Keeping it real in fantasy

I recently saw a blog post about keeping archaeological facts straight in fantasy fiction. I had a few issues with the concept. First and foremost, they were talking about FANTASY, not historical, fiction.

FANTASY: noun, plural fantasies.

1.

imagination, especially when extravagant and unrestrained.

2.

the forming of mental images, especially wondrous or strange fancies; imaginative conceptualizing.

3.

a mental image, especially when unreal or fantastic; vision:

a nightmare fantasy.

4.

Psychology. an imagined or conjured up sequence fulfilling a psychological need; daydream.

5.

a hallucination.

6.

a supposition based on no solid foundation; visionary idea; illusion:

dreams of Utopias and similar fantasies.

7.

caprice; whim.

Aka- made up shit.

One of the things mentioned in the aforementioned article, was that some people complained about potatoes in Lord of the Rings because they weren’t a food staple yet.

Think about that for a moment.

LOTR is a PURELY invented world. Yes, it borrows heavily from the British Isles, but it is a FICTIONAL world. How do these naysayers know when that world discovered potatoes? Just because the background was similar to ours, last time I checked there weren’t wizards, golems, trolls, ents, or any number of beings found in LOTR, in our world.

Yet, they were upset about potatoes being around.

Now, to be fair, the post wasn’t focused on the LOTR issue, that was simply a side comment, but it did deal with keeping anachronisms out of your fantasy fiction.

Again we are back to that logic diagram in our heads (we all carry those around, right?).

An anachronism is something out of time. If a world is INVENTED, then unless you are the creator of said world, no one can say you have created an anachronistic event. Unless you contradict something already established by YOU in that world.

An example was given of an author who had prisoners taking a donkey cart to their work site. The author of the article was stating how they should have put that they walked, since that would be how it would have been. Ummm, says who? If you are writing historical fiction, damn skippy you’d better get it right, down to the exact type of buttons they used. But for fantasy? As soon as you’ve introduced wizards, witches, vampires, centaurs, dragons, faeries, etc you are NO longer in this world. Therefore, the rules aren’t the same.

The author of a world of fantasy is creating that entire world. Yes, we steal (borrow ;)) from various times in history, and some are very close to historical truth with just a slight variation added. But they have still deviated from the historical truth.

If you, as the author, are telling me that your hero in 1833 used a snargleblaster to blow away a swamp monster that climbed out of the Thames, I can’t really argue that the boat the hero used wasn’t around then. The author has already hijacked the timeline with a snargleblaster, and the fact that a sentient two-story being has crawled out of the Thames and is snacking on passer-by. Reality has changed. A type of boat that wouldn’t have been around in OUR 1833, might have been designed in 1830 in a world with snargleblasters (not to mention swamp monsters who are not living in swamps at all).

Now, if in the above example, the author states that a snargleblaster can never be used near large bodies of water because a safety (to be built and added to the weapon in 1840) was missing which would cause the hero to explode—and the hero fails to explode—we have another issue completely. The author has betrayed their own established reality. 

So to all my other fantasy writers out there, I say let your wild ideas fly! There will still be troublesome naysayers, but just ask them where in YOUR world it was stated or implied that your culture advanced in the precise manner that “reality” did. (Just make sure you don’t contradict yourself ;)).

A few paragraphs about paragraphs

Paragraphs seem to be an issue in my world lately, at least I’ve run into a number of issues with friends and paragraphs, so that made me start thinking about them…hence….a blog ;).

First thing to keep in mind is that paragraphs are your friend.  They provide pleasing white space which allows the reader to take a breath and process your wonderful words of wisdom.

Second thing, they are not always constructed the same way for fiction, as they would be for an academic endeavor.

Third, like commas, many of the rules are optional. With the primary goals being ease of readability and maximum impact to move the story forward.

Even though many are open to interpretation, there are a few guidelines:

• ·         You DO need them. Sorry, no way around this. Learn how to use them to enhance the reader’s experience.

• ·         Don’t mix what one character says with what another character says in the same paragraph. This goes for action as well. 
• 
  
• One character=one paragraph, nuff said.

Bad Example: “Why didn’t you tell me you were flying the turnip to Mars today?” Stachia asked as she stormed around the mansion. “Because I knew you’d be mad,” said Kumquat. He peered around the corner at Turtledove. “I told him not to.” Turtledove said with a flip of her bright green hair.

Good Example: (Okay, good being relative ;))

“Why didn’t you tell me you were flying the turnip to Mars today?” Stachia asked as she stormed around the mansion.

“Because I knew you’d be mad,” said Kumquat. He peered around the corner at Turtledove.

“I told him not to.” Turtledove said with a flip of her bright green hair.

                       

                        Which is easier to read and understand?

• ·         Make sure the actions for one character stay with that character!  You never want to make the reader stop and try and guess who said what and who did what. If there is a bunch of back and forth- then yes, you will have a BUNCH of paragraph breaks. Don’t try to squish them together. Edit them down if need be. (Talking heads bad ;))

o   Bad Example:

§          Jane turned and walked away from the glowing ember of Troy. Benjamin followed along behind her, wiping down the cabinets of Troy as he did so. Turtledove wandered aimless behind them wondering what happened.

Hopefully, you wouldn’t be doing this type of writing, even broken up correctly. But yes, each action would need a separate paragraph (and you’d need an editor ;)).

·         

• If you start describing on thing (item, location, situation) and switch to another thing, you must start a new paragraph.

• ·         If there is a gap in time-start a new paragraph (I usually have a space or break).

• ·         Paragraphs can be used for humor (think the pause before a punchline) or dramatic impact (the pause before the “Oh shit!” moment). Setting a single line separate from the paragraph can make the reader mentally add an OMMPH to line.

o   Example: (not great, but it makes the point ;))

§        I made one more check of the house. I knew there was no one there. I’d checked every window and every door twice. The noises I was hearing were just the house settling. My husband was right, just because he wasn’t home, there was no reason for me to worry.

So then why was the backdoor wide op-?

Yes, that last line could fit logistically with the paragraph above it--but it makes more impact set apart.

• ·         Like sentence length, paragraph length can speed up or slow down the pacing. Short paragraphs move fast (think action or a faster paced book) whereas longer paragraphs slow the reader, longer descriptive sections, a deliberate slowdown of action. But make sure, regardless of the type of scene that your paragraphs aren’t all the same length ;). variety is the spice of a good book.

 Paragraphs are far more than just something you were taught to use to separate the sections of your essays in school.  Have any favorite rules? Peeves?

Care and feeding of the inner brat

Writers, like all folks with creative bents to their psyches, have to keep their inner child alive and well. But more than that. We need to keep our inner child stubborn, determined, and willing to do whatever it takes to get what we need. 

In short, our inner child needs to be a brat. 

Now, not a brat as in falling on the floor and throwing a foaming fit, but a brat as in hunkering down and not taking no for an answer. 

Plus, not only does the delightful little inner brat have to be stubborn as heck--they have to be willing and able to follow flights of fancy wherever they may lead.

As kids, most all of us had amazing imaginations--both good and bad--a great imagination meant that we really COULD think of the monster from the movie we just saw coming to get us. But it also meant the entire world was ours. We could be a high powered princess one day, a horse the next, and the president of the galaxy the day after. Listen to little kids, the vast majority of their play is story telling. Sometimes very active story telling. Most of us don’t act out our tales, but the kids are story telling nonetheless.

Then somewhere we lose that.

The world comes down on us and says the things we make up aren’t real, could never happen, and are extremely silly besides. Most humans retire their story worlds at that point. But a few of us hang on to it. We write because these great, “What If’s” keep popping in our heads. We see a headline and think, “What if it didn’t go like that? What if it went like this?” Eventually, in an effort to quiet the voices, we start writing these ideas down.

Now some folks are fine with that. The story is out of them, they don’t need to go further and can now return to a somewhat normal life.

But for the rest of us, our inner child needs to get her war paint on. Have you ever seen a kid want something so badly they keep crying for it until they fall asleep exhausted? As writers we need to do that. Ok, not the crying part (well it’s ok after a horrible review, but then you have to move on), but the hanging on to something so tight we never let go.

We have to hold this need to hang on close to our hearts. We need to honor our inner brat and not tell it it’s stupid (such as the inner comments of “I suck”, “I can’t write”, “I’ll never be published”.) Like external children, those kind of comments can be very damaging.

And we need to build our resilience. If one story doesn’t work, do another. Re-write it. Re-envision it. Like the kid who keeps building towers in the kitchen until they get that damn cookie jar, we need to keep working until we hit our first goal. Then keep it up for each book afterwards.

We need to keep our inner brat hungry for the prize. Creative, stubborn, and willing to get whatever help it takes to get to our goal.

A friend once gave me a framed print that says it all:

“Never, Never give up”- Winston Churchill
“Never, Never grow up”- Dr. Seuss

Keep that inner brat alive and well ;).

#IWSG- Dealing with loss

Welcome to September's installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. A monthly gathering of writers shouting our hopes, dreams, and fears at the wind.

Please go here to find out more!  http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

Today's blog is about dealing with loss and our characters. I have recently suffered a loss in my family and to be honest, I wasn't sure about blogging today.  But, blogging is sort of like journaling, and my own loss made me think about our characters and their losses.

Every single person on this planet will face loss differently. We all grieve differently, based on our own backgrounds, character, religious beliefs, and the specific situation. Our characters are "real" in that they need to react uniquely to fit them, not how the writer wants them to react (a formerly meek and dependent person suddenly becoming tough and fighting back for example). Or how society expects someone to react. Grief is unique for each character.

Grief is often used as a launching point for a story. The character's life changes drastically at a significant loss. The death of the character's mentor is a very well used trope and is a simple launching pad to propel the character forward.  It gets used too often, so if someone does want to use it, I'd suggest a twist. But many times death is used as the catalyst, but then forgotten.  The character musters on, forging the changes they need to, but there is no other reaction. Not much more from them, nor the people around them.

That's another issue- the people around them. Some people will identify too closely with the loss, and fade away--it's too close to their own fears, so they avoid the person completely. Others may respond completely inappropriately as they aren't sure what to say or do.

Building in grief and it's outcome can be a huge motivator for change in a story, but make sure it feels real. Now, this comes with the dialogue caveat-with dialogue it needs to feel real, but not BE real because it would bore the reader. Dealing with grief needs to feel real, but not BE real. But make sure it lingers in the character's changes, in reactions (or non-reactions) from those around them.

Grief and loss are also a reflection of a society. Our society, for example, really avoids talking about death. But other cultures see it as part of living. Use your character's loss to also show more about their world, their culture.

And remember, there is no wrong way to grieve.

Winners!

Okay, first off, you're all winners :).  But, since I did hold a contest, and that does mean some folks won prizes, I wanted to post them here :) (They're in last week's blog too ;)).

The rafflecopter randomizer has spoken!

Savannah S. won  a signed copy of The Glass Gargoyle AND a signed copy of The Obsidian Chimera, plus a few extra gifties!

Vanessa M. won a a $20 Harney & Sons Fine Teas gift card! https://www.harney.com/

Britty B. won a $25 Bookshop Santa Cruz gift card! 

Also- four other folks entered on all of the topics- so if they'd like to email me, I would be happy to send them a little swag bag.

Nina F.

Tara P.

Shauna R.

Julie G.

email me at Marie @ marieandreas .com

Thank you all for entering, coming by the blog, and sharing with your friends!

300! With PRIZES!!

*Throws confetti in the air*
*apologizes to folks who got it in their eyes*

I have hit 300 blog posts!

Hello and welcome to The 300 of blog posts.  Sadly, there will be no half naked Spartans involved in this event ;). Nor will we be fighting for our lives, nor as far as I know, our honor.

I started this blog many moons ago as a way to connect with others of my kind: writers, readers, odd and creative folks.  My blog design has changed from an "antique scroll"  (hey, it's probably all blogger had back then ;)), to stylish green, to pink swirls, to a star field, to the current awesome design by Rae Monet. 

The content has mostly stayed the same, although as I wander through this writing adventure, my blogs change as my path does.  And I love comments!  Whether they be here or emailed to me- I love hearing from folks in the same boat, or from an entirely different cruise-line altogether.

I enjoy blogging. In another time I probably would be one of those essayists doing a regular weekly column in the local paper. I'm still enjoying it- so the blogging will continue!

As a thank you to all the folks who read this blog (whether you started years ago, or just found me today), and in honor hitting 300 posts- I've got PRIZES!

Just enter the raffle copter below- THREE lucky folks will win a prize.

Will it be a signed copy of The Glass Gargoyle AND a signed copy of The Obsidian Chimera, plus a few extra gifties?

or

Will it be a $20 Harney & Sons Fine Teas gift card? https://www.harney.com/

or

Will it be a $25 Bookshop Santa Cruz gift card? (awesome, huge, Independent bookstore --they have books on EVERYTHING- yes, you can order them online although a trip to Santa Cruz is a great idea too ;)). http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/

Just enter any and all of the events below - more events, more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Signing!

Today will be short and sweet from me. I just wanted to get the word out about a book event that I'll be at here in San Diego THIS Saturday (aka August 15th ;)) from Noon to 3pm.  There will be mingling, snacking, book-talk, book signing, and just generally a lovely afternoon. In a place with lots of books. What more could you ask for?

It will be at an awesome local Independent Bookstore- Mysterious Galaxy
 http://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/local-author-meet-greet-0815.

Sadly, Book Two in The Lost Ancients' series, The Obsidian Chimera, won't be out in time for this event, but I will be signing The Glass Gargoyle! And I won't be alone!

Here are some of the awesome authors who will be at the event:

Cynthia Diamond—Siren’s Song

www.cynthiadiamondauthor.com

Blurb:

Between being hunted by vampires and her inability to control her siren’s powers, all Adelle Constance wants is to be left alone. She runs from her home, hoping to lay low in the small Washington town of Whitmore. She didn’t count on meeting Jack, a cranky nine-hundred year old dragon who, despite her protests, vows to protect her. She also didn’t count on him being so deliciously attractive in that grumbling way.  

Jack has no desire for a mate, especially after being dumped by the love of his life. Yet somehow he’s suckered into protecting a beautiful siren who can make things explode just by raising her voice. Reluctantly he takes the alluring Adelle under his wing, finding her quirky charms irresistible. And when angry vampires come to take her back, the dragon finds he’s not giving her up without a fight.

Andy Peloquin –Blade of the Destroyer

The Hunter of Voramis is the perfect assassin: ruthless, unrelenting, immortal. Haunted by lost memories, he is bonded to a cursed dagger that feeds him power but denies him peace of mind. Within him rages an unquenchable need for blood and death. 
When he accepts a contract to avenge the stolen innocence of a girl, the Hunter becomes the prey. The death of a seemingly random target sends him hurtling toward destruction, yet could his path also lead to the truth of his buried past?

Professional Freelance Writer

http://andypeloquin.com/

www.linkedin.com/in/andypeloquin/

https://plus.google.com/100885994638914122147/about

https://www.facebook.com/andyqpeloquin

https://twitter.com/AndyPeloquin    

Better Hero Army-Girlgoyle

Tiffany Noboru has just awakened from her death, only to discover she has been drafted into the Gargoyle Ghost Hunter Corps. Soon she is fighting jealous rivalries within her own ranks, struggling to unravel the mystery of her recent death, and trying to avoid being killed a second time by a maniacal ghost named Bones who is seeking the destruction of the gargoyle world. 

Diane Lynn--Secondary Target

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/authordianelynn

Rusty Trimble— The Fun House Mystery Adventure

It has been just over a year since Andrew (12), his cousin Lauren (10), and his little brother Tyler (6) defeated the villainous pirate Jack Frost in the strange game worlds of the brilliant, but enigmatic Professor Adams. The trio had said a bittersweet farewell to their friends Red Eye the pirate, Squawky the parrot, and Batty the squirrel who resided in the realm of Pirate Cove and bid goodbye to their friends Alistair and Craig who returned back home to Scotland. Now however the trio of kid adventurers face their greatest challenge yet! Journeying to a local store hoping to win Professor Adams’ newest gaming portal, they find it ransacked and the Professor missing, a strange blinding light behind a curtain in the room. Stepping through it, they find themselves once more drawn into the bizarre and remarkable game worlds the Professor has designed.

50% of net profits go to stopcaidnow.org a non-profit that seeks to improve the quality of life for children suffering from auto-inflammatory disease.

http://www.amazon.com/House-Mystery-Andrew-Teen-Chronicles/dp/0990372529/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433970266&sr=1-1

Paula Margulies—Favorite Daughter, Part One

A young girl faces a dangerous and changing world…

Set in the time of the Jamestown settlement and the English explorer John Smith, Favorite Daughter, Part One recounts the story of Chief Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas, as she prepares to take her place as one of our nation's earliest leading women. Pocahontas invites readers to experience her native world when strangers appear on the shores near her village. From forging a relationship with the charismatic Smith, to experiencing love for the first time and creating a role for herself in her father’s plans for peace, this young girl takes us on a poignant and harrowing journey through the turbulent events of her life. Eventually betrayed by all of the men she loves, Pocahontas matures into a heroine of tremendous nobility, courage, and heart.

Told in first person, in a voice brimming with compassion and wisdom, Favorite Daughter, Part One provides a compelling look at the early days of one of the most remarkable legends in American history.

Winner, Published Historical Fiction, 2015 San Diego Book Awards Association
Editor’s Choice Award Winner, 24th Annual San Diego State University Writers’ Conference

http://www.amazon.com/Favorite-Daughter-Part-Paula-Margulies-ebook/dp/B00M05NQIG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405981346&sr=8-1&keywords=favorite+daughter+paula+margulies

http://paulamarguliesbooks.blogspot.com/

http://www.paulamargulies.com/

Joshua Rutherford—The Sons of Chenia

At one time, Chenia was a great country. With various clans spread from north to south, a sacred brotherhood of riders known as the Shepherds roamed the land, protecting their people in the name of their god Ada. But an unspoken horror in the Shepherd city of Sarbin fifteen years earlier has left the Chenians defenseless. As refugees, many have left their homeland while those who have stayed battle enemies both near and far.

Caught between the relative safety of a foreign nation and the atrocities back home is Nicolai, a young man whose own past remains a secret to him. A letter from a distant patriarch in Chenia thrusts him into an odyssey with five of his closest friends, refugees bound by hardship. Through ocean voyages, mountain treks and seedy cityscapes these men return home, only to find it on the verge of invasion from the world’s mightiest empire, Czaria. In the face of a superior force, Nicolai’s memory churns. His once hidden past comes to light, offering a way to salvation for Nicolai and his people yet also threatening to destroy him. With no other option, Nicolai faces all his enemies, both internal and real, in one epic battle to decide the fate of his people. And himself. 

Twitter: twitter.com/AuthorJKR
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/23801967-sons-of-chenia
Amazon: amzn.to/1ArEzg9
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SonsofChenia

He’ll also be doing a book reading at the Del Mar Library TONIGHT- Wednesday, August 12th @ 6:30pm (https://www.facebook.com/events/1641290082782041/).

Vic Warren--The Neptune Chronicles

Saffron
Jamie Edmondson is friends with nearly everybody, as long as they don’t disagree with his strident views on the environment. When he leads an expedition up the California coast to the discovery of a new race of humans who live under the sea, things change. That’s when he meets some really bad people who don’t like humans that aren’t human. We call them Neptunes, and this race of telepaths threatens everything we humans stand for. When Jamie falls for a beautiful young Neptune, he discovers that when you’re underwater, no one can count your tears.

Girl on a Dolphin

“After this, what kind of songs do you think they’ll be singing about her over their beers,mate? She’s legend.”

In a way, that sums up my newest book, “Girl on a Dolphin.” It’s Book Two of The Neptune Chronicles, and it takes you deeper into their underwater world.

“Daddy, daddy! People on dolphins! There are people on dolphins out there!”

Jamie and Mercy have been living on a tiny island in Fiji for five years, and their daughter, Saffron, just ran in to tell them that she saw Neptunes riding on dolphins. They have to travel to both sides of the globe to forestall what people are calling “The Dolphin War.” With the balance of power over and under the seas at dire risk, can they bring peace between the Neptunes and the humans in time? “Girl on a Dolphin” brings us closer to the almost human race beneath the waves.

The Art of Adventure, at www.vicwarren.com

Selena Jones--Every Day is Like Doomsday

When a misunderstanding lands Elliot Vane in the international school for super villains he learns that the law of the land is to adapt or die. Lucky for him, the Dean of Students knows he’s a fake and has enlisted the help of a sultry Villain named Innya to show him the ropes. Elliot must maneuver through classes with actual evil teachers, defend himself against monstrous bullies who hate him at first sight, avoid Mr. Magnificent, the town Superhero, and find a way to clear his name. But with multiple death sentences on his head will he manage to survive even a week at the Villain Academy, let alone live long enough to clear his name?

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Selena-Jones/e/B00BB5XLQS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1439173532&sr=8-1

Twitter at @ThatSelenaJones

Facebook Author Page:

https://www.facebook.com/selenajonesauthor?ref=bookmarks

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7011179.Selena_Jones?from_search=true&search_version=service

These are just a few of the folks who will be there at the event--here's the full list:

Better Hero Army, Ethan Howard, Joshua Rutherford, Abigal Borders, Shauna Roberts, Vic Warren, Marie Andreas, Ona Russell, Paula Margulies, Kristen Elise, Cynthia Diamond, Jan St. Louis, and Selena Jones, Rachel Marks, Lynne Kennedy, and Teri MacIntosh!