Pumping Your Muse Fantasy Writer

Fantasy Setting

2010-01-06T04:12:00.000-08:00

I went to see Avatar last week and it was awesome. The characters come alive but so does the fantasy setting. I don't want to say too much about it for anyone who hasn't seen it it, but if you enjoy fantasy, this is one worth seeing on the big screen.

What I do want to talk about is the importance of setting. When you read, characters function and the story unfolds within the setting. If the surroundings are not clear, strong characters can usually pull off the scene, but if that's the case, we're cheating the reader. A weak setting throughout the book makes the story less interesting because it doesn't create a complete visual within the reader's imagination. If Dorothy is told to follow the yellow brick road but we never see it, feel it, hear our footfalls click upon it, we feel a little lost.

Along with creating a visual, it's important to engage the other senses. A fantasy world needs to be experienced on more than on dimension. As you do this, ask yourself what makes your fantasy world different than the real world? In some cases it might be fantasy characters like dragons, fairies, elves or other lifeforms walking around in a world much like the one in which we live. Whether or not you've created a whole new world or use the one in which we live, beyond that ask these questions:

What smells and tastes are experienced?

What customs are practiced?

Avatar answers these questions in such a way that you are drawn in and become one with the world. Many times these small details play an integral part of the plot, but are so subtle that it isn't realized until the climax and/or conclusion of the story. Without them, it's like a tapestry with threads missing...marred and less than it can be.

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Check out Donna Sundblad's latest interview at Authors Unleashed

Buy Donna Sundblad's books:
Windwalker
Beyond the Fifth Gate
Pumping Your Muse

What's Your Fairy Name?

2009-09-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm currently in the throes of writing two books, and amid my research I came across this nifty name generator that offered to dub me with a fairy name. This is it:

Oak Rainbowwand

I'm a fortune bringer

who lives in forests of oak and lime trees.

I'm only seen when the seer holds a four-leafed clover,

and I decorate myself with leaves and berries. I have multi-colored wings like a butterfly, too!

I love the picture this flashes across the screen of imagination. What a perfect tool if you're ever looking for a new character. You can find your name at The Original Fairy Name Generator.

What's your fairy name?

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Check out Donna Sundblad's latest interview at Authors Unleashed

Buy Donna Sundblad's books:
Windwalker
Beyond the Fifth Gate
Pumping Your Muse

Authors Unleashed Interviews Donna Sundblad

2009-08-24T06:21:00.001-07:00

Donna Sundblad, author of the young adult fantasies Beyond the Fifth Gate and Windwalker
stopped by Authors Unleashed for an interview. Check it out to learn about the inspiration behind these fantasies, along with plenty of fun facts.

Here's a taste of that interview:

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

I can't say I have a favorite. It's more like I enjoy cartoon characters with relationships. Even if they are love/hate relationships. That's what makes them interesting I grew up watching the Flintstones and Jetsons, and today enjoy The Simpsons. The shenanigans of the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote are fun, too. Those writers have had to come up with new ways to blow Wile E. Coyote up, throw him off a cliff, and have something land on him, while keeping it fresh and even making us laugh.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

I guess out of the characters I listed above, I'd say I'm most like Marge Simpson. She's a caring mom, loving wife, and an independent woman.

If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history, where and when would it be—and why?

You can find the answer to this and more at Author's Unleashed.

Pitching Your Idea - Part 2

2009-07-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

How Would Your Idea Fit

Tell the publisher or editor how your idea fits their needs. If you’ve done your homework you’ll know what they want. If the guidelines say: “Fiction: May include, but is not limited to, realistic stories, fantasy, adventure-set in past, present, or future. Humor is highly desirable,” would you send something written in the romance genre? No.

Publishers look for a “fit” and writers need to do the same. If your manuscript is a futuristic adventure story, it would meet the need of the above publisher. Focus on points of interest. In this case I’d make sure to highlight the adventure and futuristic aspects of the story. If a thread of humor ran through the text, I’d mention it. Fashion your query to sell them what they want and increase the chance for consideration. Custom fit details to address specifics the publisher desires.

Compare your work to an existing novel (or novels) that most closely resembles your story. Explain why your idea is fresh and why you think it will appeal to the same readership.

Your Story’s Purpose/Angle

Even works of fiction have a purpose. In a single sentence state your intention for writing the piece you’re submitting. What are you trying say about life? Incorporate it in your pitch.

For example: My intention is to take the reader on an imaginative journey; a spiritual quest that does not tell them what to think but stimulates one to question why they believe what they hold to be true.

Why Should The Publisher Print It

Something within the guidelines made you think they’d be interested. Zero in on key issues that make it a right fit.

Whether you submit a short story or novel, tell the editor what’s at stake. If your protagonist doesn't attain his goal, why does it matter? What are the consequences? Why would the reader care? Lead the publisher to think. Emotionally engage their interest.

Tie in market trends and current issues. Who is the target audience? What kind of people will purchase and read your novel? Be as specific as possible.

One trick that works for me is to imagine the manager of a bookstore asking, "Why should I place an order for your book?” What would you say? What is it about your novel that causes it to stand out in the sea of fiction?"

Qualifications

Sometimes it’s harder to put together something about ourselves that it is to write a novel. Learn to craft your autobiographical information to suit the publication. If you’re writing for a pet magazine, include information about being a pet owner. Part of who we are will be found in threads of the story we’ve written. Use this “expertise” or personal experience to your benefit.

New or unpublished writers struggle with this aspect of pitching an idea. Don’t draw attention to your lack of qualifications. If you’ve never been published don’t mention it. Highlight experiences or achievements that tie your life as a writer to your story. Even something as simple as love for the genre, when worded properly, works as a qualification.

Do You Have Images To Support Your Story

Don’t forget to mention photographs or illustrations if applicable. In some cases, offering visuals to compliment your writing makes the piece more appealing. Don’t send originals, but rather copies in case the submission gets lost or damaged.

Be Professional

Even when sending an e-mail, keep correspondence professional. It’s a good idea to confirm the current editor’s name (along with correct spelling). Stay focused but creative when presenting your information. Be sure to target areas of interest mentioned in the guidelines and provide the editor with more than one reason to say yes. Give the publisher an idea of the size and completion date for your manuscript, tell them a bit about yourself and finish with an enthusiastic close.

The shorter your query letter, the better the chance it will be read. You have one shot to get the attention of the editor. Don’t use fancy, hard-to-read fonts, or crowd text onto a page with nonexistent margins. Instead, choose your words carefully. Use a 12-point font. Your pitch makes the editor hungry to see more so be sure to include your contact information.

Pitching Your Idea - Part 1

2009-07-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

By Donna Sundblad

The other day I had an opportunity to chat with an author I didn’t know. Within a short amount of time, he sent me a link to his website and asked me to read his three self-published novels. I glanced at his site and asked the genre of his books along with a few pertinent questions. Rather than specifics, he offered a vague idea of the concept behind his stories.

I explained that time constraints would not allow me to read his work anytime in the near future and suggested he query reviewers.

“What’s a query?” he asked.

His question shed light on the reason his website offered so little information. He didn’t know how to pitch his books.

A Trail of Breadcrumbs

In the fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel” the children leave a trail of breadcrumbs to find their way home. As writers, that’s the mindset we need. We sprinkle specially crafted breadcrumbs for others to find in hopes that each morsel generates interest and ultimately stimulates an appetite for the “whole meal.”

Consider the author I met the other night:

He caught my attention by introducing himself (breadcrumb #1).
Mentioned his books (breadcrumb #2),
Led me to his website (breadcrumb #3).

While we chatted, I visited his site. He’d piqued my curiosity. His website had a professional appearance and appeal, but it didn’t give me a clue as to the content of his books. I’d lost the trail. His nebulous answers turned the trail cold. Momentum diminished and the opportunity to hook me slipped through his fingers.

Know Your Market

It’s important to know your market and customize your pitch. I gather fresh market information from a variety of newsletters. Books like The Writer’s Market offer thousands of markets and pertinent information as to what individual publishers look for in submissions. Search out publications that seek what you offer.

For novel-length projects the majority of publishing houses will not consider unagented manuscripts. If you don’t have an agent and submit anyway, you’ll sentence your manuscript to the slush pile where it will die of neglect with thousands of unread submissions. Don’t waste your postage.

In some cases, you can get around this requirement by attending a writer’s conference. Many conferences offer opportunities to meet with agents face-to-face. If you pitch your idea successfully, they’ll ask to see more and provide direct contact information.

Another item to watch for in the guidelines is whether or not the publisher accepts unsolicited manuscripts. If the guidelines tell you to query first, put together a professional query letter selling your idea and asking permission to submit.

Have you found more than one possible market? If so, do they accept simultaneous submissions? If you want to send your manuscript to more than one publisher at the same time, this is called a simultaneous submission. Check the guidelines. Many publishers do consider them while others don’t. Know your market.

Pitching Your Idea - Part 2

The Why Behind Setting

2009-06-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

Whether you write romance, mystery, fantasy, science fiction or a sub genre, all fiction requires a believable setting. I tend to write character driven fantasy and learning to establish the setting has been an adventure in creativity. In fact, it's the reason behind my creative writing book Pumping Your Muse. In it, I developed a series of exercises that spurred me to consider aspects of a secondary world that may otherwise be overlooked.

Establishing anchors from the real world to your fictional world is key to making your setting believable, whether it is vastly different from reality or just a little different. An anchor is an element readers can relate to that links the real world to your secondary reality. In Beyond the Fifth Gate I established a rural, pre-industrial setting where the people were divided over issues of faith. Amid the setting we learn about family ties, ancient prophecies, divided leadership, a simple life that is ripped apart when a large insectoid race invades and conquers. Young people are taken captive and carried off in a cage on the back of a cart. The anchor—family relationships torn apart; freedoms stripped; it creates a need that transcends from reality to fantasy. This is an emotional anchor. Humans lose their freedom and fight to get it back and the quest is on.

Geographically, the Beyond the Fifth Gate setting challenged me times five. The original setting is the pre-industrial world invaded by a sentient insectoid race. The quest requires the protagonist, Elita, to travel through five mystical gates to free her people. Each gate leads to a different world and Elita has to accomplish her quest during a planetary alignment. She has one week. If she doesn't make it, she'll be trapped in a strange world between gates--for the next 50 years.

In this story, not only did I have to provide anchors from this reality to the fictional reality, but additional anchors were needed to tie one fictional world to the next as the main character traveled through the gates. The setting put parameters in place for the quest. Planets line up in dawn's light and mark the beginning of the quest for freedom. Planets are something we can relate to on this side of reality, and these planets act as an anchor from one world to the next. As they fall out of alignment, they work like the sands in an hourglass to let the reader know time is running out. This aspect of setting is used to add tension, conflict, and keep it clear in the readers' minds that the five worlds are linked.

For readers to accept the stranger aspects of a secondary world you must establish believable physics--the science of matter and energy and their interactions. If something works differently than the real world, you have to make the science or magic clear—not only that it does happen but how it happens. It has to work in the reader's mind. For example, the powers of Kamali are established early on in Beyond the Fifth Gate. When Kamali is present physics change. The star beats brighter and brighter…the floor thrums and…well I better not say too much because I wouldn't want to be a spoiler. Readers know that this deity plays an instrumental part in the opening of the gates and that the gates do lead to other worlds. But they also grow to understand that each portal works differently. Setting continues to play an important role, too, when Elita must bring something along with her from each world if she hopes to defeat the isectoids.

Along with physics, other specifics readers relate to in regards to setting include things like:

*Government

*Legal systems

*Economy

*Religion

As you develop these aspects of your world stop and ask yourself "why". Why is this government in place? Why do the people react to it the way they do? When the insectoid race takes over Elita's world, they are the new government. The opening scene establishes not only the world's setting but the "why" behind the reason humans don't honor the government. Lines are drawn, readers take sides and they learn to watch for the light to appear in the eastern foothills. Effective setting works with the characters to move the story forward and answers the question why.

Why I Write by Author Kevin Gerard

2008-11-16T18:59:00.000-08:00

by Guest Author Kevin Gerard (comment for a chance to win a copy of one of his books in the Conor and the Crossworlds series)

I write because I want to make a contribution.

I always wanted to write but never found the courage. I took one creative writing course in college and wrote the first twenty pages of Conor’s story. The class loved it. The teacher encouraged me to write more of it.

Fifteen years after leaving that class I met a martial arts instructor who had written a conditioning book for Tae Kwon Do. I asked him how he found the discipline to write an entire book. I took home what he told me and failed miserably, but something about what he said sparked another idea. I decided I would write one double-spaced page every day. For the next five years I wrote every day. It started out as one page; eventually it became five pages a day. I’ve never moved beyond that amount, but I’ve written every single day. Two things happen when you do that; you get into a habit and your writing gets better very quickly.

Margaret Weis caused me to become an author more than anyone else. She wrote a trilogy called the Star of the Guardians. Without exception it is the greatest story I’ve ever read. She’s written a number of fantasy stories with Tracy Hickman, and I enjoyed them, but her solo effort just blew me away. I cry like a baby at movies, but this was the first time I ever cried while reading a fantasy story, or any story for that matter. There was a female character in the trilogy, Maigrey Morianna, who I’m sure influenced the creation of the Lady of the Light, a central character in Conor’s story. I’d love to meet that author some day so I can thank her for writing that phenomenal story.

I write with abandon. When I edit, I’m in a structured mode, but I’m strictly organic while writing. I feel this is especially important when writing a fantasy story – you really need to have total spontaneity or the story will suffer. I mentioned the Lady of the Light before; she has a relative that appears at the end of Book Three. I had no idea the relative even existed until that moment. Sometimes you have to let the story tell itself.

I don’t know whether it’s fortunate or unfortunate, but there is no typical writing day for me. If I had my druthers, I’d do all my writing in the morning. I’m up early always, I love that time of day, and I seem to be very productive then. I am a college professor, though, and I also spend huge amounts of time promoting Conor and the Crossworlds. I write whenever I have a spare thirty minutes. I keep a flash disk in my pocket with the latest ten pages of any story I’m working on, and when I see an opening in my schedule, I stick it in the computer and write!

As far as the future, I think there are five more books in the Conor and the Crossworlds series, but I have to make the first five a success before I sit down and write the others. I also fell into a great idea for another story. At a book talk I did in California I gave away a very cool dragon statue I kept on my desk the entire time I wrote the Conor and the Crossworlds story. I have a funny feeling about that dragon, maybe he will inspire that student to write his own books, and that might make a cool story in itself.

I wrote the Conor and the Crossworlds story for a variety of reasons. First and foremost concerns Purugama the magical cougar. This particular creature has lived in my mind for more than forty years. When I was a young boy I used to lie in bed at night and imagine a great beast exactly like Purugama floating down and landing by my bedroom window. After crawling out of bed and dressing, I would step through the window and climb aboard the mighty cougar. I would instantly be transformed into a powerful warrior, and off we’d fly toward our thrilling adventures. Amazingly, I kept that vision in my mind for decades until I finally wrote the first novel.

I never intended for Conor’s story to go beyond one book. A tragic event caused me to continue the story and create the characters for Book Two. The Lord of the Champions, Maya, was a real cat. He belonged to a close friend of my wife’s. An extraordinary cat, Maya befriended me when I married my wife and moved to San Diego. He was extremely proud, he had a right to be; he was a magnificent creature and an amazing individual. One day his mistress called our home with terrible news, Maya had been attacked by a rampaging pack of pit bulls. They ripped him to pieces in his own front yard. I cried openly on the telephone, and then I told our friend that I was going to make him immortal. I knew right then he would become the Lord of the Champions. It fit perfectly anyway, an alley cat in charge of the great wild cats the creators had chosen to be protectors of the Crossworlds.

This is how Therion, Eha, Ajur and Surmitang sprang into existence. If there was to be a force of Champions, they would have to be like no other group of saviors anywhere. Oversized with the gifts of speech and magic, all of the Champions have distinct personalities. From the second book forward their personalities continue to grow and become more interesting. For the longest time I cherished Surmitang over all the others. He is so proud, so in love with himself, and so sure of his abilities, and yet he is such a fragile child. As time went on and the story reached four and then five books, I began to admire Eha more and more. He is such a happy fellow. He loves being a Champion, he loves the Lady of the Light, he loves Conor, and he loves to laugh. One of the great moments in the story occurs during the initial stages of the battle for the Crossworlds in Book Four. Maya directs Eha to lead the horde of slayers and keepers out onto the plains. Using his magnificent speed, Eha keeps ahead of five hundred thousand angry enemies, laughing hilariously the entire time. Even though I favor one or another of the cats from time to time, all of the Champions have intriguing characteristics; they are quite a magnetic group.

The amazing aspect of this series, from an author’s viewpoint, is the trust I gave to the story and to the characters. When I began writing the third and fourth books, I honestly had no idea what would happen, where the story would go, and what would be the final outcome of each novel. I didn’t know until the second she appeared that the Lady of the Light had a twin sister, the Lady of the Shadows. I didn’t know that one of the destroyers would rise from the rubble of his castle to torment Conor again, nor did I understand the importance of the sacrifice at the end of Book Four. Some of the best passages from the Conor and the Crossworlds series occurred when I allowed myself to “go where the characters wanted to go.” I followed and found amazing plot twists around every corner.

Everyone loves the Conor and the Crossworlds story, but I wrote these books for teens because I wanted to give them something I believe they are sorely lacking. I won’t explain exactly what that is, you’ll have to read the books to get the full impact, but I will say that the world is becoming increasingly complicated. Teens have so much thrown at them in just a few short years. I think the important ideas are being pushed into the background, and young folks are dying for direction. I also wanted to give teens a good hero and heroine. Conor and Janine are somewhat complex, but they are also what I think teens would want to emulate.

The last thing I’ll say is that I wanted to write a fun story. I watched a biography about George Lucas once. He created the Star Wars series, and the commentator said, “George Lucas made it fun to go to the movies again.” I hope someday people say, “Kevin Gerard made it fun to read again.”

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More about Kevin Gerard and His Conor and the Crossworlds Books

Visit Kevin's website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com where you can download a free Conor and the Crossworlds ebook and keep tabs on the upcoming release of Surviving an Altered World which is due out in December. In it Conor and Janine watch in horror as a powerful warrior sent by the Circle of Evil destroys their world and imprisons everyone they know, including the Crossworlds Champions and the creators. The Lady of the Light appears, explaining that she and her kind deposited the five keys of the creators on different worlds just before the chaos began. If Conor and Janine can recover the keys, the Crossworlds will be restored. You can join in the hunt for the keys by clicking on the contest video on his website to learn the exciting details regarding The Hunt for the Five Keys of the Creators. The contest begins in January.

On November 3, whet your appetite with an inside look at Kevin Gerard's life as a writer at Teens Read Too http://www.teensreadtoo.com/BookReviews.html with a bonus of an excerpt from his book.

And don't miss Great New Books Reviewed http://newgreatbooks.blogspot.com as they host Kevin on November 5 and read more about what Kevin has to say about being a science fiction/fantasy writer.

For more information about Kevin Gerard and his virtual tour, check the schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/10/virtual-book-tour-conor-and-crossworlds.html

The Role of Research in Fantasy Writing - Part 2

2008-11-06T04:12:00.001-08:00

Part 2: The Role of Research in Fantasy Writing

Correct Spellings

This may seem like a no-brainer, but research includes checking the dictionary. Don’t rely on the spellcheck feature of your word processing software to catch every spelling mistake.

Search for Another Word

Redundancy is one pitfall writers strive to avoid. It requires research. Keep an updated Thesaurus handy, and don’t hesitate to use it.

Grammar and Style

Grammar and style are as important as correct spelling. The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr is a valuable resource available online at no cost.

Experts

Why research experts? To add authenticity to your writing. An expert can sift through your scenario and tell you what works and what doesn’t and why. Talking with an expert provides minute details that pull the reader into the scene.

Markets

A writer’s research carries over from unearthing details that enrich writing projects to the search for markets where the submission process begins. What do publishers want, what do they pay? Once the manuscript is finished—where do you send it? Researching markets includes sifting through writer's guidelines to find a match for your genre and word count.

Genealogy

When writing fantasy with historical ties or even speculative fiction, researching genealogies can open the door for a plot connected to reality through family ties.

Geography

Building a world sometimes calls for supplies outside the realm of current knowledge and experience. Research encourages the collection of specific new information necessary to build upon the writer’s foundation of knowledge and experience. For instance, if you want to create a world connected by waterways rather than roads, a cursory study of Venice could spark the creation of a lagoon near the train station.

Here’s a tip taken from Pumping Your Muse –map your world as it develops. Mapping provides logistical smoothness and continuity. It also offers a visual as the story takes shape. When your character heads down the road, you know where they’re going.

Government

Government organization puts an authority structure in place even in a fictional world. It provides a sense of history to help understand how the world operates. Understanding how the government works aids to determine the character’s actions, consequences to those actons and the direction of the plot. Research real world governments to inspire your writing.

Historical Research

Even in a pre-modern fantasy world, writers research to learn historical details to weave unique threads into the story line.

For example, writing about a character’s wedding in a historical fantasy or even an alien union on another planet such as the case in the sequel I'm writing—researching medieval weddings provides rich customs and details far enough from today’s reality to inject foreign and yet familiar customs and cultures. Researching triggers new ideas as you alter history to fit your story. Historical or alternate history scenarios also develop from finding an obscure moment in history and developing it into a novel. Writing historical fiction takes plenty of research to keep the details genuine.

Religion and Myths

People once believed the world was flat. Creating a belief system that affects the actions of the general population, takes research. For example, if characters believe the world is flat-most of them will not venture out to sea in fear of falling over the edge into oblivion.

Historical superstition blended with a fantasy realm feeds the writer’s imagination. Why do characters believe the superstition? Is it because government uses it to control with fear or because of a faulty premise? Something like travelers who experienced a great water fall and perceived it to be the end of the world when they lost traveling companions in the roaring, fog-enshrouded mist? Fictional superstitions and traditions can be based on history but transformed. Use them as a springboard.

Science and Technology

In Sci-fi, science makes the magic work. Researching cutting edge technology inspires gadgets like the communicators in the original Star Trek series. Have you ever thought about how much those now archaic devices resemble today’s cell phones? Writers must grasp the science enough to not only make it work in their minds, but to make it believable in the minds of their readers. Understanding the science behind wormholes in space, the dangers presented when a star goes super nova, or any such space travel science provides the details necessary to express the urgency to flee and the knowledge of how to do it.

Science and technology mold the culture. If your fictional world is pre-modern, research will include primitive beliefs and lifestyles. In a futuristic world, research will lead to cutting edge technology to be blended with the what if factor.

Research: The Springboard

Research feeds the imagination. Writing fiction generates questions. Searching for answers opens avenues of thought that reflect new ideas within the plot and construction of the fictional world. Use this list as a roadmap to discovery. It is not all-inclusive, but works as a springboard in the writer’s research process. No matter the genre, real facts and details create rich dimension and a believable story.

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Donna Sundblad resides in Georgia. Her published works include: Pumping Your Muse, a creative writing book, and two YA fantasy novels: Windwalker and Beyond the Fifth Gate. Visit her website www.theinkslinger.net, and if you want to buy her books in ebook form they are available at Fictionwise.

The Role of Research in Fantasy Writing - Part 1

2008-11-04T05:52:00.000-08:00

By Donna Sundblad

Recently in an interview, I was asked what role research plays in my writing. No matter what genre you write, research is a necessary tool. I'm currently working on the sequel to Beyond the Fifth Gate, and it involves the mating practices of the bio-genetically created incectoid race known as the eofs who are part human. Research led me down the path of various insects to find the blend of details that works. That's the fun of writing fantasy. Details can blend to become something unique to the world you create.

The research doesn't end there. I can't say too much because I don't want to be a story spoiler for those who haven't finished reading Beyond the Fifth Gate. But here's the question I must ask. What makes the purple planet purple? You see, even though you want to throw out great ideas, there has to be a logical reason to support what you've created. Even if it is magic.

When to Research

When creating a new story or scene, if a question arises, make note of it and research the topic. Why? Because the same question may cross the reader’s mind, and secondly it puts the writer’s creative thoughts in order as the story continues to develop. Research can mold your story depending on what you find. In my novel Windwalker, researching how to make gunpowder influenced the plot of the story.

It doesn’t matter what genre you create; research is part of the process. The following categories include (but are not limited to) facts and information often researched by writers:

Period or Ethnic Names

Character names should fit the story’s time and place. Babynames.com is my favorite site to search for names and meanings. It’s easy to navigate and offers not only a selection of names but also information on origin and meaning. Other fun features include categories such as celebrity baby names, celebrity real names, Lord of the Ring Names, Shakespeare names, soap opera names, and even pet names.

Careers

Characters take on life. Part of that life includes a career. In Windwalker, Jalil’s father worked as a metal smith. Since I knew very little about blacksmith tools or skills, research added enough detail to make the reader’s time in the smith shop valid.

In Beyond the Fifth Gate my female protagonist had to learn to fight. More research. I found a great resource in Them's Fightin' Words by Teel James Glenn, and Elita learned to make moves I would never have dreamed of—at least not in any logical sequence.

Crime and Forensics

At the writing of this article, forensics plays a part in several popular TV shows. Some of the technology seems far-fetched but yet believable. Research forensic science and the equipment available to detectives. Small, obscure facts can present the clue that breaks the case even in fantasy. Research combined with imaginative characters and plot provides an unpredictable and entertaining read. For mystery and crime writers research makes and breaks the crime while weaving realistic threads throughout the plot leading to whodunit. Sites like Copnet.org link the police with the community and provide a wealth of information.

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Beyond the Fifth Gate - Review

2008-10-26T05:35:00.001-07:00

Those of you who own my creative writing book Pumping Your Muse may remember the flip side exercise that generated a new female character. That character grew to become the protagonist in my novel Beyond the Fifth Gate. Look what the latest review says about her:

Beyond the Fifth Gate has a strong female main character who reminded me of Xena without the long hair or possibly Seven-of-Nine without the spandex. Elita starts off a little weak in her fighting skills (but realistically, how hard would it be to practice when you live in a hive and are guarded day and night by big bugs?) but her first mystical gate provides two teachers who not only give her a crash course, but join her on her quest to freedom. There are plenty of plot twists along the way and the ending is a real shocker which truly caught me off guard just when I thought I had it all figured out.

You can read the entire review at Queen of Convolution.

Review written by:

Caprice Hokstad

Author of the fantasy novel, The Duke's Handmaid, and its sequel, Nor Iron Bars a Cage.

Website: www.Latoph.com

Five Senses in Your Writing - Part 2

2008-10-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

The Five Senses

Incorporating all the senses provides familiarity and understanding for the reader. It helps the connect. This sensory information can be used to:

· Transition between the present and important back story

Example: The fresh scent of rain combined with a moist earthy aroma. I stared out at the wilted fields. A curtain of humidity wrapped around me. The rain had come too late.

In this case the sense of smell opens the door to the scene and allows a transition that could take the reader back to the struggle to keep the crops alive and the introduction to the lives of those who depended on those crops. On the other hand, these particular details could also propel the story forward. What will the character do now?

· Tie the beginning of the story to the end

Since you’ll want to weave this sensory information throughout your story, it is an effective way to tie the beginning of the story to the end.

Example: I couldn’t bear the sorrowful faces filling grandmother’s house. I stepped outside for a breath of fresh air and headed to the garden where we had talked so many years before. The light floral scent of lilacs drifted lazily on the summer breeze. I breathed deep and closed my eyes. Grandma stood with me just as she promised. I could feel her.

In this case, we could follow the character through life as an adolescent to adulthood and tie it back to the beginning when they had a life-changing conversation in that same garden. Who knows, maybe even another niece or nephew could walk out to join the character—the thing is that the scent is the trigger to tie the past to the present.

· Evoke emotional responses to create suspense, happiness, fear and more.

Humans are emotional creatures by our very nature. The world around us offers stimuli and we react to it.

Example: The lights blinked and darkness swallowed the room. A surreal coldness fell upon her like a shroud. A slight scent of garlic reminded her of something. A faint memory that tickled her mind like wind brushing leaves of a tree on a summer’s day. She rubbed her arms and stepped blindly forward, her foot tapping in front of her like a blind man’s cane.

This short example can evoke an uneasiness when the lights go out. The coldness kicks up the tension. A hint of garlic would add a bit of curiosity—how does it fit in—what is it? She seems to know, but for some reason has blocked it out. Now she moves forward and we are in her skin. How do you feel?

Nerve Network

Our bodies are designed with a network of nerves. This network sends information to our brains with no effort on our part. As a writer, you create that network from the story to the reader. If panic makes the hairs on the back of your protagonist's neck prickle, the reader should feel it. If they experience a touch of numbness in their index finger, it needs to be part of the information collected by the reader's brain—but the information must serve a purpose. If the reader knows of the numbness, they’ll know later on that the character can withstand an abnormal amount of pain using that finger. Sensory information needs to matter to the plot. The trick is to find the balance.

As writers, we need enough sensatory detail to make our fictional world real, but not so much that it bogs down the action. Think of it more like a trail of breadcrumbs; leading your reader down the path you want them to take. At times, it may even be a misleading trail. Such techniques can be used to create an unforeseen twist in the plot or action.

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If you enjoyed the information in this article, check out Pumping Your Muse. The prompts and insightful information included in this creative writing book challenge the imagination to take new direction and if followed to the conclusion of the book, provide a detailed outline along with completed scenes and developed characters for one novel, as well as a solid start for a second novel.

Five Senses in Your Writing - Part 1

2008-10-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

By Donna Sundblad

In my book Pumping Your Muse, I challenge writers with exercises that reach deep into the imagination’s recesses where creative exercises carry the muse on a journey designed to force ideas in resourceful new directions of development. The goal is to pull together bits and pieces or reality and learn to blend them within the fiction-creating process. Adding subtle sensory details works like sensual brush strokes that craft multi-levels of dimension by engaging the reader’s senses.

In real life, details flood our senses on a subconscious level. A hint of smoke presented within the context of your story may warn the character of an electrical fire, or allow them to reminisce about a romantic interlude basking in the firelight, or could even remind them of the invigorating smell of burning of leaves on a crisp fall day.

Good writers furnish this minutia with three-dimensional realism. The trick is to learn to include this information without overpowering the story with overly descriptive passages which bog the story’s pace and sometimes lose the reader. Your goal as a writer is to make the world you portray a real experience. As your reader walks through the pages of your story, engaging the senses allows them to experience the veracity of the world you create.

Moving the Story Along

Sensory information plays an important part in moving your story along. A sound, a scent—such detail provides subtle clues for the reader to follow. Engaging the senses makes a fictional world more real by adding dimension and realism. Stop and take note of your current setting. What do you see, hear, smell, taste and feel? Our brains take in this information subconsciously most times and that’s how you need to present it in your writing. A natural but delicate flow of information.

Pay attention to sounds around you, but not just that—ask yourself what they make you think or feel. Reactions are based on input—sensory input. One goal as a writer is to engage readers so they feel the character’s reaction as if they live in the character’s skin. In my most recent novel, Beyond the Fifth Gate, when my protagonist, Elita, crosses through the portal into a new world to find herself on a narrow ledge overlooking lagoon, a waterfall crashes over head. Crashes is not a gentle sound and raises the tension (no way up). She hears large earth movers...but I don't say she hears...instead large large armored earthmovers rumble as they pile dirt like golden mounds of grain. It's a long way down, and the enemy awaits her there. Subtle details let the reader determine whether or not the character is making the wisest choice.

Here's another example: If your character hides in the woods and hears the crackling of twigs, the reader should feel fear or at least apprehension. A musky scent draws the character’s attention to a wild pig rooting in the moist earth. The character lets out a breath, and the reader relaxes—until gruff snorts and bristling hair on the back of the animal’s neck, and a flash of tusks sends the character rushing blindly through dense foliage. Readers see through the characters eyes when writers provide the right sensory information. It not only makes the story come alive, but it eliminates the need to tell the reader what’s going on or how a character is feeling. Instead, sensory input pulls them into the story to experience it first hand.

In real life, our thoughts wander, but even as they seem to meander from topic to topic, they do follow logic. Writers can create natural segues with the use of sensory details. If your character hears someone laugh and it reminds them of someone they once knew, it provides a natural transition to include backstory without dumping the information in an awkward or obtrusive way. In the same way, if your character smells a hint of electrical smoke it makes sense that they will look for the source. If they come to the laundry room door and it feels hot, many readers will know the character should not open the door—if they do, the reader will brace for the explosion of flame.

In my part two, we'll take a closer look at the five senses in writing.

Balance the Missing Ingredient - Part 2

2008-10-16T04:49:00.000-07:00

Part 2 - Balance the Missing Ingredient

by Donna Sundblad

Don’t Digress

Study your manuscript. Have you skipped important details readers want to know while expounding on minor details? Don’t paint the picture of characters loitering at the diner at the truck stop if the characters inside don’t play an important part in the story. Although the interaction between the waitress wearing the bright lipstick and the scrawny truck driver puffing on a cigarette at the bar may be well-written, if it doesn’t matter to the story, it needs to be eliminated. What the reader needs to know about is what is happening in the parking lot? If your protagonist wasn’t able to change the tire and walks to the truck stop nearby does she find trouble or help in the parking lot? Don’t get sidetracked by unimportant details. It waters down the tension. Take out the unnecessary diner details and spend the time outside in the parking lot. I’m not saying every diner detail, just the unnecessary. Draw attention from the diner to outside through the window. Show apprehension on the face of the man looking out the window. Is he the one waiting for the woman in red or a hero waiting to rescue her? Expand pertinent details to keep the pace moving.

Pacing

Pacing or the timing used to move your story forward is accomplished through the use of dialog, incidents, and anecdotes. Using the above example, imagine tires of a black pickup truck squealing into the parking lot of the diner. Headlights spotlighting the middle-aged woman struggling up the ramp into the parking lot offers detail to move the story along. The reader knows the main character hoped to meet a potential love interest here. What happens next? That’s what you want to know and it’s what you want your readers to ask.

“Hey, pretty lady, you look like you need some help.” The burly man stroked his full, tobacco-stained beard like a pet.

“No, no thank you.” She smoothed her hand across her greasy midsection. “My friend is meeting me here.”

Dialog moves the story along. Could this guy be her suitor, or is he a treat? The tension mounts. Dialog should accomplish something. Use it to show the characters’ personality or shine light on information previously unknown. To ensure balance be sure not to force information into dialog in an unnatural way, or allow characters to uncharacteristically perform actions just to make your plot work.

Transitions

Transitioning from one subject or setting to another requires a connecting link. If the story thrusts the reader into a new setting without warning, and confuses them. It leaves them asking, “How did they get there?” and distracts them from the real story. A transition connects scenes. Even if it is one sentence long, a transition adds continuity and logic to the flow of the story.

Balance

Another type of balance is the balance of sentences. Have you ever read a story aloud and tripped over words, or went back to reread because something didn’t flow? Vary the length of sentences. Mix up the length of words used. Read your work out loud and listen. Does the story flow?

Imagine the details of your story to be sand in an hourglass. Each detail is a grain of sand. The top end of the glass contains conflict and tension, which transitions and leaks into the second half of the story. A consistent flow of particulars trickles into the bottom of the hourglass, where each grain of conflict mingles with pertinent details forming an interesting pattern that presents a satisfying resolution. That’s the missing ingredient. The balance of details as they flow and mingle without stopping.

Balance the Missing Ingredient - Part 1

2008-10-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

By Donna Sundblad author of Windwalker and Beyond the Fifth Gate

“What’s missing?” Details move your story along. It’s complete with a beginning, middle and end, but your muse clucks its tongue quietly and tells you that it can be better. You agree; something is lacking. But what?

What do you do when inspiration strikes, but when pen meets paper the story doesn’t engage on an emotional level? What good is a story if it doesn’t grab us and demand our attention? Sometimes it’s a matter of walking away from the project for a couple of days so you can look at it with fresh eyes and a clear mind. When you come back to it, it’s easier to see what’s missing.

Look for balance.

Conflict, Tension and Resolution

How many times have you been disappointed with a book or movie and you say, “That’s the end?” Conflict is an essential element when writing fiction, however resolution to that conflict is equally important and necessary. If you introduce conflict without resolution, it leaves the reader unfulfilled.

Pull out a story you want to improve. First, dissect the text. Look for elements of conflict, tension and resolution. With a blue highlighter, mark sections presenting conflict. In the same way, highlight tension in yellow and resolution in green. Conflict should be introduced throughout, with tension ebbing and flowing around it as characters strive toward a goal of some sort. Ultimate resolution will be nestled near the end of the story where it brings all the loose threads together and ties them in a tidy knot, but minor aspects of resolution should be sprinkled throughout the story to lessen tension.

Real life issues, different circumstances everyday even amid a life of routine can be used to create conflict or tension. Stress is a real part of life. After the fact, it makes interesting telling. It’s no different when writing. Without tension the story reads flat and less interesting, but constant tension is no better. The reader needs a break. Yellow highlighted text should be situated within some un-highlighted text. It’s like riding a wave carrying the reader to the top and gently dropping them on the other side ready to start a new wave. One scene should flow into the next as you travel to meet the big wave—the climax.

Inner and Outer Problems

Circumstances intruding on life induce conflict. Character reaction to these circumstances builds tension. For example: If your protagonist meets a potential date on line and he asks her to consider meeting him face-to-face, the internal conflict can deal with the issue of honesty or lack of self-confidence. Should she send her suitor an up-to-date photo of herself? Will she be rejected? What kind of guy wants to meet for a diner at a truck stop? Outer problems include things like getting a flat tire on the way to meet the date, making her late or even greasy with dirty smudges all over her red dress and a big hole in her nylons.

Mingling inner and outer conflict builds tension until it culminates at the climax of the story. The trick is to bring the reader toward the conclusion of the story in the same way—a wave at a time. Even as you head toward the end of the story, tension is a necessary ingredient. It’s the bait that keeps the reader wanting to know what happens next. On the way to the conclusion, check to see that you have resolved each conflict woven into the story line. Dangling details or unanswered questions leave the reader wondering if they missed something.

Bruise and Consequence

2008-10-12T06:18:00.000-07:00

Guest Post by Author Teel James Glenn

Bruise and Consequence

based on the book “Them’s Fightin’ Words!” by Teel James Glenn (published by epress-Online.com)

Since the first storyteller sat around a campfire spinning tales of gods and heroes it has been a given that a little action makes a mildly interesting story into a real grabber. Put your hero or heroine in physical jeopardy and you can have a winner. Conflict is the key and physical conflict, i.e., a fight, is often the answer.

It is not the only answer, to be sure, and emotional conflict is the essence of real drama, but the line where drama ends and adventure or melodrama begins is an iffy one. Since the fight has to serve the purpose of the story you have to use the same criteria as any journalistic or dramatic story. Ask yourself, ‘is this fight necessary?’ If it is then you can use the old six questions: Why, Who, How, Where, What and When?

Why?

Why is this fight the solution to this moment of the story, instead of a dialogue scene? Being clear about the purpose the fight in the story is paramount. After all, Shakespeare put the fight at the end of Hamlet for two very strong reasons. It was the dramatic climax that brought together several plot threads, and it was used as a device to reveal the true personalities of the major participants.

Who?

Who is involved in the action; the principal? A secondary character? If so, what is their stake in the confrontation (their personal why)?

How?

How did the fight come about? How does it end? And in what state are the participants when it is all over? Will there be lingering effects? And will the effects be physical or mental or both? There is also the mechanical how of a fight; that is, how to plan it out. You can’t build a house without a plan and you must do the same thing with the ‘story’ of a fight.

One thing to do in building the fight is to put in a ‘kick the dog moment’, by which I mean, give your bad guys an action that makes it clear they are not just misunderstood and don't mean well. Let them ‘kick’ the metaphorical dog in the room, hurt an innocent with no remorse.

Where?

Where does the action take place? Is it an interesting enough place, i.e. a kitchen, a garage, a spaceship port? What makes that place of particular interest? Does it add color to the story, or is it just a drab background, a diorama in front of which the action takes place?

What?

What is involved, physically in the fight? A sword fight; if so, what style? Or styles. Do they use the objects at hand or did they bring the ‘death dealers’ with them. (Jackie Chan movies are especially good at finding clever things to do with found objects in action scenes—you don’t have to be ‘clever’ funny but you should clever smart.).

When?

When is it appropriate to have a fight instead of a non-physical solution? I know I keep stressing this, but that cuts to the heart of the situation of many literature snobs who will not deal with any ‘action’ because they feel it cheapens the purpose of a story

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About Author Teel James Glenn

Teel James Glenn is a native of Brooklyn though he has traveled the world for thirty years as a Stuntman/Coordinator/Swordmaster, Jouster, Book Illustrator, Storyteller, Bodyguard and Actor. You can keep up on Teel James Glenn’s adventures at theurbanswashbuckler.com.

His books in the Altiva fantasy series are: Tales of a Warrior Priest, Death at Dragonthroat, The Daemonhold Curse, and Sister Warrior all from ePress-Online as are Knight Errant :Death and Life at the Faire , Them’s Fightin Words :A Writers Guide to Writing Fight Scenes and the forthcoming: The Vision Quest Factor and A Hex of Shadows.

The Exceptionals: #1 Measure of a Man and #2 Across the Wasteland are out from Whiskey Creek Press with #3 due next year.

He has stories published in AfterburnSF, Blazing Adventures, AnotherRealm, Event Horizon, Fantasy Tales, Mad, Black Belt, Alternative Cinema, Classic Pulp Fiction Stories, Weird Stories, Double Danger Tales, Startling Science Stories, Shots Writer’s Village and others.

Magic Rules: Part 3 -: The Art of Creating A Magical System

2008-10-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

Instead of another article about writing the rules of magic, let’s look at how to create rules for our magical system, what things you need to consider.

General areas to think about:

How might the source of the magic affect the rules you’re looking to create?
How will you work limitations into rules that work?
What are the side effects (the consequences) to the user of magic and to others?
How will the magic of different users work with or against each other? Can the magics cancel each other out? What, if any, side effect(s) might this cause?
Is magic achieved through training or natural ability?
How does the culture respond to the use of magic and how does this affect the user of magic? What is the place of magic in your world?
What are the magic users understanding of the mechanics of magical powers? Are these views different from the reality of the situation? From the view of the antagonist?
Consider the peoples that will make up your world. The more nonhuman characters involved, the more magical interplay might be acceptable.

NUGGET:

Any rule of magic that you create must exist for a purpose. Don’t throw something in because it’s cute, or something you thought about doing. All of your magic rules must exist for a reason.

Assumptions about magic that can be found in normal (mundane) or in fantasy worlds:

· Magic might be difficult to use, achieve, or sustain.

· Magic may be dangerous, not only to those it acts upon, but upon the wielder.

· Magic is evil. On the other hand, magic is good. Maybe it is neither, but depends on the outcome achieved.

· Magic might be rare, or magic might be commonplace.

· Magic is unpredictable. How can this be in terms of trying to create a “logical magical system?” Think chaos theory. Think in terms that we don’t fully understand the physics of the forces as work in our own world. Could it be that magic is not fully understood in your fantasy world?

Which of these above assumptions might you use in your world to help you create your rule base?

Suggestions on creating rules that seem logical and work in your fantasy world:

Be consistent. The rules can’t contradict each other. They don’t change in the middle of your story or novel.
Consider the rules that magicians from our mundane world use. How are they different than the magical system in your fantasy world:

Never perform a trick without first perfecting it.
Never let your audience see you sweat
Don’t give away your secrets.

Keep the list of rules short and simple. You might start out with many rules, but try to combine and condense these until you have five or less rules.
Consider writing your rules based on the five Ws: who, what, when, where, why.

NUGGET:

Treat your rules with respect. They should be taken as seriously as earthlings take the force of gravity and or Newton’s Law.

Other considerations:

· Develop a magical concept – What does you magic “look like?”

· What are the mechanics of your magical system?

· Write guidelines for the magic in your fantasy world.

· Think of magic in terms of skills – What magical “skills” will your characters have?

The magical rules must make sense in the context of your fantasy world and culture. Magic cannot exist in isolation. All things are connected.

* * *

P. June Diehl is the author of The Magic & the Mundane: A Guide for the Writer’s Journey and working on a second book for writers. Her short stories, articles, and poetry have been published in print and online. June works as a writing teacher/mentor at Pearls of Writing and Writers Village University. She is the Editorial Director and a Senior Editor at Virtual Tales, and a Lead Editor with ePress-Online.

Magic Rules Part 2: Limitations of Magic – At What Cost?

2008-10-06T05:55:00.000-07:00

by guest author P. June Diehl (used with permission)

Fiction is about conflict, and fantasy is no different. Magic cannot be an all-powerful force, or there would be no conflict: If anything and everything is a possibility, then nothing would be interesting in your fantasy world.

I’m not talking about rules, at least not yet. That’s the subject of the third article in this series. Setting limitations allows the author to focus on story elements: tension, conflict, plot, etc., whereas, rules are part of a worldbuilding system.

Magic vs. Intelligence and Strength

While magic can be used to get the heroine or hero out of a sticky situation, it’s not the only or always appropriate way out. The protagonist has intelligence, strength, and other non-magical abilities to be called into use. Use those first. Only use magic as an out when there’s no other way.

On the other side of the mirror, we have the antagonist, who might appear to have no limits to his or her magical power, but if that were true, our heroine or hero would lose in the end. The editor or agent reading your manuscript would be disappointed, and the author would not be offered a publishing contract.

Limitations of the Magical System

Any character who uses magic in a fantasy world has to deal with natural limitations of that magical system. Magic is a wonderful force in a fantasy story, but it’s also a dangerous force. This adds inherent conflict to the plot: not only is the antagonist trying to stop the heroine or hero, but those who love and support the protagonist might also not want her or him to use this dangerous power.

Magic can have limitations in other ways. Maybe it only works as desired 60% of the time. Perhaps the outcome is predictable half of the time. Possibly the side effects change over time.

Another aspect a fantasy author must remember is that if you take away the magic, the protagonist and antagonist are people, with their own limitations and flaws, their own strengths and salvations. Accent these and let magic play a secondary part in your plot.

A character’s current situation might also limit the use or outcome of his or her magical power. What happens when the hero has a cold or the antagonist didn’t get a good night’s sleep? How might this affect the ability to use magic effectively?

Fantasy characters make mistakes including mistakes with magic. This adds additional conflict and tension and shows the character dealing with an outcome not intended or expected. Maybe the character has to deal with guilt as a result of a mistake in using his or her magical power.

Develop Real Fantasy Characters

Fantasy characters are more than their magic. They feel, they think. They have dreams and fears. Your characters need to be well rounded people, with aspects of goodness and a pinch of the dark side. Focus on them as characters first, as magic users second.

Anyone who uses magic in a fantasy world must keep in mind the limitations, which make the story believable, and allow the author to develop tension and to create conflict. Remember: no conflict – no story.

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Magic Rules - Part 1: Types of Magic--The Source Be With You

2008-10-02T04:36:00.000-07:00

The illusive art of magic governs, unites and even conquers fantastic fictional worlds with enchanted powers. Fantasy authors must decide the types of magic allowed to work within the created fantasy lands. What choices of magic do fantasy writers have to choose from? And a second important question to ask when writing fantasy: What is the source of your magical system?

Why is it important to understand the type of magic in the fantasy you create? Once you identify the type of magic you wish to use, defining limitations and rules comes easier. Knowing the source of the magical system helps focus on the mundane rules you’ll need to understand how to create a believable fantasy world.

The following are examples of magical systems. Some overlap so one fantasy series might include several of these types. This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of the different types of magic, but a starter to help focus on your magical system.

AURA MAGIC

The aura is the life force of all living things. The energy generated by this life force is used to generate magic. One use of this life force created magic is any fantasy where the source of the magic is from the charkas. The children’s classic, The Children of Green Knowe, is an example of aura magic, or Jennifer Lynn Barnes, juvenile fiction, Golden.

BINDING MAGIC

This mysterious, mystical force binds all that exists in the universe, it works as the thread that connects all things, living and otherwise. The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan makes use of this concept.

CHAOS MAGIC

This is a modern form of ritual magic. The source of the magic is some mind alternating technique: music, dance, chanting, drugs, etc. An example might be Alan Dean Foster’s Spellsinger series.

GOD/GODDESS-GIVEN MAGIC

The source of magic in this system is an advance being, whom mortals see as a god or goddess. Remember: what is so readily given, can equally be taken away (and usually at the worst possible moment in the plot). Harry Turtledove’s The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump has elements of magic, or power, given to humans by a deity.

GOOD VS. EVIL MAGIC

The source of this type of magic might be the same, but the outcome is juxtaposed, based on the intent of the manipulator. The source of this magic is both outside and internal to humans, or whatever type of character the magical user might be. Robert Goodkind make use of this concept in his Sword of Truth series.

HERBAL MAGIC

This is inclusive of any ingredient-based magic, like the fairy dust used in Peter Pan. This type of magic is also found in Sharon Shinn’s Summers at Castle Auburn, and Scent Of Magic by Andre Norton.

MEDITATIVE MAGIC

Either meditation or concentration is used to create magic – the “mind over matter” concept. This can also manifest as an altered state of consciousness. A classic example is Philip K. Dick’s fantasy, The Cosmic Puppets.

NATURE-BASED MAGIC

Usually, this revolves around the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Elemental magic can be found in the fantasy world of The Oran Trilogy by Midori Snyder or Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Mists of Avalon series.

POWER ELEMENTS

Magic exists in all things but some objects hold more magic than others. These magic rich objects are considered magical artifacts. An example is the Winter of the World series by Michael Scott Rohan.

RITUAL MAGIC

Magic is created through the act of performing a ritual. This may or may not be based on a religion. In her Deryni series, Katherine Kurtz makes use of ritual magic.

SCIENCE-BASED MAGIC

The source is based in science, but must have a magical twist. For example: For every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction. Give this law a twist: Every time magic is used by an individual, the good produced as a result, also produces an evil side effect. L. E. Modesitt’s The Magic of Recluce and The Towers of the Sunset exhibit science-based magic.

SCIENCE INDUCED MAGIC

The premise here is that advanced technology is used by advanced beings, but appears to be magic by others. Science fiction author Arthur C Clarke’s “Third Law” states “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Out of This World, the first of the Three Worlds Trilogy by Lawrence Watt-Evans, is an excellent example of Clarke’s Third Law.

SUPERNATURAL MAGIC

The results are the ability to read minds, telekinesis, being able to see across time or space, etc. The source of this magic is the supernatural, that which is beyond what is normally thought of as “natural.” In Katherine Kurtz’s Deryni books, the magic is inborn and presented as psychic in nature. Another example is the psionics in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover series.

SYMBOL MAGIC

In this magical system, symbols are used to represent more that they seem on the surface. When used by a magic weaver, these symbols take on a physical quality. Any fantasy that uses a system like Runes is an example of symbolic magic, such as the Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman.

SYMPATHIC MAGIC

Voodoo is an example of sympathetic magic. The focus here is that what is done to an object can be equally transferred to the person who once possessed that object, or by knowing the magical name of an object, as in Ursula K. LeGuin's Wizards of Earthsea.

“WE ARE ALL ONE” MAGIC

This is based on the concept that we are aware of our unity with all the universe, we are able to create magic by tapping into that unity. Robert Jordan’s magic system in his Wheel of Time series is one example of this type of magic.

In some fantasy worlds, magic might be limited to either men or to women. Some examples are the works of Melanie Rawn and Robert Jordan.

These types of magic can be combined to create your magical system. Human myth and legends are full of magic. Beg, borrow, and steal – make the magic your own to suit your fantasy world. Pick and choose the elements that work for your fantasy world. Or, create an altogether new magical type. The limit is your own imagination.

* * *
P. June Diehl is the author of The Magic & the Mundane: A Guide for the Writer’s Journey and working on a second book for writers. Her short stories, articles, and poetry have been published in print and online. June works as a writing teacher/mentor at Pearls of Writing and Writers Village University. She is the Editorial Director and a Senior Editor at Virtual Tales, and a Lead Editor with ePress-Online.

Cloak and Sword Woman:

2008-09-28T14:41:00.001-07:00

Strong character development is a must, and beyond that, fantasy readers want (and need) multi-level female fantasy heroines. Want to write a fantasy book that sells? Then you need a strong female lead character, as she can make or break your story.

She’s beautiful, intelligent, and not afraid to get her hands dirty. She’s the cloak and sword woman, even if she doesn’t own a cloak or know how to swing a sword.

Creating the Fantasy Heroine

Your heroine must be a balanced character to make her believable. Determine her strengths and weaknesses. What does she love? What are her fears? What are her hopes and dreams? Her secrets? What does she dread?

So, what other characteristics belong to your cloak and sword woman? Here’s a list to help you get started.

She knows how to get things done; she’s resourceful. She has fears, but strong will, circumstances, or something else propels for onward. In moving forward, she sometimes creates problems.

Your cloak and sword woman doesn’t wait for things to happen to her; she goes forth and actively seeks her destiny. She is proactive. This can be good or bad, as she might misjudge the consequences of her actions.

The fantasy heroine is strong of will and soul. She uses her inner resources to the best of her abilities, fighting through her fears. On the other side, she needs to recognize when and how to ask for help.

She loves, but tends to fear giving or receiving love. Maybe she holds back because of a fear of being hurt or betrayed, but the love is there, and in the course of the story, the love matures.

She’s passionate. Bottom line: She grows into a woman who knows what she wants and gets what she goes after, whether she’s facing an evil monster or dealing with a loved one. This aspect of your heroine can also lead her down paths where she will either dig herself out or need to ask or find help in doing so.

Your heroine is fallible. Who isn’t? If your cloak and sword woman didn’t make an occasional mistake, who would want to read her story? She makes errors and misjudgments, and learns to admit when she is wrong. Many times her errors result from her passions, but she never blames others, learning that she’s the one who creates her destiny.

She can be physically or emotionally wounded, but limit this as too much makes her appear weak. When she is wounded, the heroine will push or fight through her pain, seeing options and taking a course of action. She doesn’t sit by and wait for others to act. In the bleakest moments, there is opportunity for her to learn and grow.

Self-Actualized Fantasy Heroine

The cloak and sword woman takes charge of her destiny. From the beginning, the reader is aware that she is headed in this direction on a subconscious level. By the end of the novel the fantasy heroine is self-actualized.

The fantasy heroine has immediate and long range needs and goals, driven by her passions. The conflicts come at her from within and without. She battles demons on all levels, and in the process, she grows.

Allow your readers to experience her feelings and thoughts, her dreams and fears. Re-read fantasy novels in which you admire the heroine. What has the author done in the story to make you care about the heroine? Strive to develop the same qualities in your own character.

Give life to your cloak and sword female fantasy character. Bestow upon her a life that suits her destiny and dreams. In doing this, you will give your readers exactly what they want. A character they care about, relate to and grow with.

* * *
P. June Diehl is the author of The Magic & the Mundane: A Guide for the Writer’s Journey and working on a second book for writers. Her short stories, articles, and poetry have been published in print and online. June works as a writing teacher/mentor at Pearls of Writing and Writers Village University. She is the Editorial Director and a Senior Editor at Virtual Tales, and a Lead Editor with ePress-Online.

Show Not Tell

2008-09-27T05:43:00.000-07:00

As a new fantasy writer, I stared at the critique. My mentor's words struck me. Show this. I thought I was showing. What did she mean? As writers, it's important to know the difference between showing and telling. Today, as an author and editor, I regularly meet writers who confuse the issue. In this article, I present a quick checklist to activate your writing, moving it from passive telling to active showing. Use this list to test your manuscript and eliminate passive telling language.

Emotional Expression:

Show emotion. Whether it's a flushed face, or a slammed car door, body language and facial expressions show emotion. Passive language tells the reader what to think.

Tell: "I'm not putting up with it," he said angrily.

Show: He slammed his fist against the table. "I'm not putting up with it."

Avoid the use of modifiers like the word angrily that tell the reader what to think. Even the use of a word like hissed in the speech tag modify the dialog by telling the reader how it is said. Instead, use strong verbs or beats to show the reader the emotion.

Descriptions For Character and Setting:

Have you blended character description a little at a time like an ingredient to a favorite recipe? Or, have you heaped a load of description in one paragraph and created a lump of facts clumped in one place. Consider how you learn about things in life. If a person walks in a room, do you think: That woman wearing the green dress has eyes that match and long blond hair falling across her shoulders. She walks like a gazelle and everyone in the rooms seems to notice her.

No, that's not how we process information. When you add character and scenic description, too many details added at one time bog the story down and tend to tell rather than show like the example above. Description dumps do not follow the way we perceive information.

Readers want a forward moving tempo. Keep the pace active with verbiage that lures them to wonder what happens next. Incorporate detail naturally within the story. Notice the difference:

The woman's green dress shimmered under low canister lighting. She slipped through the crowded room with the grace of a gazelle and stopped at the rich mahogany desk. Her blond hair draped across her shoulders as she flipped her head, turned and looked at me. Her eyes reflected the color of her dress. I smiled. Everyone in the room stopped.

Telling description stops the action. Showing the description makes it part of the natural flow. Include description in dialog and action to make it real.

Dumping Background Information:

Much like heaping description in large portions, writers may be tempted to use dialog to include large doses of information and facts they want the reader to know. Do this sparingly. If details don't have relevance within the context of the conversation these facts tell the reader information that should be gleaned in a more natural way. When dialog becomes an unnatural information dump, it stops the action and the reader loses the feel of an exchange between characters. It removes the reader from the scene, and becomes an explanation of what the author wants the reader to know.

Long character speeches used to show off hours of research (including interesting facts) need to flow unpretentiously. If piles of content do nothing to move the story along, it's time to cut it.

Repeating What the Character Knows

Search dialog for repeated information. Sometimes in an effort to be sure the reader understands what's happening, writers repeat information. Two things need to be considered. First, if you wrote it right the first time, the reader understands. Second, if you repeat it as if the reader didn't understand, you're insulting their ability to grasp the details.

* * *

Check out Pumping Your Muse. The prompts included in this creative writing book challenge the imagination to take new direction and if followed to the conclusion of the book, provide a detailed outline along with completed scenes and developed characters for one novel, as well as a solid start for a second novel.

Beyond the Fifth Gate by Donna Sundblad

2008-09-23T04:14:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce that my second fantasy novel was released yesterday at Fictionwise and should be up at Amazon by the end of the month.

This book originated while I was writing Windwalker as I used the writing prompts and exercises found in Pumping Your Muse. The Flip Side exercise required me to take an existing scene and flip one or more details. As a result, my first female protagonist was born. Little did I know that she'd grow into such an interesting character who faces the challenge of not only traveling through five portals into strange worlds. Developing different world that are somehow connected challenged me, but as it came together I enjoyed the thrill of creation. To limit my time in these worlds, her quest had to be completed within seven days -- before the planets move out of alignment.

Here's a peek into her world and the circumstances that set her on the path to save her people.

Chapter 1

Elita sat at her father's feet among a small group of locals meeting within a tiny cottage nestled in the rolling foothills. His finger traced the words on the ancient scroll. "Did you hear me? Listen to these words," he repeated in his teaching voice. "It doesn't say we who live in the country will be exempt. It says, 'Every town and village,' and that means us. We can't hide from the widespread 'increase in evil propensities.' I've heard they've taken over the cities and it's just a matter of time ... We have to fight back while we have the chance."

* * * *

A few of the men and women who had gathered in the small room nodded. Others looked with blank expressions out the windows facing north as if studying the nearby mountains. Elita stifled a yawn. The other children no longer attended. She wanted to ask what propensities were, but from the looks on the adult faces now was not the time. Not everyone had patience for her questions, and some thought she was too young to participate at all at times like this.

Too young. The very words irked her. After all, at age 12 she was only three years from marrying. Not that she knew anybody who wanted to marry her. Things had changed so much since the mantids' arrival. Her father restricted her comings and goings. He believed the mantids were trying to take over the world. It was their fault she had to sit through these teaching times without a playmate. Her father insisted that the prophecies be handed to the next generation to prepare them to recognize and fight the evil presence.

"The Chosen One," he said looking up at an invisible presence with a hint of awe, "will save our world." He placed his hand on Elita's head and smiled.

Torkel, their closest neighbor, from a farm five miles down the road, shifted on his hard chair next to the fireplace. "How will we know who this Chosen One is? What is the sign so that we will not be misled?"

"Good question." Elita's father looked down into her eyes. "Elita, would you like to answer Torkel's question?"

Elita glanced at the floorboards and pulled in a deep breath, but nodded. She looked at the men and women gathered with them. Some were friends, others strangers. "We'll know by the alignment of the five planets." She glanced toward her father who tipped his head for her to go on. He knew this aspect of the prophecies fascinated her. "Kamali will appear in the east marking the first gate. The Chosen One will see his light and has one week to travel through all five mystical gates and return to our world. Upon their return, the Chosen will carry with them something from each gate. Something to save us..." She looked to her father for affirmation.

"Thank you, Elita."

Her chest swelled with pride, and he turned his attention back to his guests. "Those living in the time of the alignment will know who the Chosen One is. It's not important that we know now, unless..." He leaned and stared into the sky through the window. "No, I don't see anything other than our sun setting in the sky, and it tells me it's getting late."

A few of the people chuckled. Elita shifted her weight on the wooden floor and rubbed her knees through her trousers. Her mother walked into the room balancing a tray of crisp sweets and bent to offer one to her husband.

He plucked one of the honey-sweetened treats from the tray and while her mother served the others, her father snuck his crisp into his daughter's hand. She sat up a little straighter and sucked the golden treat. It lasted so much longer that way.

The people exchanged farewells at the door until the last of them left the small family to the peace Elita enjoyed. The size of the gatherings had diminished over the last couple of years. It hurt her father so she didn't talk about it. Many called him a fanatic.

"Elita, you did well this evening. Before our next meeting, I'd like you to make a list of the prophecies you know." Her father walked across the small square room to rekindle the fire in the fireplace.

Elita's heart dropped. Not another child in the province has to complete assignments like this. It's not fair. "Why can't I just tell you?"

He brushed soot from his hands and propped them on his thighs as he knelt before the growing fire. "Very well, what can you tell me?" He placed a log on the flame.

"Well..." She played with the dark braid draped over her shoulder. "There will be deceit, lying and criminal activity."

"Very good. And what do you think that means?"

She shrugged. "I guess it means by the time the conjunction of the planets happens this world won't be a very nice place to live. Is that why you want to fight back?"

Elita's mother looked at her father and swallowed hard. She wiped her hands on her apron out of nervous habit.

"Can I ask a question?" Elita asked.

"Of course, and please sit in the chair." He pointed.

She scurried to the chair and sat while searching for the right words. "It's ... well ... there's five planets and five gates, right?"

"That's correct."

"And there's seven days to complete the journey?"

"That's correct."

"Here's what I don't understand. Why is it seven days when there are only five gates?"

"That's a good question, a perfect example of how people misread the prophecy. It is true there are five gates and five planets. However, when the planets align it marks the fact that the Chosen One will have seven days to make it through all five gates. What if it takes three days to find the first gate? How many days are left?"

The realization of her father's words brought new understanding. "You mean if they don't see Kamali's light for the first three days they only have four days left to make it through all the gates?"

"That's right." He nodded. "And once the Chosen One enters that first gateway there is no turning back. The gate closes. It's a one-way journey."

"That's scary. The Chosen One will have to be brave."

"Another thing to realize is that if there isn't faith enough to see Kamali, the alignment of the planets will come and go without the journey taking place."

"Part of me hopes that none of this happens until I'm old."

Elita's mother chuckled. "I know what you mean." She patted the seat beside her and Elita moved to sit beside her mother, who started to unbraid her long hair.

Her father shook his head. "It's not about us. It's about all of mankind."

In her heart, Elita trusted the prophecies, but they also scared her.

"Why would people miss the coming of Kamali? He is to shine like a bright light in the east."

"Those who are not looking for him will not see him."

Her mother brushed her hair. "Go to the well and wash while I set dinner on the table."

Elita stepped into the twilight and wandered to the well at the back of the clearing. A cacophony of birds called to one another as the sun slid toward the horizon. I love this. She missed being outside, riding her horse freely and hunting with her bow. Even though she'd never seen a mantid, part of her already hated them. It was their fault she had to stay with her parents all the time.

The cool water refreshed her. She dried her face on her sleeve when an odd sense of foreboding stopped her. Silence. Not a bird or cricket sounded. She hurried toward the cottage, the crunch of long grass beneath her feet. Smoke scented the air. In the distance she saw the glow of a large fire. The village!

She turned the corner to the front of the cottage and skidded to a stop. Large ugly creatures hunched to fit through the door. They stepped outside dragging her parents with them. "Father!" she ran toward him when something cool and hard clamped her forearm and scraped her skin as she struggled to free herself.

The diminishing sun highlighted the horror on her mother's face. Her usually happy eyes widened with fear.

The mantid dragged Elita toward a cart without a horse or oxen hitched to draw it. A large cage filled with young people lay on the bed of the cart. She kicked and screamed, but to no avail. The monster threw her into the cage. She stumbled and landed face-to-face with a boy; his red-rimmed eyes stared at her blankly. Elita scrambled to her feet, pressed her face to the bars and stretched her arm toward her parents. "Mother! Father!"

Her mother broke free and ran to the cart; her fingers grasped Elita's and held tight. "Elita, do not forget..." Four mantids rushed toward them. One of them ripped her mother's hand from hers and yanked her mother to the ground where two others dragged her toward her father.

"What are they doing?" Elita's voice tore at her throat. "Father! Father help me! Don't let them take me!"

Her father struggled against the mantid, but they outnumbered him. They blocked his way like an armored wall. He shouted over them. "Elita, the oracle is the answer--" A sharp sickle-shaped mantid claw clamped around her father's bicep cutting his words short. His arm dropped to the earth with a sickening thud. Blood spewed across his shirt, shot into the mantid's face and sprayed her mother's tunic. Her father's eyes rolled, and he crumpled to the ground.

Stunned, Elita shrank to the floor of the cage. Evil propensities. The cage-cart moved under its own power further into the country. At each home, the mantids collected the young. Her eyes drifted from face to face in the dim light and then to the sky. She prayed to Kamali hoping to see the planets appear. Instead only the moon climbed into the sky. How could she get free and help her parents? For now, in her mind, she did the last assignment her father had given her. He'd be proud of her. Mentally she made a list of the prophecies she knew.

The sun melted into the horizon. An eerie twilight cast elongated shadows across the crying children. Elita looked away from the misery; an emptiness sought to fill her. She watched the sun disappear and wrapped her arm around the little girl beside her. Beyond the horizon dawns a new beginning. That was her mother's favorite prophecy and now she claimed it as hers. It gave her a little hope. The wheels of the mechanical cart churned up a cloud of dust. Elita closed her eyes and prayed to Kamali. Her father's words echoed in her mind. "It's not about us. It's about all of mankind."

Social Classes in Sword and Sorcery

2008-09-12T04:40:00.000-07:00

Medieval life within the manor setting: a perfect study in not only how people lived, but also how social classes related to one another. High fantasy writers weave such medieval historical bits with imaginative threads to create new, unique and fantastic realities. Here magical swords sing, knights fight ogres, evil sorcerers cast spells, and dragons with many heads haunt the land. The magic also allows a poor man with integrity to change his world. However, before we get to the magic, it's important to know the history.

During King Richard's reign, every man's goal was to own land. The strongest warrior became lord of conquered land and reigned over the manor in service to the king. A great lord might have several manors under his charge.

A Self-sufficient Manor

A manor functioned like a self-sufficient country. It usually incorporated open lands like meadows, woods, fields, rivers, and pastures for livestock and farming as well as a mill (sometimes small enough to be run by one person) to grind grain into flour, an oven, wine press, and church.

The castle where the lord of the manor lived worked like the capital of the self-contained manor. Within his castle walls, skilled craftsmen worked as paid servants. This included bakers, carpenters, millers, smiths, leather workers, etc. For their services, this skilled labor force received payment. Pay included money, food and lodging. For writers of fantasy, this scenario opens the door to a variety of plots as the mixture of families and social classes lived under one roof.

Villeins

Poorer peasants worked the lord's farms. In return for their hard work, they received strips of land on which they raised crops to feed their own families. Under the feudal system, these poor peasants lived as members of a class of partially-free persons known as villeins. Villeins held positions as serfs with respect to their lord. However, they maintained rights and privileges of freemen in their dealings with others.

Villeins lived in huts made of mud and wattle. These huts more often than not consisted of two rooms. Thatched roofs protected occupants from the elements and one window (known as the wind's eye) lit the typical villein's hut. Fire burned on a stone slab situated in the middle of the earthen floor for warmth and cooking.

Onions, dried herbs, and strips of meat hung from rafters, while tools used in service to the lord perched along the walls. Villeins paid taxes in the form of produce raised on the strip of land provided by the lord, while also working in service to the lord at jobs such as repairing bridges and roads about two or three days a week.

Villeins lived under a set of strict rules, one being the fact they could not leave the manor without the lord's permission. This restriction may seem unfair by today's standards, but remember the lord allowed the peasants to live on his land as a way to provide for the family. It was an agreement. Villeins lived on this strip of land, and had a garden, house, livestock and tools. The harder a villein worked, the better off his situation would be. However, social class and structure many times trapped worthy people in a mundane existence, while raising others less deserving to a life of opulence.

Manor Life Under the Feudal System

Manor life under the feudal system provides a rich history for the fantasy writer to tap into. Consider the wealth of possibilities. A young villein who hates farming may escape life in the manor and strike out on his own, or he may work hard and buy his freedom. He could even join a band of outlaws that live in the forest, such as in Robin Hood.

In Howard Pyle's Men of Iron a lord is accused of treason and lives in refuge in the sanctuary of a church for years. His son becomes a page and squire and redeems the family name. On the other hand, consider the footloose hooligan pulling a prank in Robert E. Howard's Gates of the Empire who flees to the Holy Land to avoid the consequences. Fantasy stories based on life in the manor are fraught with interesting characters and provide a variety of plot choices set in a unique social structure and quaint locale. Add a daub of magic and ta-da, you've created sword and sorcery high fantasy.

My Next Fantasy Novel: Beyond the Fifth Gate

2008-09-01T08:45:00.001-07:00

I'm getting excited. My young adult fantasy novel, Beyond the Fifth Gate, is due out in September. I held the proof print in my hands this week for the first time and I'm reading through it one more time. I thought I'd share the cover art here today to whet your appetite for more, but I only have it in PDF version so you'll all have to wait. As soon as I have a jpg, I'll let you all have a peek. The yellowish sky and purple planet in the background are perfect for the story. I'm currently taking pre-orders. If you'd like a signed copy you can put your name on the pre-order list by emailing dsundblad(at)theinkslinger.net. Place BTFG in the subject line.

About Beyond the Fifth Gate:

Elita awakens from a nightmare in which she struggles as a 12-year-old against an insectoid race that carries her into captivity. Now twelve years later, her reality is one of forced labor. She lives in a hive complex where humans are forbidden to speak, write or read. The promise of freedom swells when the prophetic conjunction of five planets marks the long-awaited Kamali's Cycle. But first, as the Chosen, she must travel through five mystical gates during the planets' conjunction and return to Haldis with items key to that freedom. Elita follows Kamali's light into a cave in the eastern foothills. The portal closes behind her, and the first gate opens to a one way quest into strange worlds and a race to collect what she needs from beyond each gate to free her people before time runs out. How will she know what to take from world to world?

Fantasy Writing - The Setting

2008-08-26T04:22:00.000-07:00

The Fantasy world can be on any world, in any climate, but invariably the classic form of an agrarian landscape, free of manufactured pollution comes to mind. Popular demands tend to prefer the simple lifestyle of pre-industrial society. Understandably, we seek to escape back to the good old days, so writers make use of the Arcadian idyll where life has the ability to be perfect.

Fantasy writers create worlds using their own style and voice. The process follows a path of logic. Even within similar fantasy settings, distinct points of diversity set scenarios apart. Carefully chosen words change the flavor of the backdrop. This backdrop establishes components that make up everything from authority structures, belief systems and even the geography of the landscape. These details lay the groundwork for a Pre-modern society and culture. Environment, learned behaviors, social organizations and beliefs all influence this culture. Adding culture gives the characters a structure within which to make choices, take sides and interact.

Religion

In a pre-modern fantasy world, religion is often tied in with government structure. In such a culture, laws reflect the religion's belief in right and wrong. For example, if the religion believes it is wrong to speak of those who have died, it would not be uncommon to find a law in the fantasy world that enacts punishment if one of its citizens speaks of the dead.

Religion can be based on superstition or reality. The fun of writing fantasy is that the writer can create a bizarre belief system as long as it makes sense within the plot and fantasy characters' lives.

Magic

Every fantasy contains some element of magic. It's part of what makes the world work. It doesn't have to be called magic, but the element must exist. Unlike Science Fiction, the magic in fantasy is not based on science but on a form of mystical magic that still must make sense to the reader. A base line of how and why it works must be drawn.

In my novel Windwalker, an ancient necklace holds healing properties. The history of the magical properties is passed from generation to generation through the oral telling of history. However, the magic of the necklace only works for characters from a specific bloodline. It's not called a magic necklace, but readers not only understand its powers, but also know when it will work and when it won't.

Language

Language reflects origins. Fantasy writers develop different regions and languages for only one reason--to bring the two cultures together in some fashion within the plot.

Does your fantasy world have one language or more? Learning to communicate is a vehicle for character growth. Fantasy characters that survive a hostile environment only to find one other survivor that can't speak their language adds elements of conflict while forcing the two characters to work together.

Government

Who is in power? How did they get to this place of prominence? When developing a pre-modern fantasy world, government plays an important role. Without structure, every character is free to do what is right from their point of view. However, if the government treats its citizens unfairly, it opens the door to a power struggle on some level. How the quest for justice develops and what it involves will depend on the government's structure. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

	Are indigenous people ruled by outsiders or enemies?
	Do settlements or colonies populate the fantasy world?
	How is the country, state or area divided?
	Is the government a democracy with rights exercised by the people?
	Are representatives elected?
	Is the government a monarchy?
	Does a patriarch or matriarch sit on the throne?
	Is there only one kingdom or several friendly or rival kingdoms?

Get Started Writing Fantasy

These basic elements will get you started. Plan to set aside time to write each day to develop the habit of writing. Have fun, take a class and hone your skill.Take a moment and pop over to epress-online blog and you can get a preview of my novel Windwalker.

My second young adult fantasy, Beyond the Fifth Gate, is due out in September. I'll keep you all posted.

How to Dress Your Victorian Female Character - Part 2

2008-08-21T04:29:00.001-07:00

Stockings

It's worth noting that during Victorian times, a Lady never referred to her legs. Petticoats and other undergarments were worn to hide the shape of a woman's legs. Does your Lady wear stockings gathered at the knee? What kind of garter holds her stockings in place? Are they made from rich silk fabrics with woven patterns or embroidered motifs? Or are they plain, ribbed, or fancy knit stockings?

Garters: An article of clothing used to hold up stockings—garters evolved over time so be sure to dress your fantasy character appropriately. The first garters tied around the leg, the next garters slipped onto the leg, and then elastic garters were invented. By the end of the century, a strap sewn to the bottom of the corset worked like a suspender to secure the stockings. What garter is appropriate for your character's period?

Other Underwear

Crinolines: A skirt made of coarse stiff fabric like cotton or horsehair worn over the petticoat and then covered by a decorative petticoat

Bustles: A pad, cushion, or framework worn under the back of a woman's skirt to expand, support, and display the full cut and drape of a dress. It was worn over the petticoat and then covered by a decorative petticoat.

Corset covers: Protected the dress and corset from perspiration. This garment originated as the separate bodice for the petticoat. This waist length garment opened at the front.

The Victorian Skirt or Dress

Victorian Ladies were women of fashion. Over the basic dress, they wore a variety of matching draperies and overskirts which fell in graceful folds to embellish the dress. The basic dress sometimes came in two pieces, a matching bodice and skirt. Other dresses were sewn as a single garment with a fitted seam at the waist. Another popular fashion used consistently in writing fantasy is the one-piece princess dress with no waist seam. Dress style varied with fashion.

Dress Accessories

Ladies made a fashion statement by completing their look with matching accessories. Other items you'll want to add and research include collars, under-sleeves and cuffs.

Matching capes and jackets added a bit of flare to the basic dress. Sometimes these matching capes and jackets were made to be worn indoors. Other outwear includes things like cloaks, shawls and mantles.

Shoes and Boots

Shoe fashion for indoors included flat slippers in the first half of the nineteenth century. For outdoors, Ladies wore short boots with flat heels. During the second half of the century footwear developed heels and boots became taller.

Head Coverings

Caps: In the early Victorian period, caps were worn indoors by married and older Ladies.
Decorative hair-nets
Bonnets: Worn outdoors over indoor caps.
Hats: Stylish hats were worn without the indoor cap.

Other Victorian Accessories

To complete your character's wardrobe you'll add other Victorian Accessories. The following list will aid in your research to complete the look:

Gloves, flat purses, walking stick parasols, pleated folding fans, jewelry and more.

Now that you have the basics to get started, visit sites like the Victorian Fashion Timeline for more information.

How to Dress Your Victorian Female Character - Part 2

2008-08-21T04:29:00.000-07:00

Stockings

Garters: An article of clothing used to hold up stockings—garters evolved over time so be sure to dress your fantasy character appropriately. The first garters tied around the leg, the next garters slipped onto the leg, and then elastic garters were invented. By the end of the century, a strap sewn to the bottom of the corset worked like a suspender to secure the stockings. What garter is appropriate for your character's period?

Other Underwear

Crinolines: A skirt made of coarse stiff fabric like cotton or horsehair worn over the petticoat and then covered by a decorative petticoat

Bustles: A pad, cushion, or framework worn under the back of a woman's skirt to expand, support, and display the full cut and drape of a dress. It was worn over the petticoat and then covered by a decorative petticoat.

Corset covers: Protected the dress and corset from perspiration. This garment originated as the separate bodice for the petticoat. This waist length garment opened at the front.

The Victorian Skirt or Dress

Dress Accessories

Ladies made a fashion statement by completing their look with matching accessories. Other items you'll want to add and research include collars, under-sleeves and cuffs.

Shoes and Boots

Head Coverings

Caps: In the early Victorian period, caps were worn indoors by married and older Ladies.
Decorative hair-nets
Bonnets: Worn outdoors over indoor caps.
Hats: Stylish hats were worn without the indoor cap.

Other Victorian Accessories

To complete your character's wardrobe you'll add other Victorian Accessories. The following list will aid in your research to complete the look:

Gloves, flat purses, walking stick parasols, pleated folding fans, jewelry and more.

Now that you have the basics to get started, visit sites like the Victorian Fashion Timeline for more information.

How to Dress Your Victorian Female Character - Part 1

2008-08-19T06:26:00.000-07:00

When writing a Victorian era fantasy novel, even though it's fantasy, you'll want your world and characters to represent the period with accuracy. Even if you loosely develop a fantasy world based on the Victorian period, the information in this article will help dress characters in Victorian style apparel with enough detail to make it real in the reader's mind.

In this article we'll study the clothing of a Victorian Lady. Lady was the proper title of any woman whose husband ranked higher than baronet or knight, or who was the daughter of a nobleman not lower than an earl. A Lady's affluent lifestyle followed fashion. With that in mind, this article takes a look at how to dress a fantasy character based on historical dress.

Details down to underwear reflect a Victorian character's placement in time. In the first half of the nineteenth century undergarments served a utilitarian function. At that time, underwear lacked trimmings and decoration. But in the second half of the century, frills like lace and embroidery came into style. When dressing or undressing your character, keep details period specific.

Basic Victorian Undergarments

Chemise: a loose-fitting, white linen shirt-like undergarment designed to hang straight from the shoulders, fit loosely at the waist, sometimes more tightly at the hip and reached to the calf. You'll want to research neckline shapes and other small alterations for the timeframe of your story.

Drawers: an undergarment that covers the lower part of the body with legs reaching to the knees. Legs of this garment were sewn separately leaving the crotch open. Drawstring casings gathered at the back above a loose-fitting seat. This loose fit design prevented the open seam from separating. Again, depending on the exact time frame, you'll want to research whether the legs to the drawers for your character should be flared or wide, or gathered at the knee.

Corset: a close-fitting undergarment, stiffened with whalebone or similar material and often tightened by lacing. It fit tight around the trunk of the body. Women wore this garment to shape and support the body. It was worn over or under the petticoat.

Petticoat:(most often made in one piece with the bodice attached) Commonly made of flannel, this garment worked as a slip or underskirt worn for warmth and to hide the contour of a woman's legs. Often a decorative petticoat was full and trimmed with ruffles or lace. Three Petticoats were usually the minimum worn.

Stiffened petticoat, crinoline or bustle: Several petticoats were worn to support the bell shape skirt (before the cage crinoline in the 1850's). Early petticoats were starched and corded (cords ran through them to hold the hem out). Petticoats changed with fashion. As you design your character's wardrobe, consider the decade you want to target within the Victorian era. Do some research. Should your character be wearing a narrow paneled skirt or a wide bell skirt? Bustles came and went. Be sure to check if it is appropriate to add a bustle to your character's fashion sense.

Decorative petticoat: Depending on the year, decorative petticoats included things like flounces down the back, popular colors like scarlet or added decoration at the hem that showed below the hem of the dress

Don't leave your character standing there in her undergarments. Be sure to watch for part 2 of How to Dress your Victorian Female Character to give her an authentic look.

Chivalry In Fantasy Writing - Part 2

2008-08-11T05:12:00.000-07:00

Adulterated Chivalry In Fantasy

Just as the contaminated code of chivalry went forth with the crusades, such scenarios make for interesting fantasy civilizations. In today's culture we think any man can be considered chivalrous, but historically it wasn't so. In practice, chivalry was limited to knights, barons, and earls. Men of noble birth.

Unusual fantasy cultures present new and unique qualifications for what constitutes noble birth and chivalrous behavior. Questions to consider when developing a fantasy culture include: Are characters born into nobility or similar social distinction? Does wealth and poverty play a part? In Windwalker the distinctions presented by the racially divided society offer opportunities for underdogs to shine the light on what is truly chivalrous.

Growth Of A Chivalrous Fantasy Character

Chivalrous behavior is a matter of heart more than living according to a set of rules. Chivalrous development within the fantasy character builds on lessons learned. Lay a foundation showing how the fantasy world works. This leads readers to form an opinion of what is good and honorable. It doesn't have to be an extensive detailed account that tells the reader what to think, but rather snippets that allow the reader to learn along side the character as they grow.

Historically, a youth of noble birth went through years of training before he could be admitted into the ranks of knighthood. The title of knight was not only earned but a sign of military excellence. About the age of seven, he started his pilgrimage to knighthood as a page. He ran errands and performed humble tasks for noblemen and ladies. During the process, he learned proper manners and received an education. This was the foundation.

Training A Fantasy Character

Rites of passage open the door to creative plot basics. Youth can tend to be rather cruel or overly sensitive. Training forges the fantasy character as they move away from what is known into a new environment that tests the character's integrity. In the right scenario, times of training draw lines between internal good and evil-right and wrong. These situations not only define a character, but also draw the reader to care-to love or hate.

Traditionally, when the page reached young adulthood (about age 13) his training became serious. He moved from the comforts of home into a castle owned by a friend of his father. Within this castle, he'd live and work as a squire. This is the time he learned the skill of using a sword, lance and shield. These skills were honed in mock battles with other squires.

Fantasy Readers And Characters That Connect

Fantasy readers learn along with characters in well-written fantasy. They gain external knowledge, and through body language and internal dialog learn how characters feel.

For example, consider a squire character involved in a training tournament. Readers learn the character's riding technique. They know what he's thinking as he approaches the target. Is he confident or fearful that he will fail before a love interest sitting in the stands? If the squire's lance hits the target dead on, it falls over, but if he hits it off center, the target spins around and smacks him on the back. Readers understand the rules and feel the muscular steed beneath them. If bystanders mock, the reader feels the humiliation.

Fantasy writers strive for readers to know what the objective is and how the character feels. The character and reader become one. They know who's watching and what it means.

Knight-like Fantasy Characters

Fantasy writers learn to carry over the magic of the chivalrous past. Knighthood carried a sense of honor and could be forfeited if the knight broke his vows. Why or how a knight-like character would break his vows would of course depend on the plot and how the fantasy writer wants their character to grow. A knight without honor was regarded as a knight dead.

In the movie The Natural a young gifted ball player played by Robert Redford has the opportunity to fulfill his boyhood dream of playing major league ball. He leaves for the big city with promises of marriage to the girl he leaves behind. This knight-like character breaks his vow after being shot by a mysterious woman. His code of conduct must be proven sixteen years later when he reemerges into the baseball scene and into the life of the woman he had promised to marry.

The chivalry of knighthood historically wasn't romantic or the exciting lives we read about in fantasy today, but that is the adventure of fantasy writing. As writers, we pick up the gauntlet and run with it. Where it takes us stretches the imagination and brings the reader along for the ride.

Chivalry In Fantasy Writing - Part 1

2008-08-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

To learn how to write an element of chivalry into fantasy, first ask why it's important. Fantasy writers establish a code of conduct to help readers understand who is good and who is not. Fantasy realms open opportunity to create a different code of ethics. Although ethics differ from world to world, they still need to be anchored in the real world to allow the reader to relate.

In medieval times the church fostered a code of chivalry. Fantasy writers today often include historically chivalrous themes including basics like upholding the honor of women and the protection of the weak. How that's accomplished will be determined by the code of conduct established.

For example, in my fantasy novel Windwalker, the young protagonist is taught by his grandfather not to stare at the bumblefoot but to treat her with respect. This may sound more like good manners, but this behavior goes against the queen's edict, which declares a bumblefoot baby be killed at birth. Instead of treating her with respect, the law requires she be reported. The code of conduct reflected in the hero's actions at a young age goes against the law. Readers know breaking the law is bad but are forced to make a moral stand. Do they agree with the law? When the protagonist doesn't report the girl, it's no longer the grandfather's ethics but his own. Circumstances introduce what is right and wrong; while the fantasy writer motivates the reader to take sides.

Chivalry found its birth amid the obligations of service and loyalty within feudalism. This righteous code of conduct actually curbed some of the bloodletting violence of the medieval era. However, an adulterated version of chivalry carried crusaders on savage quests that left behind scars still festering in some cultures today. With all that in mind, how does chivalry work when writing fantasy?

Tomorrow we'll look at adulterated chivalry in fantasy writing.

Consistency and Logic in Novel Writing - Part 2

2008-08-05T04:10:00.000-07:00

What Character's Own

This category and the next are the two that present the most inconsistencies when writing. If your character loses his dagger in scene five, yet slices his enemy with it in scene eight, that break in consistency causes the reader to falter wondering if they missed something.

Tracking possessions prevents consistency glitches. You don't want to lose the reader as they flip back searching for what they missed. Track what your character owns and wears. If they have on boots that clack on the hard tile floor in chapter 1, unless they've changed they shouldn't be sneaking up wearing moccasins in chapter 4. Or if they lose their jacket, don't make it available when the temperatures drop. What characters own and use impacts logic.

Donna Sundblad's writing book, Pumping Your Muse recommends keeping a running list to track pertinent items owned or used by each character. When a chapter is written, read through it and update your tracking lists. This allows you to catch inconsistencies when the plot heads in a new or unexpected direction. Tracking allows wardrobe and possessions to keep up with each change.

Character Physical Traits

Characters evolve. Tracking their physical attributes provides a quick reference for novelists in the throes of emerging plots threads. Don't stop to wonder what color eyes-tracking allows the author to glance at the list, add the detail and keep writing.

Tracking physical characteristics also helps to avoid a blue-eyed character from becoming a green-eyed vixen later in the story just because green eyes suit her personality at that point. It's fine to make the change, but tracking not only follows the changes, but forces the writer to go back and search for any mention of the physical attribute in earlier chapters. It's necessary to hunt down previous references making them constant throughout. The goal is consistency.

Traits and Quirks

Real people have quirks. Adding small habits and quirky mannerisms brings realism to your characters. Do they bite their nails? Twirl the hair at the back of their neck? Stand with slumped shoulders?

Such traits help to paint a personality. Personalities fluctuate but habits die hard. Track habits and quirks and keep them consistent.

Guest Author Bio: Bryn Colvin is an author of fantasy and erotica books. She is largely published electronically. When not writing, Bryn is an avid reader, an active pagan and a folk enthusiast.

Consistency and Logic in Novel Writing - Part 1

2008-07-30T04:51:00.000-07:00

Much like mapping, tracking follows characters and objects throughout various plot threads during the novel writing process to ensure consistency and logic. Tracking includes:

Where Characters Travel

Characters possess various bits of information or even lack of knowledge about places found within the fictional worlds where they live. If a character has never graced the shores of the village on the lake, all they would know is what they’ve been told. Hearsay. If characters base their actions on hearsay, they may find themselves caught in unforeseen trouble when plans don’t work. That’s fine, but actions and consequences need to match experience and knowledge.

What characters know needs to be consistent with their experience. Fantasy writers can be tempted to throw in a previously unknown morsel of knowledge to make a plot work. However, when this is done, the thread of knowledge must weave back through the plot to keep the logic consistent. If they didn’t know it earlier, they won’t know it later. Track where characters travel and what they know.

Who Characters Meet

Who characters meet is a little easier to track unless your novel is filled with a large number of primary characters. It’s the primary characters’ relationships that need to be followed. Their actions and reactions move the plot along. Also track window characters (those that provide insight to various scenes and happenings in the primary characters’ lives).

Just like in real life, not everyone knows everyone else. When writing a novel, include characters that work to move the story along by adding tension or conflict to the plot. This hooks the reader’s attention and makes them hungry for more.

If your protagonist has never met Guard 3 within information provided to the reader, and yet at a checkpoint later in the story the two mysteriously remember each other so that the guard let’s the protagonist pass—the reader will take pause to sift through what they know and question how this could happen.

Your goal as a novelist is to keep the reader reading. If you find it necessary that two characters know each other at the climax of your story, it has to be done in a way that makes logical sense to the reader. Even if it’s a chance meeting earlier in the story in which the reader is unaware of a conversation, that’s fine. But somewhere within the story, the reader needs to be able to logically trace back how the plot twist works based on character relationships.

(Photo supplied by Patti Gray Kewanee, IL, United States)

How to Devlop Your Plot

2008-07-28T06:20:00.000-07:00

Creative Writing demands a level of organization dictated by the complexity of your plot line. I have heard that there are only seven different plot lines, with thirty-six variations. Yours could be unique but it will still need to follow the fundamental rules if you are going to keep your readers for the whole journey.

How To Devlop Your Plot

You must have all the information about: Who, Why, Where, When and How, before you start.

Who. Know your characters. Decide what personality traits they bring to the story. Know their history. Know what motivates them, their favorite foods their deepest secret, their first kiss, their worst nightmare.

Why are they in the situation of the story you are writing? History and back story are vital. Even if you don't use any of your ideas in the story, you must know why events are unfolding and the reasons must be convincing. Fantasy plots might not be in the realm of believability, but if they don't convince the reader, you're wasting your time. So, the 'why' everything happens is vital.

Where is your story set. Close your eyes, if you can't see where the scene is happening, do more research. Find a photo, film or dream until the dust is gritty and the wind chills your blood. IF you can't imagine where your story is taking place . . . don't expect your readers to follow you.

When, is pretty much covered by where. Set the time line . . . then don't add modern slang to a period piece or localized knowledge to a fantasy world. Keep your artifacts accurate as far as possible. Don't have knight's nuking their prey or off world wizard's chewing gum.

	How, is the most important ingredient in your plot. Take notes and keep track of all the hows as your create your world. Show how your characters react to every situation.
	Your hero must resolve the dilemma (conflict) they face. They must grow, through conflict, adversity or discovery and gathered knowledge.
	Your plot must include the how the protagonist and the antagonist resolve their tales.
	Plot how does the adventure leads into the climax Decide if and how the climax will resolve all the problems presented.
	Make certain all the loose ends of the plot and sub plots are resolved.

Before you complete your plot, make sure your plot resolves all of these points. Then you are ready to write, and your characters have a field in which to come to life.

Inspiration to Overcome Writer's Block - Part 2

2008-07-25T17:22:00.001-07:00

The one sentence rule challenged me to consider how to verbally paint a picture without bogging my writing down with descriptive long windedness. Regular practice hones the ability to succinctly paint with the pen. Pumping Your Muse takes you down the road I traveled to make world-building part of what I know. The design of these exercises develops skills beyond your current norm and focuses creative energies in new directions. Following the chapter-by-chapter steps presented in this book makes the task of building a world easier and natural. It migrates from performing an exercise to becoming what you 'know'.

I suggest you buy a paper journal, digital recorder or portable electronic device such as a PDA for this journey. Why? It's not only convenient but also efficient. Consider it a transportable link to your world under construction. Carry it with you; be prepared to capture details when you see them. I transfer information from a paper journal to my computer to keep an electronic record as a resource to be used when I pull the story together.

Use the journal to 'map' development. Mapping doesn't have to be a work of art but a sketch. Gather rough ideas, tentatively plat their placement on your map; charting details from the genesis of your world makes logistical errors less likely.

I started with a pencil sketch using ovals in a flow chart format to mark places as they emerged. It didn't take me long to seek an electronic way to create maps. A good friend of mind and fellow fantasy writer, Joan McNulty-Pulver, recommended PowerPoint while my son-in-law explained that the Adobe Photoshop I currently owned could also be used. These products and others like them offer tools to create maps in layers so changes can be added or removed as needed. I experimented and vacillated between paper and pencil and the electronic format. I liked the old-fashioned approach and easy-to-use eraser at the end of my pencil. I scratched a rough sketch and eventually transferred the details into an Adobe Photoshop file because it's easy to find and make changes. I'm not telling you that this is the best way to keep your maps updated, but rather it's what worked for me.

I have a tendency to be traditionalist. The idea of a paper journal to represent the first efforts of writing my next novel tickled my fancy. I thought of Indiana Jones holding his father's journal and the secrets it held. If you decide to use pencil and paper, organize your journal to make things easy to find. Pencil works best because it is erasable. Placing my world-building map on the inside front cover of this journal saved time in the long run. Instead of flipping through page after page of handwritten notes searching for the right page, I opened the book and added the newest detail. A Flip Side map on the inside of the back cover follows the evolution of an alternate world (you'll learn more about this in chapter 1).

Early chapters in this book break exercises into easy-to-use sections designed to build foundational information regarding a specific world. Exercising these creative muscles pumps the realism you desire into your budding world. Each chapter presents a series of exercises that build on one another. This provides opportunities to improve your skill while creating a bond of logic that connects scenes as you weave details with a thread of continuity.

Writing takes time. Make a plan. The commitment is up to you, but I suggest you build your world no less than four days a week. This schedule allots writing time as well as thinking time. Write your goal at the top of the first page of your journal. Three days a week, five days a week, or seven days a week--make that commitment now.

Discover the World Inside You

World building exercises contained in this book fall into five categories:

Research: Building a world sometimes calls for supplies outside the realm of current knowledge and experience. Research exercises encourage the collection of specific new information necessary to build upon the foundation of current knowledge and experience.

Attention to Detail: Real world details flood our senses on a subconscious level. Good writers furnish these details with three-dimensional realism while moving characters within an imaginary world with an active voice. Attention to Detail exercises hone the writer's skill to furnish detailed information without falling prey to overly descriptive terms, which tend to bog down the flow and lose the reader's attention.

On the other hand, they train the writer to be more observant. Routine sometimes makes us so familiar with our surroundings that we no longer take in the details. We drive to work and wonder how we got there. The Attention to Detail activity teaches the eye to observe and helps the writer see how to use details that mold the reader's impressions without 'telling' them what to think.

On the Flip Side: No matter how bizarre or mundane the story, the writer's thoughts follow a sequence--a thread of logic. On the Flip Side exercises force the writer from that path of logic and make them wander in another direction long enough to explore new concepts.

For this Chapter: Some chapter topics offer more challenges and opportunities to grow world-building skills than others. For this Chapter exercises incorporate these challenges within specific chapters to prod the writer to experience a new level of exploration in their world-building skills.

Reconstitute Your World: Reconstitute Your World takes aspects of 'real world' places and happenings, blends them with fictional ingredients, and transforms them into believable realms and scenarios, complete with flora and fauna. This stage strengthens the writer's ability to apply what they've learned to notice in the everyday world in which they live, learn and grow adding small doses of realism to elements already established in your fictional world.

Mapping and Tracking: Applying these principles teaches plotting and organizational skills from the genesis to the completion of your world, complete with characters and their belongings. Mapping and Tracking develops competence to provide logistical smoothness and a way to track objects for continuity.

Activities in each chapter interact and feed off each other. In some cases you will complete an exercise before moving on to the next, while others may be ongoing as you collect detailed information to add to existing scenes.

* * *

For more on Pumping Your Muse, visit epress-online to read the first chapter for free.

Inspiration to Overcome Writer's Block - Part 1

2008-07-18T04:11:00.000-07:00

People often ask me how I overcome writer's block. Working on several projects at one time helps, but when I'm looking for inspiration one of the best places to find it is to step away from the computer and go outdoors. In fact, that's where I found the idea for my creative writing book, Pumping Your Muse. (By the way, don't rush out at by it just yet. The revised edition should be out by the end of July).

Here's just a peek at the introduction from my book. It would never have come about if I didn't step outside to see that beautiful sunrise that inspired the one sentence rule. From that one idea, my imagination gave birth to Pumping Your Muse and the two novels that the exercise drew out. So if you're looking for a way to overcome writer's block, try stepping outdoors and practicing the one sentence rule.

Introduction

Write what you know. You'll find this recommendation echoed throughout literature on writing, but when it comes to fiction I wondered how 'what I know' pertains when creating a world that doesn't exist. Where do you find the inventive genius to build a world atom by atom and breathe life into it in such a way that the reader finds it entertaining and yet believable? How do writers use what they 'know' during this creative process?

Some writers naturally introduce minute particulars, offering tangible glimpses of the world in which their fictional characters live and breathe. The goal of Pumping Your Muse is to stretch your creativity beyond your norm by taking a daub of what you know and pushing your muse to carry it to new limits in a concise but descriptive manner. Challenging exercises reach deep into the recesses of your imagination forcing ideas in resourceful new directions of development. We'll take these creative bits and pieces gradually connecting them in sequence while painting verbal details with subtle brush strokes crafting a picture that engages the reader's senses.

I designed these exercises for myself because this process did not come quite so naturally. My character driven plots offered plenty of interaction between characters, but 'showed' little of the character's interaction with the world in which they lived. I'd walk them down the road to get from point A to point B while offering a detail or two, such as the position of the sun to provide a time of day or dust stirring around their feet. Yes, these details feed the reader information, but they paint an incomplete picture and generate questions. Are there clouds in the sky? What season of year is it? Is there a breeze or does the protagonist work up a sweat on a tranquil day? And dust ... why is there dust? Is the road paved? Narrow? Wide? Is drought a factor? Does the scene take place in the city or a rural area? The sad thing is I didn't know the answers to these questions. I only had a plot and a main character in mind. Creating the world to make the scene work with the plot, after the fact, produces work and increases the chance for 'bloopers' by fabricating a lack of continuity and believability.

I searched for a way to bring together world building and character development in a natural, organic manner. Much like God created Adam from the dust of the earth, I wanted characters forged within the world in which they existed instead of crafting a world to fit my characters. I desired to 'know' how to build a believable world no matter how unusual and searched for a way to give my muse a creative shove. The exercises introduced in this book started one day when I pushed away from the computer and went for a walk. Dawn brightened the sky. I marveled at the colors graduating from the horizon and considered how I would describe the scene in one sentence.

Why one sentence? Practice writing short condensed clips and it prepares you for the future. It trains you to see details once overlooked and to write what you want to say without excess verbiage. Much like adding colors to a painter's pallet, this mental gathering of descriptions builds a foundation of experience from which to draw. It becomes routine and part of what you know.

More About Author Donna Sundblad

2008-07-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know it, my name is Donna Sundblad. I'm the author of a creative writing book and two fantasy novels...well that's what's published at this point. In fact, the second novel will be released in September.

For more about me, visit The Fearless Blog: Seeking Courage and Inspiration where I'm featured today. Take a moment and stop by. I'll be checking in over there. If you have a question you can ask it. :)

I'll be posting tomorrow about how to overcome writer's block See you here then.

Fantasy World Schools Part 2

2008-07-10T04:58:00.000-07:00

In Fantasy World Schools and Education Part 1, we learned how to define culture in a developing fantasy world by looking at the educational system. We looked at the importance of determining how schools function, their purpose, and such cultural issues as who can attend. Now we'll move to what they learn, what it costs and how they get there.

What Do Fantasy Pupils Learn

Writing fantasy opens the opportunity to include elements of magic within the learning process. Pupils who learn magical chants, reading and writing of a mythical or ancient language, and rituals relevant to how the magic of the world works are provided with the knowledge and special training necessary to survive the emerging quest breaking forth in the plot of your story.

Other than subjects like grammar, history and numbers, students can study subjects like philosophy, magic, oratory and logic. In the fantasy story Sky High students learned to control their super powers and in the process they were tested and sectioned into two groups-Superhero or Sidekick. In fantasy, students enrolled in magical classes may be broken into categories for ability rather than age.

Apprentice Class - Those new to learning magic but ready to learn.

Novice Class - Students have some training magic but have never competed with others in the use of their powers.

Magician, Wizard, Sorcery (or whatever you title your magical people) Class - These pupils have proven their magical abilities through competition but are still learning magical abilities.

Order (Provide appropriate name for your fantasy culture) Class - Just like religions separate their clerics into different orders, magic does the same. Once characters join an order they have competed and proven they have a higher understanding and command of magic. If you don't want to use terms such as apprentice and novice, numbered levels also make distinctions readers understand without lengthy description. Just make it clear if level 1 is the expert level or a group for beginners.

What Does It Cost?

To keep the plot interesting, education in the fantasy world must have a cost. In your fantasy realm is tuition charged to attend school? Is running the school a profitable business? If so, who profits? Is it a corrupt business? If your fantasy world has poor villages, do the parents in these smaller towns have to scrimp and save to see their children receive an education? Is it even an option? Do farmers or craftsmen work extra hours so a son might attend school? Or do they have to give up their first born to allow the rest of their children to receive an education? If a son or daughter receives an education will they be able to rise in the world and have an easier life than their parents?

Do the females in your fantasy world have the same opportunity for education? Long ago, girls received schooling at nunneries, but the teaching received was useful for religious life. For the most part, non-church schools didn't admit girls. Instead, girls' learned to manage the household, to sing, play an instrument, dance, and also learned crafts like needlework. Care of the sick was also included in household duties. In medieval times, a girl knew more than her brothers about healing and the medicinal powers of certain herbs. In Jo Hall's fantasy novel Hierath, even though she came from a lowly family Lydia learned to be a healer, a talent that came in handy as war tore the kingdom apart.

How Do Fantasy Characters Get to School

For fantasy writers, transportation to and from a magical school can be as mundane as a school bus ride, or as exciting as flying by some magical means to a secret location free from mortal intrusion. If magical methods transport fantasy students to school, be sure to keep abilities consistent with what has been established. Even when it's magic, it must make sense to the reader.
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, when Harry Potter heads straight for the brick wall at King's Cross Station to board the Hogwarts Express from platform 9 ¾, readers know he can pass through the wall. When the bus in Sky High picks students up, it's no surprise when it leaves the ground. Whatever mode of transportation you choose, make it relevant to the rest of the story.

Fantasy World Schools Part 1

2008-07-07T05:57:00.000-07:00

When writing fantasy, educational institutions in the fantasy realm (just like the real world) will reflect social structure and what is important within the culture. If the culture reveres females over males, it will show in the schools, academies, institutes, universities or whatever the fantasy writer label institutes of higher learning. In fantasy novels like my novel, Windwalker, female characters are not allowed to attend school and are not taught to read.

Establishing a school when writing fantasy takes consideration. It's part of world building. Along with other elements of society, the fantasy author will want to sketch how the school functions, what its purpose is, who can attend, what they learn, what it costs and even how the students get there.

Fantasy School Function

Different cultures promote different methods for learning. Here are a few ideas to get you started when developing a school system when writing fantasy:

· Does learning revolve around a competitive system of standardized tests and exams in a public institutional setting?

· Are both male and female students allowed?

· Does teaching challenge and foster ingenuity or are new ideas squelched?

· Do students learn by memorization based on a historical perspective like sayings of wisdom that are handed down orally from one generation to the next?

· Is the educational system tied to a belief system like religion or magic?

· Do sacred texts exist? For more ideas look to history: History of Education

Determine the Purpose

To help better develop a school system that works within the fantasy world, consider the purpose of the school. Why do your fantasy characters need to attend? Writing fantasy, like any genre, requires the author to consider the relevance of characters and places within the story. Is the school necessary? If not, delete it. If it is necessary to the plot what is the purpose? How does the school influence your characters? What does the interaction at the school reveal to the reader?

Learning from History

Long before the twelfth century, education was a privilege for wealthy young men. Other than that, parish priests organized classes for young men desiring to enter the priesthood. These young men, in turn, gave lessons to small neighborhood children eager for knowledge. That summed up the educational system at that time.

What was the priest's purpose for teaching? To keep the priesthood stocked with able young men. In turn, these men who understood the education need of the neighborhood. They passed on what they learned.

The priest had a purpose for teaching, and their students had a purpose for teaching. It wasn't so much a formal education, but still a form of tutoring. Consider such historical elements when designing an educational system to fit your fantasy world. Make sure your school system fits the world. A fantasy world designed from a medieval perspective will be different from a contemporary fantasy world, and a futuristic fantasy world may be a combination of past and future depending on the storyline.

Who Can Attend

Each fantasy world gives birth to a unique culture. Fantasy writers have the power to create worlds where characters mature and grow in an understanding of who they are meant to be. Limiting who can and cannot attend school presents opportunity to develop conflict and tension within the plot. For example, if a character does not know how to read it may require them to ask for help. Who do they ask? Asking makes them vulnerable, thus introducing tension and the opportunity for conflict.

More questions to consider:

· Is education public or private?

· Do fantasy characters have to pay to attend or are schools free?

· Creating free education for your fantasy characters may be a good thing, but is it something that would make every citizen happy?

· Is everyone allowed to practice religion or magic? Historically, Pope Eugenius II ordered all bishops to establish schools in A.D. 826. This attempt at public education was to be free for the children of poor families. By the end of twelfth century boys who did not desire to become monks or priests could also attend school. The school system grew from a strictly religious training for the priesthood to educating all children, although religion was still the foundation. Creating a free school system for all classes of people is another avenue for a plot thread to follow. Would such freedom cause conflict in your fantasy world? Social distinctions, government controls and other cultural specifics will reflect in the educational system.

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-04T10:31:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th of July to all my readers. I've been on vacation this week, but be sure to check in on Monday. For those of you in the states, enjoy the day. For those who have served our country or are currently serving our country, thank you!

Creative Writing - The Art of Dialog

2008-07-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

When a person speaks, those listening hear tone, and assimilate peripheral information like body language and context to gain a total understanding of the meaning of the words. Identical words spoken within a disparate set of circumstances using different inflection and tone convey varied messages.

For example: "Pick that up."

Consider an organized housewife speaking with her husband by phone. She asks him to pick an item up from the grocery store on his way home from work. Her tone will differ from that of a teacher scolding a student for tossing a paper airplane in class. Dialog alone doesn't paint a complete image.

In creative writing, the goal is to engage the reader's imagination and pull them into the story with an active voice that sets the tone and mood. "Show don't tell" is a familiar mantra within creative writing classes, and a lesson learned over time with the experience of writing.

How to Convey Tone

Tone conveys emotion. How something is said changes the meaning. It sets the mood. Don't rely on explanatory speaker attributions imbedded in speech tags to convey meaning. For example: "Pick that up?" he asked disgustedly. The adverb disgustedly tells rather than shows that the character is disgusted. Avoid describing emotion that the dialog should carry. Let readers experience the underlying emotion naturally without telling them what to feel with the use of descriptive modifiers.

Descriptive modifiers amend the meaning of what they modify with further information. When used in speech tags, they modify the dialog by telling the reader how it is said. Most editors consider the use of excessive speaker attributions as amateurish. Don't tell the reader how something is said. Instead, build enough detail around the dialog with action that conveys the tone through body language. Consider the difference: Muscles in his jaw tightened. "Pick it up?" His face twisted in disgust.

Words like hissed, seethed, etc. draw attention from the dialog to focus on the speech tag's telling information. Using speaker attributions marks writers as inexperienced. Stay away from describing emotion the dialog should carry. Verbs other than "said" tell readers what to think, instead of allowing dialog to speak for itself. If emotion connected with the scene is clear, the modifier offers redundant information. Redundancy ruptures the flow of the passage. It's distracting.

While avoiding descriptive modifiers, don't compensate by imbedding information dumps within dialog. Unnatural dialog leads readers to wonder why the author artificially added content-another distraction.

Mood and Emotion when Crafting Dialog

Body language infuses emotion into dialog. Sometimes what is not said is more powerful that what is said. People move and make facial expressions when they talk. Known as a beat, actions surrounding dialog limit redundant tags. If you show the character pound their fist against the table, it eliminates the temptation to use a speech tag telling the reader he is angry.

Creative writing reveals not just an exchange of dialog between characters but unveils thought processes that expose motives, emotions and internal conflict. This is one area where writing a book has advantages over producing a film. Knowing a character's thoughts lets readers experience life within the story from the character's point of view and to connect on an emotional level.

In creative writing, thoughts are italicized differentiating them from spoken dialog.

Who Is Speaking?

When two characters engage in a verbal interchange, it's easy to make it clear which character is speaking. A rule of thumb to follow is to use speech tags for only one of the two characters. Speech tags are not necessary every time the character speaks, but should be used as needed for clarity.

When a new character joins the other two, it becomes a little trickier to elucidate which character is speaking. Tools such as speech tags and beats help move the story along with clarity. However, a word of caution regarding using the basic modifier said. In an effort to avoid redundancy, beginning writers search for synonyms like replied, remarked, exclaimed and other similar words. Unfortunately, these draw attention away from the dialog. Don't use them or at best, use them sparingly. In most cases the word said is the preferred modifier.

Dialect

Colorful characters developed within the creative process have gender, physical characteristics, and a limited past including where they come from and the education they have received. These factors reflect in the character's speech. When writing dialog, don't get carried away with phonetic spellings to show dialect. If readers stumble through strange spellings, focus is no longer on a natural give and take between characters, but more like working a "What's this word supposed to be" puzzle.

In the book Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, authors Renni Browne and Dave King say it best. "Explanations, -ly adverbs, oddball verbs of speech, trick spellings-these can't really help your dialogue because they don't really change the dialogue. They take the place of good dialogue rather than help create it."

Instead, make appropriate word and grammar choices to convey dialect flavor. Read dialog aloud. With the right setting and proper word choices, dialect comes through without tricky spellings that send your spell checker into overload and readers scratching their head.

Fantasy World Belief System

2008-06-28T04:43:00.000-07:00

When building a fantasy world, one necessary element is a belief system. Do characters believe in divine beings? Is there a formal religion? Do leaders such as priests hold special powers? Is the belief system part of the governing hierarchy? Is the belief system based on superstition? If so, how did the superstition start?

In medieval times the church collected taxes and received gifts from citizens seeking special favors. Many people believed donations procured a better place for them in the hereafter. Donated land, crops, livestock and more built wealth and holdings for the church making it an ever-increasing powerful entity. What does the belief system do for the characters in your fantasy world?

Relics, Amulets and Sacred Artifacts

Relics, amulets, sacred artifacts and other such charms add an element of magic in fantasy. These special objects are both coveted and trusted. In many a belief system, the religious or superstitious teach that divine power is attached to remains of dead bodies, as well as sacred artifacts or amulets once used in everyday living.

Think of quests for the cup of Christ or the Ark of the Covenant. Those who sought these articles coveted the power they believed it would bring them. In fantasy, the power becomes real as characters wear relics to ward off evil, harm, illness or on the positive side bring good fortune or power. Consider the ring in the Lord of the Rings, or the Ark of the Covenant in the Adventures of Indiana Jones. Fantasy often centers around a quest or a battle for control or ownership of such an article and the power it provides.

Pilgrimages, Quests and Adventure

Entire fantasy novels are written around quests and pilgrimages that set out to locate long-lost sacred articles. The quest itself is an act of faith that supports the importance of the belief system within the fantasy world. What is the motive for the belief? Is it based on what the character will receive (money, power, etc.) or to better the world? Such scenarios lead to epic quests. If the power sought falls into evil hands....

In the fantasy novel Windwalker, relics and artifacts stored within the Fortress of Stone open the door to free an entire civilization from captivity. However, the protagonist not only has to find the secret location of the mythic structure, but must also have enough faith to use the power and battle the influence of the mage. Finding the artifacts is only part of the story.

History Of The Belief System

Fantasy writers develop a bit of history and backstory even for a belief system. Why do characters believe what they believe? Over time, rituals like religious pilgrimages can degenerate to a pale rendition of the original. Consider H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine. The simple Eloi population blindly paraded into the underground caverns when sirens blasted. Without question, it's what they believed they were to do. Underground shelters originally designed to protect, and sirens meant to warn although no longer needed became part of a distorted belief system.

Fantasy writers can develop plots based on an individual or group of individuals returning to the belief system in its purest form, or seeing it for what it really is. It's another form of good versus evil. What effect does the adulterated religious activity have on the population? What happens when people return to the true belief system? Is there a middle ground?

Mystical Orders

Whether fantasy characters are based on ancient druids, diviners, fortunetellers, oracles, monastic priests, or stargazers, mystical orders must have a base of rules to live by. Whether it's divine law or man-made is up to the writer.

Do your mystical or religious characters take vows? Are they required to take part in an annual pilgrimage? Are they obligated to serve the King or government? As an example, consider the Knights Templar (a religious military order) founded in Jerusalem in 1118. The Templars protected pilgrims from the Turks on the trip from the coast inland to Jerusalem. They served king and the church, took vows and were part of the military. History provides great resources and fantasy knows no bounds.

Creating a Unique Fantasy Belief System That Works

To make a unique fantasy belief system work requires:

1) characters who believe
2) those who don't
3) those who will come to understand or reject the belief system

Fantasy writers decide whether or not characters who hold to the belief system are serving good or evil. It doesn't have to be upfront information, but just like any aspect of fantasy writing, the belief system needs to make sense to engage the reader, because readers determine what they believe based on the provided information.

Adding an element of surprise like having the character step outside preconceived bounds adds entertaining value to keep the reader reading.

Small doses of detail added to the plot throughout the story guide readers to understand the hows and whys of the story line. It's the fantasy writer's job to make a believer out of the reader.

Historical Wedding Customs - Fantasy Writing - Part 3

2008-06-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

Feeding the Guests

Medieval history provides plenty of rich detail for fantasy novelists planning the menu for a wedding (or any other feast). Barbaric by today's standards, etiquette at a medieval feast allowed eating with fingers, though forks and a knife were sometimes used. Napkins became popular during this era, so you can include them. Remember that, many who lived during these times were lucky to have enough to eat on a regular basis. Starvation was a real part of life and this fact may reflect in your character's table manners.

Traditionally, the wedding feast took place the same day as the wedding. Guests ate from wooden plates until the food was gone. Glassware may be constructed of precious metals, common clay or wood depending on social class. The Medieval Wedding Guide by Vanessa Hand offers specifics if you need a source for more details.

The Menu

Wedding feast particulars should fit the celebration based on social class. Every social class celebrated weddings. It wasn't uncommon for these elaborate feasts to serve up to six courses. Basics your characters would find on the menu include:

Roast quail

Turtledoves and partridge

Goose

Venison

Roasted boar (sanglier) Dangerous to hunt, wild boars have long sharp tusks and teeth. Yet, huntsmen scoured the forests using apple cores, rotten meat and peapods as bait. Your characters might even find them feeding on garbage dumped outside the village or castle. Smoking wild pig preserved the meat.

Gilded and slivered calves' heads

Fish Most fishing was done with nets made by spinning grasses, wool or flax. Contrary to what many would think the job of spinning to make fishing (or hunting) nets was man's work. Once they had the thread-like fabric spun, they knotted it into complex patterns and attached bits of stone, clay or led as weights. For fishing nets they attached a piece of wood which floated so they could spot their submerged nets. Fish were often preserved by pickling in a salty brine or a fermented sauce called garum which was prized by the ancients.

Roasted peacock

Mutton

Cheeses Because milk spoiled without refrigeration, people learned to make yogurt and cheeses. Aged cheeses can be kept without refrigeration for five years or more. Most aged cheese was made using rennet (a piece of the stomach lining from a cow).

Walnuts

Oysters steamed in almond milk Because animal milk spoiled, Medieval cooks depended on the milky liquid created by grinding almonds or walnuts and steeping the pulp in boiling water for five minutes before running the mixture through a sieve to remove coarse particles. Cooks prepared almond milk fresh as needed or could store it without danger of spoiling like animal milk.

Ale-flavored bread

Stewed cabbage

Tarts and custards

Spicy mulled wine.

Fruit Dried fruit included raisins, prunes, and dried apples. Without refrigeration, little food could be preserved. Apples were the only cultivated fruit. Depending on the climate of your fantasy world, characters can also collect wild fruits like pears, quinces, and even peaches. Strawberries raspberries and red currants could be found in the woods. Exotic foods like dates and pistachio nuts should only be found on tables set for the wealthy.

Fresh fruit preserves

Wine, Ale, and other Medieval Drinks Drinks included water, ale, beer, mead, milk, and wine. Within castle confines a well provided potable drinking water. Fruit juices made from cherries, sloes (a plum-like fruit), and mulberries present other possible fermented choices.

What About Vegetables?

Few vegetables were eaten during medieval times, but vegetables of this period include: carrots, cabbage, lettuce, leeks, cardoons, onions, shallots, parsley and asparagus.

Unlike the variety of salads we experience today, a Medieval Sallat might consist of scallions, chives, radish roots, turnips, boiled carrots, young lettuce, herbs, nuts, olives, and vinegar and oil.

Spices and Flavorings If you show your cooks slaving in the kitchen, keep the spices and flavorings period specific. Include: Cloves, cinnamon, saffron, mace, pepper, ginger, anise, nutmeg, basil, parsley, sage, tansy, savory, betony, and rosemary.

What About Sugar?

Honey was a popular sweetener and preservative usually supplied by the local monastery. Sugar became increasingly popular among the wealthy. They were the only ones who could afford it in large quantities.

Historical Wedding Customs - Fantasy Writing - Part 2

2008-06-25T04:25:00.001-07:00

To find interesting plot alternatives when creating a wedding scene based on medieval times. What better place to hold a fantasy wedding than a castle or a rustic country setting? Even though marriage fell under the church's purview, historically it allowed weddings to be held within the castle's great hall or in one of the courtyards.

Who To Invite To a Castle Wedding

Remember a caste system existed in medieval times. Arranged marriages strengthened manors and kingdoms through political ties. When developing characters realize that the wedding day included an incredible celebration. Side or window characters to place within the scene include minstrels, jugglers and other entertainers.

Inhabitants of the manor also attended the celebration. Nobles from other manors and distant relatives were also invited. Bringing all these characters together in one place offers a myriad of possibilities to develop conflict within the plot.

Interesting ideas for plot threads includes historical practices like the lord of the castle freeing prisoners to mark the occasion. As unrealistic as this seems, historically it happened. These types of practices open the door to include the freeing of the man the bride truly loves as she is forced to marry a man because of arrangements made the day she was born. Or perhaps she marries only to free the man she loves.

Other interesting characters to include are the poor. Beggars gathered at the gates can feast on leftover food. It's a great place to disguise a protagonist with other plans.

Who to Invite to a Country Wedding

Do your characters love each other, or is their marriage prearranged? Marriage among peasants had more chance to involve love, but pregnancy often prompted weddings among lower classes. However, even among the peasants caste, marriage arrangements were often matters of business. An arranged marriage between peasant characters offers as many plot possibilities as marriages among the nobles.

Betrothal ceremonies were held at the bride's home where the village congregated to celebrate and give the couple practical wooden utensils or other tools as gifts.

When planning a fantasy wedding that involves characters from poor families again look to historical fact to create an interesting setting. Things like a wedding ring often could not be afforded in poorer families. One wedding tradition included giving a half of a broken coin to the bride and the other half to the groom. The unique break matches the two halves marking a one of a kind love united in marriage.

Much like the more modern custom of showering the bride and groom with rice or bird seed, villagers showered newlyweds with seeds or grains of wheat to wish them a large family.

Another historical aspect to prearranged marriages to incorporate in a plot or story line is that either the bride or the groom is an outsider. Grooms from another locale traditionally bought a round of drinks at the local pub for the village's young men. The reasoning behind this was that he "robbed" them of a possible wife.

Now that you have the guest list in place, part 3 of this article provides details to feed the guests.

Historical Wedding Customs - Fantasy Writing - Part 1

2008-06-24T05:58:00.001-07:00

I just returned from a family wedding and have to say that with each generation they tend to become more...well let's just say more. This one had thousands of dollars of candy at a table for guests to bring home. In light of that, I thought we'd take a look at weddings in fantasy writing based in a more historical setting.

Fantasy writing includes historical customs and traditions that offer flavor and distinctiveness to a novel's world and plot. History overflows with wedding customs that by today's ideology stand out as peculiar. Including such practices in your writing develops an element of For instance, if your character plucks their hairline to create a higher forehead to be attractive for their wedding, the detail makes for a peculiar tradition but it's really a historical practice from medieval times.

Some historical wedding customs by today's standards would be considered strange and others are a clear variation of modern traditions which tie the reader to the story. Research customs and traditions and alter the practices to fit your developing fantasy world. Unique customs translate into believable practices creating depth to the scenes as well as invitations to plot twists leading up to and including the wedding.

One fact to make note as you plan your novel's wedding is that historically grooms were much older than their brides. Most women were married by age 19. Plus marriages among nobles were arranged. Many times the bride and groom didn't meet until days before the wedding. These types of relationships overflow with possible plot threads.

Hair

Brides of any era want their hair to be perfect for the big day. But what does that mean in your fantasy culture. Historically, because blond hair was admired many women coveted lighter hair for their wedding day. Of course back then, it took a lot more work to get the desired result. The process of sun bleaching took time. Other lightening process included doses of henna or concoctions made from animal innards.

Style is another matter to consider. Most hairstyles during medieval times consisted of the hair being braided and up rather than hanging loose. The wedding day was one of the few times a woman wore her hair unfastened, flowing with loose curls. Instead of a veil, brides wore a wreath of herbs and flowers. In fantasy, herbs and flowers can also hold magical properties. Do they wear a single ringlet, or do they weave the flowers into a braid circling the crown of her head? Something more to consider as you construct the bridal crown: where do servants or others have to travel to get the flowers or herbs and what do they offer the bride? Is it risky? What is the significance?

As I mentioned in the opening of this article, plucking the hairline was another medieval custom. Brides desired a high forehead, which at the time was the coveted look. Bringing an unusual custom like this into your story sets your world apart. Creating a female character with a high forehead would show the reader that the woman cares about how she looks and wants to be desirable.

Bathing

Do the customs in your fantasy world support a ritual bathing of the bride? Does it include your bride and groom bathing together? Perhaps it's part of the wedding ceremony. If so where does it take place? Public baths? If public baths exist, are characters usually separated by sex except for the bridal bath? Or does everyone bathe together on a regular basis?

What about the wood needed to heat the water? Is there enough? If forests become depleted will taking a bath be expensive? Historically, by the mid-1300s, firewood to heat water became a luxury for the very wealthy. Lack of firewood forced the general population to walk around dirty most of the time.

Something you may or may not want to include in the bathing ritual is religion. How do religious leaders feel about bathing? Do they oversee the wedding ritual? Or are they not involved. Creating rules based on religion creates a unique world. For example, in medieval times it was against the rules to look at your body while bathing. If you incorporate such a rule and it is broken, what is the penalty? Rules like this work to create tension within the plot.

Another superstition that caused people not to bathe was fear that water carried disease into the body through the skin. These "medical reasons" forced people to wipe dirt off without bathing and to use perfume. People still bathed but infrequently. The perfumes came from the oils of flowers combined with spices. Trade for such ingredients can be worked into the plot as improved trade strengthens a kingdom. Trade routes open opportunities for story lines. For example, if a cargo of special "wedding" ingredients is high-jacked to prevent a marriage from taking place it draws lines of conflict.

Taking historical facts as a foundation opens the door to unending possibilities. Does a perfume hold a magical quality that causes infatuation rather than distain as a marriage relationship thrusts two strangers together? Does one of them already love another? Yes, marriage unions provide an avalanche of details that thread throughout the storyline.

In part two of this article we'll take a closer look at the wedding setting), and in part 3 we'll see what it takes to feed the guests.

Elements of Writing Fantasy

2008-06-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

How do fantasy writers create a fantasy world tangible for readers? It doesn't matter if you are writing Contemporary Fantasy, Epic or Heroic Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Mythic Fantasy, Humorous Fantasy or Science Fantasy--every fantasy story must include the following:

Characters and Plot

Characters and plot are introduced through dialog and action. Although the fantasy genre earns its label through fantastic settings in otherworldly realms where magical ingredients factor in, without believable characters and an interesting plot you would not have a story. Characters must capture the readers interest and usher them into the magical realm--without the character and without the plot, no one will care about the world no matter how awesome.

Element of Surprise

Fantasy authors must hook the reader at the beginning of the story. Introduce information readers can identify with, something that actively gets them involved. Dialog and/or action introduces a character or characters involved in a situation that gives the reader enough to make them want more. Incorporating the element of the unknown can start here. Weave a thread of information about something that readers don't immediately understand. Make it interesting and the reader continues on the quest of discovery. Keep the quest interesting by leaving enough enticing breadcrubms to lead them through the story. For example, consider the opening paragraph of Donna Sundblad's Windwalker

"Fires burned in the bellies of small stone statues forming a circle within the Kiva. An orange glow warmed the chamber to the center of the gathering. In the back of the crowded cave, Awena sat against the wall resting her arm across her stomach. The baby kicked. Soon, her life with Cedrick would change. What kind of world would their child find? Cedrick's talk of fulfilled prophecies and the cycle of death scared her."

In this opening paragraph, readers can identify with having hope for an unborn child and the fear of death. What does it mean for these characters?

Don't bog down your first paragraphs with telling description. Instead, introduce descriptive elements as the story unfolds. This way they make an impact on the reader because they experience them rather than hear about them. Let the reader see the world through the character's eyes.

Learning From the Character's POV

A great fantasy world alone does not create a good story. It's a good start--a place for the story to evolve--but without interesting characters to bring the world to life, it will lie one-dementional among the unread pages of your manuscript. Use your characters to open up your new fantasy world to the reader's imagination. Let them see through the eyes of your characters. If trees can walk, let the reader experience it first hand through the character's viewpoint. Engage the reader and keep them reading--keep them walking in the character's shoes.

Time Travel Fantasy Writing

2008-06-14T04:42:00.000-07:00

Time travel is a popular concept in writing Fantasy and Science Fiction. In Fantasy, the mode of travel is provided by some magical happenstance whether purposeful or by accident. Many times, this fictional travel moves to a colorful era from the past. In popular movies like Back to the Future, characters return to a time before they existed. Writing time travel fantasy opens the door for writers to pull intricate and long-forgotten details from popular history, or to push their characters into the future building on present day situations and asking the question What if? such as the Planet of the Apes series.

What Fantasy Readers Want to Know

When time travel carries characters to the past or future, author need to make the concept believable and interesting. What readers want to know is:

Where characters are and when are they?
How did they get there?
How does the character feel?
Why is the character there?
Who else is there?
Can they get back to their own time?

No matter where or when fantasy characters travel in time, a thread of logic needs to connect them to their home point in time. Fantasy writers face the challenge of not only creating a reason for the character’s arrival to this new place but a logical explanation as to how they arrived.

Time Travel Circle of Logic

Fantasy writers carry their characters to destinations in the past or future with a purpose. In the 1980 movie Somewhere in Time, staring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, an old woman gives Reeve’s character a watch as a young man. Later in life, the painting of a woman in a 19th century hotel becomes an obsession. He determines that he must meet that woman, and uses a physics professor’s theory to will himself back in time where he meets the woman.

The two fall in love. The main character accomplishes his goal, and gives the woman his watch as a gift. The romantic tale is bitter-sweet as Reeve’s character discovers a modern day penny in his pocket, resulting in an instant return to the present. His quest to meet the woman in the painting was more than realized, but the time travel theory laid down the groundwork. To stay in the past, the character could not look upon anything from the present. When the love-sick Reeves returns to his own time he doesn’t realize the old woman who gave him the watch as a young man is the woman in the painting. This is a good example of the circle of logic within time travel stories.

How Time Travel Works

No matter how your characters travel through time, it’s important that you make the process understood. If you use time travel terms like pacetime curvature, make it clear to the reader that this is a property of spacetime that causes freely falling particles initially moving along parallel world lines to then move together or apart. Find a good source for time travel terms to create a time travel terminology that makes sense. Studying these terms may even inspire creativity to generate a new time travel theory to work within your story.

Why Travel in Time?

Some readers don’t like time travel fantasy, yet it is a popular subgenre. Time travel creates romantic settings (Somewhere in Time), opportunities to learn about oneself (A Kid in King Arthur’s Court), improve or change the past (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court), or the quest may even start out as a source of curiosity to see if it can be done, like H.G. Wells' The Time Machine.

Traveling to another time and place allows a modern character to experience an alternate history. It opens the possibility to create a paradox. The premise of most time travel plots is that points throughout time exist now. This provides the basis for visits to one of these points in time much like we might visit a place in an everyday experience. Even Einstein thought of time as another dimension.

Fighting for the Castle in Fantasy Writing

2008-06-13T04:52:00.000-07:00

Castles situated on a high, hard to reach locations makes storming the castle a tapestry of interesting plot threads that offer opportunities for rich, vivid imagery when writing fantasy. To create a realistic scene, writers must know enough history to make a castle attack authentic from either side of the battle.

How To Capture The Fantasy Castle

To capture a castle, attackers must get beyond the walls. When writing fantasy, hold onto enough history to make it real. Fantasy writers should offer hints of how to capture or defend a castle throughout the plot threads. Don't offer too much detail, but put the pieces in place so that when the attack takes place, and these same pieces come into the picture the reader understands what will happen and how it works.

Because of the formidable design, historically, the safest way to capture a castle was to starve out the occupants. However, this wasn't as easy as it sounds. Remember those store rooms beneath the hall in the keep? If the castle residents had fair warning of an impending attack, they could hoard enough food and drink to survive a lengthy siege.

If castle occupants make adequate preparation to wait out the siege, it increases tension and conflict in the storyline. Action can advance as armies resort to weaponry of the era. Weaponry opens opportunities for the fantasy writer to create similar but unique weapons constructed specifically for the story-the fantasy version of the secret weapon.

In reality, many lost their lives trying to breech castle walls. Catapults hurled stones to weaken the wall, but as attackers stormed the castle, a barrage of arrows sliced through the sky from the arrow loops.

Another tactic to capture the castle was to fill the moat with rocks and fashion tree trucks into a rough semblance of a bridge to make crossing possible. Once the advancing mob reached the main gate, a large, heavy beam was used to ram the closed drawbridge until it gave way.

One other weapon used to break through the castle walls were storming towers. These wooden constructions (covered in wet hides to prevent burning) were rolled against the wall to work as a ladder.

Defending the Fantasy Castle

When writing fantasy, the writer can also learn from history to defend the castle. If you check the article (link)Social Classes When Writing Sword and Sorcery Fantasy, you'll learn that the army defending the castle was usually comprised of the lord of the castle, his knights and villiens who agreed to fight as part of their service due, along with vassals paying homage and those who served the vassal in a like manner. At times professional foot soldiers were hired to fill out the ranks, and even knights were known to rent out their fighting skills.

As attacking armies assaulted the castle with storming towers, defenders shoved the wooden structures from the wall and into the mob because once the first wave of attackers made it over the wall, they engaged in hand-to-hand combat to make it easier for their comrades to join them.

Other deterrents used to keep the enemy at bay were things like pouring boiling pitch from the top of the wall onto the army below, and of course the swarms of arrows whistling into the angry mob.

If your attackers break through, it results in bloody hand-to-hand combat, but that's okay. You're readers know where they are at every turn, how to escape, and engages the readers to keep reading to see your characters through the entire ordeal.

Fantasy Worlds with Primitive Amenities

2008-06-12T04:25:00.000-07:00

Creating a primitive fantasy world offers writers the challenge of incorporating amenities provided in ways foreign in today's culture. Amenities include things like:

bathing
using the privy
sources of drinking water

To garner details to create a realistic primitive setting, it helps to look at history, back to times when harsh circumstances greeted individuals each morning. Imagine waking without running water. No bathing, flushing a toilet or adding water to the coffee maker.

Bathing In a Primitive Fantasy World

Do people in your fantasy world take baths? Is it a luxury? Fantasy writers have options. Characters bathing in lakes or rivers can be found out by passersby. Another bathing option includes a wooden tub hidden beneath a canopy or tent for privacy. During the summer months, this tub could be found outside in a garden setting. In the winter, it would be found beside a raging fire indoors. Either makes for a setting spilling over with possibilities.

In most primitive fantasy settings, wealth separates classes. The wealthy have more amenities available because they have servants to do the work. One such servant would be the bathman. This servant readies bath accessories and helps their lord or master to get dressed.

Other than the wooden tub, a lavabo makes for an interesting bathing scene. A lavabo is "a large stone basin equipped with a number of small orifices through which water flowed, used for the performance of ablutions." Some of these lavabo were rather ornate. Fantasy writers can carve a lavabo into a shape of a creature relevant to the plot. Although such a tub is historically tied to rituals, it's existence makes for an interesting possibility when designing your fantasy's amenities.

In the Old Testament the Jewish priests washed in a laver. This large basin sat on a pedestal of ornate bronze oxen statues. This bath set outside the Hebrew tabernacle, and represented a spiritual cleansing. Fantasy writers can add an element like this for cleric-like characters.

Growing up, I visited my great-grandparents before they had running water. A basin sat at the door for washing hands as each person entered the house. Such a washbasin can be included in a primitive fantasy world for washing before and after meals. In fancier settings a refillable tank can be placed above the basin to help keep wash water clean, but remember it is someone's job to fill the tank.

The Privy or Latrine In A Primitive Fantasy World

Where do fantasy characters go when it's time to relieve themselves? Privy and latrine are names for toilet commonly used when writing fantasy. Remember, primitive times were crude. Chamber pots were a common household item, used to collect urine and feces and later dumped. For this article we'll look at the more aesthetically pleasing privies that were often used in castles. Much like an indoor outhouse, privies consisted of stone or wooden seats that emptied via a chute into water like a moat or stream. As primitive as this sounds, a privy was a bit of a luxury and unfortunately had to be cleaned. People with this job were called gong farmers.

Another consideration when designing your fantasy privy is lighting. Is there a source of natural light or do characters have to carry a lantern, candle or torch? Is it drafty enough to blow out the light? Also, consider information from the above section and think about whether your privy is equipped with a washbasin. How advanced is your society?

When designing the privy, think about the chute. Is it a way for enemies to gain access, or is it equipped with bars to keep invaders out? If so, who cares for the condition of the bars? Do they rust? Do they need cleaning?

For wealthier fantasy characters, you may want to add a chamber privy. This is nothing more than a seat protruding out form the wall of a private sleeping chamber, but such a convenience may make for an interesting setting in your fantasy novel.

And what about privacy? Do all your characters use the same facilities? What about the guards? As a writer, you can develop facilities that work for your story. Historically, large castles built special towers so guard privies could be located in one place. These emptied into a pit in the basement that made invasion to overcome the guards more difficult. Another common location for guard privies would be within the castle wall construction. Check my article on castles for more information.

Wells As a Source Of Drinking Water

When writing fantasy, strategically place clean water sources to make sense in your plot. Capture the source of drinking water and you capture the people. In primitive cultures wells were a common, essential source of drinking water. When creating larger castles, fantasy writers can dig more than one well in the courtyard or bailey. It may be located within a wooded structure known as a well house or if the society has the technology, the pump house. Wells can also be placed inside a castle setting. If you do this in your fantasy writing consider logistics and keep it near the kitchen or other places where water is often needed.

Because wells are necessary in a primitive setting, another idea when developing your fantasy is a secret well. If you create it, give it purpose. Hide it in the basement or dungeon as a secret way into the castle, or give it magical properties like something that could be used by a healer or in a wizard's dorm.

You've most likely seen buckets tied to ropes to pull water from a well. This method was even used to draw water from one floor to another within a castle as buckets pulled through trap doors from one floor to the next helped avoid carrying water up long staircases. Biblically, in nomadic societies, wells were conquered and filled with large stones so they couldn't be used. Women draped cloth over the mouths of wells to dry grain, which biblically was used as a way to hide men from those searching for them. Be creative. Wells should exist in your primitive fantasy world. Use them in your plot.

Don't Forget the Sense of Smell

With all that we've learned about amenities, consider the sense of smell when writing about a primitive fantasy world. Where do characters draw water? How does the moat smell? How about within the castle? And just think, we didn't even talk about garbage or livestock.

Steps to Become a Fantasy Writer

2008-06-11T04:31:00.000-07:00

Do you think you could handle being a fantasy writer? Can you see yourself working from home, meeting deadlines that you set, choosing a target audience, meeting people, marketing, and taking control of your future?

Becoming a published author has never been easier. Hundreds of new writers are published every year.

Readers Are the Best Writers

Anyone who reads with a passion absorbs the underlying pattern of plot, character portrayal, storyline and background. Famous authors will tell you how they read, every spare moment they have.

So you have a story to tell. Next step is to take note of what is popular. Write fiction your readers will devour. Readers dictate demand. Give them what they want and becoming famous and success are knocking on your door. A self-published writer might write to discover their unique style or voice but if you are writing for mainstream publishers, adhere to the rules your readers set.

Once you are committed. Practice. Write every day. If you don't know what to write, start with writing prompts. Write, read and learn about your chosen genre. Newsletters, magazines, forums online sites, provide an endless scope for research. Take courses, join and participate in review sites. Explore your talent while you learn from others who share your passion. Take heart as you learn to recognize mistakes. You are closer to success.

So Your Passion is Fantasy

Fantasy follows certain guidelines. Contemporary fantasy fiction must contain an aura of magic, to fulfill the elements of this genre. Heroes on a quest demand a certain style of writing. Keep cliches to a minimum. Avoid colloquialism and slang. Create your own terms and colorful language.

Find others who share your passion and get feed back on your work. Online writing forums, critique groups and courses can provide the necessary support write Fantasy fiction. Find courses where you can learn correct grammar, good sentence structure, crisp dialogue and formatting. Writing for the Fantasy genre is fulfilling, every writer can find support and feedback online.

Fantasy Readers

Target your Fantasy audience. Learn about what people are reading, by visiting bookstores, reading magazines and watching awards. Taylor your writing to the plot arcs of popular Fantasy fiction.

Creating characters and worlds beyond imagination, delving into the depths of a crisis, or having a hero develop through conflict is exciting. The goal of writing Fantasy fiction is to write what your readers want. Follow trends, research on the internet, in libraries and bookstores, read magazines and learn what publishers are looking for in Fantasy fiction. Read best sellers, news headlines, genre forums, check out bookstores and learn what the publishers are taking onboard.

Write Write everyday. Join writing groups, review and get reviewed.

Research Know the genre and read the work of famous Fantasy authors.

Learn Find your audience and create a query letter and synopsis to impress a publisher of Fantasy fiction. If your work is self edited, and polished, you might consider self-publishing and self-promotion.

The successful Fantasy writer, will hone their grammar skills, learn to edit, and follow trends in contemporary fiction. With determination and dedication, they will succeed in their chosen career.

Correct Grammar and Self Editing

When the ink dries on your epic Fantasy, take time to self edit your work.

Read your writing aloud.

Listen for flow, for rhythm content and pace. All fiction improves when writers use this devise.

Revise looking for correct grammar and typing errors.

Learn to edit. Keep a list of editing tips, words common problems to avoid, beside your work. Keep to the plot arc and cull all scenes and words that deviate or fail to drive the plot forward. Watch every word and even a convoluted plot can become a flowing narrative that will keep your reader hooked to the final word.

How to Become Famous

When writing Fantasy, you need to know who publishes your genre. Find publishers who print fiction similar to your writing. Address the industry through writing groups, blogs, forums, organizations and writing associations. Form an opinion and write and speak wherever you can. Take the challenge, enter contests, take tutorials, and join forums of authors who share your genre. When you approach a publisher, mention in your query letter, the places with which you are affiliated and demonstrate how your time is dedicated to becoming a famous author.

Promotion and Marketing

To become famous as a Fantasy writer, you must promote your work. Become involved in forums, writing groups. Network, consider public speaking, attending conferences, design a website, blog, and a fan club. Submit articles wherever there is an interest in your genre.

The old idea of publishers promoting authors has gone by the board. If you want to be a famous author or Fantasy writer, learn how to sell your books. Treat your writing as a career and do everything in your power to attract attention to your work. Learn how to promote yourself and your work as a professional. Use today's networking and promotional opportunities such as blog tours.

Things To Do.

Find a writing site that hosts a Fantasy Fiction forum. Post a sample of your work. Review other writers. Learn as you read. Make lists of grammar problems or solutions, points of view used, unique language, plot arcs used and publishers who print your genre.

Head Hopping and Point of View

2008-06-10T05:32:00.000-07:00

First Person POV

Authors spin tales from someone’s or something’s point of view. There is the “First Person” point of view. “I tell you what I feel, think, do and smell.” A story written in this voice indicates the writer is the speaker and gives your story a personal feel, but I can think of one draw back. The reader will expect your character to survive. How else can they tell the story?

Second Person POV

“Second Person” is another point of view. “You did this or that.” This voice is much like a detective telling a suspect what he thinks the party is guilty of doing and indicates to whom the writer is speaking and is not a popular POV when writing.

Third Person POV

“Third Person” is the most commonly used POV, “He or she did this, feels that, etc.” I read somewhere that ninety percent of modern speculative fiction is written using this POV. Third person pronouns such as “he” and “she” are used to refer to all the characters. The advantage is that third person offers the personal aspect of a first person viewpoint while it provides the reader with more detail. Your POV character does more than speak and act. They appraise the actions of others. When they see someone grit their teeth or stomp their foot they make determinations based on the emotion experienced and this process involves the reader.

LIMITED THIRD PERSON

If the reader stays in one character’s head throughout the entire story, scene or chapter, this is considered “limited third person.” An option when writing in “limited third person” is to include the thoughts of two people, but I offer a word of caution. If you bounce back and forth from one character’s thoughts to the other you lose the tension produced by the unknown because the reader is allowed to know everything. This head hopping will lead the reader to confusion, boredom or both. The rule of thumb to follow is to stay in one character’s head for a complete scene or chapter.

I came across one such oversight in a novel I read this weekend. Set in a 1940’s gangster scenario, the bad guys shoot it out with the cops in the middle of the street. A small group escapes the skirmish. They retreat unnoticed and within a half block the sound of the battle diminishes. They hope the cops stay busy until they make it around the corner. Suddenly the POV shifted. “The front window of one of the cop cars exploded.” How would the POV character know this from a half block away and his back to the action? He could have heard it and turned to see what happened, but he didn’t. One moment I found myself sneaking from the scene, neatly tucked within the POV character’s head, and the next I transported back into the gunfight down the street. The following sentence put me back with the group turning the corner and out of sight. The confusion caused me to stop and re-read the section. This error in POV broke the tension the author intended the reader to experience.

It doesn’t matter if you are writing about aliens that possess your characters and shift from one mind to another; you must stay within the POV character’s head until the scene changes. Why? The POV drives your story. Head hopping triggers an unnatural thought process. When you bounce from one character to another, your POV is unclear and the reader gets lost. This mistake will discourage your reader from reading your work to completion, and an editor will return your manuscript with a big red POV scrolled in the margin.

How to Write a Fantasy Novel - Plotting

2008-06-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

The following four exercises are specifically designed to develop creative writing skills in relation to the fantasy novel plot.

1) Create a Character: The Fantasy author must know everything about their character. In a list, name and describe the character. Name family members and history from the character's family tree. Name local towns and describe industry and culture of the hero's home. Name friends, and people they might meet. Decide on the hero's level of education, diet, and reaction to various traumas. Delve into their personality and know if they are aggressive, passive, carefree or stressed to the max and why and how these traits will effect them on a quest. Once the writer knows their character and has grasped their traits, they can move to the next exercise.

2) Every Fantasy Plot has a Quest: Introduce a quest to the character created in exercise one. How will the trouble impact on the character, his family, his town, country or friends? What are the consequences if he fails? Decide if the threat Is related to a person, creature, prophesy, invasion, magic source or natural disaster. Define how magic works in the hero's world. Who can use it, how does it work, and what are the limitations need to be set in the writer's mind before the take begins.

3) The Journey: Now the hero has a quest to fulfill, it is the writer's task to make the journey interesting and provide means for the characters to grow and discover their strengths and somehow come to terms with the magical elements of their world. Imagine three or four different scenarios in which the hero can solve the problem facing them. Keep in mind things the hero might need to learn before they can achieve a result.

4) The Scenario: Go through each scenario, and throw a spanner in the works. If things go wrong, how will the confrontation end? Look at the problem and find any reasons why the scenario would not work. If things get difficult, how will the scene play out? Without killing the hero, (assume if it doesn't kill them, it will make them stronger) how can the problem be resolved? Putting the hero through his paces can show you where he needs to grow and what is needed to make the plot work.

Meanwhile having a few ideas of where things can go wrong and yet be resolved, develops a character that gains strength by facing situations linked to the original problem of the quest.

Lords and Vassals as Characters

2008-06-08T04:30:00.000-07:00

No matter what fictional genre you write, some part of the fictional world anchors to the real world. History provides a generous wealth of ingredients to mix and blend to achieve a unique world, but one that readers can relate to and understand. When writing fantasy, lives of kings, knights, nobles and earls come to life when writers take the time to learn from history. Take for example the lives of lords and vassals from a slice of history when Richard the Lion Heart served as king.

Learn enough historic detail to paint a realistic setting. For example, during King Richard's reign, fierce northern tribes known as the Vandals and Goths sacked major civilized areas. As the countryside settled, every man's goal was to own land. The strongest warrior made himself lord of the conquered land. He retained a large sector for himself, and divided the remaining parcels among loyal followers. In return, these faithful men agreed to fight for and pay taxes to him. Every man living on the land owed the lord some service in return. The men serving the lord were his vassals.

Even though lords were usually noblemen, a lord could also be a vassal of a larger landowner and more powerful lord. The land dividing process continued to the smallest fragment, but provided the means for every man to have something they called their own (even though in reality they didn't "own" the land). The cost for the land was loyalty and service to the lord.

Becoming a Vassal

When a man agreed to serve as vassal, it wasn't by force but a willing agreement. A vassal knelt before the lord, bareheaded and unarmed, during the homage ceremony and agreed to pay homage. The homage ceremony ritual required the vassal to place his hands in the lord's hands and promise to be "his man." This worked like a signed legal document and meant he would fight for him.

The vassal did homage to receive a fief" "a fee or feud held of a feudal lord, a tenure of land subject to feudal obligation."[1] The estate of a feudal lord would be called a fiefdom rather than a kingdom. A fief could be land, a position or the granting of a special permission. As long as the vassal continued his service, the land belonged to him and his heirs. This system of granting fiefs (or feuds) is known as the feudal system.

Vassal/Lord Relationship

In this fiefdom, the king was the only true owner of the land. All of the lords under the king were tenants of the land but not owners. Because of this, the lord/vassal relationship was based on loyalty, service and protection. The feudal system bound them all together. If the lord lost his land to another, the vassal ran a high risk of losing his home as well.

To protect his land, a lord would command a small army comprised of vassals who owed him military service. The lord also required his vassals to attend his court and left the enforcement of laws to his vassals. Every aspect of life intertwined the lord with the vassal. One could not exist without the other.

Lords gathered wealth by requiring payment of tribute. Tribute included payments on marriage of the lord's daughter, knighting of his eldest son; and tax upon a vassal who inherited a fief. Lords had the right to collect tolls, and duties on merchants traveling through his land. Unlike taxes today, the lord could not continue to raise new taxes, for no new tax or obligation could be levied unless agreed to by the vassal once the homage ceremony had taken place.

Vassals usually retained the right to tax within their lands. Vassal's rights were made clear at the homage ceremony. It made the agreement clear to both sides. Each understood what they could or could not do. If the lord violated his agreement and tried to exceed his authority, vassals had the right to rebel.

Social Class

The feudal system included many classes of people. Nobles considered themselves soldiers and above working with their hands. A child born to a noble enjoyed the same freedoms as his parents because a child was born into the same class as his parents. Only nobles could become knights, barons and earls.

The eldest son of the noble inherited the manor (a self-sufficient country whose capital was the lord's castle). If the lord didn't have a son, the manor would be divided among the lord's daughters and the wealth used to pull together a good marriage arrangement. If a son did inherit the manor, the father often wed his daughter to one of his knights and reduced the harshness of his son-in-law's required service.

Applying It to Fantasy Writing

Use history to enrich your fantasy world. The feudal system is ripe with possible scenarios involving rouge vassals, jealous daughters that don't inherit the manor, and on the flip side stories of lords and vassals that become true friends willing to fight to the death. When writing fantasy, include enough reality for readers to latch onto as they enter your new magical reality. In a world where loyalty makes it work, divided loyalties make for an interesting plot. Look for threads in history that interest you, and weave them into something fanciful.

Fantasy World History

2008-06-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

Every world has a history. It's part of what makes a place interesting and unique. Use the following categories to help develop that sense of history while writing your fantasy novel.

History: The back story in a Fantasy novel can give depth to an epic tale. Each Fantasy author should know in detail the background of each landscape they create.

Landscape: It is not only the characters, created to people the Fantasy world that need a history, the author should create the landscape from the ground upwards. Geography, topography, flora fauna, climate and seasons need to be defined, within the author's mind. Although they may not be mentioned as such in the epic saga, these concepts will help sculpt the terrain through which the characters move and interact. From the origins of the dirt, to the star systems above, the phases of the moon and the passing seasons, the author must manage the calendar as they write.

Culture: The histories of the people of the world need to be considered. The successful Fantasy author will know the reasons for specific cultures, particular deities, and conflict between countries, states, or villages. They will know of any tyrants, biological threats, plague, storms that have affected the culture and progress of their world.

Industry: Economics, access to trade, education, mining, and industry must be considered if the author wants to create a world that readers can experience. The Fantasy author need only have an idea of these concepts but being able to refer to such things while writing, adds another dimension to their writing.

Once the world exists in the author's mind, they can move closer, as if zooming in on the action.

Using Backstory: Introducing back story in a fantasy is a skill the successful author must learn. If the author has the information clear in their own mind, it is not always necessary to relate it in depth for their readers. Small snippets of detail can be used in dialogue, internal monologue, or narration. This can give enough description without becoming boring, detracting from the action or, more importantly they don't become an information dump.

Example:
'Tonight is the Feast of Beloved Brothers.' The hero cast his mind back to the legend that elders told through the long winter nights. The tale told of the brothers who fought off the fiends in the wilds around Wherever, to save the people of the small hamlet from certain death. Then people thought the Longest Winter would never end. Faces pales as memories roused. All around the table knew the fiends gathered again, as winter deepened and game became scarce. 'Gather one and all and let us give thanks.'

Comment:
If the information is not vital to the story, leave it out. The reader doesn't need to know the whole story, just the vital bits. The what and the why, rather than the what came before. See how the next example gives the same information without the info dump.

Better:
'Tonight we celebrate the Feast of the Beloved Brothers and remember their heroism.' The hero glanced around the table. Faces paled knowing that as winter deepened and game grew scarce, the fiends the brothers drove off, again threatened the village. 'Gather one and all and let us give thanks.'

Things To Do
1 Create a Fantasy world.

2 Decide how long each day, season and year lasts. What class is the rock below the ground? Is it one readers would recognize? e.g. limestone, granite, sandstone.

3 What type of trees, crops and herbivores can the people cultivate or hunt?

4 What threats do they face?

5 How advanced is their economy, architecture, steel making, medicinal knowledge? Do they have a monarchy, autocracy, or democracy?

6 If there are countries at war, why? Is peace possible?

7 What else can you provide as historical reference material for your unique world?

Keep this information handy to use for reference.

Jump Start Your Muse With Writing Prompts

2008-06-04T05:07:00.000-07:00

Over the years I've learned that using writing prompts generates stories that I didn't even realize I had in me. In fact, my first published short story came about through a writing prompt. The story had to include a crime that took place in a bathroom. Now who would ever think of that story without being prompted? It generated the story Shelter in the Shadows which can be found in the anthology Who Diet in Here? My first and only published mystery.

How and When to Use Writing Prompts

1. If you're a seasoned writer, you may have had times where you run into that wall known as writer's block. I've known some writers who give up for months or more when battling this creative blockade. Instead, turn to writing prompts as a source of inspiration. They can jump-start your imagination and get your writing again.

2. Use writing prompts as your warm up for the day like a primer to pump your muse.

3. Visual prompts work too. To practice writing description, challenge yourself with a visual prompt. A good source for this is children's encyclopedias. They have all kinds of interesting items to choose from whether it's from nature or history. If you want to learn how to describe a knight's armor or flowers in the valley this is a great resource.

Another resource to turn to are the numerous stock photo sites available today on the web. You can look up photos by category and use them as visual writing prompts which help focus your creativity in the direction you want it to go.

4. In my creative writing book Pumping Your Muse, I often challenge writers to step outside and go for a walk to promote creativity. In fact, that's what inspired this book. I went outside at dawn and thought about how I could describe the beauty I witnessed in one sentence. Thus that morning gave birth to a writing exercise I call the once sentence rule which can be used as a prompt each day.

This book is full of prompts and exercises and following them has contributed to the completion of both of my fantasy novels. In fact the fantasy world found in my book Windwalker gave birth in a drainage ditch while on one of these walks...but that's another story for another day. The thing to note is that it all came about by using a prompt!

5. Shopping for prompts is a fun way to get out of the house and nourish your muse. You don't even have to go into a store. Just wander through the mall looking in store windows. Find interesting items and make note of them. Take a little notebook or recorder to store up your treasured prompts for later. The following week choose items from your list and challenge yourself to write about them.

Or while at the mall instead of looking for items keep your eyes open for characters. People watching extends an invitation to a variety of interesting characters to enter the realm of your imagination. Take the ideas spurred by the people you see home and write.

Plan to Write

Don't let writer's block beat you. Instead, make a plan to write. Even if it is 20 minutes a day, exercising your muse will keep it strong healthy and vibrant. Consider writing prompts as a source of vitamins that promote creativity.

Edit Your Fantasy Novel - Part 2

2008-06-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

While self-editing, think how the reader will view your work. Remember if you are to become a famous author, every word counts. When presenting your fiction writing to a publisher, (even more important if you plan to self publish), ensure you follow these simple rules.

As you are self-editing your fiction writing, keep these tips in mind.

Capture the Reader's Interest. Stimulate Curiosity. Don't Tell Everything. Offer Strong Images. Avoid Cliches. Involve the Reader. Keep it Simple. Omit Every Word You Don't Need. Don't Say Things Twice.

Example One. Capture The Reader's Interest

Take this sentence:
'The view, from the spaceport orbiting Oram 18 in the outer reaches of the Maddren Spiral, did not capture the interest of the Regency Baron or his associates as they sat around a viewing pod.'

In fiction writing the fatal error here is when the Fantasy writer uses the words 'did not capture the interest . . .' Here the writer has immediately lost the interest of their reader. They have indirectly told us that this is not interesting.

Compare the sentence when we change those words.

'The view from his private spaceport, orbiting Oram 18 in the outer reaches of the Maddren Spiral, captured interest while his associates crowded a viewing pod.'

Offer Strong Images. Notice how the writer's of 'crowded,' rather than 'sat' improves the strength of the sentence. When writing fiction or epic fantasy, always use strong verbs and positive writing.

Example Two. Involve the Fantasy Reader

Compare:
'The aroma of rich coffee, brought from Old Earth, aroused the senses of the hero.'

With this example:
'As the hero inhaled preparing to speak, the aroma of rich coffee brought from Old Earth aroused his stimulated senses.'

Here the fantasy writer has adopted limited character driven point of view, rather than omniscient. This is one way to involve the reader. The reader is aware of the character's impressions. We see through the character's eyes, we share the character's feelings and emotions.

Example Three. Keep it Simple.

Compare this example:
'The hero signaled a drone to provide guests with a sample of the drink, before he drew their attention to the latest news from Rampart 6.'

With this:
'The hero's signal prompted a drone to provide each guest with a sample of the beverage. Only then did the baron draw attention to the latest news from Rampart 6.'

Edit any sentence longer than 25 words. Take care of grammar. Make sure each pronoun applies to the right subject. In the first sentence, which character drew attention to the news? The baron or the drone?

Example Four. Avoid Cliches. Offer Strong images

Compare:
'Above the hero, the sky turned black, lightning cut across the dark sky. As sudden night dropped across the valley, the strange storm tore vegetation and rubble from the earth.'

With this:
'Above the hero, lightning shredded sudden night, while an unnatural tempest stripped vegetation and rubble from the earth.'

Omit unnecessary words. Provide stronger images. The writer does not need 'the sky turned black', since 'sudden night' conveys the same image. Avoid cliches like 'the sky turned black,' 'dark night' and 'dropped across the valley' are all pretty cliched. The verbs cut, dropped and tore can be replaced by stronger verbs.

Consider how the fantasy writer offers stronger images in the second sentence.

Things to Do.
Try to apply these rules to your own fantasy writing. Read the work of famous authors, explore epic fiction writing titles and see how other writers use these tips to keep their writing tight. Always keep a list of tips, hints and words to avoid, close at hand. Add to it whenever you come across any way to improve your fiction writing.

Example List of Words to Avoid.
Was, Were, Had, That, Still, Felt, Noticed, Saw, Just, Nice, Thought, Up, and Down. Also, avoid vague words like Really, Beautiful, Dark, Almost, Very, Just and So.

Edit Your Fantasy Novel - Part 1

2008-06-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Once your epic manuscript is penned, leave the novel to age for a few weeks, or months. Then take the time to polish your work before pursuing publishers. This isn't the signal to panic, but to take a deep breath and spend time self-editing your story. Even more than when you are writing, while self editing, you will need a Do Not Disturb sign. (A lesson learnt from experience.)

Outline the plot. In contemporary Fantasy the basic plot Arc is when your main character, your Hero embarks, on his quest, gathers a troupe of companions, faces antagonists, develops through conflict and prevails in a climax. All loose ends are tied to the satisfaction of your reader in the denouement. Plot your story keeping to these simple arc guidelines. For fiction writing in the fantasy genre you will need to include some form of magic.

As you write each scene or chapter, include five instances where the plot is propelled forward. Develop your Hero's character, the conflict, the rules governing your magic, and/or the overall plot. If you find your fantasy scene does not propel the story forward, consider omitting anything that deviates from the plot. Use this simple plot devise to keep your fiction writing tight and your fantasy reader captivated.

Grammar

While re reading, and self-editing have a list of things to look for to improve your grammar and your writing. To target the mainstream publisher you must present a polished manuscript. To help you achieve this, keep lists of 'words to avoid.' Check and correct your grammar. Correct the overuse of adverbs, adjectives, passive voice, telling not showing, cliches, repetitive words and phrases, and altered POV.

Example List of Words to Avoid. Was, Were, Had, That, Still, Felt, Noticed, Saw, Just, Nice, Thought, Up, and Down. Also, avoid cliched words like really, beautiful, dark, almost, very, just and so.

Commas

In English the rules for grammar change from region to region. These differences can cause a great deal of confusion. Once you have the English usage rules for your region, or the region of the publisher and your prospective readers, apply them throughout your writing.

Read Your Work Out Loud

Make every sentence flow. Print out your fantasy manuscript once you feel it is polished and you have completed self editing. Everything looks different in print. Go over your writing again on the computer. If possible, seek the help of other readers and writers. Have them review your work and look for plot flaws or errors in your grammar.

Compare these Examples.
'deposited roughly onto a rain-drenched beach, coarse sand abraded his exposed flesh, and had coated every surface and filled every crevasse with grit. He ignored the discomfort while struggling against each successive wave, to drag his companion's inert body higher onto the storm battered beach. Coarse sand dissolved beneath him as an undertow greedily tried to suck his heavy burden back into the foamy tide. Against nature's fickle temper, he bravely held ground. He dragged a mouthful of damp air into tortured lungs, and ground grit filled teeth as he waited impatiently for the next incoming surge.'

Remove unnecessary adjectives, adverbs words ending in ly had, pronouns, gerunds words ending in ing and try again.

'deposited on a rain-drenched beach, coarse sand abraded exposed flesh, coated every surface and filled every crevasse. Ignoring his discomfort, he struggled to drag his companion's body higher up the beach with each successive wave. Sand dissolved beneath him as a greedy undertow reneged on the ocean's bounty, trying to suck his burden back into the foamy tide. Against nature's fickle temper, he held his ground, dragging air into tortured lungs.'

Again, cull every unnecessary word and simplify.

'deposited on a beach in driving rain, he ignored the discomfort of clinging sand. With each successive wave, he lifted his companion's body higher onto the beach. A greedy undertow dissolved the sand beneath him but he held ground against nature's fickle temper. Dragging air into tortured lungs, he waited for the next incoming surge.'

Understanding Fantasy Genres - Part 2

2008-05-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

In Understanding Fantasy Genres - Part 1, we looked at epic fantasy, high fantasy, adventure fantasy, comedy fantasy, heroic fantasy, and urban fantasy in an effort to aid the fantasy novelist in pitching their book to publishers interested in specifics. In part 2, we'll continue to define popular fantasy sub genres.

Sword and Sorcery

This genre tag is self-explanatory. Sword and Sorcery involves tales of high adventure in a medieval setting. Stories involving King Arthur, Merlin, or the Knights of the Round Table (Arthurian Fantasy) are included within the Sword and Sorcery genre in which sword-wielding heroes battle the bad guys.

In Joanne Hall's Hierath Trilogy, young King Alex fights various enemies throughout the kingdom, but each battle links to the same villian. The one who ripped the kingdom from Alex's hands and kidnapped his child. With his sword, trusty steed and a handful of friends this sword and sorcery fantasy hero fights his way through three novels.

Dark Fantasy/Horror

Dark fantasy/horror involves supernatural beings or monsters. Vampires falls into this category. The supernatural element is what makes it fantasy.

Stephen King's dark fantasy works include the nightmarish, darker side of magic creatures, evil and demons. In his dark fantasy novel Thinner, his main character, Billy, wanted to lose a few pounds. It's something many readers relate to in the real world. He has an accident, sideswipes a car belonging to a gypsy's daughter. This results in the old gypsy cursing him with one word--thinner. The curse works as the agent of change. That one-word topples Billy into to the realm of dark fantasy. Six weeks later and ninety-three pounds lighter, he becomes terrified. Desperate choices lead him to a nightmarish showdown with forces responsible for dwindling body mass.

Magic Realism

In Magic Realism, magic (although it isn't always referred to as magic) is an expected part of the culture and belief system. The setting itself can be modern or not, with an element of change such as technology or unexplained science which instills a new set of parameters as to how things work. It may even involve an alternate or parallel world.

In Alice Hoffman's The River King, division splits the small town of Haddan, Massachusetts, separating those born in the village from those who attend the prestigious Haddan School. The "magic" agent of change is an inexplicable death which unravels the town's complex history.

Often these stories can be referred to as thrillers or action/adventure. The realism aspect involves limitations and consequences to 'the magic' cure, fix or discovery which in the real world rests beyond the realm of possibility.

Romantic Fantasy

A romantic thread can run through any of these sub genres. If the central theme is romance and your main character learns they possess either magical or psychic powers, then your novel is Romantic Fantasy.

In Kelley Heckart's first book, Of Water and Dragons, she weaves together Roman history and Celtic lore of ancient Britain, creating an unforgettable story of love and sacrifice. One of the main characters is a faery woman, which adds the fantasy element to the novel.

What About Speculative Fiction?

What about speculative fiction? Does it fit into the fantasy genre?

Speculative fiction is often set in a distant future-but not always. Because of high-tech futuristic technology some would place this in the Science Fiction genre-and that would be right--sometimes. But what of time travel fantasy?

Light at the Edge of Darkness presents a collection of Spec Fiction written from a Christian perspective. Within these pages, futuristic characters travel across time or within time. This ability provides the magical agent of change allowing someone in the future to return to biblical times. This is only one among several scenarios presented in this unique, controversial book. Not all speculative fiction is fantasy, but some fantasy is speculative fiction.

Understanding Fantasy Genres - Part 1

2008-05-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

When putting together a book proposal, pertinent details include providing the publisher with the genre of your book. If your novel is fantasy--they'll want to know what kind of fantasy. We looked at this some last week, and today and tomorrow will take a deeper look. Why? Because as publishers consider their editorial calendar, they want specifics. Is it High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy or something else?

What's the difference?

When an editor's guidelines say they want strong fantasy, magic realism, or genre-bending stories that don't quite fit a specific style, it helps to know how to identify fantasy sub-genres to sell your idea. Sub-genres overlap. More than may be represented in your manuscript. An adventure story line like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade has an Arthurian thread. Yet when presenting it to a publisher, a storyline like this would fall under Action/Adventure Fantasy. Following the historical Arthurian plot thread to find the Holy Grail will interest those who enjoy that genre, but the real plot moves through a World War II setting loaded with action.

Epic Fantasy

The overall theme of Epic Fantasy is good vs. evil. The protagonist tends to be a person of no importance, influence, or power who unexpectedly finds themselves thrown into the mist of a battle to uphold what is right. The reluctant hero/protagonist experiences personal growth as they journey to learn not only about the fantasy world but also about themselves. In Donna Sundblad's, the young Manelin learns lessons in forgiveness before the magic of The Land works for him.

The scope of the epic fantasy world is large. Characters travel great distances looking for answers, which often involve a quest to find a missing magical piece to solve the plot puzzle. This magic often has ties to mythology and has limitations when it comes to solving the protagonist's dilemma. This missing piece will offer the magic necessary to rescue a heroine or free a down-trodden or enslaved people.

High Fantasy

High Fantasy can also fall under the Epic Fantasy category. Lords and ladies sporting medieval styles grace the pages and plots of High Fantasy. Here too, you'll find dragons, knights, castles and kingdoms. The theme of High Fantasy often focuses on good vs. evil and is rooted in medieval European legends or mythology.

Adventure Fantasy

Adventure Fantasy takes characters beyond their current reality, and into a new dimension where the rules of reality shift carrying characters on a roller coaster of adventure in a world where magical realism rules.

In the screenplay Mimzy, two siblings develop special talents after finding a mysterious box of toys. Soon the kids, their parents, and teacher are drawn into a strange and sometimes terrifying world. It's their new adventure-filled reality.

Comedy Fantasy

As you work down this list, you'll see that the fantasy genre has something for everyone. A storyline like Ghost has elements of comedy as Whoopi Goldberg takes on murdered Patrick Swazy's spirit so that he can make things right on earth. A thread of romance also runs through this thriller. So although it could be listed as a thriller, it is also comedy. As a writer, you'd present it as both in your proposal or pitch.

Fantasy novels like Return to UKOO by Don Hurst are another form of Comedy Fantasy known as satire. Return to UKOO's 40-year-old homicide detective Dale Hern is drawn into an alternate world to discover who and what he really is as he survives such obstacles as the stink of Poo Pool. Hurst's use of irony, sarcasm, and ridicule allow the reader to smile at human vice and folly.

Heroic Fantasy Magic is an accepted part of the culture in Heroic Fantasy. Usually written in a pre-modern fantasy world with almost a medieval flavor, Heroic Fantasy includes traditional magical characters like wizards, soothsayers, or oracles who wield magical powers for or against a hero as the plot works out in a fantastic world where creatures like dragons, ogres, unicorns, griffins, and other traditional fantasy animals roam. Heroes traditionally are males out to rescue a damsel in distress.

Urban Fantasy In Urban Fantasy, magic invades modern times. One of two scenarios plays out. Either characters stay the same while the world changes, or characters change and the world stays the same. In both, a magical agent of change introduces the magic that makes the storyline possible. Often characters learn a life lesson that changes how they think when they return to their "real world" lives at the end of the story. In Back to the Future, the protagonist, Marty, returns to his real life with a new respect for his parents.

Character Arc and Fantasy Plot - Part 2

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Conflict: Once on the quest the plot arc follows encounters that try the hero's strengths and weaknesses. Having decided on the hero's character, the author must create an antagonist or threat that will offer scope for the epic tale.

The antagonist in Fantasy can be a unique creation, but must hold enough recognizable traits to remain believable or plausible, even if unrealistic. If a threat looms as the major theme, the antagonist may be an inadvertent foe, a jealous companion or even a character flaw in the hero. If the antagonist is the hero's nemesis then they must hold the reader's fascination. Natural disasters, plague, famine, or destruction of a global scale brought about by an evil force are all reasonable threats in Fantasy. The scope for plotting threat is only limited by the author's ability to resolve the dilemma in a reasonable way.

As the quest begins, the plot evolves like a maze or map. Every event along the journey, every meeting with a new character, conflict or misadventure must lead toward the final climax. Even though the hero's troupe seem to diverge from the direct goal, the outcome of each scene should give a vital clue, artifact, companion or knowledge to drive the story toward the conclusion.

As the journey continues, the threat must increase. Tension is built as the importance of the quest's success increases. While romance, conflict, internal struggle and growth are part of the epic plot arc, without tension and direction toward a goal, the best Fantasy lacks the components for success.

Climax: The quest reaches the climax when antagonist and threat are faced and an outcome reached. Everything the hero has learned, gathered, or gained, is finally used in the climax. Mysteries are solved, riddles answered and developing traits in characters consolidated. Although in Fantasy, there is always an element of magic, it is not a good idea to have the threat resolved by a sudden or unexplained power solving problems that face the questing troupe. Magic must be consistent and the author should explain its use, limits and benefits during the journey, not rely on magic to solve flaws in the plot.

Denouement: Tying up all the loose ends, resolving any left over romance, conflict, need for revenge or character changes are done during the denouement. To write a successful Fantasy novel, the author must leave the reader feeling satisfied. If the story continues, as it often does in epic Fantasy novels, the author should still finalize many of the loose ends, even if an underlying quest remains unresolved.

Drive the Plot Forward: When writing Fantasy every character, every action, every scene must drive the plot forward. Avoid the temptation to delve into back-story or flashbacks and keep the story moving. Diversions, and meandering is fine as long as each setback has a logical reason revealed by the time the climax takes place.

Magic: As part of the plot must be consistent. The author must understand exactly how the power works, who can use it, how those who can't use it react to its use. Amulets, swords, healing potions are useful but should be integral to the tale not introduced to solve flaws in the plot.

Things To Do
Look over the plot of your favorite Fantasy novel. Consider how the author has contrived to create a character arc to suit the epic tale. How does the antagonist's character give scope for the hero's development? Are all the loose ends tied up satisfactorily?

Character Arc and Fantasy Plot - Part 1

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Every successful story has a beginning and an end, while what happens in between follows a defined course to become the plot. For an epic or fantasy plot there is one basic style of plot arc that has proved popular and we will discuss this Quest plot arc here.

Quest: The plot arc for fantasy begins with the hero discovering a quest. The reasons for this vary from personal determination, to responsibility for saving the world from disaster. Since the characters involved take the journey, their character development is intrinsic to the plot evolution.

Character Arc: Type One Two main types of character development form the basis of most epic plot arcs. There is the radical character change, where the hero begins his quest as one type of person, develops through conflict to become the opposite type of person at the conclusion. Think of a timid hero, thrust into danger, who makes heroic decisions through determination and resolve and realizes, that they have the moral fiber to save the world. Conversely, consider the dark hero who through circumstance embraces compassion. Their character offers the same type of radical development.

Character Arc: Type Two The second character arc is defined by more subtle developments, where the hero finds the strength to accept challenges, but retains his original persona. Here the timid hero might stumble through misadventure after misadventure, until he finds the courage to over come the problem and achieve his goal, but he reverts to his original character once the tension eases. Or the dark reformed hero reverts back to the dangerous combatant to achieve a result, but the alteration is only temporary. The hero adapts but doesn't make a permanent change in this type of character arc.