.

Really, handling the modesty issue in Christian fiction isn't complicated. It takes some thought and situational awareness, but it's not horrendously difficult. Just remember: don't over-think or over-complicate something that's relatively simple, don't feel like you have to go all or none (either avoiding the subject completely or diving into all the gruesome detail), and don't feel like you have to include something you're uncomfortable with just to make your novel 'appealing' or mainstream.

Thank you all for listening to this insanely long rant. : )
What are your thoughts on modesty in Christian fiction? How do you deal with it? in your writing?

Finds from the Drawer of Random Scraps

2011-10-24T01:00:00.001-05:00

Those of you who have been hanging out here at the Lair long enough have no doubt heard multiple references to my Drawer of Random Scraps. My writing friends who have spent weekends at my house have actually seen the famous drawer for themselves.
For those of you who aren't familiar with my Drawer, I'll explain: I have a small leather notebook that I use for writing down ideas, thoughts, and inspirations whenever I have them. But sometimes I get caught with an idea while I'm away from my notebook, and I have to use whatever is available to write the idea down. When I get home, the bank slip, grocery receipt, tithe envelope, restaurant napkin, or what have you, goes into the top drawer of my night stand.
You got it. That's the Drawer of Random Scraps.
Last week while tidying up my room, I decided it was time to give the Drawer a going-through and cleaning-out... since it won't close all the way any more. So I've been going through it piece-by-piece, jotting all the little snippets and musings down in the appropriate quote book, Bible study book, or idea book, and I thought it might be fun to share some of them. Hope you enjoy!

Finding #1 (On a paper of undetermined origin): "Cool names - Ishbel, Ysolda, Isura"
I guess I must have had an 'I'-sound thing going on that day.

Finding #2 (On a sticky note in the shape of Texas): "Grant me tonight what I didn't find today."
No idea where I was going with that.

Finding #3 (On a piece of notebook paper): Lieli Lily Leili Lyli Lyeli Leyli Lylee Lylii Lyleh Lyleigh
There's more than one way to spell a name, I guess. I'm not even sure who this character is...

Finding #4 (On part of a Kleenex box): "...we walked into a twilight so subtle and soft that it was impossible to tell when we had stepped beyond the realm of our fire's light and into the realm lit only by the dying embers of the day's light."
Not too bad, if I do say so myself. With a bit of work, that could go somewhere.

Finding #5 (On the back of an office memo): "Cool song titles: 'Come Dance with Me', 'Sword Dance', 'Song of the Wild Heart'"
If I ever take up song writing, I'll have the titles all lined out already!

Finding #6 (Printed on a torn corner of a piece of paper): "Echoes of Bravery"
Hmm... Don't remember where I found that one...

Finding #7 (On a Christmas card envelope): The original hand-written copy of my poem 'Otherwordly', which you can read by Clicking Here if you would like to.
Someday that might be worth a lot of money... : )

Finding #8 (On an index card): "I'm not as strong as I'd like to be; I'm not as innocent as I wish I was; I'm not as wise as I hope to be; but I am what I am, and if you give me a chance, you may learn to love me anyway."
Not sure about this one either. I'm guessing it was coming from a character's point of view--maybe?

I hope you've enjoyed sharing my little excursion into the Drawer of Random Scraps. I'm sure there will be others in the future.
What do you do with your little bits and pieces of ideas?

Library Sales, Fun News, and Technical Difficulties

2011-10-21T11:21:00.002-05:00

Honestly, I was planning to post more than I have this week. Really. Things just didn't go quite as expected (go figure).
I spent Wednesday morning at the local library sale (which, in keeping with this week's attempted theme, is a great way to build your library for not a lot of money), and even took pictures of some of my exciting finds. Unfortunately, technical problems have prevented me transferring said pictures from the camera to my computer to share with you. Alas, alas. Well, I'm sure they'll end up on here sooner or later. I really did make some good finds!
In other news: as of yesterday, I am officially a certified First Responder, which I'm very excited about. I have one more week of classes to attend, just reviewing and practicing what I've learned, but otherwise I'm good to go! This was the first step towards a bigger goal of doing disaster response work starting in the next year or so. Next step: getting my vehicle running and stocked with supplies and equipment (and finding a team to use the equipment).

So things didn't exactly go as smoothly as I intended them to go this week, but it was a good week anyway. Next week I'll do my best to be a better blogger, I promise.

How was your week?

The Thrifty Librarian

2011-10-18T09:50:00.002-05:00

I think it's safe to say that all readers and writers are also librarians to one extent or another. It's definitely the case for me - at this point it's actually getting difficult to tell whether my room is a bedroom full of books or a library with a bed crowded against the wall.
I consider building my personal library a very real investment on three different levels. First, it's an investment in my own education. Second, it's a financial investment; if I am ever in a situation where I am desperate and absolutely have to have money right now, I can sell off books. Third, it's an investment in my future home and future family; should God choose to bless me with children, I'll be homeschooling them, but if funds are tight getting school books to use may be difficult, so I'm gathering educational books now, while I don't have a husband or children.
Whatever the reason behind building a personal library, as Christians we're commanded to be financially wise and good stewards of our resources. I probably don't have to tell you that you can spend a small fortune buying books without trying very hard. So I though I'd take this week here at the Lair to talk about different ways to build your library while - you guessed it - being financially responsible and a good steward.
I've got some very fun posts and some great money-saving ideas planned for this week, so be sure to stay close by. You won't want to miss it. : )

Today's library building feature is going to be blogging programs.
Many publishing houses offer some form of blogging program as a marketing device for the books they publish. If you have a blog, you can sign up to receive books from the publisher, and the books are yours to keep in exchange for a well-written review posted on your blog and on a book retailer's website (like Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Christianbook.com). So really all it casts you is a little time and effort, and you've got a brand-new book to add to your library.
Don't worry - if you request a book to review and it turns out to be terrible, you're free to say you didn't like it and explain why you didn't. The publishers don't require that your review be favorable, they just want it to be honest and, as I said before, well-written.

Here are links to blogging programs from some prominent Christian publishers.

Blogging for Books - by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group - Click Here to learn more and sign up.

BookSneeze - by Thomas Nelson Publishers - Click Here to join.

Book Reviewers - by Bethany House Publishers - Click Here to sign up. (Bethany House does it a bit differently than the others; the first two I mentioned list available books on their website, and you can choose from there. Bethany House sends book lists out in emails, and you can choose multiple books from the list at a time, if you want to.)

The Tyndale Blog Network - from Tyndale House Publishers - Click Here to apply.

If you're not a part of any of these programs already, here are some tips to avoid getting overwhelmed:
- If you only plan to sign up for one or two, spend a little time browsing the publishers' websites and looking at the titles they publish. See which ones publish the most books you would be the most interested in.
- Even if you decide to sign up for all of the programs available, pace yourself. You may want to only sign up for one at a time over the course of a few months, so you can space out the arrival of books in the mail. Sometimes even the best efforts fail - more than once I've tried to space things out only to have books from three different companies arrive on the same day - but it's worth a try, at least.
- Don't be afraid to voice your honest opinion of the book. I received one particular book to review that I didn't like at all; it had several theological and doctrinal issues, and I found it to be extremely touchy-feely. I said so in my review. When I went to post it on the retail website, I saw that the book had an exceptionally high number of reviews, so I started skimming through them. Every one of them was favorable. The book had a 100% recommendation rating. I wondered if maybe my perception of the book was mistaken, if perhaps I had taken things the wrong way, so I discussed the book with my dad and told him the situation. He agreed with my opinion of the book, so I went ahead and posted my review. I believe my statements and observations were accurate, but I was the only one to make those statements and observations. So don't be afraid to stand alone.

Book reviewing programs are a great way to build your library and keep yourself well-supplied with new books to read. And at the cost of a little time (that would probably have been spent reading anyway) and a few minutes of effort writing a review, I'd say the price is right for just about everyone.

Do you currently participate in any book review programs? Do you know of any I failed to mention?

Chapter 11 of Falls the Shadow

2011-10-15T01:00:00.001-05:00

In Chapter 10, Libby and Maricossa struck a deal. Now Maricossa has all but abandoned his assignment from the White Tiger to make good on his end of the bargain.

In exchange, Libby has let him step inside a world that until now he has only dreamed of--a world that threatens to pull him completely and helplessly into its priceless enchantment.

Click Here to read Chapter 11 of Falls the Shadow.

L. M. Montgomery in Quotes

2011-10-13T13:05:00.002-05:00

Lucy Maud Montgomery ~ November 30, 1874 - April 24, 1942
Author of 20 novels, including the world-renowned Anne of Green Gables series (and my personal favorite, Emily of New Moon).

*
On Life and Human Nature:

"I doubt if I shall ever have time to read the book again--there are too many new ones coming out all the time which I want to read. Yet an old book has something for me which no new book can ever have--for at every reading the memories and atmosphere of other readings come back and I am reading old years as well as an old book."

"Truth exists, only lies have to be invented."

"A girl who would fall in love so easily or want a man to love her so easily would probably get over it just as quickly, very little the worse for wear. On the contrary, a girl who would take love seriously would probably be a good while finding herself in love and would require something beyond mere friendly attentions from a man before she would think of him in that light."

"Youth is not a vanished thing but something that dwells forever in the heart."

"It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will."

"A broken heart in real life isn't half as dreadful as it is in books. It's a good deal like a bad tooth, though you won't think that a very romantic simile. It takes spells of aching and gives you a sleepless night now and then, but between times it lets you enjoy life and dreams and echoes and peanut candy as if there were nothing the matter with it."

"It's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we knew all about everything, would it?"

"At seventeen dreams do satisfy you because you think the realities are waiting for you farther on." (from Anne of Avonlea)

"One can't get over the habit of being a little girl all at once." (from Anne of Avonlea)

On Writers and Writing:

"If it's in you to climb, you must--there are those who must lift their eyes to the hills--they can't breathe properly in the valleys." ~Mr. Carpenter (speaking of the unexplainable drive to write, in Emily of New Moon)

"My pen shall heal, not hurt." ~Emily Starr (from Emily of New Moon)

"The world calls them its singers and poets and artists and storytellers; but they are just people who have never forgotten the way to fairyland."

"You have the itch for writing born in you. It's quite incurable. What are you going to do with it?"

"All pioneers are considered to be afflicted with moonstruck madness."

Face to Face

2011-10-10T01:00:00.005-05:00

As writers, we see and know our characters as clearly as if they're real people. We know what makes them laugh, what makes them angry, we know what their voices sound like, and we know what they look like.
As readers, if a writer has done a good job developing the characters in a story, we know much of the same information about their characters.
But have you ever noticed that characters don't always stay inside the story where we first met them?
On multiple occasions, I've seen a movie or read a book and thought that a particular character was just like a character from another story or movie. Sometimes, I've read about a fictional character who was just like someone I know in real life.
A few times, I've written a character... and then met them in real life.
The first time it happened, it really scared me. I mean it really, really gave me a serious case of goosebumps. I was at an open house party and met a young woman who was an absolute dead-ringer for one of my characters, and I thought 'Oh my goodness, this cannot be happening! This is terrible!'
You're probably thinking that that's kind of a strange reaction to have. In my defense, the character the woman looked like happened to be an extremely evil and terrifying sorceress. So I think I deserve a break on that one. (And, as it turned out, the lady at the open house party was neither extremely evil nor a sorceress, so it was all okay in the end.)
A few years after that, I met a man who reminded me very strongly of someone, but I couldn't think of who. I was just sure I knew him from somewhere, though. Then it dawned on me that he looked just like a character from a story idea I have on the back burner, waiting for me to get to it and write it. I dug out the notebook where I have the story idea written down and re-read the physical description of that particular character. It fit this guy to a tee. And the more I got to know him, the more and more he reminded me of my character's personality.
I catch glimpses of my other characters from time to time--singing in a choir during a televised concert, ringing little bells outside Wal-Mart at Christmas time, jogging down the sidewalk, or selling books at a home schooling convention.
There's something magical about that moment. We writers carry so many different people inside of us, and even though we know they're fictional they seem real, they feel real, they are real--to us, if not to anyone else. When we suddenly stumble upon one of them face to face, in the real world, I don't think there's any way to avoid feeling a connection to them. Our minds start screaming 'Hey, that's _____! She's right there, for real! Go talk to her!' And then we have to remind ourselves that it's not really our character--which isn't always an easy thing to do.
I know I've had to fight off the urge to whip out my notebook and start bombarding a total stranger with questions about their deepest desires and secret motivations or why they refuse to get their act together and do what needs to be done. I admit it, I've shamelessly come up with excuses to strike up conversation with someone who looks like one of my characters. I might have even dropped a casual question or two... just in case.

What about you? Have you ever met or seen any of your fictional characters face to face? How did you react to it?

Rules of Good Fiction... and When to Let Them Slide

2011-10-07T01:00:00.002-05:00

As writers, it's important to learn and understand the rules and principles behind what makes good fiction. It's important to apply those rules and principles to our own writing. It's important to be able to recognize those principles when other writers use them (or fail to use them) in their writing.

But it's also important not to let our knowledge of those rules ruin our ability to enjoy a good story.

As we start to really gain some knowledge of how the writing world works and how fiction works, it's easy to start getting a Barney Fife attitude about it. We get all swelled up with confidence and self-importance and next thing you know we're standing at the ready to pronounce judgment and doom on any pleb so foolish as to break one of the sacred laws that form the code of good writing.
We writers have a tendency to get tunnel vision and focus way too much on the rules, however. We often conclude that a book is terrible because the author broke this rule and that rule and how did such doggerel ever get published? If you're still in the frustrating process of trying to get published, such cases are doubly infuriating because you, of course, know much better than to ever commit such literary sins so you should be getting published instead of these buffoons! (That J.R.R. Tolkien--who does he think he is?)

I hear ya, and I feel your pain. Truly I do. But calm down for a second and ask yourself: Did you enjoy the story?

Sit down and pick up your favorite novel--the one you read over and over and never get tired of. Start reading it with nothing in mind but finding writing mistakes and literary sins. It may be a few chapters before you find one, or you may find one a paragraph in. Gasp!

Now pick up one of those enduring classics--you know, that book that's been on the NYT Bestseller list for the last 300 years. Do the same thing: start reading it with finding literary sins as your sole purpose. How long does it take you?

So let me ask you this: have a few broken rules destroyed your ability to enjoy that favorite novel over and over? Have they dampened the success of that enduring classic?
At the end of the day, novel writing is an art, not a science, and what makes a great story is just that: a great story, not a perfect adherence to the rules of good fiction.
Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice, and Sherlock Holmes don't endure and remain popular because their authors followed all of the writing rules flawlessly. (Come to think about it, have you ever heard any work of fiction praised in the media for that reason?) They remain popular because they tell an epic, inspiring story, or because they speak a bold message to the culture, or because they challenge readers to think in new ways.

Once you know and understand the rules of writing, it is hard not to notice them in other people's writing. And I'll admit that once in a while a book does make it to publication that I simply can't stand to finish because the quality is so poor. It happens. But those cases are rare--almost as rare as the book that contains no mistakes of any kind whatsoever.

So chill out, Barney. Alright, so they broke Ordinance 4861 Section a.) Paragraph 3 of the Good Writing Technique Manual. But they told a great story, didn't they?

And isn't that what you read the book for in the first place?

The Book Apocalypse?

2011-10-04T01:00:00.003-05:00

Recently I was talking to a friend of mine about Falls the Shadow (if you have no idea what that is, Click Here) and told her that my co-authors and I had based the story on the premise of technology gradually phasing out first hard copy books, then written text all together. Very few people in our story world can actually read, because technology advanced so far that information could be downloaded directly into the human brain without them having to read and learn it themselves.
My friend then asked me a very interesting question: "Do you think that could happen for real? Could technology eventually replace hard copy books and make them completely obsolete?"
I was a little taken aback. To be honest, in spite of the hours I've spent working with my coauthors on Falls the Shadow, I'd never seriously considered the possibility of such a thing happening in the real world. I think it's a legitimate question, though, especially since the advent of the e-book. So here is my attempt at an answer.

Barring 1.) the Second Coming of Christ and 2.) another world war or natural cataclysm destroying the bulk of modern electronic technology, yes--I do think that technology will gradually make hard copy books completely obsolete.
New and better e-readers are being put on the market every time we turn around. The self-publishing world is exploding now that anyone can publish their own book electronically at virtually no cost. A book that would cost $14 or $15 in print can now be purchased electronically for only $2 or $3. If things continue at this rate, I think it's only a matter of time before hard copy books are a thing of the past.
But there are some things that have to happen before that can fully come to pass.

1.) The pre-ebook generation has to die out. A vast percentage of this generation has already joined the ranks of avid e-book users, but there will always be some (like myself) who simply can't come to terms with the idea of curling up in a chair next to the fire or stretching out in a hammock under a tree with a piece of electronic equipment. As more people switch to e-readers and more children are born into the e-book generation, though, the staunch hard-backers will become fewer and fewer.
2.) Bookstores will either close down completely or switch over to become strictly online stores as e-book sales drive them out of business.
3.) Schools, colleges, and universities will switch from hard copy textbooks to e-textbooks sooner or later. If the economy stays bad and schools keep suffering as a result, I'm betting it will be sooner.
4.) Public libraries will shut down due to a combination of lack of interest and lack of government funding.

Hard copy books will be around for many, many years to come, even if only in private collections, yard sales, flea markets, and antique book shops a few decades down the road. I don't think they're all going to vanish by 2020... or even 2030. So don't feel like you need to rush out and start feverishly buying up books before they disappear (although if you're like me, feverishly buying books is just a way of life : ).
Please don't get the idea that I am anti-ebook or anything like that. I think the e-book and e-reader are both great pieces of technology that have made reading 'cool' once again in society and might actually have some good influence on literacy statistics in our culture. I have nothing against e-books as a concept... they're just not for me.

In spite of everything, I daresay that even if hard copy books do become totally obsolete in the future, there will always be a few people who just have the bug--the bug that will only let them be satisfied with good old leather and paper and ink.
There will always be a mysterious few with a streak of something--of rebellion perhaps, or love of antiquity, or maybe just a strange kind of wisdom--running through their character, inexplicably urging them to collect and preserve something everyone else left by the wayside long ago.
And then what a story waits to be written about them!

Chapter 10 of Falls the Shadow!

2011-10-01T01:00:00.003-05:00

In Chapter 9, Maricossa made the decision to return to the library and try to buy or bargain for books. Now Libby is faced with a choice...

...and she responds with a challenge.

Learn the secret behind the title Falls the Shadow as two equally desperate minds engage in a duel of called bluffs and clashing desires that leaves only one question:

Deal or no deal?

Don't miss Chapter 10 of Falls the Shadow!

Violence in Christian Fiction

2011-09-30T01:00:00.003-05:00

To sort of follow up the "Arming Your Hero" series, I wanted to write a post about violence in Christian fiction. In the speculative genres, particularly fantasy, it is basically assumed that stories will contain violence, be it a sword fight, a fazer battle, storming a castle, or a good old-fashioned fist fight.
But as Christians, what should our approach to violence in fiction be? Readers, how much is too much? At what point should we put the book down? Writers, how should we handle violence when it comes up in our own stories?

The first real question is: When is violence biblically justified?
If you discuss this with enough people, it's only a matter of time until 'Thou shalt not kill' comes up. This is a relatively easy issue to handle with a quick explanation of the King James version's word choice. What they translated as 'kill' actually means 'murder' in the original Hebrew text.
If you haven't done it already, I would encourage you to study Old Testament law (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) and familiarize yourself with what it says about violence and killing.
Going into specific detail on the Bible's commands and accounts that revolve around violence would require a series of posts all its own, so for time's sake I'm going to base this post on the assumption that you all have at least a basic understanding of biblically justified killing and violence and are okay with the idea of violence in the real world as well as in fiction. (If this is not the case, leave a comment or email me with any questions you have.)

This brings us into the real issue I wanted to discuss in this post: What should a Christian writer's or reader's approach be to violence in fiction?
It is extremely important to understand that violence is very, very ugly. Over the last several decades books and movies have glamorized it into something exciting, dramatic, even artistic. You know the routine: the hero slays the dozen enemy warriors surrounding him while managing to sustain only superficial and cool-looking injuries himself, leaps onto his horse, swings the girl into the saddle behind him, rides to the arch-villain's stronghold, engages said villain in a deadly, several-minutes-long battle, slays arch-villain (sustaining another glamorous injury or two), kisses the girl, makes some profoundly witty remark, and the end credits roll. Hurrah.
Only that's not even close to what violence is really like. Real-life violence is unbelievably fast, bloody, terrifying, and horrific. A man doesn't just kill his attacker and carry on unscathed; even a perfectly justified killing has serious psychological effects on a person. A man who has been run through with a sword doesn't just cringe and crumple to the ground. Even a fight that doesn't end with a fatality often results in broken noses, missing teeth, black eyes, and more.
More recent titles in movies and literature have actually begun to show violence more realistically, but I don't see that trend as any better than the last one. Glamorized violence lulls people into a false perception of violence; realistic violence displayed as 'entertainment' inoculates people against the horror of what violence really is.
So as writers, we are faced with the task of finding a very delicate balance somewhere in the midst of all this. Where in the world do we start?
First of all, I want to make it clear that I don't have a problem with a fun, light-hearted work of fiction portraying violence in a somewhat goofy way (e.g. The dashing and witty hero makes an incredibly clever remark and all the oafish bad guys stand there dumbfounded while he renders them unconscious with a rolling pin.). With a book or movie of that nature, people understand that it's not supposed to be serious or realistic; it's fun and entertaining for the sole purpose of being fun and entertaining, and I have no problem at all with that as long as it's done in a clean and tasteful way.
But when you get into the heavier fiction, fiction intended to be taken seriously, violence becomes a much more complicated issue.
We don't want to commit the error of glamorizing violence. At the same time, though, we don't want to carry realism too far. A normal person does not enjoy seeing or reading about extremely realistic or gory violence, and we don't want to ruin their enjoyment of a story with our quest to achieve literary realism. (Besides which, a normal person probably isn't going to enjoy writing about excessively realistic violence, either.)
So where do we draw the line? How much realism is too much?
Honestly, I don't have a concrete answer or a step-by-step formula for dealing with violence in fiction. No two fights or battles are alike, and the scenarios surrounding them aren't alike either. Readers and writers have to use their own judgment in making decisions on what to read and what to write and where lines should be drawn.
In my own writing there are a lot of battles as well as fights on a smaller scale. My standard approach is to tell what happened ("He fell to the floor with a knife in his chest...", "blood poured from a cut on his face...", etc.) and leave it at that. If a character dies a violent death, I say enough to let the reader know what happens, but I do it in a relatively vague way that allows them to understand what's going on without having to read (and thereby 'see') all the gruesome and gory details. They can choose to fill in more detail (or not) with their own imagination. The way I see it, this allows me to tell the story without having to write bloody and unpleasant descriptions, as well as allowing the reader to read the story without having to read more detail than they want to.
One thing I make it a point to keep in mind when writing violent scenes is that violence is not something to be taken lightly. Ever. I'm not talking about a goofy bop on the head or a shove off the dock and into the pond; I'm talking about serious fiction. With fiction we do have some leeway to work with (simply because it is fiction and people don't read fiction expecting everything to be realistic), but as Christian writers it is still something we need to take seriously and consider carefully.
Society's persistently flippant view and portrayal of violence has greatly influenced individuals' perspectives of it--even Christians' perspectives. But maybe, if a generation of Christian writers would commit to portraying violence in a godly way--as something very serious that can't be taken lightly--we could begin to open their eyes and change those perspectives.

I think it's worth a try.

New Short Story Published

2011-09-28T12:42:00.004-05:00

Hey all, I have a new short story, "Spark of Hope" available to read on Avenir Eclectia. If you've been following my stories there at all, you'll definitely want to catch this one. It could be a real plot changer! While you're there, be sure to read up on all the great stories from the other writers too. The world of AE is growing and expanding all the time, and it's a blast to follow the progress of all the different story lines. Be sure to leave comments--I'm sure I'm not the only writer who loves getting feedback on my work. : )

Arming Your Hero - Part 8

2011-09-26T01:00:00.003-05:00

Here is the final installment in the 'Arming Your Hero' series... for now, at least. My brother James is hounding me to do a related series on sci-fi weaponry, but in my opinion that is just way too broad of a topic (especially since James doesn't even write). If sci-fi weaponry is something you would be interested in seeing here at the Lair, though, leave a comment and let me know.

Now then, down to business: arming your hero--as in, putting armor on him.

I'm not going to go into piece-by-piece detail on parts of armor and kinds of armor--that could be a post series by itself. Mainly, I just want to cover a few issues, misconceptions, and ideas about armor, wearing it, and using it.
A lot of people have the idea that a knight wearing armor had to be lifted onto his horse with a crane, or some such notion, because the armor was so heavy he couldn't mount a horse by himself. I understand how that idea could come about--after all, armor is heavy, true enough.
But a.) if the knight's armor is so heavy that he can't get onto the horse, chances are even a warhorse isn't going to be able to carry him any significant distance at any significant speed, and b.) if his armor is so awkward that he can't mount a horse, how is he supposed to be any use fighting?
Armor was heavy--very heavy. A normal suit of war armor weighed between 70 an 90 pounds. Jousting armor, which was designed to take hard hits, was heavier--90 to 100 pounds or more. So knights trained long and hard for wearing it and carrying all that extra weight. Even before he could become a knight, a squire went through arduous physical training to learn to function and fight in armor. It's really no different than what our armed forces do today. An American soldier in the Middle East today is carrying roughly 100 pounds of body armor and equipment, and he can still run, jump, fight, and work.
Furthermore, armor was fitted to the individual knight and designed to allow the most flexibility and agility possible. The armor was jointed where the knight was jointed, and fitted to match his particular body shape. So it's not as if he was a hermit crab who just squeezed into some random shell and ran with it. His armor was made for him and fit accordingly.
This also speaks to the incorrect idea that, if a knight was unhorsed, he was as good as dead. Certainly he was much more vulnerable on the ground than on his horse, but if he is trained to fight in full armor, he still stands a chance.

Your hero has options when it comes to how heavily and thoroughly armored he wants to be. If he's riding into battle he may want to suit up and go in full armor, but if he's a scout, or a bodyguard, or whatever, he may only want a piece or two--or none at all. Remember, armor isn't only the solid metal part. Your hero could wear chain mail, or leather, both of which were often used as layers of padding and extra protection under the outer armor. Or he could wear just an essential piece or two of armor, like the curaiss and pauldrons to protect his torso and shoulders, or greaves and vambraces to protect his arms and legs.
By the way, if you don't know the parts of armor and need to find out, I would advise you do a Google search or stop by the library to learn more. As I said before, there is way too much information on the subject to put in a single blog post, but you can get some great ideas as well as info if you do some reading on the development, history, and different styles of armor.
You'll also want to keep in mind that armor is very expensive. Not only is it a lot of work to make, but it has to be made to-order every time. So, depending on his financial situation, your hero may or may not be able to afford a full set.

That about wraps it up for the Arming Your Hero series. I've had a ton of fun writing these posts, and I've even learned a lot myself in researching the weapons we've talked about. I hope all of you have enjoyed it as much as I have. Be sure to stick around the Lair; as always, I have a lot of big plans for upcoming posts!

Any thoughts you have on armor? Anything in particular you'd like to see discussed or spotlighted here at the Lair?

Arming Your Hero - Part 7

2011-09-23T01:00:00.003-05:00

In this installment of the 'Arming Your Hero' series, we'll be looking at war machines and siege weapons. While they don't often have prominent roles in fantasy stories, these weapons are an important part of medieval-style warfare that writers should have at least a working knowledge of. If your hero is commanding an army that's laying siege to a castle, fortress, or city, they may want to use one or more of these weapons. Or, if your hero is the one being besieged, here's what he can probably expect to encounter.

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This is a battering ram--probably the most well-known siege weapon in existence. The ram itself was made from a large tree trunk fitted with a metal head on one end and usually reinforced all along its length with thick metal bands. The head was most often flat on the end, which enabled it to crack stone walls with blunt force. A pointed head (like the one pictured above) was more likely to get stuck if driven into a wall. The tree trunk itself was suspended from the top of the battering ram's frame by ropes or, more often, chains. This enabled soldiers to swing it back and forth, building momentum as they pounded it into walls, gates, or doors. The roof of the battering ram (called the Penthouse) was extremely important. The soldiers inside had to be protected from arrows, spears, rocks, boiling oil, fire, or whatever else the besieged forces had to throw at them. Many times the penthouse was protected by shields overlapping like scales, as pictured above. Often, however, it was only covered by planks of wood, or even just cow hides.

This is a type of catapult known as a mangonel. The design goes as far back as ancient Rome, but the catapult was still being used well into the Middle Ages. Using a tension pulley system, the catapult could launch projectiles over castle or fortress walls, or just fling them into oncoming enemy ranks--up to 1,300 feet away. Projectiles were usually rocks or flaming materials, although in some cases where a siege was particularly long and drawn out, a besieging army would throw dead animal carcasses or even human bodies over the walls to spread disease among the enemy (and produce some extremely negative psychological effects as well). One problem with the catapult design was that it had the potential to 'beat itself to death', so to speak. When the tension holding the arm down was released, the arm flew up at a high rate of speed and slammed into the cross bar at the top of the machine. The impact of the collision launched the projectiles incredible distances, but after a while it could be hard on the structure.

This is a trebuchet. It may well be the most ancient siege weapon design in existence, believed by some to have been invented in China as early as 300 B.C. The earliest trebuchets were called traction trebuchets, and used manpower to pull the arm down and launch the projectile. Traction trebuchets were later replaced by more advanced counterpoise trebuchets, which used a counterweight on the short end of the arm to propel the ammunition. The weapon pictured here is a counterpoise trebuchet. Trebuchets had their downside--it took a great deal of time, precision, and mathematical know-how to build one--but their amazingly accurate aim and power made them worth it. A good trebuchet could throw a 200 pound stone up to 300 yards, and a skilled trebuchet team could launch as many as 2,000 stones at the enemy in a single day. Needless to say, if you want to reduce a city, fortress, castle, or anything else to nothing but rubble, a trebuchet is probably the place to start.

This is a siege tower. It looks like heavy-duty scaffolding, and that's essentially what it is. When the terrain permitted, an army would sometimes wheel a siege tower up to the walls of the castle or fort they were besieging and send their soldiers up to the top, where they could then run out on top of the castle walls and get inside. Many siege towers had a drawbridge-type door that opened onto the top of the wall, providing a ramp the soldiers could walk across. Siege towers could be made in an open design, like the one pictured here, or they could be enclosed and armored. The trouble with siege towers was that they were slow, difficult to maneuver, easy to burn down, and if one was rolled up to your castle's wall you knew exactly where the soldiers would be making their entrance. I suppose if you had enough of them, though, you could simply overwhelm the enemy with numbers.

Another weapon that was invaluable during a siege was a ballista. The ballista was basically a giant crossbow that launched enormous arrows or darts hundreds of yards. The arrows were wooden, but covered in a layer of iron; one arrow launched from a ballista could rip through several soldiers at a time.

It's important to note that siege weapons were most always manufactured on an as-needed basis. Kings and generals didn't keep a supply of the on hand in case they suddenly needed to besiege someone. Siege weapons were heavy and slow, making transport over long distances and/or rough terrain virtually impossible. So war machines were usually constructed for a specific situation.

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Do you use siege weapons in your writing? Which war machines do you think would be most effective?

Interview with Sarah Sawyer

2011-09-20T01:00:00.005-05:00

I'm delighted to be able to welcome author Sarah Sawyer, a writer of Christian fantasy, to the Lair for an author-to-author talk. This will be a long post, but I had a great time chatting with Sarah and I'm excited to be sharing our conversation here at the Lair.

So, Sarah, how long have you been writing? What got you started?

As a child, I loved reading, and I loved inventing stories and story worlds. I can’t remember a time when fictional characters and situations weren’t floating through my mind. A few of these early tales made their way onto paper in some form, but they mostly existed in my imagination. In time, it became natural to consider actually recording them, and I sat down to write my first novel at sixteen. Now, I can’t imagine not writing.

Did you start off in the fantasy genre, or come to it later?
From the time I was a young child and my dad read me the Chronicles of Narnia, fantasy was the genre closest to my heart. However, the first two books I wrote were historical fiction—I was fascinated by certain eras of history, and the stories naturally fit with those time periods. I still enjoy historical fiction—like fantasy, it imparts a sense of exploring another world and immerses you in a different time and place. Yet when I wrote my first fantasy novel, I knew I had found my writing passion. At this time, I don’t see myself writing other genres. There’s so much variety in the world of speculative fiction, so much freedom for the imagination to roam, and so much room to explore the spiritual element (which is important to me).

What can you tell us about your current project?
Currently, I’m rewriting and editing the first book in an epic fantasy trilogy, tentatively titled Strong as Death. Giving any kind of short description is difficult because it necessitates leaving out so much of the story, but this is my working blurb:

For centuries, the Amroth desert has remained untouched by outsiders. But when a brutal enemy invades without warning, destroying villages and then vanishing into the rocky cliffs, terror sweeps the land.

In the wake of the devastation, Liana Aieul must lead the few survivors of her village to their one hope of safety: a mystical hidden refuge that may not even exist.

Pursued by an unstoppable foe and plagued by her own self-doubt, she must unravel the mystery of her past and her future in time to reach refuge. If she fails, they will join the dead.

Is there any kind of pattern to how you get your ideas, or is it different every time?
While there isn’t any one way I get ideas, I do have certain creative patterns. Old bits of myth and lore, ancient cultures, and unusual real-life accounts often spark ideas. I also find that music, times of prayer and worship, or quiet walks waken creativity. In addition, I tend to dream in story, and I’ve found a number of intriguing concepts that way—it’s amazing what the mind can invent in slumber. Then there are the ideas that come seemingly from nowhere, unfolding when I’m doing dishes, driving down the road, or taking care of some other mundane task. There’s a wealth of inspiration out there!

When you get a new story idea, do you immediately sit down and start brainstorming, or do you wait and let it grow for a while first?
When I get a story idea, I immediately write down everything that I know about the story in MacJournal. Often during that process, I wind up doing some informal brainstorming, and the general concept begins to take on form. It may be a few paragraphs, a few pages, or more. Regardless, after I’ve written it down, the concept simmers in my mind for an extended time, and I try to keep a record of everything that comes to me, even if I don’t end up using certain elements in the future. I usually only sit down and intentionally brainstorm when I’m fairly certain that I’m going to use the idea for a book.

Do you prefer brainstorming with a blank Word document, or with pen and paper?
As I mentioned, I start with the basic concept in MacJournal (which allows division into folders and individual files), but if I begin to suspect I will turn the concept into a book, I transition to Scrivener. I can type a great deal faster than I write, which is helpful to keep up with the flow of ideas in the brainstorming stage, plus the software helps me keep it organized for future reference, as opposed to stacks of paper that will later require sorting through. So for me, using the computer is a given. Especially with my most recent project, I’ve found organization of my brainstorming and notes to be vital and having everything digital from the beginning has helped that process.

A lot of 'experts' say that writers should keep a journal in order to stay in the habit of writing every day. Do you do this?
I do keep a journal, and write in it almost daily. I use it for reflection on life, working through thoughts and feelings, and as a way to dialogue with God, so it’s not something I do for the writing experience, but because it helps me process life.

What's the best piece of writing advice anyone has ever given you?
While this wasn’t advice given directly to me, I think William Wordsworth’s instruction to “fill your paper with the breathings of your heart” can benefit all writers.

Alright, time for the fun questions! What is your favorite fantasy creature?
There are so many fascinating creatures of lore, but if I had to choose one, I’d probably say Pegasus. A horse with the ability to fly would be quite a boon when it came to adventuring, not to mention an entertaining companion.

In your opinion, who is the best character you've ever written, and what do you love about him/her?
Wow, that’s a tough question. All my characters have a place in my heart, so I’ll just tell you a little about why I love my current protagonist. She perseveres in the midst of the worst circumstances, and despite her flaws and doubts, she’s committed to doing what she believes is right. Her inner strength is beautiful, and though she doesn’t see it yet, it’s ultimately what gives her people a chance for survival. Lest I sound like an overzealous author, I’ll leave it at that!

If one of your stories was made into a blockbuster movie (and you could be there to ensure they did it just right), which story would you want it to be and why?

Again, it’s hard to choose one. I’d probably say Strong as Death, in part because it’s the story freshest in my mind. Its epic scope would lend itself well to film, and I would love to see the story world—parts beautiful and parts grim—come to life.

Last question: it's pretty much an accepted fact that we writers are kind of... well, strange. I know I've been known to do some crazy things when I get a new idea. So what's the strangest 'writer thing' you've ever done?

Aside from the flow of laughter or tears while writing emotional scenes or the sudden leaps from bed in the middle of the night when struck by an idea or the housework completed while muttering character dialogue, I really don't do anything strange.

Well said! : ) Thanks so much, Sarah, for sharing with everyone here at the Lair, and for letting me barge into your world and ask so many questions! I had a great time talking with you.

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If you're interested in keeping tabs on Sarah's thoughts and writing, visit her gorgeous website and/or her blog. She has some great thoughts on Christian speculative fiction and story elements, and a great store of intriguing thoughts, facts, and ideas about mythology, folklore, fairytales, fantastic creatures, and more. It's well worth checking out.

Arming Your Hero - Part 6

2011-09-19T01:00:00.002-05:00

This post highlights a category of weapons known as 'bludgeoning weapons'. While there's nothing pretty about the violent use of weapons of any kind, this category of weapons presents a particularly gruesome side of it.

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This is a flail. I often hear people referring to it as a mace, but that is incorrect. The confusion probably stems from a variation of the flail, known as a chain mace. The flail was used by foot soldiers and knights alike (although flails carried by knights were usually smaller) and was an excellent weapon to use against armored soldiers. The chains created an enormous amount of momentum when swung by the user, allowing the heavy, spiked metal balls on the ends to damage armor (making unearthly amounts of noise in doing so) and cause severe injuries.
While it may be effective as a weapon for a skilled user, personally I just don't look at this weapon and think 'Wow, what a good idea'. It's a formidable offensive weapon, but you couldn't use it for defensive purposes, and frankly I foresee me hurting myself with this weapon more than I see me hurting the enemy. It would be great for the intimidation factor if used by a villain, though!

This is a mace. In the Middle Ages it was cheap and simple to make, which contributed greatly to its popularity. A mace's handle or shaft could be from 1 to 5 feet long and made of wood or metal, and the head could be made of wood or stone. Also known as a flanged mace, this weapon had a knobbed or spiked head that made it brutal in close combat, even against heavy armor. It's certainly not an elegant weapon--personally I see it as just a glorified club--but, to each their own.

This is a war hammer. The one in this picture is somewhat stylized; most war hammers were very basic and straightforward in their design, and their spikes were curved, enabling the bearer to grab at the edges of armor or hook horses' reins and pull them away from the rider. And of course the hammer head itself could deliver a powerful blow and deadly injuries.

What are your thoughts on bludgeoning weapons and the more gritty, ruthless side of combat that seems to go with them?

Arming Your Hero - Part 5

2011-09-16T01:00:00.003-05:00

Polearms get the spotlight this time! While you probably won't have your hero questing around through his grand adventures carrying a 14-foot pike, many fantasy stories involve armies--and armies need to be armed too. So this post features some great weapons to issue your troops, as well as some you could give to individual characters if you wanted to. Enjoy!

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This is a halberd, which is essentially a pike with an axe head added to it. Pikes and halberds were the weapons of choice for combating knights on horseback. Both weapons had shafts (usually made of wood) that were between 10 and 14 feet long. Needless to say, the length made them useless in close combat, so pikemen always carried a sword and dagger with them in case they had to fight a horseless knight on foot. The horse could be as much of a target for pikemen as the knight riding the horse was; without his horse, a heavily armored knight was practically helpless.

The spear is one of the oldest styles of weapons we know of, and it's versatile too. It could be used for hunting or fighting, and could be thrown or thrust. This particular picture is of an Angon--a 6-foot spear used during the middle ages, but based off of an ancient Roman design. Javelins, lances, and even modern bayonets are all variations on the spear concept and theme.

This is a poleaxe, or battle axe. Like the pike and halberd, it was most commonly used against armored knights on horseback. The shaft was relatively short--only 4 or 5 feet, usually. A poleaxe was capable of cutting through armor or severing an opponent's limbs. As in the case of the pike, axe men carried smaller weapons such as swords and daggers with them in case they had to fight in close quarters. The battle axe is a weapon that works well for arming your literary forces en masse, but it would make a great primary weapon for a hero or arch-villain too.

The polearm category is a broad one with many styles and variations of weapons falling inside its brackets. I've featured the main ones, but someone willing to do a little research or use their imagination could easily turn up many more styles and applications. So have fun with them and don't be afraid to make them your own!

The next installation of Arming Your Hero will feature bludgeoning weapons. Be sure not to miss it; you never know when your characters might need to bludgeon someone. : )

Chapter Nine of Falls the Shadow

2011-09-15T01:00:00.001-05:00

Prepare for intrigue and mystery as Maricossa provides a deeper look into the lavish and deadly world of Shandor Rei's upper crust--the world of the White Tiger.

As one of the White Tiger's best operatives, Maricossa is assigned to gather intel on possible resistance pockets and rebel groups within the Forgotten Sector.
Libby, the kids, and the library have not escaped his notice.
Now he has to decide whether to turn them in to Sergei, the White Tiger's Commander in Chief, or to keep their existence a secret... and put his own plans for them into action.

Click Here to read Chapter Nine.

Arming Your Hero - Part 4

2011-09-12T01:00:00.005-05:00

If you want to venture outside the traditional realm of swords and knives to arm your hero, a bow and arrows are a good place to start. Bows seem to be popular among elves in fantasy fiction, but they would be handy for anyone with the skill to use them effectively. The downside to archery is that it has a limited number of practical applications. It can't be used in close, hand-to-hand combat, and of course your character will be limited by the number of arrows they can carry. In the right setting, though, a skillfully-wielded bow is a deadly force to be reckoned with.
So here is a lineup of basic bow styles writers can choose from. Enjoy!

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This is just a basic plain bow, sometimes called a self bow. It has anywhere from a 40- to an 80-pound draw, and a relatively short range--usually from 10 to 50 yards. It can be made out of wood alone, or a combination of wood and horn.

This is an English longbow. Longbows are usually as tall as, and sometimes taller than, the archer, and have excellent range (well in excess of 200 yards). They have anywhere from a 60- to a 200-pound draw and can puncture armor at up to 250 yards.

This, of course, is a crossbow. Rather than a traditional broad-head arrow, the crossbow launches a bolt--a heavy arrow with a square point on the end. It has a range in excess of 200 yards, and can puncture several layers of armor at up to 200 yards, making it a highly formidable weapon.
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It's important to take pull strength into consideration when deciding to arm one of your characters with a bow. For instance, if the character in question is a girl, arming her with a longbow that has a 200-pound draw might not be the best idea in the world. (And don't think you can get away with it and nobody will notice. Even if it slips past your editors and publishers, a reader--probably more than one--will notice and say something.)
One erroneous idea that has been promoted through books and movies is the concept of carrying your bow across your back with the string across your chest. Whoever came up with that idea had never done it--it is outrageously uncomfortable, and hard on the bow string to boot. So don't go off half-cocked. Do your research and make sure you're not writing something that's totally inaccurate.
But after that, have fun! They may not be appropriate for every character and every circumstance, but bows and arrows still have a lot to offer your fictional characters' armory.

Do you use bows often in your fiction? What's your favorite bow style?

Arming Your Hero - Part 3

2011-09-08T01:00:00.002-05:00

Swords are amazing and fabulous, no doubt about it, but they don't make a fully armed hero, and they aren't ideal in every situation. They're difficult and time-consuming to make, expensive to purchase, heavy to lift, and hard to conceal. If your character gets attacked in a tiny alley barely wide enough to walk through, a sword isn't going to be very helpful. If he's trekking through the wilderness and kills a rabbit to eat, a sword is just slightly overkill (and extremely difficult to use as a skinning knife). Plus a sword could break, get stolen, or get knocked out of his hands. Then where would your swashbuckling hero be?
Obviously, he needs a backup or alternative plan, and a smaller knife may be just the thing. So here are some common kinds of smaller blades you just might want to slip into your hero's arsenal.

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This, of course, is a dagger--probably the most common small weapon used in fantasy fiction. It's popular for a reason; it's small enough to conceal under a cloak or tunic, but it's still effective. And for a word nerd like me, what's not to love about something with a name as dramatic as 'dagger'?

These are throwing knives. If your hero is facing multiple assailants or wants to take down that 12-foot troll before it gets close enough to pulverize him, a few well-aimed throwing knives could be very handy. Notice that I said 'a few'. A fantasy hero carrying only one throwing knife is something like a wild-west cowboy carrying only one bullet. What if the opponent doesn't go down after the first shot (or throw)? And of course, there's always the chance that he could miss, so it's better to be prepared.

These are throwing stars. The concept is basically the same as that of a throwing knife--helpful if you're facing multiple attackers, and perfect for getting the attacker before he gets you. Some of the characters in my WiP use throwing stars, but I've never read a published book where they come into play. I don't really know why no one uses them, because I think they have a lot of cool potential.

Here is a dirk. Historically, it was most commonly used by the Vikings and ancient Scottish clans. Perhaps that's why, for me at least, the dirk has a sort of ancient, legendary connotation. It's versatile enough to be used in any number of different settings, though.

And here, last but not least, is a hunting knife. It can certainly be used in self-defense if need be, but basically it's just something every prepared and savvy hero should have at least nearby, if not on his person. Whether he needs to kill, skin, and butcher an animal to eat, slice a piece of bread or cheese, or clean his fingernails, the hunting knife makes a great all-around tool to have on hand.
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What's your favorite small weapon? What is your hero's backup weapon of choice?

New Short Story Published!

2011-09-06T10:48:00.002-05:00

Hey, all! For anyone who's interested, I have a new short story, "Communiqué," just published on Avenir Eclectia. Click Here to read the newest installment of Celeste's and Celia's story.

If you haven't read my other stories on Avenir Eclectia but you'd like to check them out, Click Here. Be sure to give me your feedback--I love hearing from my readers! And while you're there, browse around and check out all the stories on the site. There are a lot of very talented writers there, offering a lot of really great stories.

The next post in my "Arming Your Hero" series will be here soon, so be sure to stick around. Meanwhile, carry on and write well!

Arming Your Hero - Part 2

2011-09-05T01:00:00.006-05:00

Every great hero of fantasy fiction needs to be well armed, right? And, if you're writing fantasy fiction, the most popular weapon of choice is a sword.
But of course, 'sword' is a very broad and rather vague word, and every great character needs a weapon that compliments their own personality and style. (Would Aragorn be half so Aragorn-ish if he carried a rapier rather than Narsil? What would Peter Pevensie be without the sword given to him by Father Christmas?)
There are many different kinds of swords out there, though. So with that in mind, I've put together a list--a showcase, if you will--of the basic styles of swords, to help you fantasy writers out there figure out just exactly what it is your hero (or any other armed character) is carrying. Enjoy!

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This is a broadsword--your most basic, straightforward sword design. It can come in variations of one-hand, hand-and-a-half, and two-hand design, and the hilt and crosstree can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, so there is a lot of flexibility to work with here.

This is a scimitar. It was the weapon-of-choice for the Turks during the crusades, and probably due to that fact, it often brings to mind images of sheiks and desert nomads (or the Calormen army running around and harassing Narnia).

Here is a rapier. The picture probably has you thinking of The Three Musketeers or A Tale of Two Cities, and rightfully so. The rapier was used historically in private duels, but played its role in warfare as well. It also made a classic appearance in fantasy fiction in The Princess Bride.

These are butterfly swords--one of my favorite weapons. I love them for their totally distinctive look, but one of the coolest facts about them is that they belong in sets of two; the inside of the grips are flat so that the swords 'nest' together in a single scabbard (talk about a recipe for trailer moments!).

This is a cutlass, a favorite of eighteenth-century pirates and Civil War cavalrymen alike. But I think the cutlass has a lot to offer in a fantasy setting as well. It has a sort of 'gritty' look to it, I think, but you could also dress it up and stylize it--give it more of a saber look--for use in more formal settings.
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I hope y'all enjoyed this post, but even more so, I hope it will be helpful to you as you're building and developing your fantasy worlds and the armies and fighters who inhabit them. There's more to come; in Arming Your Hero Part 2 I'll be showcasing smaller knives used in hand-to-hand combat.
In the meantime: What's your favorite type of sword? What kind do the characters in your fantasy stories use?

Arming Your Hero - Part 1

2011-09-02T01:00:00.005-05:00

A great deal of the time, especially in fantasy fiction, weapons are very important to a story. Whether a particular weapon is the key to the hero becoming the hero, or the hero just happens to use weapons throughout his adventures, the point is the same: the average fantasy hero needs to be well-armed, and as the writer it's your job to arm him.
So where do you start? Is it enough to just hand your character a sword and send him on his merry, swashbuckling way?
Not really.
Personally, I've found that a character's personality and mindset have a great deal of influence on the type and number of weapons he carries. For this reason, I include questions about weapons in every character sketch I write. Here are some of the things I like to take into consideration:

What is the character's motivation for carrying a weapon? Is he a 'professional warrior' type (such as a soldier, knight, or bodyguard) for whom carrying a weapon is just part of the job? Is he a business man who keeps a weapon on hand simply to protect the security of his establishment?

What is the character's mindset about using his weapon(s)? Is he a bodyguard who will use his sword at the first sign of a threat to his charge? Or is he more likely to draw his weapon and hope that the sight of it will have the desired effect so he doesn't actually have to use it? Is the use of weapons his first response or his last resort?

Is there a certain effect your character is trying to achieve with his weapon choice? Is he all about practicality, or does he go in for the look of the thing too? This question works particularly well for arming the villain of your story. Does he want a weapon with swift, silent deadliness, or does he want to make a show and work off of the intimidation factor?

How much training does the character have with his weapon? Is he a knight who trains for hours every day, or a farmer who is content just knowing he has a weapon on hand?

Does backstory play a part in the weapon(s) your character carries? Is his sword one that's been in his family for generations? Does the weapon have a story of its own? Is your character's mindset about weapons affected by his backstory? Is he intimidated by weapons because his family was killed when he was a child, or is he motivated to have a weapon at all times because his family was caught unarmed and murdered?

Learning the answers to these questions will help you figure out how many and what kind of weapons your character carries. For instance, a farmer who only carries a weapon in case he happens to come across a venomous snake or wild dog probably won't be carrying a sword belt or battle axe while plowing the field. A professional fighter like a soldier or knight will probably have more of a combat preparedness mindset and carry more than one weapon.
When it comes down to choosing the right weapon for your character, though, there are dozens of options, and it's an important decision. In the end you very well may decide to stick with a basic, nondescript sword. On the other hand, though, you just might want to go in for something a little different. So in the next few posts, I'm going to be showcasing and discussing different types of weapons you may be familiar with, or perhaps weapons you've never even heard of.
Feel free to join in the conversations--that's what the comment box is for!

Meanwhile: How do you choose a character's weapons?

I'm back!

2011-09-01T01:00:00.002-05:00

Well, I've returned from my little summer's end sabbatical, and you've probably already guessed: we're kicking off September with a new chapter of Falls the Shadow.

After a frustrating argument with the Professor, Skylar heads off into the forgotten sector to blow off some steam. In the process he makes an astounding discovery that could change his entire life.

Don't miss one link in the exciting chain of events taking place in the shadowy world of Shandor Rei.

Click Here to read Chapter Eight, and of course be sure to stick around here at the Lair for everything coming up!

Summer's End

2011-08-24T11:33:00.004-05:00

For students and teachers, it's 'back to school'. For allergy sufferers, the Ragweed Wars have begun. For those who believe in planning ahead, it's time to start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas. For knitters, seamstresses, and other fashionistas, it's time to start on those gorgeous fall projects and outfits. For writers, it's time to start thinking about NaNoWriMo (cue ominous music).
For me, being self-employed and not enrolled in any school, the end of summer doesn't mean a big change in schedule or activities (aside from the beginning of the orchestra season). But I do like to use it as a time to regroup, rethink, clear the clutter out of my schedule and to-do lists, basically just step back and breathe for a moment.
For that very reason, my blog has been somewhat neglected for the last couple of weeks, as I'm sure you've noticed. I've been busy finishing up miscellaneous projects I've procrastinated over long enough, reorganizing my music teaching schedule, fighting off a nasty summer cold/allergies, outlining my plan of attack for writing projects this fall and winter, and yes, making plans for blogging over the next several months.

I'm still going to be taking a break from blogging for the next week--as chaotic as my life tends to be, I need all the organizing and planning time I can get. : ) But don't worry; I haven't forgotten about all my loyal readers and followers, and on September 1 things here at the Lair will be back up and running full speed as we move into a busy new season. I'll still be focusing a lot of my blog posts on issues unique to speculative fiction and those who write it, of course, but I also have some exciting things in the works for taking a look at other fun aspects of fiction, as well as chats with writers about 'The Writing Life'.
So don't worry--the blogging sabbatical I've been on is only temporary, and I'll be back soon. So enjoy the end of your summer, everyone, and be sure to stick around for when things here at the Lair get lively on September 1!

~ Mary Ruth

Chapter Seven of Falls the Shadow

2011-08-15T01:00:00.003-05:00

If you've been following the action over at The Lost Scribes, you know what today is: the fifteenth of the month, and time for a new chapter of Falls the Shadow!

Last time, Maricossa walked into a trap and discovered a ragged band of scared children and a stash of hidden books in the process.
Now Libby, Hamlet, and the gang try to deal with the stranger's intrusion... and hope it was an isolated event.

Click Here to read the new chapter!

~*~*~*~*~*~

On the other hand, if you're just 'tuning in' and don't know what The Lost Scribes and Falls the Shadow are all about, why just head on over to www.lostscribes.blogspot.com and check it out.
The Lost Scribes are three Christian writer friends who got together and decided they wanted to explore the steampunk genre. Falls the Shadow is the story that was born out of their ideas. A little bit sci-fi, a little bit futuristic, a little bit alternate history, and a whole lot steampunk, Falls the Shadow is truly a literary experiment like no other.
Curious? Then Click Here to read the prologue and experience the story from the very beginning.

Are the lines between speculative genres becoming blurred?

2011-08-12T01:00:00.002-05:00

Lately the speculative genres of fiction are growing a great deal in popularity. So, with competition on the rise, spec-fic writers are all trying to make their own contributions distinct, unique, and original. Experimentation is a natural first step on a quest for originality.
The result? New genres and sub-genres of speculative fiction are making their debut and getting a pretty good reception. Writers are looking at established concepts with completely new perspectives and new approaches. And they're beginning to experiment with crossing and combining different genres.
My friend Heather has started introducing steampunk concepts into some of her fantasy stories. My own fantasy WiP has some sci-fi-like concepts in it regarding the story world's technology and scientific developments. Falls the Shadow, a multi-author novel I am privileged to be a part of, fits into the steampunk, science fiction, alternate history, and futuristic genres, all with no trouble.

So what does this mean for speculative fiction as a whole? Are the lines between genres blurring? Is this a bad thing?

Readers, what do you think about this trend? Do you think it will make it harder to find a book you want to read if there is one particular speculative genre you like and one you don't?

Writers, what do you think? Have you experimented with crossing genres in any of your writing?

Book Trailers

2011-08-08T01:00:00.003-05:00

I absolutely love watching movie trailers. Even if I've already seen the movie, I'll watch its trailer just for fun.
With the relatively new trend of book trailers getting underway, though, trailers may have moved up a notch or two on the significance scale for writers.
I'm not saying you should be pouring time and effort and finances into producing a trailer for your book at this moment. Several publishing houses have started adding professionally-produced trailers into their marketing strategies, and I know of at least a couple of organizations that specialize in producing book trailers for writers. Until the publishing process is solidly underway for you (as in, the papers are signed and it's time for some serious and specific marketing), focus on the writing itself, building your platform, and establishing a fan base, not on making a trailer. When it is time to think about a trailer, your editor, publisher, or agent can help and advise you.

All that being said, in the meantime it sure is fun to think about those fabulous 'trailer moments' in your writing, isn't it? And there's a lot to be learned about what makes a good trailer just by watching big-budget movie trailers.
My all-time favorite movie trailer has got to be the one for The Hunt for Red October. Even though I've seen the movie itself multiple times, watching the trailer still makes me think "Oh wow, I have got to watch that movie!" Two of the best 'trailer moments' ever (in my humble opinion): the shot of the submarine rocketing out of the water, and the close-up of Captain Mancuso saying "I'm gonna blow him right to Mars."
The trailer as a whole could be a textbook on how to make a good trailer. It has a good balance of dialogue shots (giving the viewer some idea of what the story is about and who the main characters will be), voice-over (adding intrigue and filling in any problematic gaps in the viewer's understanding of the story's setup), action shots (for excitement and drama), and a few choice scenes and snippets to raise questions, confuse the viewers, and make them want answers (i.e. see the movie).
Those are the same qualifications a good book trailer should meet too. I've seen book trailers that explain the book's basic premise, but don't give any idea of who the main characters will be or of what the specific plot will be about. I've seen book trailers that explain who the characters will be and what the storyline is about, but don't intrigue me, leave me with questions, or make me want more. I've seen book trailers that show lots of cool action shots, but don't give me any idea of what the plot is about. I don't think I have to explain why all of these are problems.
Remember, the whole point of a book trailer is to make the viewer want to read your book. Therefore, it should provide them with the information they need to decide whether your book is for them or not (Is this an action/adventure story or a calm, quiet love story? Is the main character's biggest struggle with a moral decision or a world-altering war? Is there a definite Christian theme here or not?). At the same time, it shouldn't give them so much information that they know what's going to happen and give them no reason to bother reading the book.
Finally, it should be exciting! Every good story has its 'trailer moments'. You know what I'm talking about--that scene or shot or moment in your story that just makes you break out in goose bumps and want to do a happy dance just because you're the one who wrote it.
In my current WiP, my favorite trailer moment is the moment when one of my characters (who has just escaped from the enemy and is running for his life) picks up a handful of sand and throws it back towards the enemy camp. As the grains of sand leave his hand, each one becomes a spark. The sparks flare into a firewall and cut off his pursuers, leaving him free to make his escape. Does that moment tell a reader or viewer anything essential about the nature of the story? Probably not. But it's a dramatic action shot that will build excitement and get a reader or viewer 'wound up' about the book. (And yes, when the time comes to start seriously thinking about making a trailer, I plan on making sure that shot goes in it.)

What are your thoughts on the book trailer trend? Do you have a favorite movie or book trailer?
Writers, what's the best 'trailer moment' you've ever written?

Movie Review: Battle Los Angeles

2011-08-05T01:00:00.001-05:00

As a general rule, I am not a fan of alien invasion movies. In my opinion they lost their originality a long time ago, so I really had no interest in seeing Battle Los Angeles. But alas, both my brothers saw it and loved it and drove me nuts until I agreed to watch it with them. So, since I had to watch it, I thought I might as well write a review. : )
In a lot of ways, Battle Los Angeles was no different than any other alien invasion movie--the aliens invade, thousands die and millions flee in terror, in come the heroes to try to save the day even though the odds seem hopeless, someone manages to discover the otherwise-invincible aliens' weak point and attack it at the last possible moment, and we win after all. Really nothing new to offer here. One unique aspect of it was that the movie didn't focus on the world-wide invasion. Rather, it was centered on the soldiers fighting to take Los Angeles, California back from alien control.
Quality-wise, it scored several points on my scale. The graphics were amazing. The large-scale shots were very well done, but the smaller pieces were very well done as well. Normally if only one character or item in a scene is a CGI (Computer Generated Image) and the rest is real, it sticks out pretty badly. Not so in this case. The alien monster in the back yard looked just as real as the fence it tripped over and the swimming pool it fell into.
Second, the soundtrack was excellent.
Third, the main plot and subplots of the story had better balance than many stories of this scale tend to. For instance, in the movie Signs, the subplot revolving around the main character's spiritual journey basically drowned out the main plot. Not so with Battle Los Angeles. The main plot (aliens invading to take over the world) was nicely balanced with the characters' personal struggles.
The language was a bit of a problem. It got pretty strong in several places, usually during intense combat sequences. And of course, there was quite a lot of violence, and an impromptu alien autopsy performed by a veterinarian in an attempt to learn their physical weaknesses.
The major disappointment for me, however, was the fact that they showed a shot of an entire airfield covered with parked A-10 Warthogs, but then never showed said A-10s in flight! (For those of you who may be wondering, the A-10 Warthog is an extremely cool fighter jet with which I am slightly infatuated. I know, I'm weird.)
On the whole, Battle Los Angeles was a decent movie as far as its genre goes. Not necessarily one I would want to watch again, but certainly the best alien invasion movie I've seen in a while.

Is your writing too flowery?

2011-08-03T01:00:00.003-05:00

"Now ain't that purdy? I don't know what it means, but it sure does sound elegant." ~Cap Rountree, from "The Sacketts"

"That's beautiful... no idea what you just said." ~Riley Poole, from "National Treasure"
*
Ever felt this way while reading? The words all sound so beautiful and rich, and they flow together so perfectly and elegantly... but you have absolutely no idea what the author or speaker is talking about? The meaning is lost in a flourish of fancy wording?
It doesn't happen too often in contemporary fiction any more, for a number of reasons. The average American's vocabulary is shrinking markedly, for one. And, with competition in the writing industry becoming more fierce all the time, writers have less room to get away with literary sins like using over-flowery language.
But in a lot of older fiction, and in much of the work of beginning writers today, flamboyant, flowery language abounds. And while it usually sounds gloriously elegant and beautifully crafted to the ear, a reader trying to follow the meaning of the words can find himself or herself frustrated, irritated, and confused.
So why use flowery, overwrought wording when clear, concise English would do just fine? Well, there's an answer for that, but it's rather complicated.
When it comes to older fiction, it's a tough call. The wording might truly be excessively fancy, or, depending on the age of the book, it might just be the product of a different era with a different and wider vocabulary. English has come a long way in the last 700 years, remember. Words and sentence structure that sound completely archaic and nonsensical to us today were just common household language four or five centuries ago.
As for today, though... well, that's another story.
There are lots of possible reason why a writer might use flowery language in their writing. They might be trying to sound intelligent and intellectual and think using fancy words will help them. They might be trying to paint a vibrant and dramatic word picture and using flamboyant wording is the only way they know to do it. They might be trying to make their prose seem strong and well-crafted when it's actually rather weak and uncertain. They might think it will impress editors looking for some skillful word-use.
I'll talk about each of these briefly in this post, but if anyone has any questions or comments to add, feel free. The comment box is there for a reason. ; )

Excuse #1: Trying to sound intellectual.
Bottom line: It's about what you have to say, not about how you say it. Any goober can learn a bunch of fancy words, affect a stuffy accent, and act like they're smarter than everyone else. The real intellectuals with something meaningful to say don't have to use fancy words to get their point across. The best communicators in the world get their messages across in clear, concise, understandable words that anyone can follow.

Excuse #2: Trying to paint a vibrant and dramatic picture.
Bottom line: I'm a writer, so I understand the need and the desire to paint dramatic pictures with words. It's part of what makes our writing interesting, right? Right. However, f what you're describing isn't really all that dramatic, no amount of flowery language will help that. For example: don't describe sunsets. Just don't, okay? Unless you're describing the strange effects a nuclear explosion is having on the appearance of the sunset, or your character has been blind his entire life and is miraculously able to witness a sunset for the first time, or something equally astounding, just save yourself the trouble and don't describe it (and that goes for sunrises too). The sun has been rising and setting every day for the last 6,000 years, which to comes to roughly 2,190,000 sunsets and sunrises since the dawn of time. No offense, but I doubt very seriously that you have anything original to say in describing it. Now, you speculative writers out there, if you're describing some new aspect of a fictional world you've created, and it's something the readers have never seen before, by all means describe it for them! But don't think you need flowery language to do it. If you're describing something new, original, interesting, and important to the story, the readers will find it interesting. Even without the use of a hundred four-syllable adjectives.

Excuse #3: Trying to shore up weak prose.
Bottom line: I've said it before--Don't put a Band-Aid on a wound that needs stitches. If your writing is weak, deal with the problem at its source. Study grammar and sentence structure. Read some good books on the craft and skill of fiction writing. Learn to write tight, clear, and concise prose that stands on its own feet without the aid of crutches like flowery words.

Excuse #4: Trying to impress editors.
Bottom line: It won't work. Period. They'll see right through it. Trust me.

Why do you think so many writers are tempted to use flowery language? Do you struggle with the temptation? If so, what do you do about it?

Chapter Six of Falls the Shadow

2011-08-01T01:00:00.002-05:00

That's right! It's the first of the month, and a new chapter of Falls the Shadow is available to read at the Lost Scribes.
In Chapter Five the main characters' paths crossed briefly for the first time. Now, they're about to cross again. This time, it won't be without consequences.
Discover an ability that Maricossa has secretly possessed for the last twenty-three years--an ability that could endanger the secret Libby is fighting so hard to keep.
*
Don't miss Chapter Six of Falls the Shadow.

To italicize or not to italicize...

2011-07-29T01:00:00.003-05:00

That is the ever-bothersome question, is it not?
Everybody has an opinion on whether italics should be used, and how they should be used, and how often they should be used, and why they should be used. And chances are, writers, if you listen to five different professionals' thoughts on the subject, you'll come away with five different answers. I've heard quite a few myself. Some people say "It's a tool that's there to be used, so use it if you need it." Others say "Let the readers decide for themselves how the words should be emphasized, without you the writer telling them how they should hear everything." Everyone and their dog, it seems, has a different idea of what the proper use of italics consists of.
It's fairly common for young or beginning writers to way overuse italics in their writing. Like, every word that they think should be even slightly emphasized gets put into italics. After all, how are the readers supposed to know how it's supposed to sound if the writer doesn't tell them, right? Don't worry, I'm as guilty of this as anybody else. If you've ever read Emily of New Moon and chuckled (or cringed) at Emily's excessive use of italics, you have some idea of what my early writing was like. I was a proud member of the "It's-a-tool-that-exists-to-be-used" campaign.
However, as I continued learning and growing in my writing, I began to see the truth in the idea that overuse of italics can be a sign of weak prose. Think about it: if you feel like you need italics to make your writing look active, or to strengthen your sentences... well, you're probably putting a Band-Aid on a wound that needs stitches. In other words, work on getting your writing strong enough to stand on its own without the aid of purely visual effects like italics.
Of course, there are cases where italics should be used. The titles of books, for example, should always be italicized. And once in a while, if something really important hinges on the way a particular word is interpreted ("You're the traitor!" versus "You're the traitor!"), then italics are okay. (Jeff Gerke has a great article on this Here on his website.) Also, as an editor, I have to say this: if you decide that a word truly does need to be emphasized, for goodness' sake, just use italics! Don't use bold, or underline, or all-caps, or any combination thereof. Just use italics. Period.
Part of what broke me of my tendency to overuse italics in my writing was hearing the statement "Overuse of italics constitutes micro-management on the part of the author". I don't remember who said it, but it hit close to home for me. Having done time... er, I mean, worked... in the corporate world, where your entire life is micro-managed by your bosses and your bosses' bosses and their bosses who have never even met you but are nonetheless experts on what will make you work most efficiently (I'm not bitter or anything), I'm really turned off by the term 'micro-management'. So if my overusing italics means I'm micro-managing my readers' reading experience, I'm gonna start cutting out some italics, believe you me.
One problem I still struggle with, though, is the area of characters' thoughts. Some, like Jeff Gerke, argue that characters' internal monologues don't need to be italicized, that the readers can tell what is supposed to be narrative and what is supposed to be thought. At the same time, though, in a fast-paced scene where there's lots of action, dialogue, and narrative mixed together, italicizing a character's thought might just make it easier for the reader to sort everything out, I think.
Another issue that writers of speculative fiction have to deal with is mind-speaking, or telepathic conversation, or whatever you prefer to call characters communicating with only their thoughts. I've seen it done in standard font using only quotation marks like a normal spoken conversation, I've seen it done in all-italics, and I've seen it done using both italics and quotation marks. Jeff Gerke condemns the use of italics and quotation marks together, but Donita K. Paul uses it frequently in the Dragonkeeper Chronicles when her characters mind-speak with each other. In her writing, the viewpoint character's thoughts are in italics with no quotation marks, and the other person's thoughts are italicized and enclosed in quotation marks. Personally, I thought her method made thought conversations clear and easy to follow, but there are people I know who disagree with me. Unfortunately, it's one of those issues where there really is no solid right or wrong answer... and we writers are probably doomed to argue among ourselves about it until the Second Coming.
What are your thoughts on the proper way to use italics, especially in non-verbal, 'mind-speaking'-type conversations?

The Pen is Mightier...

2011-07-27T01:00:00.000-05:00

"There are only two powers in the world, the sword and the pen; and in the end the former is always conquered by the latter." ~Napoleon

"The strokes of the pen need deliberation as much as those of the sword need swiftness." ~Julie Ward Howe

"Oh, nature's noblest gift--my gray goose quill!" ~Byron

"If you want to change the world, pick up your pen." ~Martin Luther

Wine and Fiction - Have we turned art into science?

2011-07-25T01:00:00.004-05:00

Several months ago I was home sick on a Sunday and was flipping through television channels (since putting in a DVD would have required getting off of the couch). I came across a documentary about wine making and, since it was the only thing on that struck me as remotely interesting, I watched a few minutes of it.
Up to that point, I had considered wine-making to be a relatively simple process:
- Pick the grapes.
- Smash the grapes.
- Let the grape juice ferment.
- Put fermented grape juice in barrels and let it age for a few years.
- Voila. Wine.
Okay, so there has always been a little more to it than that, but you get the idea. As I watched the documentary on it, though, I was blown away by how complex and delicate the wine-making process has become over time.
The vineyards are monitored constantly as harvest time approaches, waiting for the exact moment when their internal sugar content is just right. When the sugar content level hits that perfect magic number the supervisors are looking for, they start picking and pick around the clock until the harvest is complete. The grapes are rushed straight into the processing facility where they are pressed and the juice is poured into vats. The sugar content of the juice in the vats is also monitored with pinpoint accuracy. If the sugar level falls below the desired number by even a single percentage point, the supervisors may call off the harvesting process until the grapes ripen further.
The entire process is that way--monitored with painstaking precision, start to finish. I understand that wine-making is an art that's been around for millennia, but I can't help wondering if the craft and skill in the art has been carried too far. Has an art been forced into becoming a science?
Now, maybe the precision of the modern process makes modern wine taste far better than vintage. I've never tasted wine, so I wouldn't know.
What I do know is that I see hints of a similar trend in the art and craft of fiction writing.
In the days of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and L.M.Montgomery (all of whom are considered masters of their craft), good characters, a good plot, and a good feel for storytelling were enough to make a novel an international hit. In spite of literary 'sins' such as the use of omniscient point of view and long passages of author narrative, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Anne of Green Gables were successes in their hay day and are still popular today.
Writing was simpler then. Today, story narrative has to be embedded so deeply into the main character's psyche that the readers think they are that character. Every little action, every feeling, every thought, has to grab the readers in a choke hold or else risk being 'distant'. Every scene and every plot point has to be highly calculated for effect and possible repercussions, as though the writer is about to launch a missile rather than just tell a story.
I believe there are a lot of contributing factors behind this trend--too many to discuss in this post. And while I agree whole-heartedly that fiction writing is an art that requires skill and hard work to master, I worry that the art itself is slowly being lost to the science we've made of the skills.
Underneath the science, the formulas, the step-by-step processes, and the calculations, storytelling is an art. A gift. An ability and style as unique as the storyteller.
It was an art before we made it into a science. Let's not lose sight of that.

Do you storytelling is in danger of becoming a science rather than an art? Or do you see today's formulas and calculations as simply refining the art?

Silence

2011-07-23T01:00:00.003-05:00

"In what he leaves unsaid I discover a master of style." ~Schiller

"He can never speak well, who knows not how to hold his peace." ~Plutarch

Do you know any examples of writers who know how to skillfully keep silent?

Growing Pains

2011-07-22T01:00:00.004-05:00

Do you ever look back and miss 'the old days'? I know I do. (Yes, I know I probably sound like an old lady when I say that.)
I miss getting up, doing my schoolwork, and then going outside to play without anything else in the world demanding my time and attention. I miss looking up at the top of the Christmas tree towering over me and being awestruck (there's just something depressing about unpacking that same Christmas tree one year to find the top of it at your eye level). I miss the days when every book, every poem was new and unread by me. I miss the days when every book I was given to read had been pre-read and screened by my mom, and I didn't have to worry about a good story being ruined by something inappropriate.
I miss the days when my writing was a hobby. Really, I do. I miss having the freedom to work on whatever story or poem I wanted, when and if I wanted to work on it. I miss the days of having an idea and starting on a new story, guilt-free in spite of the half-dozen other projects I had going at the time. I miss thinking my mom had no idea I had tucked a sheet of notebook paper into the back of my history book so I could work on that poem or short story when she wasn't looking. I miss my far-off, shimmering, childish dreams of fame and fortune--dreams I could dream from a safe distance without letting them effect my writing directly. I miss the notion that I would send my book to a publisher, they would publish it, and that would be that... never giving a thought to things like 'platform' or 'marketing'.
Don't get me wrong; I wouldn't change the way things are now. Discovering that the writing I loved so much was God's calling for my life was amazing. Finding writing buddies who could encourage me, help me improve my skills, and keep me accountable has been a joy. Getting that first acceptance letter from a magazine was a moment I'll never forget. Sticking with the same project for the last four years has been tough, but having my first novel at the point where I can start looking for publishers is a milestone I wouldn't want to miss.
Still... sometimes... I just can't help but miss the old days. Sometimes I even have the urge to hide a piece of notebook paper in the back of the book I'm reading. : )

Is there an earlier stage in your writing journey that you sometimes miss?

Aliens in Christian Fiction

2011-07-20T01:00:00.004-05:00

A commonly-seen element in science fiction is the existence of aliens. They show up in a variety of ways and forms, from Star Trek-style aliens (different enough to be noticeably alien, but still human enough to be attractive to one of the main characters), to deceptively human-looking spies sent to scout planet Earth, to utterly inhuman monsters bent on devouring everything. It's a broad idea, and writers have basically unlimited room to work.
But how do aliens fit into Christian fiction?
First, let's make sure we're clear on what an alien actually is. I'm sure most people probably visualize a rather scrawny, huge-brained, big-eyed creature something like the little guy on the right (couldn't help myself--I thought he was kinda cute). Really, the word "alien" just means "foreign, not native, etc.". "Extra-Terrestrial" means "from outside of Earth". That's all there is to it. Neither of those terms suggest anything more by their definitions. Pretty cut and dried, right?
Yes... and no. With accounts of UFO sightings, alien abductions, events like the Roswell incident calling into question the Genesis account of creation, and even (more recently) the notion that a highly intelligent extra-terrestrial race was actually responsible for 'seeding' the beginnings of life onto our planet and kick-starting the evolutionary process, the whole alien issue can become difficult.
Difficult, yes, but thankfully not complicated. For writers and readers alike, the important thing is to know where you stand--and make sure it's on a biblical worldview.
If you don't know where you stand, or you're not sure what a biblical worldview of aliens would actually be, I advise you to read Gary Bates' book Alien Intrusion: UFOs and the Evolution Connection. Click Here to watch the author's YouTube discussion of the book, or Here to order it from Amazon. You'll come away from reading Alien Intrusion with a much better understanding of the reality behind accounts of UFO sightings and abductions, and what the Bible actually says about 'aliens'.

Really, the issue is more complicated for those who are just reading science fiction than for those who are writing it. A Christian reader trying to discern godly use of aliens and related concepts in fiction from ungodly is probably in for quite a time of it.
For writers, though, it's much more simple (especially if you just stick with the dictionary definition of 'alien'): establish a biblical worldview, keep your writing solidly within those bounds... and go for it! Whether you're creating an entirely fictional universe with creatures and characters from multiple planets, writing a civilization of intelligent beings into a far-flung corner of our own Milky Way, or bringing in visitors from a parallel dimension, you have an entire universe's worth of space to play in. There are countless ways to execute this. One of the most unique I've seen is in Tom Pittman's online novel, Lazir, in which aliens have come to Earth from an alternate dimension--a world that never suffered the Fall, as ours did--as missionaries. You can Click Here to read Lazir on Tom Pittman's website. (Be forewarned: the book needs a sequel desperately. I've been lobbying for one since I read the book, but so far no luck.)

While the alien/ET/UFO thing has grown into somewhat of a monster in our culture, it's not something we need to be afraid of as writers and readers. Sure, it can get touchy and weird in the hands of the right (or wrong) people, but if we have a godly and biblical worldview to stand on, it's a pretty simple matter with a lot of potential. Let's not treat it like a case of leprosy. Let's take it captive and use its potential for God's glory.

What are your thoughts on aliens in Christian fiction? Do you have a favorite example?

Book Review: Dragonspell

2011-07-18T11:46:00.002-05:00

By Donita K. Paul

I’ve read lots of good novels. Lots of good fantasy novels, even. And it’s hard to say what makes one certain novel a classic while other novels, perhaps equally good, somehow lack the ability to endure. But I feel confident in saying that Donita K. Paul’s novel Dragonspell possesses that staying power, that mysterious spark that makes a book a classic.

The cover touts it as “A fantastic journey of discovery for all ages” and it’s no exaggeration. I have known twelve-year-olds and twenty-somethings who enjoyed the book equally.

Dragonspell is the story of Kale, a village slave who finds a dragon egg and is consequentially thrust into a world of adventure she never dreamed of. Encountering grawligs, kimens, wizards (good and evil), a tumanhoeffer librarian, mordakleeps, and of course, dragons.

The action of the story is intense and exciting, but there is no gore or excessive violence, making it appropriate for younger readers. The characters are colorful, loveable, and their interactions with each other are heartwarming and hilarious. Donita K. Paul has created a fantasy world full of strange creatures, geography that begs exploration, and stories waiting to happen.

Dragonspell would make an excellent choice for family reading, book reports, or just personal reading for fun, no matter what age you are. If you want an exciting adventure, a delightful cast of characters, based on a Christian foundation, read Dragonspell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I received this book free of charge from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my review. A favorable review is not required; Waterbrook is committed to gathering honest opinions about the books they publish.

What do you think makes a book a classic?

Thought for the Weekend

2011-07-16T01:00:00.001-05:00

"No story is the same to us after the lapse of time: or rather we who read it are no longer the same interpreters." ~George Eliot

Do you have a favorite story or book that's changed with you over the years?

A new chapter of Falls the Shadow!

2011-07-15T01:00:00.003-05:00

Today is the fifteenth, so a new chapter of Falls the Shadow is up and ready to read at The Lost Scribes. By now you know the characters, and you're learning their stories as they go about their separate lives. But now, for the first time... destiny begins to cross their paths.
Click Here to read Chapter Five; the intrigue is just beginning.

I also have a new short story up on Avenir Eclectia. Celeste is back, and she's just received a Rude Awakening. Click Here to read the story and find out why!

Announcing Spearhead Books

2011-07-13T22:03:00.004-05:00

I am not an e-book fan. I don't have a problem with them as a thing in themselves, and I guess being able to store a kabillion books in a half-inch-thick device is good (until said device crashes... don't get me started). It's just that personally, I would much rather stretch out in a hammock or curl up in an armchair with a book--a real book, made out of things like paper and ink and leather--than with a paper-thin electronic device. That's just a little too Trekkie, even for me.
However, no one can deny the enormous growth in the e-book market. E-books have actually started out-selling hard copy in some places. And with anyone able to self-publish their book on Amazon and new books becoming available daily, the choices for readers are literally endless.
So how does a Christian reader who wants a well-written story and godly content standards ever choose which book to read? Well, that's why I'm pleased to announce the inception of Spearhead Books:

A professional writers' guild (led by the Miller brothers, Christopher Hoppers, and Wayne Thomas Batson), dedicated to providing fiction that meets high standards in all aspects, from the skill of the writing itself to the content.
A starting point for anyone seeking quality Christian fiction amid the endless sea of e-books floating around in cyberspace.
Click Here to check out their "About Us" page and learn more about this exciting new project. Personally, I'm thrilled. I think it's a fantastic idea, and I hope God blesses this effort richly as it gets its start.

What do you think about this idea?