Writers, do you have a plan for 2015? Here are some ideas to get you going!

In addition to beginning a new year, I've begun a new chapter in my journey as a writer. I'm a published novelist now. I have a book to market and sell. I have readers asking for the sequel. I have a plethora of other, independent writing projects waiting to be completed.

All of that is good stuff.

None of that is going to get done without a plan.

So for the last couple of weeks, I've been doing a lot of thinking (and praying!) about how and what to plan for my writing in 2015, and I thought that sharing some of what I've been discovering and/or pondering might be helpful or encouraging to you all as well.

As they say, failing to plan is planning to fail. And I know, I know, we artsy writer types aren't too fond of planning, preferring instead to "let the spirit move," "wait for inspiration to strike," or find some other excuse of the like to use. Because yes, those are excuses.
Now, before you get all up in arms and start insisting that a writer can't possibly write without inspiration, let me explain what I mean.
In the first place, don't worry, I'm a writer too and I know perfectly well that it is truly impossible to write without inspiration. That is a fact.
But the idea that somehow sitting around and waiting long enough will lure inspiration to us, to pounce on us from behind, is a myth. Sometimes we have to go out and hunt inspiration down. It's completely doable. It's fun. And more importantly, it works--especially when you have a plan.

1. The first thing you have to do is set a clear, simple goal. The "clear and simple" part is key.

"To figure out and coordinate the long-term, overall theme of my writing as seen collectively through the individual themes of my unique projects and use that connecting theme to discover, develop, and market my personal brand as an author" is NOT a simple or clear goal. Try to break that down into a doable step-by-step process that includes goal dates. Not happenin'.

On the other hand,
"Finish the first draft of my novel" and "Write new short stories" are clear, simple goals, goals that are doable and step-by-step break-downable.

2. Know why your goals are important.

"Publisher X is accepting query letters through _____ date, but they require that the writer have a completed manuscript when they submit."
"Publishing new, high-quality short stories frequently will help keep my name and writing fresh in the minds of readers who may one day want to buy my novel."
"Writing new material while editing a large project will help keep my creativity active."
"Practice makes perfect."
"I need to finish what I start and see my writing projects through to the end."

These are all good, clear, concise reasons, and there are plenty more. Figure out what yours are.

3. Be specific with your goals.

"Finish the first draft of my novel by the end of June."
"Write twelve short stories this year."
"Write (that story, the one you have the idea for but haven't done anything with) by _____ date."

Those are specific, and setting a date can be a great way to keep yourself from getting lazy and indifferent.

4. Be reasonable, and know your own limitations.

Remember a few months ago when I decided to attempt NaNoWriMo while going through the final stages of publishing Song of the Wren-Falcon? That was NOT a reasonable goal.
Attempting to finish editing the second draft of one novel while writing the first draft of another while submitting a short story a week to magazines and anthologies while holding down a day job is not a reasonable goal (unless you're SuperWriter, in which case please email me about writing some guest posts for The Writer's Lair in your spare time).
Don't try to be SuperWriter, but at the same time, don't be too easy on yourself. A goal that is too easy to meet, or a deadline that is too far away can make it very tempting to get lazy and start down the slippery slope of procrastination.

5. Don't freak when life happens.

A loved one ends up in the hospital for an extended period of time.
One of your family members comes home with (insert contagious ailment) and unleashes an epidemic on your household.
(Insert natural disaster of choice.)
You discover that you aren't actually SuperWriter after all, and you've set an unreasonable goal for yourself.
The septic tank backs up into your basement.

It's life. It happens. No one reasonable is going to fault you if it takes you away from writing for a while. It doesn't make you any less dedicated, or any less a writer. It just means that you're a human and you have your priorities straight.

6. Follow through.

Plan some kind of reward for yourself when you achieve your goal. It doesn't have to be huge or outlandish; it can be as simple as taking a day trip with your family to someplace fun, spending an entire day reading in your pajamas, or treating yourself to frozen custard. Just make it something you enjoy and can look forward to.
Get an accountability partner. Another writer is preferable since you can return the favor by keeping them accountable and encouraging them to achieve their own goals, but really it can be anyone. Your mom, your best friend, your spouse, anyone. Ask them to ask you periodically whether you've been spending time working on your goals, whether you're focusing on the projects you should be focusing on.

7. Don't forget that writing is fun.

Seriously, I can't stress how important this is. I love every aspect of writing--seriously, every single aspect of it. It's what I do for fun; it's how I unwind; it's how I have adventures; it's how I express the truths that matter to me. But if I'm not careful, I can get so bogged down in goals that writing loses its enjoyability. Remember why you like writing. Treat yourself to writing something fun. Pick a random writing prompt off of Pinterest and go with it for an afternoon. Throw your favorite character into some ridiculous situation and help them figure their way out of it.

Remind yourself that you're doing this because you love it.

~*~*~*~*~

What are your writing goals this year? What is your plan for achieving them? What aspects of organizing your writing do you struggle with?
Any advice or tips you've learned that you want to share?

Also, be sure to stick around for my next post on how to actually go about hunting down inspiration when it seems a bit elusive!

Book Review: Finding the Core of Your Story

"How to strengthen and sell your story in one essential sentence."
 
Author: Jordan Smith

I’ve been studying the world of fiction publishing and marketing for long enough to have heard plenty about the importance of a good logline—or elevator pitch, or whatever you want to call it. But recognizing your need for one and actually writing one are two very different ballgames.

Until Jordan Smith contacted me and asked if I’d be willing to review his book for him, I’d never seen or even heard of a book dedicated solely to the construction of a good logline. But that’s exactly what Finding the Core of Your Story is: a step-by-step, how-to guide to writing a logline sure to catch the interest of potential publishers, agents, and readers.

Even if you’re new to the writing and publishing thing and you’re not even sure what a logline is, that’s okay. The author starts out with a straightforward explanation of the concept and purpose. From there he builds on with basic logline templates, then expands even further with concept ideas for using tools like irony, intersecting plot threads, conflict, and even a chapter dedicated to giving characters individual loglines. Even if you’re like me and your story has 14+ plot threads tangled together, don’t worry. Read the chapter “Untangling the Threads of Your Story.” Frustrated with trying to convey the uniqueness of your characters and/or story world in just one concise sentence? Read the chapters “Tickle Me with Your Adjective Feather” and “In a World Where…”

Even if you’re not to the point of needing to pitch your book to editors/agents/publishers yet, a logline is still a great tool to have on hand. Just this week I wrote a logline for the project I’m tackling in NaNoWriMo this year. Doing so has helped me figure out the characters and their motivations, as well as give me a core idea to focus on.

I could go on, but I’m sure you’re starting to get the idea.

The thing that really made this book super helpful and the logline writing process make so much sense were the examples the author used. Rather than just telling you to “find what makes the situation the most ironic and capture that in your logline,” he actually shows you how by writing loglines from real movies and books. For someone like me, who learns best by example, it was a huge help.

And if you’re writing one of those exceptional stories—you know, the ones that defy all the models and break all the rules—he’s got you covered there, too, not only with formats for handling those unique situations, but with great guidelines for highlighting just exactly what it is that makes your story so unique.

The author has a fun, conversational voice and a humorous approach—complete with generous doses of hilarious writers-only humor—that made this a delightful read.

Those of you who’ve been hanging around here at the Lair for awhile will have read enough of my reviews to know that I don’t just rave over any old book. But this is one of those special times when I am totally comfortable raving. : P

I whole-heartedly endorse this resource. Every writer—whether experienced or aspiring—should own a copy. Mine has become one of the two most-used books in my writing resource library, no joke.

Click Here to order Finding the Core of Your Story from Amazon!

I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my review, but was under no obligation to review it favorably. My opinions are my own.

 

The First-Ever Writer's Lair Book Giveaway!

October is my favorite month all around, but after just coming through the hottest, driest summer of my lifetime so far, I'm especially excited to welcome it this year! Time to start filling the house with the smell of baking pumpkins, take the last cuttings from the herb garden, clean the chimneys, build up the woodpile, and plow up the garden. And for the more leisurely side of things, too - long, long walks through the autumn woods, listening to the leaves fall, watching thousands of geese pass overhead, looking like pencil sketches of mountain ranges as they fly in their mismatched Vs, making tea in the old camp pot over fires in the woods, laying on a hillside soaking up the last of the year's sunshine, getting ready for trapping season... I love life in the country.

And, this October, I'm very excited to be hosting the first-ever book giveaway here at the Writer's Lair! Here's how it's going to work:
October 16 is Dictionary Day - a fun holiday, I thought, for writers and readers and word-lovers-all-'round to observe. We're going to be having a lot of fun with words in general here at the Lair over the next couple of weeks, but October 16th is the day the winner of the contest will be announced.
And, since I know you're all dying to know, the book I will be giving away is (*drumroll*) a brand-new copy of the Flip Dictionary by Barbara Ann Kipfer.

I can say without hesitation that this book is the single most valuable monetary investment I have ever made in my writing career. I have used it almost every single day for four years. As the cover says, the Flip Dictionary is 'For when you know what you want to say but can't think of the word'. And it really works! By looking up a key word or phrase, you can find just about anything you're looking for in this dictionary.
Can't remember the word for a person who says something hilarious with a completely sober expression? The word is 'deadpan'. It's in the Flip Dictionary under 'Serious face when telling a joke'.
Need to know what those rib-like beams in the hull of a ship are called? It's a 'futtock', and you can find it in the Flip Dictionary under 'Ship and Shipping Terms'.
The lists in this book are great, too. Look up the word 'Purple', for instance, and you come up with a list of fifty-two different words for colors of purple.
It also works great as a thesaurus. Say one of your characters is laughing, but you want a word that's a little more specifically descriptive than 'laugh'. Well, look up 'laugh' in the Flip Dictionary, and you find a list of synonyms... though I'm not sure I would recommend using the word 'cachinnate' in something you plan on submitting for publication. 'Howl' or 'giggle' might be better. ; )
Excited yet? Me too!

With my novel, Son of the Shield, currently out in the wilds searching for a home with a publishing house, I'm trying to add as many followers as I can to this blog, so SotS will have as big a welcoming committee as possible once it finds its way into the world of published books.
So, Rule #1 of the Dictionary Day contest is that you must be following the Writer's Lair. If you're not currently doing that, you can do it by clicking the 'Join This Site' button on the right-hand sidebar, just over the 'Followers' list.
If you're already a follower of the Writer's Lair, all you'll be required to do is follow the instructions that will be announced the Saturday before Dictionary Day. (Don't worry - they won't be hard.)
However, if you would like to increase your chances of winning, you can announce the contest on your own blog and refer your readers to the Lair. If you do this, leave me a comment letting me know you've done it, and include a link to your post. Doing this will give you an extra slip in the hat when it comes time for the drawing!
Word-of-mouth referrals are greatly appreciated too, though for obvious reasons I can't give extra credit for those. If you have friends who love Christian fantasy, send them this way!
Beyond that, the only thing you have to do to enter this contest is follow the instructions I will give you closer to Dictionary Day itself. Remember, the winner of the Flip Dictionary will be announced on that day, the 16th.

I'm so excited that God has given me the opportunity to do something like this, and I'm looking forward to the 16th!

Arming Your Hero - Part 8

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

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?

Arming Your Hero - Part 6

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

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. : )

Book Review-Dragons: Legends & Lore of Dinosaurs

By Bodie Hodge and Laura Welch

This book is a relatively new release from Answers in Genesis, and I have a piece of advice for all of you: buy it! Besides being a great resource for Creationist Christians, Dragons is a fabulous book for fantasy writers. What could be a better addition to a fantasy writer's library than a book of real-life facts about real-life dragons?
Have you ever noticed that dragon lore in ancient cultures is a world-wide phenomenon? How about the fact that certain creatures described in the Bible and even depicted in cave drawings bear striking resemblance to our vision of dragons? This book will take you on a thrilling journey through those ancient legends and stories. It includes translations of ancient writings from all over the world, Biblical descriptions of dragons and dinosaurs, legends of dragons that have been passed down for centuries, and even some surprisingly modern eyewitness accounts of dragon encounters.
Besides the store of exciting information it contains, just reading the book is an adventure in and of itself. Every page boasts gorgeous artwork as well as fold-out panels, hidden doors within the pages themselves, and pockets with stories and pictures tucked inside. The book demands a re-read - you may not catch everything the first time through!

Avenir Eclectia--A new venue for sci-fi microfiction!

A Splashdown Books Project
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Here's some good news for Christian Science Fiction writers! Explore the world of Avenir Eclectia - a colony clinging to life in the distant constellation Cetus, the Whale. Avenir, a space station-like ship, orbits Eclectia, a volcanic planet hostile and dangerous to human life. Planetside, miners, hunters, and smugglers eke out a living as best they can. Contact with the mother planet, Earth, has been lost, and nearly forgotten.
Avenir Eclectia is a multi-author microfiction project from Splashdown Books, currently running online but slated to be released in print as an anthology in the future. They are looking for vignettes and flashfiction set in Avenir Eclectia, preferably pieces 150 - 400 words in length. Visit their website; read the history and background of Eclectia; enjoy the stories posted by other writers; write your own!
Be a part of shaping the intriguing world of Avenir Eclectia.

Story Layers

Everybody has it: that one book or movie they just keep coming back to over and over, because every time they re-read or re-watch it they catch something they didn't before. It's new every time around.
For me, it's The Count of Monte Cristo. No matter how many times I see it, I'm still riveted every time, and I think part of what makes it so fabulous is the many story layers it has. Every carefully executed plan has a meaningful significance. Every statement or remark is impregnated with underlying meaning. The layers are like pieces of different colored sheer cloth--every time you look at them, you see through certain colors to other colors in a slightly different way.
I try to achieve layering in my own stories, but it can be very difficult. I want my stories to have that read-it-over-and-over-again effect on my readers. I want them to catch things on their fifth read-through that they didn't catch the first four times.
I think a lot of it depends on paying very close attention to the dialogue and action of the characters. Don't have characters do things just off-the-cuff for no reason--or if they do, make it come back and bite them with significance they didn't expect.
Make characters pay attention to what the other characters are doing. This seems to work especially well between villains and protagonists. If, at the beginning of the story, Character A makes a remark to Character B, let B throw it back at A later on. The Count of Monte Cristo is a great example of this in more ways than one.
In his Fiction-Writing Tips, Jeff Gerke touches on this a little bit in his tip on using circularity (tip #40). It's a great tip, definitely worth reading.

What are your thoughts on story layers? Do you use them in your own writing? What book or movie keeps you coming back for more again and again?

Some Free Resources!

Looking to improve your craft without shelling out the bucks? Here are some great resources for writers, and they're perfect for the starving artist's budget too!
Fiction Writing Tip of the Week from Jeff Gerke: 96 thorough, practical, and entertaining articles that walk you through a lot of the most important elements of quality Christian fiction, from writing to editing to publishing!
Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine with Randy Ingermanson: every month's issue comes right to your inbox and brings three articles (one on organizing your writing life, one on writing craft, one on publishing) that break down that sometimes intimidating world of writing into simple, understandable, doable processes.
I hope you all enjoy these. How about you? Are there any good resources you enjoy that I missed?

Book Review: Epic

The Story God is Telling
By John Eldredge
The book begins with Sam Gamgee's quote, "I wonder what sort of a tale we've fallen into?" From there Eldredge proceeds to remind us just exactly what kind of a tale it is that we humans have been born into. We have been born into a world at war, into the midst of an epic story of beauty and devastation, trust and betrayal, good and evil, love and sacrifice. People love sweeping, epic stories conveyed through movies and books, and it is because those stories echo the nature of the story we live in... the story we were created for.
Eldredge discusses the basic plot structure that every great tale more or less follows, and you may be surprised to realize that it is the exact structure of the story of our world.
While this book was intended as a resource for Christian living, I am also going to recommend it as a resource for Christian writing. "Every story we tell is out attempt to put into words and images what God has written there, on our hearts," Eldredge says in the book.
That kind of helps it all make sense, doesn't it? The reason that books like Lewis' The Last Battle or Tolkien's Return of the King can reduce us to tears, the reason heroes like Aragorn and sacrifices like Boromir's have so much power to move us... the reason we writers have this overpowering, unexplainable longing to write a tale of that caliber: a truly epic story that will move people the way these tales move us.
I suspect I'm not the only one who sometimes thinks "Is writing (fantasy, sci-fi, etc.) really what I should be doing with my life? Isn't there some way that I can serve God even more?"
But after reading this book, I don't think you'll wonder that any more. Yes, God may tell you at some point that your time as a writer is over and it is time to move on to something else that He has for you. But until then, just remember: it may be a fictional story you're telling, but dragons, sorcerers, warp drives and all, every epic tale is an echo of the true epic tale we're living in.