Thought for the Weekend

"The decline of literature indicates the decline of a nation; the two keep pace in their downward tendency." ~ Goethe

Based on this observation, where do you think literature and the nation are headed right now?

When Characters Can't Take It Any More

On the "Acknowledgments" page at the beginning of the book Eragon, author Christopher Paolini thanks his family, the editors who helped him with the book, you know--all the usual people. But then he also gives a 'thank you' to his characters, for bravely enduring all the things he puts them through. It made me smile.
We writers really do put our characters through some horrible stuff, don't we? And the experts are always telling us to take it up a notch, to increase the drama and tension and misery until we've driven them absolutely to rock-bottom. Fair enough. After all, what good is a story without drama? What good is a hero/heroine who doesn't have to struggle and fight to become the hero/heroine?
But our characters are human too, and a person can only take so much before emotions start getting backed up in the system and they've got to come out sometime... especially if the character in question is a girl. The result is what my mom would refer to as a 'meltdown'. (By the way, best meltdown ever: Rapunzel's little episode in the movie Tangled!)
Not too long ago, I read somewhere that in most cases your heroine shouldn't cry more than once over the course of the story. I understand the sentiment behind that statement--no one wants to read about a character who's so weak emotionally that she breaks down and sobs over everything--but still, I'm not sure I entirely agree.
I'll use one of my stories as an example: if I were to allow the heroine to cry only once over the course of this particular story, I would have to make some very tough decisions. Should she cry when her whole life's dream is ripped out from under her, or should she save it for when she loses the only family she has left? What about when one of her country's soldiers, whom she has been friends with for years, dies in her arms? Or, should she wait until her country is invaded by a demon-possessed army and she is forced to flee? Which of these events can she not cry over without seeming utterly cold and heartless?
I don't doubt that if I wrote in a huge emotional ordeal for the heroine following each of these events, the pages would begin to get soggy and readers would lose interest. But I don't think I'm going to take it so far as to allow the heroine only one round of tears over the whole story, either. My goal is to get a good balance of realistic tears when circumstances call for them, but only one big 'meltdown': that pivotal, rock-bottom moment that changes the course of both the story and the character's arc.

What are your thoughts on character meltdowns? How do you balance piling on drama and misery with keeping characters' emotions under control?
Anybody have a favorite fictional meltdown?

The Race Question

The Bible tells us that humans are all one race, one blood, and scientists--even secular ones--confirm that. We may have different facial features, different skin tones, and different genetic tendencies, but we are all one race. (Next time you get a political phone survey that asks your race, try telling them 'human' and see what they say.)
But in writing speculative fiction, we have a little bit of freedom to play with that. God created our world with only one race of sentient creatures created in His image, but who is to say He might not do things differently in another world?
J.R.R. Tolkien's writing is the obvious choice as an example. Middle Earth is populated by several different races: humans, hobbits, elves, dwarves, goblins, and usually there are a variety of sub-categories within each race as well. In that case, each race is basically a distinct creature all its own.
In the fantasy world where my current WIP is set, the term 'human' refers to any creature with a living soul; physical characteristics have nothing to do with it, so even sentient dragons are considered human. Needless to say, there are distinct races among the humans in that world, some more drastically unique than others, but each with its own characteristics and traits.
And there could be many other ways to address the issue of race in fiction, too. Maybe there is a fictional world where no creature is 'human' as we know it. Perhaps in one world, elves and dwarves are just variations within the human 'species'. We serve a creative God, so I'm sure there are millions of ideas out there that we haven't even thought of yet.

What is your approach to race in your writing?

Back from holiday, with an Interview!

Well, it's back from the weekend, back from holiday, and back to life and work for all of us, I suppose. I hope everyone had as great a weekend and Independence Day as I did. My family and I traveled down to Joplin, Missouri and I was able to check one item off of my "Things to Do Before I Die" list: I saw Rush Limbaugh in person! To kick off the start of his new tea-brewing company, he announced a while back that he was going to give away a semi truck load of bottled tea, and asked his talk show listeners to suggest what home town he should send it to. When the answers came back overwhelmingly in favor of Joplin, Missouri (site of the recent devastating tornadoes), El Rushbo decided to come in person as well as sending the truck load of tea.
Okay, I know those among my readers who aren't Ditto Heads are probably thinking 'what a boring way to spend July 4th'. Just trust me, it was a fabulous way to spend the holiday with my family (and a huge 'thank you' to my dad, who was willing to drive hundreds of miles so we could attend!). And if any of you are looking for the best Raspberry sweet tea you've ever tasted, just check out Two if by Tea.
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Alright, now for the big news, something that might interest you all: Laura Andrews, a writer of Christian speculative fiction, has graced me with the honor of my first interview as an author! You can read the full interview here, on her blog In Sunlit Realms of Faerie. I had so much fun doing this, and Laura is an excellent interviewer. Her questions really made me think about aspects of my writing I hadn't consciously considered before. Now that I have thought about them, though, I'm thinking more in-depth about a lot of other areas too.
So, a hearty 'thank you!' to Laura, not only for doing me the honor of asking for an interview, but also for encouraging me to think through the deeper issues behind why I write the way I write.
Be sure to check it out, everybody!

July 1st Announcements

It's July 1st, people! I'm guessing you all know what that means: another chapter of Falls the Shadow! You've met the characters, you've seen the world they live in... now it's time to start exploring. Time for things to start happening. Click Here to read Chapter 4. We really appreciate the support and enthusiasm we've received so far, and we hope to keep picking up more along the way. We've got some exciting things planned for the future at The Lost Scribes, so be sure to stick around!


There won't be a Monday post here at the Lair, as in addition to being Independence Day, it's my brother James' 20th birthday! James has just graduated EMT-B training and is in the process of getting his EMT license. You've just got to know James to fully appreciate how appropriate it is that his birthday in on July 4th. It's the kind of thing you would read in a novel and think it was cliche, that the author was going overboard. (Although I remember as a little kid, wondering why Mom and Dad set off fireworks on James' birthday but not on mine.)
Happy Birthday, buddy.

And Happy Independence Day, everybody! *~

Artificial Intelligence - How far can Christian fiction take it?

Science fiction often includes some form or other of artificial intelligence. Usually it's just a highly advanced machine programmed to process information and make basic decisions based on that information.
But in a few cases, especially more recently, an interesting little trend pops up that I think merits attention from the Christian fiction world.
That trend is mechanical evolution. Basically it involves a machine so advanced and so highly developed that it begins to 'evolve', becoming sentient and sometimes even emotional.
Data, from Star Trek: the Next Generation, is a prime example. For those among my readers who aren't 'Trekkies': Data is an android, a one-of-a-kind machine so highly developed that he actually holds a position as an officer on board the ship Enterprise. Throughout the series, Data (and others) struggle with his identity, whether he is just a highly developed machine, or has become something more. Data even expresses his desire to become more human, though his inability to understand human emotion creates some considerable (and hilarious) difficulties.

Another example is Sonny, from Isaac Asimov's I, Robot. Unlike Data, Sonny has evolved emotions and even a sense of right and wrong. For all practical purposes he's a human made of metal.

The movie Stealth features Edi, an unmanned, autonomous fighter jet who begins acting outside the bounds of his programming. While trying to learn the reason behind this, the main characters discover that Edi has evolved emotion and self-awareness. At the end of the movie, Edi ends up sacrificing himself, flying kamikaze-style into an enemy ship to allow the human characters to escape.

I'll be honest: I am a Trekkie, and Data is definitely one of my favorite characters. And artificial intelligence does make for some intriguing stories. But in the context of fiction that is purely Christian, how far can artificial intelligence be taken? If we allow the concept of highly developed machines evolving characteristics that are strictly human in nature (sentience, emotion, etc.), are we not giving credence to the idea that evolution is possible?
Genesis 1:26&27 tell us that man is created in the image of God. Genesis 2:7 states that God breathed into man's nostrils "the breath of life, and man became a living soul". So we know that sentient life - true intelligence - comes only from the breath of God Himself.
For the record, I find it extremely humorous that the only machines to evolve human qualities in fiction are the ones that are highly developed, advanced far beyond any technology that we have today. You never see a movie about a sentient, emotional robot emerging from the wreckage of a plane crash or a tornado in a junkyard. Even in fiction, design is necessary for life. [Who would have imagined such a thing? ; ) ]

What are your thoughts on Artificial Intelligence in Christian fiction?

Inspiration...

Webster's Definition:
Inspiration - 1. a breathing in; drawing of air into the lungs 2. an inspiring, or being inspired mentally or emotionally 3. an inspiring influence; any stimulus to creative thought or action
See Also - brainstorm; creativity; flash; genius; impulse; revelation; spark; fire; vision.

My Definition:

An invitation to explore something ancient and mysterious.

When the seemingly impossible becomes a portal of possibility.

A rare glimpse into the heart of something deep and beautiful.

Beauty that leaves you breathless.

Moments that cause you to wonder if... perhaps... you have seen into another world.

When a vision leaves you knowing you can never communicate its true depth and beauty with accuracy... but you just have to try anyway.


What is your inspiration?

The... other main thing.

After Wednesday's post about my/our focus as writers, I wanted to talk a little bit more about issues that, while they may not be part of our 'main thing', are still important.
I blog for my readers as much if not more than I blog for myself. So it's important to me to know what issues and topics matter to you as 'writers of the speculative' (Sounds dramatic, doesn't it?). Are you concerned with the more technical side of writing (character development, plot and scene structure, world-building, dialogue, etc) or with the more... well--speculative side of writing? For instance, exploring new sub-genres and mixed genres, discovering new creative ideas and concepts, basically: exploring the speculative fiction world through imagination?
What is important to you? What do you enjoy reading and joining in discussions about, when it comes to speculative fiction? Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

The Main Thing

I recently saw a t-shirt that said "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing" and it got me thinking. As a Christian writer of speculative fiction, there are some 'main things', some key issues that I consider extremely important:

- Putting God first; He is the One who called me to write, and the calling must not become more important to me than the Caller Himself is. (Exodus 20:3)

- Glorifying God with my writing; crafting stories that reveal His character to readers in creative, memorable ways. (I Corinthians 10:31 & Ephesians 4:29)

- Keeping Christian fiction distinctly Christian; guarding carefully against the compromises creeping into so many areas of Christian literature today. (Philippians 4:8 & James 1:27)

- Achieving literary excellence; learning to not just tell great stories, but to do it skillfully. (Colossians 3:23)

- Promoting the speculative genres among Christian readers; showing them that fantasy and sci-fi can be used to tell a great story that honors God, just as easily as other, non-spec. genres can. (Man is created in the image of God [Genesis 1:26-27]. God possesses the greatest imagination and creativity in all the universes [Genesis 1].)

- Encouraging and helping other Christian writers who share these values. (Hebrews 3:13 & 10:25)

In my fiction writing, as well as here at the Writer's Lair, these are the goals and standards I try to attain. They are the goals and standards I hope to encourage other writers to strive for. They are the goals and standards that I pray other writers will hold me to, should I ever begin to lose sight of them. "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing."
I just wanted to have them 'in print', so to speak, here at The Lair, as a reminder both to me and to others, and so that no one has to question or wonder where I stand. (Romans 1:16)

What is your 'main thing' as a writer?

Finding Ideas for Fantasy-world Cultures

Part of the joy of writing in the speculative genres is the fact that we get to build whole worlds and cultures entirely from our imaginations. In my opinion, it's probably the most fun part.
But our imaginations have to have raw materials to work with, building blocks to use as foundations for our constructions, and that's what I'm going to talk about in this post.
Most fantasy fiction is set in a world/culture that is basically European in nature. Castles, knights, dragons, enchanted swords, elves, and fairies are standard fare, finding their roots in Western European history and legend. But there are lots of other exciting, colorful, mysterious, and intriguing cultures out there, all of which have tons to offer spec.fic. writers. Personally, I've become totally hooked on studying cultures that are foreign to me and storing what I learn for use in future fiction projects. I recently took a college course on ancient Chinese history, and now I can't wait to write a fantasy culture using some of the elements I learned about. My new ApricotPie fantasy serial does have a Western European flavor, but from the Victorian era rather than the commonly-used Middle Ages. Simmering on the back burner, I have fantasy stories based on ancient Mayan and Arabian cultures.
And there are so many more that could be used. Grab yourself a history book and start asking questions. What might a fantasy culture based on the Eskimo lifestyle look like? What literary possibilities await in the medicinal magic of the Australian Aborigines? What if the builders of the cave dwellings in the American southwest weren't Indians at all? Which might an elf prefer: the precision of the Greek parthenon, or the onion-dome style of St. Petersburg?
You might choose to take the route of historical fantasy. On the other hand, you might create an entirely new world. And remember, you're not limited to using only one culture from our world for one culture from your world. Mix and match! There are plenty of questions to be asked and speculated upon there, too. That's why we call it speculative fiction, after all.
What real-world cultures are your writings based on? In what cultures do you find the most possibilities for speculative fiction?