Guest Author, Sandra Hults

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

Meet my guest, fantasy author, Sandra Hults. In the comments below, tell me what you think.

Interview

  1. Tell us a little about yourself:

I am from Toledo, Ohio. [Jamie’s note: When I hear Toledo, my mind immediately jumps to Clinger on MASH. Does that date me?] I enjoy reading, cooking and playing video games in addition to writing. I am a sucker for a good story—regardless of genre. I love music. I sing a little. In addition to writing, I work a 9-5. I’ve been writing since my youth but only seriously considered putting the work in mid 2000s. In 2012, after much encouragement and support from my spouse, I published Birth of Light. From there it’s been a crazy whirlwind of creativity, self-publishing, and a crash course in marketing.

2. What are you reading at the moment? Would you recommend it to readers of this blog? Why?

I am currently reading book one of the Chartile series by Cassandra Morgan. She’s a great friend of mine and, let’s be honest, how often do we in our line of work get to talk to the author? I would recommend it because the concept is unique and the way she addresses her characters and development is subtle but impactful. Go check her out. (https://authorcassandramorgan.com/)

3. Tell us something about how you write? i.e. are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you have any weird or necessary writing habits or tuals?

I am a pantser, tried and true. Some folks tell me I’m somewhere in the middle because I know what major story points need to happen and just pants in between the points. I have never, nor will I ever, do a full outline for my books. I applaud anyone that can outline a full novel’s storyline, but it’s just not my bag.

Weird habits. Well, I don’t know that they’re weird, but they’re part of my writing ritual so to speak. My hair always gets put up in a pony or a clip or something that gets it out of my way. There’s always music or some kind of ambient show in the background that helps me focus. Sometimes, headphones are required for me get into what I’m working on. If I am revising, I have to start with a print copy and go page by page hand editing and rewriting then keying the edits into my laptop. For harder to write scenes, if I don’t feel it, I don’t think my readers do.

4. Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book?

 I am actually in the middle of revisions for my fifth book, Maeseloria: Shadow’s Journey. I have one other project I’m in the middle of titled The Guardian’s Fall. I write it exclusively for my newsletter. For the moment, the story has taken a back seat to the book being written.

5. Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?

That is a difficult question because my favorite depends on how difficult that particular character is being. For the moment, though, if I were to pick one favorite Maeselorian, I think it would be a toss between Nicholas Taltos and Alexandra Jade. The disparity in their ages amuses me. Nicholas and Alexandra come from what seems like opposite ends of the spectrum at the beginning of the series. I love them both because they are both survivors. Whatever life dishes at them, they work through it. At times, they work together, and at other they work against one another. Their humanity makes me laugh and cry. Their fallacies frustrate me. They both engage and challenge me.

6. What is your favorite writing tip or quote?

It’s not a writing quote, per se, but it sums up me and my approach to life. I came across this quote years ago. For me, there are two messages in her words. Keep pushing. Don’t forget to laugh.

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style”
― Maya Angelou

As far as writing tips go, keep going. If you struggle, if you get stuck, just keep going. Be relentless about your art. You’ll get there.

7. Tell us a little about your plans for the future. Do you have any other books in the works?

For the future, I am currently wrapping up the first round of revisions for Shadow’s Journey. I’m shooting for an October release date. Stay tuned to my website for more info on the release date and cover reveal.

Where can we find you online?

Blog: https://sandrahults.wordpress.com/
Website: https://sandrahults.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sandra-Hults-461985840493928/
Twitter: @SandraHults
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sandra-Hults/e/B00JQ2GHNW/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1495057051&sr=8-1
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Sandra+Hults?_requestid=1050532

Maeseloria: Birth of Light

Ages old…light forgotten. Journey with Alexandra and Marcus Jade in their quest for the truth of their heritage and restoration of a long-forgotten kingdom. Maeseloria once thrived and blossomed beneath Fate’s watchful eye. Shadows drew the realm into the darkness. Have a care, shadow-spawn, the Light always calls her children home.

 

 

Excerpt

“Come on wench, the master has come to dispose of ye.”

There was an odd complacency to her movements as she stepped out into the hall and even let them bind her hands. Master indeed. Terrorist would perhaps be more appropriate. At any rate they led her away. How could they have known she’d been slowly drawing for nearly the last hour? Flagging weariness tugged at her consciousness. Lack of food and rest dampened her enthusiasm a little.

When the body is weak the mind is strong. How many damned times during the last few days had Tanya drilled that into her? Gods only knew. Up the stairs and through the keep she stumbled, knocking her chin hard on the stone floor since her hands were bound and she could not break her fall. They laughed. The little fledglings laughed. A pity they would never see the next night. At least, not if she had anything to say about it. Thankfully, none had discovered she carried the dagger with her. That would have been interesting though, to see one of them try to touch it. According to Tanya, they couldn’t.

Eventually the little ones tugged and pulled her through the palace, mocking her as the last of the Jade Sorceress’. Giddeon had bred his hate in them. More’s the pity she supposed. Life was so much more than this. With all her heart she knew that now. When they led her into the snow littered clearing roughly half a mile from the keep she saw what she surmised to be a funeral pyre. Oh goody, they were going to try and burn a pyrokinetic Sorceress. So, she let them tie her up like a good little girl. Anything they could throw at her, she could throw right back. A pity none were aware of that but her teachers. And, finally, she did what any sorceress worth her salt would do. She drew.

A voice that would haunt her dreams for years to come whispered into the clearing. “I see the bitchling has been bound…” When one of the fledglings went to gag her, the demon waved them away. “I want to hear her scream.” From the shadows another figure watched as Giddeon ordered his men to light the sticks and wood that lay dried at her feet. The flames would catch fast, Nicholas suspected. Her instincts would remove the threat. This would test her mettle and his teaching. As the fire flickered and spread quickly, he saw as she looked through the flames and growled at Giddeon.

“The knees of Darkness shall bend beneath the will of the Light.” The creature growled as his glorious fire was snuffed like a candle, leaving Alex with nothing more than scorched skirts. Was that Maeselorian she was speaking? When the hell had Tanya taught her that? I didn’t. Her surprised mutter wandered through his mind as he watched.

As the fledglings drew close and attempted to grasp her, that dagger of hers lifted from its hidden sheathe in her boot. Five more seconds and all hell would break loose, he knew. As soon as the spell was whispered he’d get her out of there. Soon enough a blue haze surrounded her, repelling whatever shadow Giddeon may toss in her direction. May hell, the demon was already drawing against her.

Shadowfire, oh goody, Nicholas thought dryly as he stepped into view. He did nothing, no, not yet. In truth he wanted to see if her ward would hold. “Come on Alex, you can do it….” He whispered when her eyes, as though she sensed him, flicked towards him. The only reply he gave was a nod of affirmation. She nodded in return and the ward somehow strengthened. He was amazed that in her current state of mind that it did hold. Okay, Taltos, time to put a stop to this. He moved forward, his voice taunting the creature who stood in the center of the clearing. “Picking on creatures half your size again Giddeon?”

 

Devorah Fox and Fan Fiction

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

The Sincerest Form of Flattery, a guest post by Devorah Fox

“Fan fiction” is a term that describes stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work rather than by the original creator. Fan fiction is rarely commissioned or authorized by the original work’s owner, creator or publisher. Writers of fan faction assume that their work will be read by other fans of the work that inspired the creativity and so readers of the fan fiction are expected to have some familiarity with the characters, setting, plot, etc. of the original work on which the fan fiction is based.

Fan fiction isn’t a new phenomenon. According to Wikipedia, the Bronte sisters wrote fan fiction, as did readers of Alice in Wonderland and Sherlock Holmes. Fan fiction has been very popular in the sci-fi genre, and it really got a boost in response to Star Trek. The Internet gave rise to an increase in fan fiction. One statistic states that fan fiction comprises one third of all content about books on the Web. There are fanzines and conventions and Internet sites like www.fanfiction.net for publishing, sharing  and reviewing fan fiction.

Though it seems innocent enough, fan fiction has given rise to controversy. Some argue that it’s plagiarism while other claim that fan fiction, or at least the nonprofit variety, falls under the fair use doctrine. Lucasfilms Ltd. has taken action to control the use of Star Wars characters in fan fiction while J. K. Rowling has given the nod to writers of fan fiction based on her characters. A new effort launched by Amazon.com in May, 2013, is designed to give a forum to fanfiction writers while guarding the intellectual property rights of the original works’ creators. Kindle Worlds allows fan fiction stories of certain licensed media properties to be sold in the Kindle Store provided the writing meets certain conditions. The fan fiction writers and the creators of the licensed work are both compensated, as is of course amazon.

The issue of fan faction recently came up in a Facebook group to which I belong and the general consensus seemed to be resentment. I suppose if someone were making a mint from fiction based on my characters I’d feel differently but for now I cherish the fan fiction that’s been inspired by The Lost King and The King’s Ransom. For one, I find the mere fact that my writing spurred that initiative in someone else to be validating. Isn’t awakening creativity in someone else about the highest compliment an artist can be paid?

I’ve also learned a lot from the fanfic written about King Bewilliam and his world. It’s like someone held a mirror to my character, turned it at an angle and showed me a different side. I have in turn been inspired by the added dimensions that I see the character can have, the different paths that he can take. Because fanfic writers have their unique style, my character has had a chance to play in different arenas.

A fan of my novels who is a sand sculptor created his interpretation of King Bewilliam’s Bell Castle. Is a sand castle fan “fiction,” plagiarism, fair use or something else entirely? Whatever it is, I find it complimentary. Not only that, in my writing I have imagined what buildings are on the castle grounds and describe the rooms’ interiors but haven’t given much consideration to the buildings’ exteriors. Frankly, I’m eager to see what they look like.

So is fan fiction, like imitation, the sincerest form of flattery or is it theft?

About Devorah Fox

Winner of four National Novel Writing Month marathons, Devorah Fox has written for television, radio, magazines, newspapers, and the Internet. Publisher and editor of the BUMPERTOBUMPER® books for commercial motor vehicle drivers, she is also developer of the Easy CDL apps for the iPhone and iPad. She has written test preparation guides for Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. and edited books for Techni-Com, a Canadian publisher, as well as several novels. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she has lived in Port Aransas, Texas, since 2005. Secretary of the Rockport Writers Group, Fox writes the “Dee-Scoveries” blog at http://devorahfox.com and column of the same name for The Island Moon newspaper. She wrote her first novel in the third grade and has written several more since. The Lost King, a literary fantasy, is her first published work of fiction and its sequel, The King’s Ransom, is her most recent.

Website: http://devorahfox.com
Twitter: @devorah_fox   http://twitter.com/devorah_fox
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/devorah.fox
FB author page: https://www.facebook.com/DevorahFoxAuthor
LinedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/devorahfox/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/devorahfox
Google+: https://plus.google.com/115373271462004436975/posts
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2751371.Devorah_Fox
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/mbapub

What do you think of fan fiction? Give your opinion in comments below.

So You Want to Be a Writer

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

I was asked, “What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision?” The short answer to the question is that I was born a writer, and it was the only possible decision.

I never recall a time when my life goal was anything other than being a writer. When I was as young as six, I began writing stories about the man from Mars for my older sister. I continued to write throughout high school and had finished a novel before I graduated (not that it was any good). My parents, however, were practical people, and while they never told me that I couldn’t be a writer, they insisted I have a back-up plan. When I was looking into college majors, my only true consideration was how would this help me become a writer. I ended up as an English major, which allowed me to read a great deal of literature (every writer needs to first be a reader). Since a bachelor’s degree in English isn’t really an employable degree, I went on to get a Ph.D. in American literature.

In the process of attaining an advanced degree, I stopped writing fiction. I forgot that the Ph.D. and a university professorship was merely the back-up plan. I wrote the literary criticism that was necessary to advance myself in academia, and I was absolutely miserable. As I now tell my creative writing students, a writer has to write in order to be happy. I believe that being a writer, or an artist of any kind, is part of a person’s soul, and if that part isn’t nurtured, the soul withers.

One day in the midst of writing a piece of literary criticism, I realized why I was unhappy. My soul was starved. I threw away the partially complete literary article and began my first novel instead.

While my lack of literary publications and my writing of fantasy fiction, which is not highly regarded in academia, has stopped me from advancing to a full professorship, I have never regretted this decision. My soul is no longer withering.

Of course, I want as many people as possible to read my books, but even if they were never read by anyone but me, writing them was the only possible decision for me to live a fulfilled life. Writing makes me happy. Writing feeds my soul.

So if I have any advice for aspiring writers out there, it would be to remember that a writer has to write. Don’t let anything stop you even if the entire world tells you you’re wasting your time. Your soul knows better.

 

Are you a writer? Share what it was like for you in the comments.

Bossy Characters

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

I was asked whether I had any “side stories” about the characters is The Goddess’s Choice. A better question would be, did my characters have any stories about themselves that they insisted I write?

As every novelist knows, a well developed character is in some sense alive. This sounds weird to someone who is not a writer, but characters come to exist in a space of their own, which isn’t entire identical to the author’s imagination. These characters can become insistent, down right bossy, in letting an author know that there is more to their stories that needs telling. I had several of these bossy characters in The Goddess’s Choice, but the bossiest of them was Darhour, a former assassin. While some of my other characters were content with short stories of their own, Darhour insisted I write an entire novel about him.

Darhour plays an important role in The Goddess’s Choice, but he is not one of the two major characters. We meet him as the Master of the King’s Horse who has a terribly scarred face and an especially fondness for the princess. Later, we learn that he was once the world’s most notorious assassin who has since taken a vow never to kill again. In The Goddess’s Choice, we learn some things about his past and why he feels such a strong attachment to the princess. But Darhour let me know in no uncertain terms that he was not content with what I’d told the world about him in this novel. He wouldn’t leave me alone until I had written a novel, which both tells his story after the end of The Goddess’s Choice and relates his past so that the reader understands what turned a simple stable groom into a killer.

While a man whose killed more people than he can remember may not sound like a sympathetic character, Darhour knew that once readers fully knew his story, they would not judge him harshly. As one reviewer put it, “While he sounds like a ruthless, heartless character, after learning his story, I couldn’t help but really fall in love with him.”

So if The Goddess’s Choice piques your interest in the world’s most notorious assassin, know that in The Ghost in Exile you can find the rest of his story.

Have you created any bossy characters? Tell us about them in the comments. Or is there a minor character in a novel you wish the author would develop in a novel of her/his own?

The Man From Rome Blog Tour

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

Read about an exciting new paranormal thriller and enter to win a $15 Amazon gift card below.

Rome is a city like no other, protected by a man like no other. He is the unnamed Immortal, the Man from Rome, and he is under attack.

An agent of his secret order has been murdered, her tongue ripped out, her throat coated in molten silver. The killing is meant to be a message, a warning that old enemies have resurfaced to punish the Man for the sins of his past.

Forced to retaliate, the Man sets in motion a sequence of events which pit an American thief, a Roman policewoman, and a fallen Olympian against one another in all-out war. The streets of Rome become a battleground where the supernatural clash with the mortal, and the Eternal City bears witness to yet another chapter in its storied history of violence.

Vengeance reigns supreme in this, the newest Novel from Dylan James Quarles.

Excerpt

Light filtered in through the painters cloth, becoming diffused and shallow. As if in preparation for a slaughter, the floor was covered in newspaper, and the tables were draped with black plastic. Overhead, the light fixtures had been removed so that their wires dangled in stringy noose-like clumps.

Taking all of this in, Cato let the door swing shut behind him. The latch gave an audible click, and was instantly echoed by the snap of a Zippo lighter. Cato started with surprise and turned. In the far corner of the room, a candle had been lit, casting illumination upon a table laden with food. Already seated and waiting for him, a man in a three-piece chestnut suit smiled through the blue haze of his cigarette.

Cato blinked, and a pair of golden-eyes blinked back at him. Like memory made manifest, the Benefactor’s unmistakable face came into view. Cato gaped.

“But—but—you look—”

Tapping his cigarette into an ashtray, the Benefactor held up a hand for silence. Cato faltered and the words died in his throat.

“Before you finish that sentence,” spoke the Benefactor. “May I interject a simple request?”

Physically shaken by the timbre of the Man’s voice, Cato did all that he could just to nod.

“I can see that you are…disturbed by me, Cato—disturbed by what you see. Yet I beg of you, please refrain from uttering that which I have heard more times than I care to remember. Spare history the doom of repetition.”

About the author

Arriving on the scene in 2012 with the publication of The Ruins Of Mars, Dylan James Quarles is one of Amazon’s brightest Kindle Authors.

Using a his signature ability to make scenes come alive in your mind, Quarles immerses the reader in the world of his creation, adding layer upon layer until the narrative plays like a film. Further enriched by unique characters and breath-taking action sequences, his fiction is an ideal blend of entertainment and substance.

Quarles travels often, drawing inspiration for his work from Europe and South East Asia. His newest novel, The Man From Rome, is a direct product of his numerous visits to the Eternal City. Full of on-the-street detail, the novel packs an extra helping of Roman flare for the reader to enjoy!

Links:

Website – www.djqfiction.com

On Twitter – @dylanjquarles

On Facebook – @themanfromrome

The Man From Rome on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Man-Rome-Dylan-James-Quarles-ebook/dp/B06ZZHTXX1

 

 
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Santana Young, Science Fiction Author

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

Welcome to today’s guest, Santana Young, Science Fiction Author Extraordinaire!  It’s good to shake things up a bit sometimes.

Santana young grew up watching science fiction and fantasy, her favorite being Babylon 5. She began writing at a young age for fun.

​Santana currently lives in Southeast Ohio where she studies and recreates medieval history (Particularly, 13th-14th Century Mongol) as a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (S.C.A.). She also enjoys painting, drawing, music, and playing games with friends.

​Santana holds a B.A. in Anthropology with research interests in archaeology, cultural anthropology, and early forms of humans.

Interview

  1. Tell us a little about yourself?

I live in Ohio with my husband where we like to do medieval recreation in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). I have a B.A. in Anthropology and love studying other cultures and history. I love channeling the things I learn into my stories as analogs to create big complex worlds.

  1. What made you want to become a writer?

My sister and I loved coming up with stories as kids. She started writing first, and like a typical little sibling, I followed suit. I continued to write over the years, but didn’t decide to publish until after my older sister published, and she encouraged me to share my work with others.

  1. What are you reading at the moment? Would you recommend it to readers of this blog? Why?

I’m currently reading Chasing Ghosts, the third book in the Judah Black series by E.A. Copen. I definitely recommend this series. The Judah Black series is an urban fantasy that features uncommon monsters, complex plots, and a female protagonist that also is a single mother.

  1. Tell us something about how you write? i.e. are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you have any weird or necessary writing habits or rituals?

I am definately a plotter. I’ve tried being a pantser, but I feel that my work is much more focused when I plot. I like plotting things out on Scrivener and mark them as scenes and sequels (an idea I got from Deborah Chester’s Fantasy Fiction Formula, a FANTASTIC read). I’m not super strict on it though. Sometimes in the process of writing, I feel something might need to go another way. I might think of a cool idea or a character will tell me. As long as I have a loose idea of where I’m going and major events.

I’m pretty flexible in my writing habits. I can write just about anywhere that I can take my laptop. I’ve written everywhere from coffee houses to in the back room of a recycling store. I like having something to sip on and maybe a snack on hand for when I pause to think. I can get into it enough that I’ll forget to eat or drink all day, and it’s a good way to make sure I’m getting something.

  1. Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book?

In the Arena, Duncan’s mother died in an attack on the colony they lived on and his relationship with his dad becomes sour. So sour that his dad sells him as a gladiator to a colony that recreates the parts of Rome that people romanticize. He’s told he can gain freedom if he earns enough money but is gaining debt from food and medical expenses every day. He makes close allies and friends who become his new family, particularly Mahmud “Mom” Kartal who teaches him how to fight. But he also has to grow up fast learning hard lessons from the galaxy’s scummiest people.

Duncan learns a secret during his time in the Arena that his mom took to the grave with her. It shakes his world and makes him desperate to get free so he can find more answers, preferably trying to find a way to take his friends with him.

Despite the darkness in Duncan’s life, he’s a fairly light-hearted, smart-mouthed kid. He’s always pushing boundaries. Even when he’s about to give up on people, he finds hope in dark situations.

  1. Tell us a little about your plans for the future. Do you have any other books in the works?

Yes. Book Two from the Chronicles of Everen Series, Liberator, I hope to have published later this fall. I’m almost finished with edits and hope to have betas reading it early next month. I’m also plotting and working on book three, Stigmata. There will be other books in the series, both as prequel series and side series, in the same universe. I also plan to do an Urban Fantasy series sometime later under the series title the League of Acquisitioneers. I also plan to write a book that will talk about how Anthropology can be used to develop cultures in science fiction and fantasy worldbuilding.

Where can we find you online?

Blog: http://authorsantanayoung.wixsite.com/home/blog-1
Website: http://authorsantanayoung.wixsite.com/home/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSantanaYoung/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_SantanaYoung_
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WPB3K45
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-arena-santana-young/1125983066?ean=2940154177969 (ebook)
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-arena-santana-young/1126069783?ean=9781544603940 (paperback)
Others: https://books2read.com/TheArena

Arena

Earth is gone…

​The galaxy is at war…

​But Duncan Alexander Greyson has more important things to worry about.

​After the death of his mother, Duncan’s dad sells him into slavery.

​Now he must fight for his life in a space-age coliseum, trained to kill by the worst humankind has to offer. He’s promised freedom but only if he can claw his way out from ever-mounting debt.

​When a secret his mother took to her grave comes to light, Duncan becomes more determined than ever. He’s leaving Neo Roma. Even if it’s in a body bag.

Excerpt

As a guard escorted him to a cage, Duncan’s skin prickled from all the eyes on him. They studied him, gleaning what they were able from his every move and appearance. They sized him up like lions looking over potential prey. Any one of those gladiators was a candidate for the man who would end Duncan’s brief life. Any one of those gladiators could make Duncan a murderer today.

Duncan’s enclosure was along the front wall. The row of metal cages reverberated when the door slammed shut behind him. The man who escorted him tapped on the display outside of Duncan’s cage and walked away.

Wei was to Duncan’s right. Al was in the one on the other side of Wei. To his left, a stranger stared forward, gripping a lance in his hand. Nobody in the other cages talked to anyone. Is the not talking thing an arena rule or an unspoken rule between gladiators?

He laid his weapons on the floor and slid up onto the stool provided. With no one to talk to, Duncan had to wrestle his nerves alone as he awaited his fate. After a majority of the cages were full, people dressed in suits and dresses entered. They browsed around the men in cages like a stroll at the zoo.

Who are these people? Why isn’t anyone explaining anything to me?

Duncan glanced to Wei. Duncan cleared his throat watching a couple with a young boy looking over one guy a few cells down. Wei sighed. He noticed Duncan’s confused eyes on him. Wei slid off his stool and motioned for Duncan to meet him by the bars. “What’s going on?” Duncan whispered.

“Pre-show, people can pay a fee to come in and take a look. Those screens outside our cells give them information about your wins, losses, and any significant fights. It also tells them what kind of style you use and your betting odds. Spooners like to check us out so they know which to bet on. It also gets them closer to their quote unquote heroes. This is your first chance to make a good impression so stop looking like a confused greenhorn.”

Wei tramped back over to his stool and sat down. He returned to the important task of brooding like the others. Duncan paced back to his stool as the couple with the kid approached. They stopped in front of Duncan’s cage. The man wore a sunflower dress shirt and green tie. He tapped on Duncan’s screen. Way to keep with the Roman atmosphere with that shirt, buddy, Duncan thought with an eye roll.

“A dimachaerus!” The chest-high kid pointed at the swords on the floor, vibrating with excitement. “Like the Ottoman!”

Well at least someone’s having fun, Duncan thought. He looked around at the other gladiators, each perched on their stools like brooding statues. A smile crept across Duncan’s face. I should get people to like me, right? Who likes a guy that looks like he’s got the attitude of an angry badger?

“The Ottoman trained me.” Duncan was bragging but he guessed spectators expected bravado from their heroes.

The boy smiled wide and hopped up and down. “He spoke to me!”

“That’s nice. Don’t talk back. He’s not supposed to talk to us.” The boy’s mother gave Duncan a warning expression.

It didn’t seem like she was scolding Duncan. It was more like she was trying to keep him out of trouble, like he’d broken a rule someone forgot to tell him. Duncan sighed. I guess the not talking thing is a rule. It would have been nice if someone told me.

He went back to his stool and sat slumping forward. He listened as the man read a few things about Alexander the Great. “It’s his first fight. Not good odds.”

The man moved along, the kid waving goodbye to Duncan as they went. Well at least I won someone over.

 

What do you think? Add your comments below.

Where did the Goddess Come from?

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

The expanded edition of The Goddess’s Choice will be released on June 15. To celebrate, let me tell you how it all began.

The Goddess’s Choice, expanded edition

Origin Story

The Goddess’s Choice comes from deep within my childhood. My sister Jalane–she is ten years older than me–would tell me and my younger sister stories, fairy tales mostly:  “Midas and His Golden Touch,” “The Three Little Men in the Forest,” “Hanzel and Gretel.” But my favorite was always “The Princess and the Glass Hill” or “The Glass Mountain” as my sister titled it. Wendie and I would have her tell that story over and over again. I was captivated by the bold hero on his magical horses of bronze, silver, and gold toiling up a mountain made of glass to win the princess’s hand.

As I got older, the story faded from my consciousness. For years I hardly thought about it. Then in graduate school it came back to me in an essay I wrote. We were discussing children’s literature in a Women’s Studies course and had to do a personal essay on our experience with literature as a child. The story of “The Princess and the Glass Hill” figured heavily in that paper. That’s when the inherit sexism of the story was brought forcibly home. The princess has no name, no personality, performs almost no actions. She is not even described. She is nothing more than the prize–a trophy–to be handed off to the lucky man who wins her father’s contest. How she feels about the matter is not discussed, not even thought of, as I did not think about it when I was a child. I identified with the bold young hero of the tale, not the nearly invisible princess waiting at the top of the mountain with her golden apples.

After graduate school, “The Glass Mountain” made another appearance when I had a child of my own. I loved the story so much as a child, I wanted to pass it on to my son. Jesse loved it every bit as much as I had.

But one day after telling it to him, it came to me that the story could be so much more than the few pages and sparse details devoted to it in either the original or my sister’s version. Robbie (in my sister’s version, he was merely the youngest brother) was born sleeping in the attic on a straw mattress. Although that detail didn’t survive into the final version, it was the gem of the story. I also knew that my princess would be no passive character in the tale of another. The princess would be as strong and full developed as Robbie–a true heroine to match his hero. Samantha came to be, dreading yet another ball. She would far rather be riding her horse.

You can read the original fairy tale at The Princess and the Glass Hill. Jalane took a lot of license in telling her tales, so her version was more exciting than this one. Also, although the novel originated from a fairy tale, it is not a children’s story. It is definitely intended for adults.

Jamie’s Five Rules of Magic

Jamie Marchant Posted on by
Sanderson’s First Law of Magics: An author’s ability to solve conflict with magic is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to how well the reader understands said magic.
Magic is at the heart of fantasy, so it’s important for an author to get the magic right. You may argue that magic doesn’t exist. How can there be any “right” about it? Ironically, the very fact that it is imaginary makes its creation all that more problematic.
In 1817, Samuel Taylor Coleridge first used the term the “willing suspension of disbelief” to discuss a reader’s ability to sacrifice realism and logic for the sake of enjoyment. When we write fantasy, this is exactly what we are asking readers to do. But readers are only willing to suspend their disbelief so far before they scoff at the absurdity of our story and become annoyed with us as authors. Everything in reality has rules, so readers will not accept magic without any. Magic that can solve any problem with no difficulties is not only unbelievable. It is boring. And being boring is pretty much an forgivable sin in a writer.
So if we are going to include magic in our fiction that readers will accept, there are some rules to keep in mind. (As with all writing rules, there are always exceptions, but you have to have a pretty good reason to break the laws of magic.) So here goes, Jamie’s rules of magic:

The Five Rules

Rule #1: Magic must have limits. Magic must not be infinitely powerful. Otherwise, the story really has no point. The readers must know exactly what magic can and cannot do.
If it can do everything, you will bore your reader. 
Rule #2: Magic must have rules. The reader needs to understand how and why magic works, only that way can they suspend their disbelief and accept it.
Rule #3: Magicalabilities need to be established long before they are necessary to get a character out of a bind. For example, my assassin Darhour has the ability to see in the dark. I introduce this ability to the reader early in The Goddess’s Choice when he goes to retrieve supplies from a store room. This is not at a moment of high tension in the novel. He could easily take a candle, but doesn’t need one. Therefore, when he later needs this ability to defeat another assassin sent after him, the reader can easily accept it, whereas they would scoff if the first time they heard about it was when the assassin attacks.
Rule #4. Magic must have costs. It can’t be too easy, or you will have readers rolling their eyes or slamming your book shut. My character Robrek is the strongest sorcerer Korthlundia has seen in hundreds of years, but it never comes easily for him. Even after a lot of training, he still finds himself blocked from the full strength of his talent. He learns that negative emotion hinders magic. He must forgive in order to access his full talent. (And he has a lot of things to forgive people for). Finally, even when he has succeeded in removing the obstacles that stand in his way, magic is exhausting. He can only work it for so long before collapsing. Magic is difficult and costs a lot. That is the only way magic is interesting.

 

Rule #5: Magic must not be the point of the story. People are what are at the heart of any good tale, and any ability–magical or otherwise–is always only part of a person’s character. Don’t get so caught up in your magic you forget to tell a good story.
 
 
 
 
 
 
If you have any opinion on what makes magic work in fiction, please leave a comment below.

How to Write Fresh Dialogue

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

This week Cinthia Ritchie, author of Dolls Behaving Badly, gives us some hints on writing dialogue. Come back tomorrow for an excerpt from her work.

Back in graduate school, the worst insult a writer could inflict on another was that their dialogue was forced or stilted.

Bad writing was one thing. Bad dialogue, quite another. It insinuated that the writer had failed not only in his writing but also as a listener. It implied that you were hopelessly unaware or socially inept.

It was a double-whammy.

I wasn’t immune, of course, and I sat in the stilted dialogue “hot” seat more than once, cringing and shuffling my feet and wishing I had studied accounting or biology or one of those studious sounding subjects like psychics or chemistry.

Years later, I often think of those words as I’m writing dialogue, and they still make me cringe.

Because, face it, writing dialogue is hard. People in books don’t speak as people do in real life, since we don’t spend our days advancing the plot forward. We have no idea that we are part of a plot. Real life isn’t like that.

Writing is. And dialogue is the heavyweight of the story, sweating under the burden of multiple tasks: emphasizing character interaction, highlighting situations and moving the plot forward. It also controls the pace and tension. Every dialogued word holds double, and often triple, meaning. If it didn’t, it probably should be written as straight text.

But how does one write realistic dialogue?

First, listen to people talk. Very few of us speak in full and proper sentences.

Imagine writing this: “Andy, please set the table for dinner, and don’t forget the china plates my grandmother left me in her will.”

Well, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that sentence, but there’s nothing great about it, either.

Try this instead: “Andy, can you set the table, and don’t forget Gramma’s plates.” That’s more of how we speak in our real lives.

But wait! Didn’t I mention earlier than dialogue can’t reflect real life since it’s obligated to hold so many nuances?

I did, which is why I advise creating tension by inserting small slices of narrative within a body of dialogue (and the operative word here is small).

“Andy,” she growled, “please set the table, and don’t forget Gramma’s plates.”

Or, “Andy, please set the table,” Jane said, cradling her head in her hands. “And don’t forget Gramma’s plates.”

That still might not be great writing but it does do what dialogue is meant to do: Create enough tension to keep the reader guessing and ultimately, continue reading.

Other dialogue don’ts:

Using bad dialect or too much dialect/slang.

Using too many pause words such as “ums” or “you knows.”

Not breaking up dialogue with narrative (you know the heavy feeling you get when you open a book to find pages of unbroken dialogue? Don’t do to readers what you don’t want done to you).

Limit the use of “he said” and “she said.” Substitute with more active words: She yelled, he stuttered, she whined, he coaxed.

Dialogue dos:

Give each character a distinctive voice.

Keep dialogue fresh, fast and snappy.

Write from the characters’ hearts, not just their heads.

Keep the conflict alive by implying, not stating, the obvious and not-so-obvious

Of course, just as we sometimes say things we later regret, it’s inevitable that we will find ourselves, on rare or even numerous occasions, writing bad dialogue. When this happens, don’t beat yourself or your characters up. Apologize, make the proper amends, and move on.

 

Cinthia Ritchie is a former journalist who lives and runs mountains and marathons in Alaska. Her work can be found at New York Times Magazine, Sport Literate, Water-Stone Review, Under the Sun, Memoir, damselfly press, Slow Trains, 42opus, Evening Street Review and over 45 literary magazines.

Links:

Website: www.cinthiaritchie.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/cinthia.ritchie