Comedy-Horror Novelette: "The House That Homed"

A new novelette of mine was released. This one is a bit different than some of my previous works - namely, it's a comedy horror. I wrote it on a whim, and with inspiration to write something more lighthearted...so needless to say, I don't take it too seriously at all.

The novelette is entitled The House That Homed, and is about four young adults that venture into a haunted mansion with some dark secrets. Two addicts soon enter as well, looking for stuff to loot. In terms of writing, it was probably 40% planned, and 60% improvised. Still, it was immensely fun to write, and I decided to release it for Halloween.

Here is the cover:

You can get it here!

Horror Novella: "Daddy's Girl"

My new horror novella is out, and available on Kindle for $0.99 on Amazon. My last horror story was a novelette...maybe my next horror story will be a full blown novel? Who knows...

Any way, enough of that. Here's the cover.

The synopsis:

Alex lost her father as a baby, and has only known him through stories and photos. Since his death, something seems to have always been in the shadows, protecting her through her childhood. Now that she's in college, she wants to just be a grown woman and take care of herself. However, when four classmates assault her, that unseen force again lashes out.

With a vengeance.

Soon begins a night of terror.

Get it here!

Why I got into horror

I currently have a fantasy novel out in print and Kindle format. A lot of people have followed me because of my fantasy book, as well as my comments regarding fantasy. I started writing because of my love for fantasy. Most people probably still think of me as a "fantasy author."

Why, then, did I start to dabble in horror? Why have I published a horror novelette, and why do I have a horror novella on the way? A while ago I saw a graph showing the popularity of various book genres. Amazingly enough, horror was listed near the bottom, while fantasy was near the top. The horror niche, while popular, isn't considered popular enough in terms of marketing. Certainly a lot more people have bought Gods on the Mountain than they have Raw Head, even though the latter is cheaper than the former. Clearly, if I want to make money, I should probably push more into the fantasy genre than horror.

The truth is, the reason I got into horror was I wanted to explore ideas and concepts I couldn't with fantasy. I wanted to explore supernatural and perilous elements that would be harder (though not impossible) to do with fantasy. It likewise permits me to explore stories set in our own world. Plus (if I may be excused for using a ten-year old's argument), I just felt like writing in horror.

The wonderful about being an author (especially an indie author) is that you can adapt your writing focus. You're not bound to write this or that. Granted, this can be seen within reason: if your fans want you to write a sequel to a popular book, it might be good to write said sequel; if you're seen as a Christian author, writing violent erotica might shock your fanbase and loose you readers. However, for the most you are completely free to explore and develop your style however you see fit.

And, frankly, authors should be permitted to do so, so long as they do it without looking down on their fanbase or forsaking those who supported and loved them during the early days.

Horror Novelette: "Raw Head"

I know I haven't updated this blog in a while, and it's running dangerously close to the trope of yet another author's blog that's gone into Neglect Land. I apologize to my followers and those who visit this blog, and I'll try to update more often from now on.

One thing I did forget to post about was...well...I wrote something. I wrote a horror novelette entitled Raw Head, which is available on Amazon for $0.99.

The synopsis:

A serial killer is brutally murdering children. Susie Hansen is nearing the end of her pregnancy, and is beginning to worry that the serial killer may be after her child. Worst yet, she thinks the serial killer may not even be human...

It's available on Kindle here.

Featured: The Inspired Writers

Gods on the Mountain was featured by Merrie Housdon on her blog The Inspired Writers. She's running a genre theme each month, which happens to be fantasy for June. Check it out!

Also check out the rest of her blog. She does a lot to promote indie authors and their work.

Writing Characters with Depression

A character in Gods on the Mountain has at least three episodes of great depression described in the book, one of which is in a flashback. These happen after three separate incidents, including the death of a friend. When I say he gets depressed, I mean he gets depressed hard. He shuts down. He's unable to do anything. He wallows in misery. All self-confidence is zapped out of him. He sees his talents and his worth as being lower than dirt. Even though he's nominally one of the heroes, he doesn't see himself as a hero, and he doesn't bear any of the cockiness so prevalent in many fantasy or science fiction heroes.

I based this largely off of my own experiences with severe depression.

Let me clarify that I'm not describing bipolar disorder, which is something else entirely, and which I've been told I don't have. There are other (non-genetic) reasons for my habit of depression which I can't go into here without turning it into a whiny sympathy-fishing-fest. Suffice to say, there are factors from my history that lead me to get the way I often do, but with the help of my selfless wife and supportive friends, I've been steadily recovering and trying to manage it. However, it's something still very real that I struggle with every now and then.

Is there anybody out there...?

When I try to articulate how I feel in such depressive episodes, I find it's a difficult condition to try to explain for others, because it's more than being "bummed out." Telling a person to "man up" in such a situation won't work. What's more, it's not possible to simply come out and say, "Yeah, I'm feeling down, and here's why." It's like your body just shuts down, mentally and emotionally. Whatever accomplishments you've made that day feel like nothing. It's like writing a 50,000 WIP in one day, only to have your computer crash with nothing saved - everything you've done, according to your depressed mentality, suddenly has no meaning. That's what it feels like.

I had one such episode this week, when during the evening I got into an argument with a friend. Without giving too much away, I said something poorly worded, and as a result they felt insulted and shut down the conversation. I felt bad because my intent wasn't to be mean or insult anyone, especially a friend. I didn't have anything else to say to the person, because my mind literally locked up, and I didn't know what to say. The guilt became stronger. I realized I couldn't get any sleep. I think I only got about two hours of sleep that night. Worst yet, I was struggling with myself on the inside, saying, "Just apologize," or, "Stand up for yourself." Part of me said, "This is stupid. You have bigger things to worry about. Move on with life." Even these internal voices fell on deaf ears. I'm writing all this as just as an example of how difficult depression can be for those who struggle with it.

When I wrote the depression scenes with the character mentioned before, I didn't just leave him depressed. There's a way out. Things happen that lift his spirits. I tried to show that there are ways out of depression, and we don't need to see it as the end. It's not the same for everyone, and for many it's harder than others. My hope is that it's carried across well in the story itself.

Expanding a Character's Role: Or, How My Wife Influences My Writing

In Gods on the Mountain, there's a character known as Celia, who works as a tavern girl in the desolate city of Dubris. Without giving too much away, she eventually becomes the love muse, and romantic interest, of another character. Originally, she had a much more minor role. In fact, I don't think I even named her. She was simply going to be a brief source of temptation for the protagonist to want to quit the mission and stay in the city, only to continue on out of a sense of duty.

Then I started reading the incomplete first draft to my wife. You must understand that my wife is a hopeless romantic, and believes if a character deserves true love, they should receive it. In this situation, she started wanting me to write that Celia and the protagonist ended up together. I fought with the idea in my head, trying to think if I could make it work, or if it would be worth the long-term character development. Eventually, I decided to go forward with it, and started writing with this in mind. By the end, Celia became a character who will more than likely pop up in any sequels.

Herein lies the importance of beta readers, and why they can be helpful in catching things you don't. Two of my beta readers complained that the relationship between Celia and the protagonist, after they first part ways, felt disjointed. One said that it felt like they were separated lovers, when their first contact was awkward and brief. I had to laugh at this, because Celia was, after all, written as a character who wasn't supposed to be relevant to the story, hence the disjointed feeling. I went back and rewrote the scene between her and the protagonist, making it longer, more fleshed out, and with a more developed bond between them. I sent the rewritten scenes to the beta readers, and they both agreed it was an improvement.

This entire episode was an example of how an author should be flexible with how he sees characters progressing in a story, and whether or not there's room for change. It's also a fine example of why you should reread and review your work if you make any serious changes to the story.

"Gods on the Mountain" Now Available!

As those who follow me on Twitter know, my new fantasy book, "Gods on the Mountain", was released yesterday on print and Kindle, and is available for purchase.

In the mountains of Calambria, the dwarf tribes have disappeared, and merchants have been expelled. Two are assigned to investigate this mystery: Edmund, a human and Magi, gifted with the ability to utilize the elements; and Diane, an elf and Dagger Maiden, who excels in close combat. As they attempt to uncover what has happened, they unearth betrayal and secrets not only from outside the continent, but from within as well. Soon they will discover a plot with dangers that go well beyond the mountains.

Here is the link to the print version.

Here is the link to the Kindle version.

First Experience: Beta Readers

When I first entered the world of indie publishing, I heard about these strange things called beta readers. "Who are these strange people called beta readers?" I asked myself.

No no no...beta.

What I learned was that, before publishing your book, you gave copies of it to either friends or volunteers to read and give you feedback on what they liked or didn't like. It's similar to the practice of film companies using test audiences to see what they think of a film thus far. There are various opinions regarding what point in the publishing process you should use beta readers, but the one I've read that makes the most sense is when you have the book edited and in a format you believe would be publish-worthy. At that point, you send it to your beta readers to see what other people would think about your work.

I'll admit I probably did it in the most awkward manner. I basically just put it out on Twitter that I was looking for beta readers for "Gods on the Mountain", and advertised it like that for a while. Eventually, I got three people volunteering for the job. I sent them PDF copies of the book, and waited to see what would happen.

Overall, the experience was amazing. My beta readers were open and honest, telling me what parts they loved and what parts they hated. I came to really treasure their feedback because there was one part of the book that at least two of them said didn't work at all, and didn't come across as believable. I went and edited that part, and sent them the edits, and they all affirmed that it was much better. They likewise pointed out any grammar or spelling errors, including one embarrassing mistake where I completely left out the verb!

I definitely saw the value in beta readers from this. I felt like my book was being even more refined, and was beginning to come together as a fully functioning novel. I was happy to have people who could point out problems in the storyline, rather than simply throw my book out into the market and get it from reviewers who may not like the book as much as they could. The experience likewise permitted me to grow and learn to take constructive criticism with a thick skull, and take from others what could help my writing, rather than getting defensive or becoming far too attached to the story.

To any indie authors out there, I would definitely suggest looking up beta readers, or finding those who would function as beta readers for you. It is definitely worth it.

"Gods on the Mountain" Sample Chapter

The following is Chapter 1 from my upcoming fantasy novel Gods on the Mountain, set to be released on April 29, 2015.

Enjoy!

Rules of Magic in Calambria

Last month, I came across an article by Eve Jacob on how to write magical powers. It was a good read that basically emphasized having a system, limitations, rules that can be understood and broken, etc. I've had a lot of questions from the beta-readers for my upcoming book Gods on the Mountain, regarding specifically the use of magic. Because of this, I thought I would take a moment to explain what role magic plays in the book, and within Calambria (the continent on which my book takes place) at large.

The word "magic" is rarely used in regards to special powers, and when it is, it is almost treated by other characters as a kind of slur. The powers themselves involve a manipulation and utilization of natural elements found within the world. This can include the dirt in the ground, or the flame from a fire, but it can also include clothing or metal armor. This is done by either manipulating the elements from their current state, or channeling those elements through your body. The important part here is that elements cannot be created ex nihilo from the caster themselves - it must already exist. Hence, an adapt user of "magic" must be ready to use whatever is available to them at that moment.

Two things should be kept in mind in regards to this: skill level and physical endurance. A magic user cannot simply do whatever he wants, but rather must harness and focus his skill, in the same manner that a juggler needs to practice to keep up (and advance) his abilities. Likewise, a weak magic user is not going to have enough endurance for what he needs to do, whereas a stronger magic user will be able to cast for long periods of time (and as a result, most magic users tend to be physically fit).

One final, and very important, factor to consider is that, in Calambria, magic and spirituality are connected. Magic is not earned through bloodline, nor through simple training (though training to lower levels is possible); rather, the Almighty (Calambria's monotheistic deity) grants "magic" to whom he wills. It is not inherited, but gifted. The major school of magic in the book, the Order of Magi, recruits by seeking out those who have shown, either at an early age or as a young adult, those who exhibit these powers. Of course, what a person chooses to do with these powers is up to them, and can ostracize them from the magic-using community at large, or grant them greater renown. Those outside the Magi who have exhibited powers for good tend to be seen as saints or holy people, while those who exhibited them for evil were seen as morally corrupt. All of this plays an important factor in the main plot for Gods on the Mountain.

Book Trailer: Gods on the Mountain

I know I had previously posted the book teaser, but here now is the book trailer for my upcoming fantasy novel, Gods on the Mountain.


Artwork used in the trailer comes from the book cover itself, which was done by the wonderful artist Mari. Check out her Twitter account and her website! She's a marvelously talented artist!

Social Media and Author Maturity

Recently on Twitter, I saw an author tweet about people they had blocked, mostly because of a disagreement over a subject. Out of a strange curiosity, I reviewed their twitter feed, and discovered that it was mostly them boasting about blocking people left and right, and for a variety of subjects. What took me aback by all this was not only did this person seem mean spirited towards the people they had blocked (referring to them by an ad hominem or a cruel name), but their tweets suggested that they had blocked quite a large number of people. They likewise took a "woe is me" attitude, as if the opinions of these people, and the action of having to block them, made this person a martyr on par with Saint Sebastian or Joan of Arc.

At first, I wasn't quite sure how to take all this; after some thinking, I felt inspired to write a blog post on this kind of attitude.

Of course, as one must always do on the internet when you first begin making suggestions or talking about a subject, let me make a few things clear: I understand this is the internet, and people are going to do what they want to do, and I can't control anyone, etc., etc., etc. Don't take this post as a declaration ex cathedra that must be obeyed; look at it as an author speaking to other authors and offering advice - mainly in why this attitude is a wrong one to take.

First, this kind of attitude is unnecessary social media drama. Seriously, I loathe Facebook because this sort of thing permeates it: people blowing their gasket at the first sign of contrary thought, then blocking people left and right over every tiny little thing. Blocking people because you disagree with them (even with a mute or unfollow function readily available) is just being a drama llama - especially if you proceed to go around bragging about it like you are some poor martyr who was compelled to do so.

That's not to say there's never a reason to block someone. Generally, I work by these rules in regards to blocking:

1. If you post pornography or stuff in general that would embarrass me to see on my feed, were my wife to be sitting next to me.
2. If your account is spam or doesn't serve any purpose that might produce some form of interaction.
3. If you keep doing the "follow for automatic follow-back" thing several times (at that point, you're being obnoxious).
4. If you're a jerk or generally act disrespectful to myself or to friends/family, and to the point that friendly interaction is no longer possible.
5. If you're the Game of War Twitter account.

However, if someone's opinion or personal action, especially one that most people would find inconsequential (eg., celebrating Valentine's Day), upsets you so much that you have to block them...then you're demonstrating a great level of immaturity. Welcome to the real world: there are going to be people who disagree with you. You're going to have to coexist with people who disagree with you. And it's those people's absolute right to post their views on their account, provided they aren't going to an extreme in doing so. Unless they're directly attacking you, don't go blocking them or crying on social media about how you were somehow forced to block others, when all you could have done was count to ten and moved on with life.

There are people I regularly interact with on Twitter who I disagree with politically, religiously, etc., and while I'm not saying that I'm alright with every single thing they tweet or share, I try my best not to have a knee jerk reaction towards it. I try to avoid feeling the need to purge my feed of contrary opinion. Even if I choose to disagree openly, I try to do so in a respectful manner, and with consideration for their viewpoint. That's not to say I'm perfect - I could definitely go back in time and rebuke myself with this post. I've had to mature with online interaction, let alone real life interaction. One thing I've tried to live by is you choose your battles, and you choose what hill you want to die on. What's more, you have to remember that others outside your little conflict are watching and observing you, which brings me to my next point...

Second, it's a foolish way to act, given you are the persona of your material. That is, you are the face of your product, which is your literary work. One thing that is commonly harped about on most indie guides is that, as an indie author, you are marketing yourself. You don't have a publicist to be your public face, or to deal with the media when you go on a drunken rampage through downtown Los Angeles. As obvious it might sound, you are literally who people perceive you to be. Being an indie author permits people to see you in the "raw." They see you in the way you present yourself.

So, if you act like a ten-year old and flood your feed with stuff that makes fun of people for a variety of reasons, you present yourself  as that sort of person. Of course, your friends and those who agree with you probably aren't going to berate you, but you're going to create this aura around you that others are definitely going to notice. There's a reason why a writer like Norman Boutin is so infamous: because of how he acts, especially towards other people. There's a reason an artist like Tom Preston gets so much flack: because he's constantly playing victim, complaining about things that shouldn't bother him, and blocking anyone who displeases him in the slightest. Yes, you have a right to your opinion, and yes, you too have a right to do with your social media account what you choose to do...but remember what you are, and what you are trying to do. You're not only selling your product; you're selling yourself.

Again, I understand it ultimately boils down to what you want to do with your account, even if that includes blocking everyone who openly celebrates Valentine's Day, or everyone who's a Postmillennial because you're a Historic Premillennial. However, as I said before, remember your ultimate goal, and what you are trying to do. Are you really trying to build a reader base, or are you trying to gather together a team of monomaniacal sympathizers and supporters to come to and pat your back every single time you feel slightly depressed? We all have our bad moments, but if you examine yourself and find that you are repeating this over and over again, it will snowball at some point.

Cover Reveal: Gods on the Mountains

Here is the front cover design for my upcoming fantasy book Gods on the Mountains, with a new release date of April 29.

The artwork itself was done by the awesome Mari, who can be found on her Twitter account, as well as her website. I highly suggest checking out her work; it is simply amazing. It was great working with her, and as any author knows, it's fascinating to see how other people interpret your characters. I'd like to thank her for the great work she did on the cover.

10 Least Favorite Screen Characters

I was tagged by my wife to do my Ten Least Favorite Screen Characters (ie., characters from a TV show or movie). Like my wife, I'm going to provide a brief explanation so that if I offend or shock anyone, I can explain my position. I'll tag people on the Twitter post for this.

There are maybe a handful of spoilers throughout this post, but probably not any huge shockers. Just a fair warning.

Topanga (Boy Meets World)

You know what's funny? I like Boy Meets World. It's a fun series, and there are plenty of good episodes that resonate with me as much as an adult as much as they did when I was a kid. But when I watched it again, I found that I could not stand Topanga. Part of the problem is her self-righteousness and pushiness, which never (in my opinion) gets addressed or rebuked sufficiently. The biggest example of this for me was the one Christmas episode where she stays at the Matthews' home, and starts pushing her family's Christmas traditions on them; then, come the end of the episode, it's Cory who has to apologize?! Excuse me? Are we not going to address Topanga's manipulation of a family to which she was a guest?

It didn't help when it became a trope how, every season, Cory and Topanga would break up, become drama llamas for several episodes, then get back together. It made the series annoying for me. Partly this was because I've had friends in real life who have gone through such relationships, where they break up with someone three or four times before they finally break up for good. Partly this was because it just made the story lines so predictable. I didn't care whether or not they got back together, because I already knew they would. It's kinda like when people die in Dragonball Z; I'm not gonna mourn for them, because I know by the end of the story arch they're just going to be resurrected. More importantly, it seemed like a lot of times the break up was a result of either something Topanga did (though Cory was certainly guilty a few times), or because of some shallow reason Topanga had for said break up. Cory's interests in her at some point seemed more like an obsession, and in my opinion he had broken up with girls in previous episodes for less legitimate reasons than he did with Topanga.

In fact, while re-watching the first few seasons, I started wishing that Cory had ended up with Wendy rather than Topanga. One of the few times as an adult I've been tempted to write a fanfic, really...

Bella Swan (Twilight film series)

Granted, I don't like Bella Swan in the book series either, but unlike Edward (whom Robert Pattinson made somewhat more likable...creepy stalking aside), Bella is even more unlikable in the movies. It goes without saying that Kristen Stewart's acting in those films is some of the worst acting I've ever seen in cinema history period. She makes Steven Seagal look like Ian McKellen. Read this line out loud: "Whoa, what is going on?" Congratulations, you just read it with more depth and feeling than Kristen Stewart did. I seriously believe that every scene with her was done in one take. It didn't help that every other actress in that movie did a good job in their respective roles, causing me to repeatedly think, "Okay, why didn't they get the role of Bella?" Say what you want about Anna Kendrick, I think she could have done a better acting job as Bella than Stewart.

But acting aside, the character is just completely unlikable. She goes through the film with a perpetual "Woe is me, my life sucks" persona. I don't like girls who behave that way in real life...why would I want to spend 2+ hours with a fictional main character like that? Her obsession with Edward is equally as mystifying in the films as it was in the books, and her ability to just go from Edward to Jacob made me doubt if she fully understood what romance really was. She seriously ranks among the top least liked characters in literary or film history for me.

Hermione Granger (Harry Potter film series)

Some of you are probably shocked by this choice, since I've talked on Twitter about being a fan of Harry Potter; I also follow JK Rowling on Twitter, and have used her on this blog as an example of how a good author behaves. So let me tell a little story to explain myself...

I saw the first Harry Potter movie as a late teen, and had never before read the books. I thought it was okay as far as movies go, but I just did not like Hermione as a character. Then my wife introduced me to the books, and as I read them, I discovered something amazing...I liked Hermione. No, I loved her. I found, as a character, I could relate to her in so many ways, and she came across as someone I would have loved to hang out with if I'd ever gone to Hogwarts. She actually became one of my favorite characters in the book series.

In the movies, most of what made her enduring was removed, and the bits that made her human were amplified to the point of annoyance. Her initial unattractiveness (frizzy hair, buck teeth, etc.) was removed, and her studiousness was treated more like snobbery than a character perk. A lot of scenes that made me sympathetic to her were changed so that she was more of an unlikable character. For example, the scene where she throws birds at Ron: in the book, she did it because Ron was a jerk to her; in the movie, she does it because she's a jealous twit.

While Emma Watson can be a good actress, her portrayal of Hermione also hurt my opinion of the character. A lot of her lines are delivered in an unnecessarily dramatic fashion, so that even ordering a salad sounds like she's in some great peril. Her rebuking of other characters, treated in the book as her being the sole voice of reason, is in the films treated more like nagging. By the later films, I found myself absentmindedly saying "Shut up, Hermione" whenever she got upset. It also didn't help that Emma Watson acted with her eyebrows - no, I mean it. Look at her in most of the films, and you'll see she lifts her eyebrows at every other syllable in her line. In some scenes it became so prevalent that I would start counting out loud. Miniscule as this may sound, that part became distracting about her character. If you still don't believe me, start a drinking game over it, and watch any of the movies. I promise you'll be wasted thirty minutes in.

Danny (The Shining, 1997 version)

I'm not going to go into a debate over which version of The Shining is closer to the book, better as a film, etc. I can understand where some of the frustrations Stephen King had with Stanley Kubrick's interpretation, and why he might have wanted to see a different take on the story put to film. People are probably divided on this issue, and I know there are valid arguments on both sides.

That being said, I absolutely hated Danny in the 1997 version of The Shining. That nasal, congested voice of his got grating after about ten minutes. I think they were trying to make him a cute kid that would be enduring, but they overdid it. I started rooting for the hotel, I ain't gonna lie.

Olivia Benson (Law & Order: SVU)

I could probably write a whole blog post on all the problems I have with L&O:SVU, but one of them is the character of Olivia Benson; in a way, she represents everything I find wrong with the series.

For one, she has a self-righteousness, so prevalent in a lot of cop shows today, of "I'm always in the right, even when I'm breaking the law, let alone the US Constitution." Her character will violate police codes of ethics, then get upset if the federal government or another department does the same to SVU. Um, hello? Pot calling the kettle black, much? Is the NYPD's Special Victims Unit somehow immune to checks and balances? There was one episode where she and other officers stalk a suspected rapist - who had been acquitted in court of all charges, mind you - and embarrass him at his workplace and in public until he finally confesses of his crime. Look, I'm not minimizing the crime of rape, and rapists should be brought to justice, but that isn't how our legal system is supposed to operate. If someone is found innocent in the court of law, they're declared innocent unless better evidence comes up. When you reach a level of stalking and public embarrassment, you're breaking the law. Yes, police investigators, try doing that in real life - I'm sure Internal Affairs would be very happy to tell you what happens next after the guy you're bothering sues the city.

For another, her character randomly arrests people at first suspicion, and then is shocked - shocked, I tell you - that she has to let them go because they have nothing more than circumstantial evidence. WHOA! No way! Dang! Curse you, "reasonable doubt"! If only we, I dunno, lived in a dictatorship or police state where the slightest bit of evidence could get you executed! In one episode she had a man convicted of rape, and after the man is found guilty he commits suicide. Then, later on in the same episode, she discovers...oops, he was the wrong guy! Yes, that's right, because of her shoddy police work, she arrested, got convicted, and publicly humiliated the wrong man, and was the catalyst for his suicide. Does she show any remorse? Does she show regret that she drove a man to kill himself due to forever being marked by the law as a suspected sex offender? Nope. Of course not. She's a member of SVU, and they're above all moral and legal rebuke and correction. Remember, they're always in the right, even when they're in the wrong.

Finally, Mariska Hargitay is immensely overrated as an actress. She has the Milla Jovovich problem of having perhaps two facial expressions: slightly concerned, confused look; and smug, cocky look. Granted, once in a while she does a regular smile, but that's when we're lucky. I don't mean to continually focus on the actor behind a character rather than the character themselves, but even if they had chosen someone competent to play Benson, I would still hate the character.

Jimmy Sands (Bats)

Bats is a terrible horror movie overall, and one of the things that makes it so bad is it has perhaps one of the biggest examples of a "token black character" that I have ever seen. It's not that Leon (yes that's his full name) is a terrible actor, it's just that the movie doesn't know what to do with him. His purpose is to literally be a black character and say wise cracks every now and then. What's more, about 99% of his lines are ignored by the other characters. You could literally remove almost every scene of him, or line said by him, and you would lose nothing of substance. If someone wanted to teach a group of film students on what a token black character is, Jimmy would be the archetype.

Big Bird (Sesame Street)

 
Like Boy Meets World, I enjoyed watching Sesame Street as a kid. Most of the characters were fun, and are still enduring as an adult. However, the one character I could not stand, even as a little boy, was Big Bird. Most of the characters were portrayed as simple minded in the sense of being naive or child-like in their thinking, but Big Bird took things too far. Sometimes his stupidity just got aggravating to the point where I was amazed the other characters tolerated his antics. Even to this day, when I watch the Christmas Eve special, Big Bird's concern about how Santa gets down the chimney receives no sympathy for me (given Santa's supposedly done it for like, y'know, the past 2000 years with no problems).

I also watched all the Big Bird films as a kid, and every single one made me, at some point, want to smack Big Bird over the head. The only part I enjoyed was a part of Big Bird in China, where Big Bird goes to a restaurant and asks the host to give him and his dog friend the samples from the front window. The host keeps telling him (in Chinese) that the samples are plastic, and hence not edible (something that a regular person would figure out, even without speaking Chinese), but Big Bird keeps demanding they be served. There's a part in that sequence where the guy turns to the camera and gives a look of utter despair for his situation. I remember seeing that as a kid and thinking, "Yeah, man. I feel your pain. I'm with you."

Nathan Algren (The Last Samurai)

Again, I could probably write a whole post on all the problems I had with The Last Samurai, but a large chunk of it is because of Tom Cruise's character. In fact, Nathan Algren is probably a good examination of all the problems of what I have in the vast majority of Tom Cruise's film characters. Perhaps the biggest problem is that Nathan Algren comes across like a bit of Tom Cruise Mary Sue. Given Cruise's egotism, past accusations of editing films behind a director's back to make himself more of a film's focus, as well as the fact that in every role it just seems like Tom Cruise acting like Tom Cruise but under a different name...that charge could probably be valid.

The Mary Sueness of Nathan Algren shows throughout the film. In just six months of training (part of which was spent going through alcohol withdrawal and recovering from a serious wound) he is suddenly a talented samurai warrior, and is even able to take down ninjas. Yeah, OK, Miyamoto Musashi spent his whole life perfecting the craft of swordsmanship, but Tom Cruise can do it in under six months...yeah sure whatever. Then at the end of the movie, he gets shot umpteen times by a Gatling gun, but then appears later in the film perfectly fine; I half expected him to say to the other characters in a John Cleese-ish voice, "I got better!"

Perhaps the biggest offense of all is the fact that Algren kills off a samurai, then said samurai's wife, upon meeting Algren, says he smells like a pig...and then, in literally the very next scene, she's gazing at him with loving concern as he's getting beaten up. By the end of the film, not only will she be in love with him, but her kids (the children of the man Algren killed) will adore him and laugh and play baseball with him. I'm not saying if someone killed my father I would never learn to forgive him, or treat him with human decency...but I can promise you I won't be treating him like my dad after a few months, let alone will my mother be falling in love with him.

So yes, he becomes a great warrior in a short span of time, and everyone loves/fawns/adores him, even those whose family members he's bumped off...Algren totally is a Tom Cruise Mary Sue. And like every Mary Sue, he's unbelievable and unrelatable as a character.

Belle (Once Upon a Time)

I liked Belle in the original Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast. In the ABC TV show Once Upon a Time...not so much. Whereas Belle in the animated film could be strong and independent while still being a likable character, Belle in the TV show is just annoying. Part of it is her bookworm trait seems more like something attached to her character because it was part of the original canon, rather than an actual part of her personality. She also does some amazingly stupid things, like try to trap a monster in a village full of lots of innocent people. The fact they teamed her up as the love interest of my favorite character, Rumpelstiltskin, didn't help matters.

Have you ever had a character you hated so much in a TV show or movie that, when something bad happens to them, you respond with cheers rather than tears? Belle was one of those characters for me. There's an episode where Captain Hook shoots her. Even though she doesn't die, I literally cheered when that happened! That, along with Rumpelstiltskin going ape-crap and Hook getting hit by a car, led me to tell my wife, "This is the greatest episode ever!"

The Entire Cast of Ghost Writer

OK, I'll admit, I'm cheating here; I'm including an ensemble cast rather than an individual person. However, given these kids acted as a bit of a single-minded organization centered around their literary demiurge, I'm including them as one.

I tried watching Ghost Writer as a kid. I really did. I liked the concept, and I've always been a fan of mysteries. However, these kids are rock stupid. No, I'm not being mean. Really. I'm serious. These kids were dumb. I'm sure in real life all these actors are nice, intelligent people, but the characters they played were dumb as bricks. It took them a week to solve a mystery I think the real police - or any real detective - would have resolved in a day. The biggest example to me was the episode where they came across a container with these words, with some of the letters covered up by dirt:

WA**ING
HAZA*DO**
*UBSTANC*

I remember watching this episode as a kid about the same age as the characters, and immediately thinking, "Oh, it says Warning Hazardous Substance." Did the kids in the show get it right away? Nope. They were like, "Wow, we need to record this and figure it out later!" Then when they get back to their headquarters, they were still stumped as they mulled it over. Finally they were like, "Wow, this is so hard! We need to get out the dictionary!" I was literally yelling at the screen and throwing stuff - one of the few times in my life I've ever done that. I just could not believe anyone would be that incapable of figuring out something that was so freakin' simple. And these kids want to be detectives?

God help us all...

Book Teaser - Gods on the Mountain

Below is the book teaser for my upcoming fantasy book "Gods on the Mountain."

"Gods on the Mountain" Update

This post is an update on my fantasy novel Gods on the Mountain. Just a reminder of the plot:

In the mountains of Calambria, the dwarf tribes have disappeared, and merchants have been expelled. Two are assigned to investigate this mystery: Edmund, a human from the Order of Magi, who are gifted with the ability to utilize the elements; and Diane, an elf from the Sisterhood of Dagger Maidens, who excel in close combat. As they attempt to uncover what has happened, they discover betrayal and secrets not only from outside the continent, but from within as well. Soon they uncover a plot with dangers that will go well beyond the mountains.

At the moment, I'm done editing it, and have sent it to some beta readers to receive feedback from them. If anyone would like to volunteer to fill in the last beta reader position, feel free to contact me. The due date is still tentatively set to April 2.

The cover art is being designed by Mari Trini Morales, and should be done by March 22. There should be a cover art reveal soon after that. Mari's website can be found here - I highly suggest checking her out, as she's an amazing artist.

Other bits of information and fun things will be posted on my Twitter account. Follow to find out more, hear the latest updates, or just correspond with me (I don't bite, I promise).

10 Favorite Screen Characters

I got tagged by CL Schneider to do a "10 Favorite Screen Characters" blog hop. Basically, list ten of your favorite characters from a movie or TV show. I'll put the people I tag on the Tweet for this post.

Now let's get down to it...in no particular order...

The Third Doctor (Original Doctor Who series)

"You, sir, are a nitwit!"

Audrey II (Little Shop of Horrors)

"I'm a mean green mother from outer space!"

Doc Holliday (Tombstone)

"I have not yet begun to defile myself."

Number 5 (Short Circuit)

"Your mama was a snowblower!"

Daniel Plainview (There Will Be Blood)

"Did you think your song and dance and superstition would help you, Eli?"

Elsa (Frozen)

"Don't let them in, don't let them see..."

Nabeshin (Excel Saga)

"It's Nabeshin!"

Nekron (Fire and Ice)

"I must admit that until this moment the idea of mating with her filled me with loathing..."

Theoden (Lord of the Rings Trilogy)

"So it begins..."

Crow T. Robot (Mystery Science Theater 3000)

"Kids, today's word is booger!"

Title Reveal

Revealed the title for my fantasy work-in-progress today on Twitter. I included the graphic seen at the top of this post. As you can see, the title is Gods on the Mountain, and is tentatively scheduled to be released on April 2. Admittedly this might change if problems develop, however my followers will be notified, and it might at most be pushed back another month or so.

The original title I suggested on Twitter was "Gods of the Mountain." A lot of people liked it, but others didn't. I appreciated the feedback from the latter group, and tried to get my brain to think of alternate titles. All the ones I thought of were equally disliked by others, or just didn't seem to fit the story. I kept returning to my original idea (which I know is generally a creativity no-no), because it seemed to fit the storyline (which I gave a synopsis of here). Without giving too much away, a major point of the story is the role of three gods: one real, one fake, and one supposed. Likewise, this element takes place around events in the mountains of Calambria, the continent where this story takes place.

Work in Progress Update

I recently finished writing the first draft of my Work in Progress. At the moment it's over 150,000 words, and is currently being edited by my wife - a self-professed "Grammar Nazi" who volunteered for the job. She's hoping to be done with it by this week, after which I'll  go through and double check it myself.

Here is a basic summary of the plot:

In the mountains of Calambria, the dwarf tribes have disappeared, and merchants have been expelled. Two are assigned to investigate this mystery: Edmund, a human from the Order of Magi, who are gifted with the ability to utilize the elements; and Diane, an elf from the Sisterhood of Dagger Maidens, who excel in close combat. As they attempt to uncover what has happened, they discover betrayal and secrets not only from outside the continent, but from within as well. Soon they uncover a plot with dangers that will go well beyond the mountains.

After I get done with the editing, I intend to follow the next guideline:

1. Come up with a title for the dang thing (currently working on this while the editing is going on).
2. Send the polished draft to beta readers for further opinions and changes.
3. Design the cover art for Kindle and print.
4. Publish!

My goal is to publish within the beginning of March.

I hope to discuss and explain this further in future blog posts. Please let me know in the comment section if you have any other questions or comments.

Using a Writer's Journal

"I have about five or six random doodles right here."

Do you use a writer's journal or notebook when you're planning a book or a series? Or even just for random ideas?

I asked this question on Twitter some time ago, and pinned it on my page to see if I could garner some responses. Some people said they just kept everything in their head. Others said that they definitely did, and filled it with various ideas that came to mind. I was originally the former, since I was pretty good at remembering things. Usually I would make a single document with a list of characters, important places, and a synopsis of where my story was going. I didn't start writing until the synopsis was all figured out, though I permitted myself improvisation or adding things to the story as characters and plot elements developed.

Over time, I began to wonder if there would be some benefit in a writer's journal. Finally, I stopped by CVS Pharmacy on the way home from work and bought a $4 pocket journal (because there was no way I was spending $50 on one of Barnes & Nobles' journals). I started jotting down world building ideas, and facts about my current fantasy Work-in-Progress (still unnamed at the time of this writing). I was just collecting ideas, but soon I found that I was enjoying this. I started doodling animals and creatures in my world, and creating maps to help better plan where my characters would go, and what cities or peoples they would encounter. I started sharing them on Twitter, and had people faving, retweeting, and commenting on them. I shared my doodles and notes with my wife, and received feedback from her regarding them.

What I found was my writer's journal became a nice little database to collect ideas that popped in my head or quotes I heard. It also became a pocket sized reference source that I could turn to in my story if I needed to remember a place name or the name of someone important in my world's history. It likewise encouraged me to think more on my world and how it functioned, and what it's history was like. If I had time before work, or I was sitting somewhere bored, I took out my journal and began to jot down any ideas that came to my mind. It got to the point where my journal joined my wallet, keys, and cell phone in the prestigious "I feel naked leaving the house without this" group. It has become a part of my writing which makes it fun and engaging.

Don't worry - I'm in no way saying you aren't a "real writer" unless you use a writer's journal. If you're like some of the people who replied to tweet and you like to just keep things in your head, that's absolutely fine. To paraphrase a Reese's commercial: there's no wrong way to plan your story.

Yes, I write 1-star reviews (and here's why)

I had an interesting experience last week on Twitter, after I shared some links to a 1-star review I had written on Amazon. This led to sharing other 1-star reviews, and soon all the people with whom I was speaking said something to the affect of, "Whoa, dude! I do not want you reading my books!" I think they were half-kidding...but half-kidding also means they were half-serious. Some people on Twitter became downright terrified of me because I had written some 1-star reviews. And not only that, but I had written detailed 1-star reviews, outlining everything I found wrong with the book. People were worried that I would find their book, find every tiny flaw in the style of the Cinema Sins YouTube series, and tear their book apart.

So yes, I confess that sometimes I write 1-star reviews. Now let me expand on that...

Let's first establish that if you read most of my reviews (especially if you've also read the books I've reviewed), I think you'll find I'm actually pretty gracious. When I read a book, even if it's in a genre I'm not particularly fond of (eg., romance), I ask myself this one question: "Is the author doing a good job in their role?" So take the example of the romance author. Are the characters likable? Can I relate to them as people? Do I care what happens to the characters? Is the description understandable? Is the plot interesting rather than tired and cliche? Do I want to finish the story? Even if I don't like the romance genre, if a romance author has fulfilled all this, then they can probably expect at least a 4-star rating from me.

I think part of the problem today is that so many people react with extremes. They didn't like something? Automatic 1-star! They sort of liked something? Automatic 5-stars! No one seems to think, "Alright, even if I didn't like this, it has some merit"; or alternatively, "Alright, I thought this was nice, but there were a few flaws." So, if you receive a 1-star review from me, it's because your book has reached a level where I personally do not believe it is even ready for the market. Which means yes, I really truly do believe your book deserves a single star rating. I try to reserve 1-stars for what I believe would be a complete waste of time for the average reader.

If I do write a 1-star review, do I make it thorough? Yes, I do. However, that's because I don't believe in writing negative reviews that amount to, "This sucks. The End." If I offer someone constructive criticism, I let them know my reasons for said criticism. The best professors I had in college were the ones who could look at my work and say, "You're bad at this. Don't do this as much. You're good at this. Hone in on this.", etc. I try to do that for authors, whether I like their work or don't particularly care for it, because I believe it is only respectful that, if you disagree with someone or believe their work has flaws, you attempt to explain to them why you feel that way.

But this also brings up a much larger problem within the Indie Publishing community, which is review fishing. That is, writing positive reviews in the hopes of getting positive reviews back. One might even lump in here writing positive reviews for friends just to help them out. While this isn't true across the board, some people think they are entitled to highly rated reviews. Keep in mind here that I am not saying if you like someone you shouldn't review their work. If you have a good friend and they wrote a book, go ahead and review it! The problem is when we begin to say, "OK, I'll write a positive review not necessarily because the book itself was good, but to give them a higher rating and make others think it's good." That's where our intentions become flawed.

And on this subject, I have a bit of a horror story...

Several years ago, I played a game entitled The Movies. It was somewhat inspired by The Sims, except here you could make your own movie studio and design your own movies from a collection of pre-made scenes. What was really cool was you could upload your movies to the game designer's website and get other people to watch, rate, and review them. One such person I had met on The Movies forum came to me and asked me to rate his film. I watched it, and I liked it. It wasn't a Kurosawa successor, but I thought it was alright, so I gave it 4-stars. When the guy saw it, he lost his mind! He contacted me on IM, and berated me for not giving him a full 5-stars. He claimed that his film "deserved it" and that I was an a--hole. When I apologized for upsetting him, I received a curt "Whatever" and was blocked.

Obviously this was over a silly computer game, but people can be like this about their written work. Some people go ballistic over negative reviews. Even more saddening is that there have been recorded instances where an author who has received a negative review from another author will gather up his buddies and go spam that other author's books with negative reviews. Yes, you read that right - some people do revenge reviewing. This instills a level of fear in some authors (and I'll admit, this thought has crossed my mind a few times) that if they write negative reviews, people will be out to get them. Perhaps there's even a fear that, if you review one author's work negatively, you may get backlash in the community and become the black sheep.

Brothers and sisters, things ought not to be this way.

When we review, we should review honestly. If you really did like the book, then fine and dandy. If you didn't like the book, you're entitled to your opinion. If you write a positive review just for entitlement, or to keep a good name for yourself, then you're being dishonest to potential readers. If you review one of my books, don't give me 4-stars or 5-stars because you think you're doing me a favor or you think I now owe you something. Give me 5-stars, 4-stars, 3-stars, 2-stars, or 1-star because you think my work deserves that score. Let other readers know if this book is worth their time and money. We should treat all authors equally.

And please, if you get a 4-star review, treat it as a good thing.

Things That Ruin Indie Publishing

When I first stepped into the world of indie publishing, I didn't realize just what kind of world I was stepping into. Thankfully, my experiences have been for the most part positive...but, as with anything a person becomes involved in, the negative aspects soon rear their ugly heads. To open up discussion on this, I thought I would give a simple list of things which either hurt indie publishing or give it a bad name for readers who may be used to more traditional publishing.

I don't claim to be the end all be all expert on indie publishing, so please don't take this blog post as canon or dogmatic pronouncements made ex cathedra. These are simply observations I have made myself, or complaints I've heard from other indie authors. Also keep in mind that I'm not trying to target any one author or person with this entire list; again, these are just general observations made. Yes, some examples will be cited or referred to, but this isn't meant as an attack post.

All that being said...are there any disturbing trends you have noticed? Feel free to leave a comment, and I just might add it to this blog post!

1) Unnecessary high prices.

When you look at most indie novels available for your e-reader, prices can vary from $2 to $5. Many times, authors will put their novels on sale for $0.99, or even let it go free. Keyword here: these are novels I'm talking about. For the amount of length you get to read, this is a pretty good deal, and when compared to books done by major publishers, you see the price is about the same.

Some people, however, will publish a 38-page book for $5...and even higher. It's as if people think they can publish the short story they wrote in high school and get a few bucks from it. I recently came across one indie author who was selling his 52-page novella for $16.95. I am not making that up! People really do pull stunts like this.

Not only is this kind of careless pricing going to hurt potential sales, but it makes readers believe that indie authors are simply out to make a quick dollar. To all authors who are doing this: seriously, please stop it!

2) Abysmal editing.

Typos are everywhere in the printed medium. Even in traditionally published books, there are typos (try reading Twilight and you'll see what I mean). This doesn't mean typos are okay, mind you; typos should be avoided at all costs. However, a few typos here and there might be overlooked by more forgiving readers. You forgot one punctuation on this one page? Is the rest of the book readable? OK, cool, we'll let that one slide; just remember to correct it in a future edition.

However, if an author self-publishes, and doesn't put any effort into editing their work, then the results are tragic. Punctuation mistakes abound, spelling mistakes make reading a chore, and awkward sentence structures rule the day. I've come across books that read like English wasn't the author's first language (and sadly, it was), as well as books that are so incoherent in sentence structure that they seem like the ramblings of a madman.

Readers might expect typos and glaring errors on a blog post, or a fanfiction website, or an internet forum with a "creativity" section, but if they're going to give money for what they expect to be a refined book, they should at least be honored by an author who puts time and effort into making certain that errors are kept to a minimum and the end product is as polished as possible.

3) Terrible cover designs.

For this section, I feel like I could just point people over to the website Lousy Book Covers and be done with it. If you want an example of why making a good cover can be important, then that site is chock full of them. For a lot of people, this is what they think of when they think of indie publishing.

The sad thing is, for many of the novels shown on Lousy Book Covers, I've actually gone to Amazon and read the samples, and have found that...many of them are actually pretty well written. The writing itself isn't half bad. In fact, sometimes it was really good. Unfortunately, when a potential reader comes across the work, they may not get the chance, or gain the interest, to pick up the book and read it, or even take a look at the sample chapter. They'll take a look at the cover, say, "By the gods, that's bad," and move on with life.

I understand that many indie authors (like myself) are working on a shoestring budget, and may be worried about how much they'll have to pay in order to get decent cover art. However, I would highly suggest that, if you invest in one thing for your book, it be this. There are websites where you can find premade or custom made covers, and there are artists out there willing to do work for you at an affordable cost. Some authors have spent $300 on their covers, but others have found decent covers for closer to around $50. Either way, the end result is that your book has a cover that doesn't look like someone's 12-year old dabbled in MS Paint for a few minutes.

An article worth reading on this subject is WillowRaven's post on their blog regarding the difference between cover design and covert art, as well as the difference between custom covers and original covers.

4) Terrible pen names.

A lot of indie authors use pen names, which is absolutely perfectly fine...but most make an effort to make certain the names they use are reasonable. They should, at the very least, sound like real names. So please...don't call your Cat Kicker. And don't call yourself by an internet handle like catkicker9000. That's cute on an internet forum, but not on a book.

And please, please, please, please don't call yourself by a fan version of another author's name. Don't call yourself B.K. Rowling. Don't call yourself George R.R. Tolkien. Again, you might laugh, but some indie authors have actually done just that.

5) Irrational author behavior.

Most well known authors are too busy with their day-to-day lives, or with their promotions and next projects, to bother with every internet critic of theirs. By contrast, many indie authors seem to not only have the time, but the passion, to go on a crusade and destroy anyone who dares suggest their book is terrible. If you want one major example, go and read my post on Norman Boutin, who has become internet infamous for his tirades and antics.

Nobody likes receiving a one-star review on Amazon. Nobody likes hearing someone tear their book apart. Nobody likes hearing words akin to "this sucks." However, that is part of putting your piece of art out onto the market and letting people comment on it. It doesn't matter if you're a classic writer like Dante Alighieri or a famous author like Stephen King...at least one person out there is going to absolutely hate your work. Many indie authors are aware of this, and have found ways to thicken their skin or train themselves to overlook criticism. They are, like Elsa, able to "let it go."

Other indie authors don't do this. They will respond to every single criticism with hostility. They will take the time to rant against negative reviewers on Amazon, or pull stunts like writing revenge reviews against said authors, or using sock puppet accounts to write positive reviews in an effort to "balance out" their score. Some have plotted with their agents or editors to get back at their credits. You're probably laughing, but I wish I was making half this stuff up. If you want some wonderful case studies on the various antics authors will go to in order to silence or blacklist their critics, go and look at the "Authors Behaving Badly" series on Pocketful of Books. What grown people are capable of doing will astound you.

UPDATE - February 18, 2015: Adam Dreece, over on his blog, has written a post on the same topic. It's worth a read.

Innocence Lost, Innocence Found

Recently my wife and I watched the 1982 animated film The Last Unicorn. In one scene of the film, we are introduced to the character of Molly Grue, a hard woman aged by years of work and rough living. When she first sees the eponymous Unicorn, she immediately gets emotional, and gives the follow exclamation:

Where were you twenty years ago? Ten years ago? Where were you when I was new? When I was one of those innocent young maidens you always come to? How dare you! How dare you come to me now, when I am this!

At the time of this writing, I haven't had the pleasure of reading Peter S. Beagle's original book, but from what I understand, Molly Grue is often described acting like a man (even spitting on the ground in one scene) and being much more rough around the edges than even how she's portrayed in the film. The point is, she is not the young girl she once was, with dreams and hopes. Life went another way for her - in fact, life went a very different way for her. She was no longer that "innocent young maid", she was now an older, rough, haggard, work woman for a group of forest bandits. When she saw the Unicorn, it suddenly reminded her of that innocent youth she had, when she believed in unicorns and expected them to come walking up to her like something out of a fantasy. When she encountered the unicorn, it was like that innocence coming back...and it reminded her of what she had become.

Over the past month, I've been reconnecting with old films from my childhood, and watching them now as an adult. On the one hand, I can appreciate them even more, because, unlike so much fluff today, they could be intelligent enough to still enjoyed by all ages. Films like The Last Unicorn, or others like The Dark Crystal, are often marketed or understood as "kid's films," and yet they offer motifs and lessons that are deep enough so that, even in the more comical moments, it's not felt as if you're talking down to children. I understood this even as a child watching The Last Unicorn - in fact, I loved it way more than my two younger sisters did (they actually hated it), and it was precisely because I recognized (like I did when I first watched The Dark Crystal) that there was so much to understand in the story that went beyond the basics. Watching these films again as an adult reminds me of what it was like to watch them for the first time as a kid - but even better.

On the other hand, when I reconnect with these gems from my youth, it reminds me of another time in my life. It reminds me of a time before I learned about depression, about despair, about lust, about want...about anything that gets into the mind of an adult and takes innocence away. It reminds me of a time when the magical elements of these films could mix with my own sense of reality, without having to pull me from it. I could take the darker moments of these films, and even some of their harsher lessons, and still walk away from it unscathed. When I watch these nostalgic pieces, I feel a warmth in my heart that so many loving memories are rekindled...but I am also reminded, like Molly Grue, of what I've become, and what I am now. I'm not the younger me. And that can be a shocking revelation.

In retrospect, however, the trials of life permit us to grow. They are part of becoming an adult. Many people still retain the negative aspects of childhood because they refuse to grow up. In The Last Unicorn, the motivations of King Haggard, the villain, come from a desire to feel young again, even though he is now an old man. By contrast, the Unicorn goes through anguish and inner turmoil in her experiences as the human Amalthea, and yet, at the end, is thankful for it all. Even in these treasured gems of my childhood, you see examples of the problems adults faced, and see characters having to deal with them and come out more mature.

Perhaps, really, that is why these films still resonate with us ten, twenty, or thirty years later on. As they age, so do we. Those deeper elements in the characters and story that we recognized as children but formerly could not register now hit home far too well. But that's what makes them so wonderful. That's why we still need them. Yes, we're Molly Grue now, and the remembrance of our former innocence may not always make us happy, but it can also cause us to reflect on our maturity, and what we have learned from it. Then we might be able to look on our former innocence and not mind. Let's remember, in that same scene I mentioned at the beginning, the Unicorn looks at Molly and says, "I'm here now." Let's keep a spark of that innocence from our past with us, and remember where we've come from, so we can better analyze where we are now.

World Building: Uniqueness in Mind

As some who follow me on Twitter know, I've been working on a fantasy novel for the past two months. (It is currently without a title - a slight source of frustration for me.) Part of planning the story is, of course, constructing the world around the characters and its history. I've begun taking notes in my journal and organizing religions, cultures, ways of keeping time, important historical events, and many other aspects of a fully functioning world. The best fantasy books I've come across were the ones which could make it feel like you were diving headfirst into a world which operated as such a world would. That is what I am hoping to capture in my WIP.

One thing constantly on my mind as I slowly form this world bit by bit is that I want to break from the usual mold of fantasy tropes. We've all seen the same formulas over and over again in mainstream presentations: humans live in generic medieval settings; elves are magical and in tune with nature; dwarfs are rough and tumble; etc. Obviously you don't want to go so far from the accepted canon that you might as well invent a whole new race (ie., writing about vampires that glitter in the sun), but you also want to avoid another Tolkien clone, or another D&D clone.

When I was in college, I was introduced to the computer game Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura (which is available on GOG.com). It was set in a world with fantasy staples such as humans, elves, orcs, dwarfs, halflings, etc. At the same time, it had some differences...namely, it mixed fantasy with elements of steampunk. You could choose to be an advanced magic user, but you could also learn how to combine various parts to form a machine or contraption to assist you. Your decision often led to in-game results, most notably the fact that if you became too high a magic user, you couldn't use the train, least the magic interfere with the gears. Likewise, the game introduced elements such as societal prejudice (half-orcs are looked down upon in the same way many minorities have been in various situations) or class warfare (ogres and orcs are used in poor working conditions akin to Victorian England, and in one scenario you can convince them to rise up in revolt). Yes, other worlds like Azeroth had goblins with their machines and gadgets, but Arcanum went a step further, and gave us a world that might exist in any fantasy setting, should technological and civil advancements be considered.

Point is, what I loved about Arcanum is that it took various fantasy tropes and reinterpreted them with a twist, and it did so quite successfully. For me, it's an inspiration on how to work with what people are used to and tweaking it into something new. It's an example of how that can work. Whether you end up loving the game or not (I happened to end up loving it), just the concept alone makes one stop and think, "Huh...OK, I might have to check that out." And when you see the opening cinematic with orcs and goblins flying aircraft around and shooting down zeppelins, you know you're in for something different the rest of the game.

The great thing about world building is that you don't need to play by a set of rules made up by some random person on the internet: you can design it the way you want. You can be creative. You're the creator of this world - just have fun creating it!