R.M. Archer's Blog, page 22

The Writerly Sibling Tag

I have a confession to make. This tag was not acquired by legitimate means. I stole it.

via GIPHY

I know. But if I did it as an excuse to tag my sister, do I get a pass? Before we get started, thanks to Rachel at R’s Loft for bringing this tag to my attention. (I may be a thief, but at least I can be a polite thief.)

And the… rules.

via GIPHY

Rules:

Rule One: Thank the blogger who tagged you and provide a link to their post (see above).

Rule Two: Answer the inquires, including any ones added by means of rule six.

Rule Three: Always use your own characters. No exception, unless you don’t actually have sibling characters (in which case you need to go write up some) or you don’t write (in which case you need to start ASAP).

Rule Four: Tag three other bloggers.

Rule Five: If you happen to have any siblings who blog, they are automatically tagged and cannot count towards your three.

Rule Six: Add one question or prompt to the list of questions the person before you answered relating to siblings and/or characters. Answer the question, and provide a list of all the questions of that you answered so far

(So, for example, someone I tag will have 11 questions to answer, one of which will be their own. The next will have 12, 10 of which are mine, 1 of which is the previous blogger’s, and 1 of which is there own. The next person will have 13, and so forth….)

Rule Seven: Close out the post making some statement or other glorifying the King of kings.

Questions:

Name the most annoying sibling character in any of your stories (Either annoying to you as the author or to any other characters)

Leafman Elfbourne. Both to me (although I love him dearly) and to his siblings. So much angstttttttt.

Name the most caring sibling character in any of your stories

Just one? Just one?

*sighs* It would be one of the Eckards… but that doesn’t lower it down much… Probably either Halder or Hayden. Since Halder often appears more caring, whereas Hayden tends to be very quiet about his care, we’ll go with Halder.

WAIT. THEN THERE’S ALSO MAKIO FROM CALLIGRAPHY GUILD AND NOW I DON’T KNOW.

Name the most entertaining sibling character in any of your stories

To me or to the characters? To the characters, Hunter Eckard probably wins this spot. To me… probably Saria Elfbourne? I’m not sure.

Name a sibling character who was inspired in some way by an actual sibling

Saria was based my oldest sister, Syb. At least in theory; I’m not sure how well 7-year-old me really captured the likeness. XD Duyên’s sister Sakura was also somewhat based on Syb, but less so; Sakura actually better resembles the next sister down. Oh! And while we’re discussing Duyên’s siblings, I drew inspiration from my own brother while writing her brother Sinh.

Name the largest character family (talking family, not family tree) in any of your stories

The Eckards. I don’t think they all get to talk in The Masked Captain, unfortunately, because… space… but there are eight siblings, plus the oldest has three kids and he and his family often spend time with his parents and siblings, so they’re kind of in the bunch, too. His kids are around the same age as his two youngest siblings. (I really like the Eckards. I need to write them more.)

Provide one to three excerpts from your sibling characters’ dialog from any of your stories

From Calligraphy Guild:

Finally, Tora murmured a question that had been on her mind all evening. “Do you think I’m strong?”

Makio wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “Tora, you’re one of the strongest people I know.”

Tora looked up at him, even though he was barely visible in the dark. “Really?”

“Really. Your illness doesn’t define you, Tora. You’re strong in intellect, you’re strong in passion, you’re strong in determination…” He reached over and tapped her tattoo. “And you’re strong in character.”

Tora swallowed hard and nestled against Makio’s shoulder. “I hope so,” she murmured.

(I need to edit Tora’s POV and clean up some of this dialogue. :P)

From The Masked Captain:

“I didn’t get an invitation,” Rhylan said. “Usually we’re both invited.”

Rynn smirked at him. “They just like me better.”

Rhylan snorted. “Careful of that Halder fellow. You’re both nearing marrying age.” He winked.

Rynn gasped. “Rhylan!” She threw a grape at him.

Rhylan grinned and threw the grape back. That was all it took to begin a full-out food fight, though it only lasted a minute before Rayth stood.

“Enough! You’re acting like children.”

Rynn brushed eggs off her bodice. “Rhylan, you went and ruined my dress.” She put on her best mock pout.

“And you messed up my hair. I’ll have to go and wash it again.” Rhylan brushed his hair back with a twinkle in his eye.

Name three published books which have an amazing portrayal of siblings or family

THE WINGFEATHER SAGA. Hands-down.
Children of Blood and Bone. I didn’t like much about this book, but I liked the sibling dynamics.
100 Days of Sunlight. Weston is an older brother and he’s so sweeeeeettttttttt.
Honorable mention, because three is too few: A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes. Parvin and Reid are fantastic.
And another honorable mention, because I just finished The Fire Rain Chronicles by Miranda Marie and the siblings in that are also lovely and they need to get a shout-out.

(*cough* Remember that thing I said about guidelines? ;P)

Name another author’s character family that you wouldn’t mind jumping into

The Igibys. Actually, what’s one with an older brother… Y’know what, maybe the Blackwaters from A Time to Die. Except… spoilers… Hm… I don’t know. I can’t think of any that are quite the right fit.

Provide an excerpt of sibling drama or camaraderie from any title (though be sure to credit it)

Excerpt from 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons

Name two characters from two unrelated books that you feel would make for great literary siblings (whether in terms of getting along, or being a constant head-to-head combat)

Ooooh boy… (Is this one supposed to be drawing from my books or published works?) Ummm… Is pairing Sherlock Holmes and R.F. Jackaby too much of a cop-out? XD I feel like they would connect so much over people never understanding them and their methods, but they’d also argue a ton over what is or isn’t reasonable detective work… XD

What sibling trope would you like to write in the future?

Protective big sister. I write this trope quite rarely, for being an oldest sibling and sister myself. Come to think of it, I do have a story in the wings that has an awesome big sister character, but I’ve barely written it. (Actually, looking over my notes, I have several unwritten books with awesome big sisters. I need to write some of those.)

I don’t plan on stopping with the protective big brother trope or the kind-of-annoying-but-you-love-him-anyway little brother trope anytime soon, either.

Which of your own sibling groups would you love to join?

THE ECKARDS. Or maybe the Lôis. But I think I’d fit in a lot better with the Eckards. I’ll just be part of the Eckard family and then be friends with the Lôis so I can adopt Tora and Makio as additional honorary older siblings. ;D

My question: If you could adopt only one of your fictional siblings as your own sibling, who would it be?

Oh… I have to answer this now, don’t I…

And now I have to decide if I want Makio or Hunter Eckard as my older brother… This is tough… But I think Hunter wins by a teeny tiny margin.

Tagging:

Syberyah at atTAGirl (by default, ’cause she’s my sister)

Edna at Bleeding Ink

Maple at Maple Quill Penning Magic

Allie at Of Rainy Days and Stardust Veins

Question List:

Name the most annoying sibling character in any of your stories (Either annoying to you as the author or to any other characters)

Name the most caring sibling character in any of your stories

Name the most entertaining sibling character in any of your stories

Name a sibling character who was inspired in some way by an actual sibling

Name the largest character family (talking family, not family tree) in any of your stories

Provide one to three excerpts from your sibling characters’ dialog from any of your stories

Name three published books which have an amazing portrayal of siblings or family

Name another author’s character family that you wouldn’t mind jumping into

Provide an excerpt of sibling drama or camaraderie from any title (though be sure to credit it)

Name two characters from two unrelated books that you feel would make for great literary siblings (whether in terms of getting along, or being a constant head-to-head combat)

What sibling trope would you like to write in the future?

Which of your own sibling groups would you love to join?

If you could adopt only one of your fictional siblings as your own sibling, who would it be?

And to close out, I thank God for my real-life siblings and for placing me in the family He did and using them to shape me through the good and bad.

(And now I need to go hug my siblings and tell them I love them, ’cause I don’t do that enough.)

Who are your favorite fictional siblings? Do you have favorite sibling tropes?

Laying the Foundations of Your World

Something I’ve always found fascinating, as a Christian with an interest in story, is how so many mythologies have points in which they reflect the truth of how the world was made, how it flooded, and even sometimes how it was saved and how it will end. When something is true, it is impossible to completely obscure that truth. Which is why I think it’s important for authors to lay out the groundwork for their fictional worlds fairly early on; what is true of your world will shine through in many different areas.

Considering Your Worldview

The truth of your world will likely find its roots in your personal worldview. What you believe is true will likely shine through in what you decide is true in your fiction. There are also certain absolutes of our world that are almost impossible to avoid carrying over into fiction, if not because they’re absolutes then because you don’t want to promote something that is in opposition to real-world absolutes. For instance, the idea that murder is wrong is likely to be truth in your world, even if certain characters or even whole cultures may disagree; the fact that it’s truth will still inform even those dissenting views.

It’s best to determine the foundational truth of your world in a lot of different areas, and everything will spring out of overarching truths like religion and science, but you may choose to focus on some smaller issues that interest you for starters. Is war ever moral? What is marriage intended to look like? Is magic a good thing or a bad thing, and is there any variation? What is the natural state of education?

Foundations = What Will Be Promoted

The foundational truth of your world ought to show through in all areas of life in all different cultures and to all different characters, though to varying degrees. It is impossible to avoid truth. And what is portrayed as truth will be portrayed as right. Keep that in mind as you shape your world’s foundations. Is this foundational value one you want to promote? Is this way of seeing things going to successfully encourage and/or educate the reader in a positive direction?

The Foundations of Religion

Was your world created or found? Do you have one deity or many? Is creation complete or ongoing? What are your deity’s moral laws? What are their callings for men and women? For parents? For siblings? For neighbors, civil leaders, law enforcement? What are their followers called to as far as evangelism is concerned? How are unbelievers to be treated? What is marriage meant to look like? How do the gods view magic? Is magic from them or does it have its origins elsewhere? How do they view race?

Many of these answers will intertwine with others, so start wherever feels logical and go in whatever order you’d like.

The Foundations of Science

I hesitated to even make this a separate category, since–if your world has a god or gods–developing religion often leads to developing science, but for organizational purposes, here we are.

Do things evolve? Have there been massive earth-shaping events (e.g. world-wide floods)? If you have more than one humanoid species, what happens if they intermarry? What are your planetary cycles like? What are some primary constellations? Does your world even have stars within view? Moons? Have any species gone extinct? What evidence is left of their existence? Do physics work the same as in the real world? Is your magic more magic or more science?

The Foundations of History

“History is written by the victors,” but what actually happened in your world’s history? Who did what? What good and bad was found on both sides? What about natural disasters? What impact did those have on the landscape and/or culture? Have there been any world-wide events (world catastrophes, world wars, etc.)?

Building on the Foundations

Once you have the foundations laid out, you can expand more intentionally. How have cultures spun their history? What myths have been formed to explain natural laws? What points of truth have been integrated into false mythologies? How do moral absolutes show themselves even when they’re ignored? How much of the world’s workings have been consciously discovered and acknowledged, and how does that change over time?

This expansion, and sometimes contrast, is where you’ll have the freedom to explore different worldviews while still keeping in mind the truths you want your world to communicate. Setting your foundations doesn’t mean that nowhere in your world can choose to contradict them, just that you’ll be able to more intentionally use those contradictions as contrast rather than causing confusion.

 

How to Deepen a Fantasy Religion

Religions have a significant hand in shaping the cultures around them, and developing them can be a powerful tool both in developing those cultures and in exploring worldview. While I’ve talked before about the basics of creating a fictional religion, today I want to talk about some of the complexities and details that will deepen that religion (or really any organization or culture) and make it feel more organic and complete.

Give it factions

Very few groups are completely unified. What different ideas have caused the followers of your religion to create new denominations or sects? Does everyone consider these ideas significant enough to create a whole new group, or are there some who would prefer to have those differences within the main group? How do the different sub-groups interact with one another? Are they all still friendly, or are there certain groups that believe themselves superior?

As an example, one of my fictional religions was actually founded around a separation of groups. The religion follows three deities, and followers are split into groups based on which deity they follow most closely. Each group has its own way of worshiping, its own slight variations on the core tenets of the religion, etc. They all work together, as they believe each group has its distinct necessary strengths. In addition to these three core groups, there’s also a group that believes the groups should be integrated together.

In another religion, in which peace is the most important thing, there are two core groups: one which believes conflict should always be avoided and one that believes that conflict is sometimes necessary to achieve true peace. Those two groups don’t like each other very much.

For other organizations: Not much tweaking is necessary for this one. What are the sub-groups of your organization? How do they interact?

How do conversions work?

What does it take for someone to become a follower of the religion? Is there a rigorous training process, or do they simply have to believe and say a quick prayer? How seriously is conversion taken? Does one have to prove their belief somehow?

How about de-conversions? What happens if someone wants to leave the faith? Are they allowed? Will anyone attempt to talk them out of de-converting? Will they be treated as a pariah? Will they be executed for betraying their god(s)? Does it change in any way if they’re choosing to become atheist/agnostic versus choosing to join a different religion?

For other organizations: Replace “conversion” with “initiation.” How do people join this organization? Is there any ceremony involved? What about if they want to leave? This can also apply to entire nations, as you consider how characters gain citizenship or leave a nation behind.

How are the gods served?
Offerings

What, if anything, do the gods ask of their followers as far as sacrifice is concerned? Is it something physical, like a goat? Or something more abstract like lifelong service? Why is a certain offering significant to a god? Do they appreciate moonblossoms because they’re the goddess of the moon? Do they ask for goats because they like the taste? What is the lore there?

Are these offerings brought to an altar, or are they kept around a person’s house? Are there certain times or days that offerings are brought to the temple? Is there some combination?

For other organizations: Does the organization require a tax or a pledge of its members? Are members instructed to keep a token of their membership around their house to advertise their loyalty?

Prayers

Is prayer an option for the followers of this religion? Are they allowed to contact the gods? If so, is it a direct correspondence or does it occur through smaller deities or demi-gods? Are there certain times of day that people pray? Are there certain places that are appropriate or inappropriate for prayer? Why are these times or places significant?

Religious Meetings

What is the core purpose of religious meetings? Teaching? Fellowship? Offering? Are meetings limited to a certain group of followers, or are they open to anyone? Who is in charge of these meetings? What activities are involved in these meetings? Is there singing? Are there prophecies? Do religious leaders read from religious texts, or are those texts considered exclusive to the clergy and not shared?

For other organizations: Does this organization meet? Who is involved in these meetings? What is the purpose? What activities are performed?

Who may serve the gods in an official capacity?

Can just anyone join the priesthood/clergy/other leadership or are there certain prerequisites they have to meet? What are those requirements? A certain level of education? Certain standing in the community? Evidence of character?

What training is required to join the leadership? How long does it take? How intensive is it? Is it mostly bookish? Is it hands-on? Is a certain amount of religious service required?

For other organizations: Who achieves leadership in this organization and how?

Is there an afterlife?

Does your religion believe in an afterlife? Does it have a classic dichotomy between heaven and hell or are there in-between areas? Do they believe in a hell at all? Is hell a place for all unbelievers or is it reserved for the “worst sinners”? What sins are considered the “worst”?

Bonus: Nuggets of the truth

In the real world, all (or at least almost all) mythologies contain nuggets of truth. Is the same true in your world? Or are there some religions that are just completely wrong?

5 Tips for Writing Strong Description

My brain decided to flip-flop Monday and Tuesday this week, so… this is late. Because yesterday didn’t feel like Tuesday (and apparently I didn’t consult my calendar yesterday). But here we are with a new writing post.

Authors tend to fall into approximately four camps when it comes to description in early drafts. 1) Too little description; everything is dialogue or action. 2) Too much description; we’re overwhelmed by the detail of every blade of grass. 3) There’s the right amount of description… but it just sits there and looks pretty. 4) The magical people who can actually write fantastic description on pretty much the first try (believe it or not, I know people who fall into this category). I usually fall somewhere between too little description and flat description… which is really frustrating since I know the principles for description and when I’m editing description is one of my strong points. But what are those principles?

1. Make Your Description do Double Duty

Description ought to do more than simply describe the setting around your character (although that’s an important thing). Description can be a great way to show a character’s mood, or to show a little quirk of theirs, or to otherwise hint at something else or impact the scene you’re writing. For instance, a tea kettle could be a handy scene prop, but you don’t want to just say that there was a kettle on the stove. Maybe show it whistling, and show how your character’s mood impacts their reaction to the whistling. Is your character already agitated, and the whistling sets their teeth on edge? Or does tea remind them of long talks with their grandmother, so it makes them smile?

You can also help set a scene’s mood with the broader points of a setting. For instance, does a bright sunny day match or contrast with your character’s current mood? How does that impact the overall tone of the scene? Is there conflict between the character and the setting? Or does it emphasize their existing mood?

2. Describe What’s Relevant

You’ll generally want to make sure that the reader gets a clear picture of the setting where your scene takes place, but that doesn’t always mean such thorough description as we think. You’ll want to consider what’s really crucial to the reader’s understanding of this place and what can be filled in by the reader’s imagination. Is the paint color a key part of the room (it might be), or can you mostly focus on the desk or the bed or the table? In an outdoor setting, the characters could be surrounded by a forest, but the kind of trees the MC is surrounded by might be less important than the mud they’re squelching through.

3. Pay Attention to POV

What is or isn’t relevant should be informed, at least in part, by POV. What would the POV character notice? Maybe the wall color is important in one scene, because it’s bright yellow and it surprises the character, or it’s their happy place. (Or maybe they hate yellow and think it’s ugly, but they put on a brave face for the friend who owns the room.) Or maybe the character doesn’t notice the walls at all, but they notice the stuffed panda on the bed because pandas are their favorite. Or the typewriter on the desk, because they love the vintage look it gives the room.

4. Use Strong Imagery

It helps a lot–not only in description, but throughout writing–to use active verbs and evocative imagery. So instead of saying “The walls were yellow, the curtains were white, and there was a vintage typewriter on the desk,” you might write something along the lines of:

“Stepping into the room was like stepping into bright sunlight. White curtains rippled in a light breeze, nearly brushing across the vintage typewriter on the desk, and my eyes lit up. I rushed over to finger the keys, already imagining their clicking in my head.”

This description could maybe still use some work, but it’s already way better than just telling the reader what everything looked like. The “telling” version is too still and too blank. There’s no character involved, and no movement. So try to incorporate some movement and your POV character’s personality (per the previous point) into your descriptions as much as you can.

5. Setting Should be Interactive

Setting should be more than just a backdrop. While setting the scene for your characters, think about how they might interact with their environment. I touched on this a little bit in the first point with the weather, how there might be conflict as the character is frustrated with good weather during their good mood, or it might elevate their already great mood. Or the character in the bedroom with the typewriter, when she rushed over to finger the keys. Or, let’s go back to the tea kettle from the first point. If the character appreciates the teapot’s whistling, she might give it a minute and then go to serve tea. If the character is already irritated and the whistling is too shrill, they might march over and slam the kettle onto a cold burner to stop the noise.

Interactive settings not only reveal your setting organically, but also help to reveal character, expose backstory, etc., which… pretty much brings us full circle. ;)

Which description camp do you tend to fall into? Which of these tips was most helpful? Do any books stand out to you for their excellent description?

October 2020 Wrap-Up

Writing

I got sooo little writing done in October, as far as primary projects are concerned. I have, however, been able to focus on my Deseran worldbuilding a lot in the past couple weeks, which has been really fun. In fact, it’s been so fun that I decided to change my November plans and focus on worldbuilding instead of The Half-Elves, since I was struggling to get into The Half-Elves in this season. I do still plan on working on The Half-Elves at some point in the not-too-distant future, but November isn’t the right time.

I do also plan on diving into the next round of Calligraphy Guild edits this month as I strive more purposefully toward a tentative publication date for that (which I’m really excited about!) So I’ll be trying to work on both of those and building up a foundation for future books also set in Deseran.

Reading

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Tom Sawyer, Detective by Mark Twain
The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
1776 by David McCullough
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

As I mentioned I might at the end of September, I gave into the eerie vibe with a lot of this month’s reading. I also (re)watched The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. This combination led to my reading several classics I hadn’t gotten to yet, which I quite enjoyed (with the exception of The Invisible Man, which wasn’t so much my cup of tea but which was still well-done).

I didn’t expect to enjoy Dorian Gray as much as I did; it was a great blend of disturbing and fascinating, given the themes explored, and the prose is beautiful.

A Natural History of Dragons is my new favorite thing and I need book two ASAP. The writing style and the genre are such an unexpected mix, but they work so well, and I love the Victorian-era-inspired fantasy world; it’s a great retreat from the usual.

Honestly, I didn’t dislike anything I read (to completion) this month.

I haven’t finished The Quick yet, though, which I started early on in the month. It’s a prime example of why books should have content warnings. XP The worldbuilding is fascinating, but the character relationships… aren’t my favorite. I’m about halfway through and my completionist side (which is using the argument of “this stuff only pops up occasionally and then it’s done for several chapters”) is warring with my “reading should be enjoyable” side (which is using the argument of “BUT IT POPS UP UNEXPECTEDLY AND IS RUDE”) over whether or not to DNF it.

I’ve also started Synapse by Steven James, after a lot of media on AI came up and I became intrigued to see the topic explored from a Christian standpoint (I have Daeus Lamb to thank for the book recommendation); and I’ve started on my complete Sherlock Holmes collection, which I’m enjoying quite a bit.

Other

I’m taking a gap year (or possibly two, depending on how things shake out), but I’m spending some of my time doing self-led academics and this semester’s focus has been on early U.S. history and civics, which has been surprisingly fun. I’ve never been one to enjoy civics (too much politics involved), but the series I decided to use does a good job of focusing on the function of government and how it ought to run (from a biblical perspective) and it’s helped me to better understand why I believe what I believe about government and solidify my views. And I’m really excited to dive into next month’s set of history books, which are focused on some of the values the United States were founded on.

I also have a budding side project that I’ve been focusing on more in the past week or two, which I’m excited to keep working on. No specifics yet, since it’s still in very early stages, but this survey might give a bit of a hint:

Loading…

Plans for this month

Calligraphy Guild edits
Worldbuilding
Budding project
Studying
Reading (not sure what yet, although the books I’ve started already will hopefully be finished by the end of the month)
Assorted other writing endeavors

How about you? How did your October go? Read any good books lately? Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this month? Are you ready for the elections to be over? lol I’d love to hear from you! ^-^

Writing Fiction as a Christian – Author Panel Interview

The time has come! As announced last week, I’m wrapping up my series on Christian fiction with an interview with a handful of other Christian authors! I had the privilege of hearing from Miranda Marie, Mattie May, and Brian McBride (Angela Watts was unfortunately unable to make it), and I’m super excited to share the interview with you today! I hope it’s an encouragement and maybe teaches you a little bit more about different perspectives on Christian fiction and the experience of writing and publishing fiction as a Christian. Enjoy! :)

More About the Authors

Miranda Marie

Miranda Marie is 23 years old and lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota. She began writing when she was about 10 years old. Because she was dyslexic, reading was very difficult for her. Finding writing easier, she lost herself in worlds of her own making.

In 2015, she was diagnosed with a rare, disabling genetic syndrome called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Due to the restraints put on her by her health, most of her time is spent working on her writing/artsy endeavors and talking to her friends and family.

She participates in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) every fall, where she wrote and reworked Azalei’s Riders and Azalei’s Strategy (published May 10th, 2017). She enjoys the community there, where she met many of her friends.

She has a fascination for turtles, as she believes they are basically mini dragons with built-in armor. She enjoys collecting turtle jewelry and knickknacks.

Instagram

Website

Goodreads

Mattie May

Mattie is a Christian teen writer. As soon as she could read, a desire to write her own stories was kindled. She was always taught the importance of history, and soon her love of writing and history were combined into historical fiction.

She lives in central California with her family, chickens, ducks, two German Shepherds, and too many cats.

When she’s not writing you can find her playing her harp or the piano. You can often find her getting attacked by animals of unusual size, a.k.a. her sweet dogs.

Facebook

Website

Goodreads

Brian McBride

It all started in a small town in the Pacific Northwest – Oregon, to be precise. Nestled in the heart of a valley, surrounded on all sides by towering pines, Clatskanie was home for the first sixteen years of my life. It was there, where thunderstorms told of adventures and mountains whispered legends, that I grew to love the power of a good story.

​After three long years, I independently published my debut novel, Love and the Sea and Everything in Between. Prior to its release in November of 2018, it won the 2016 Wattys Award hosted by Wattpad. Since its release, it’s been the recipient of a Reader’s Favorite 5-Star Review as well as a finalist in the Reader’s Favorite 2019 Awards and won the Eric Hoffer Award in 2019.

Facebook

Instagram

Website

Goodreads

Angela R. Watts

Angela R. Watts is a Christian author who writes bold, revealing young adult fiction. She has written stories since she was old enough to hold a pen, and thanks to homeschooling, that drive to write was nourished. She published her debut novel, Seek, a contemporary thriller, in November 2018.

Angela’s latest project, The Infidel Books, is a dystopian/post apocalyptic thriller series. Angela enjoys breaking annoying dystopian stereotypes and giving readers lots of heart, action, and thought-provoking topics. Emmanuel, an Infidel Books short story prequel, is a bestseller on Amazon.

Angela lives at Step By Step Sanctuary, Tennessee with her family, dogs, cats, fish, and horses, but with Gypsy and Norwegian in her blood, she tends to travel. If she isn’t traveling, or dreaming of traveling, she’s probably drinking hot tea or coffee, painting, or watching The Office.

Facebook

Instagram

Website

Goodreads

How to Encourage Christian Authors

Now that we’ve talked about the different types of Christian fiction and their unique benefits and I’ve hopefully encouraged and challenged you Christian writers in your own writing, I want to recommend some ways that we Christian authors can build up others in the community, because I think it can be something we neglect either because we don’t think about it, we don’t know how to do it effectively, or we don’t see the importance of it. (Or we’re just socially anxious and terrified they’ll be annoyed with us, but… that’s its own issue. ;P)

First, why is encouraging fellow Christian writers important?

Maybe this is obvious to you and I don’t even need to discuss it, but I want to lay it out first anyway. Encouraging Christian writers is important because Christian fiction is important. How will we have meaningful Christian fiction if we’re not encouraging Christian authors?

It’s also important simply because Christian authors are… Christians. We’re called to encourage our spiritual brothers and sisters, and if a fellow Christian happens to be a writer then that’s an area in which you can encourage them.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. – Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

Now… how are some practical ways to encourage a Christian writer?

Understand why they write what they write

Maybe you’re a “clean” author who doesn’t understand how anyone could write “raw” fiction in good conscience, or maybe you’re a non-writer who has a friend who writes fantasy and you don’t understand how that’s edifying. Before jumping straight to conclusions, strike up a conversation. Ask them why they write what they write. Ask them about some of the conceptions you have about it and see if they can clear things up. In some cases, they’ll have clear answers and you’ll gain a better understanding of the purpose of writing; in other cases, you might help them solidify their reasoning. And keep in mind that “Because I enjoy writing it” isn’t inherently a wrong answer. “Fun” and “meaningful” aren’t mutually exclusive; it depends on the context.

Asking questions like this is also likely to strengthen your relationship with the writer as you discuss something that they’re likely passionate about and that can help you not only understand their writing, but also their beliefs and thoughts in general.

Encourage them to write what they’re passionate about

If an author is really passionate about an issue, see if they’ve considered working it into their writing in some way. Sometimes it’s not something we want to write about, and that’s also okay, but sometimes we don’t think to tie certain issues in with our writing. Sort of on the flip side of this, if an author is already writing about something they’re passionate about, don’t discourage them! If an author you know is passionate about fighting human trafficking and is handling that tactfully in their writing, encourage them in that. Just as we need diversity of writing styles and genres, we also need diversity of themes. God has given each of us passion for different issues and different areas of service, and I believe Christian stories should reflect that as well.

Offer accountability

There are a couple of ways to do this. First, there’s simply encouraging them to write consistently. If you know an author friend is trying to write a certain amount of words each week, or they’re working toward finishing a certain draft by the end of the month, or whatever, consider checking in periodically to see how writing is going. (You might want to ask beforehand if the author would find this helpful or if it would bug them, and maybe establish how frequently they would welcome check-ins.) These check-ins don’t have to be anything fancy. Just “Hey, how’s writing going?” Although you might then hear them ramble about what plot hole they’ve been struggling with, depending on the writer. Such ramblings don’t usually require anything other than a sympathetic response; the recipient often serves as a sounding-board for the author to talk through the problem or let off steam.

If you and an author want to get a little deeper into accountability, you could consider discussing the author’s reasons for writing (in general, or their particular category of stories, or their current project) and checking in on that larger goal periodically. I know that I personally can lose sight of my reason for writing a particular story, or I can forget (far too easily) to pray over the story and the writing process and keep my focus where it ought to be. It can be helpful, sometimes, to offer to remind an author to pray over their work, or to remind them of their purpose in writing a certain book, or whatever you mutually decide on.

And these things can be consistent, on a set schedule, or you can just reach out randomly and ask how writing is going. I know it means a lot to me for people to express interest in my work, and I expect the same is true of many authors. Writing can often be a solitary job, so having the opportunity to discuss it with someone can often be a nice change of pace.

Offer general author support

I wanted to use this post to primarily highlight encouragement semi-unique to Christian authors (though most of this can be applied to any author), but Christian authors are also just… authors. We need the same kind of support as any other writers do. For some tips on encouraging authors in general, check out these articles.

Let’s chat. How do you feel most encouraged, as a Christian author? What’s your biggest struggle when it comes to encouraging Christian authors? I challenge you to reach out and encourage at least one Christian author this week.

Next week I’m doing something a little different. I’ll be interviewing a handful of Christian authors to hear their views on writing as a Christian, why they write what they write, how people react to what they write, and more. This will be totally new for me, but I’m really excited and I can’t wait to hear what these awesome authors have to say! The included authors will be Mattie May (author of Everlasting Gold), Miranda Marie (author of the Fire Rain Chronicles and the Whispers of White duology), Angela Watts (author of Seek and The Infidel Books), and Brian McBride (author of Love and the Sea and Everything In Between, Every Bright and Broken Thing, and Sons of Slaughter).

Preptober Prompts Day 10 – 2020

It’s the last prompt of the week! Drumroll please…

Who are the great heroes who have shaped your storyworld?

Lorcan and Valda (the Elfbournes’ parents) have been fairly instrumental in the shaping of The Hylands. They’ve already driven out King Julen once, and they’ve helped banish discrimination against faeries in The Hylands.

Valda’s father Willian helped defend The Hylands from Julen’s father Cordier; he died in battle, but not before he’d nearly secured victory and his men were able to finish pushing Cordier back.

There was also an older Lorcan, King Lorcan’s namesake, who was a renowned hunter and earned himself a constellation. (The following excerpt is completely unedited and I’m struggling with narrative voice in The Half-Elves, so… it’s not necessarily pretty, lol.)

Shael smiled a little and pointed to an archer constellation not unlike Orion back home. “This one is Lorcan, named after a Hyland hero of legend.”

Sarabrina looked up at Shael, hoping he’d expand on the story.

“King Lorcan was named after him, too, from what I understand.” Shael looked to Twilight for confirmation and she nodded. “According to legend.” Shael turned back to Sarabrina. “Lorcan was a great hunter. He was able to feed his entire city with a day’s spoils, and there were some who wished to make him their chief, but he refused to take the position. He loved the wild too much and didn’t wish to be encumbered by civilization.”

Sarabrina couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face at the joy of finding someone else who casually used extensive vocabulary.

“Lorcan was so great, in fact, that he caught the eye of Eloren Damerel—the First Dewin—who happened to have a problem with an overpopulation of Vollak in Thienid. That’s on Titania. Eloren, who had mastered inter-dimensional travel in his magical studies, came to The Hylands to enlist Lorcan’s help.”

Shael opened his mouth to continue, but Sarabrina held up a hand to stop him. “Hang on. What are Vollak?”

“They’re a primarily Titanian species of bipedal, wolf-like creatures. They’re really nasty to deal with, from what I’ve read, but they’re fortunately not found on Arken except in the most wild areas of Katar.”

Sarabrina nodded.

“Lorcan agreed to help with the Vollak problem, and saw it as the greatest challenge of his hunting career; he’d grown kind of bored of the ordinary wildlife around The Hylands. So he traveled back with Eloren. He spent two weeks trimming down the Vollak population in the woods of Thienid, but near the end of his hunt he spotted a golden stag. Immediately, he knew that this, not the Vollak, would be his greatest hunting achievement. He tracked the stag for five weeks before he was finally able to snare it. As Lorcan approached to kill the deer, he hesitated. The eyes almost seemed human. But he continued with his intent and killed the stag.

“Immediately, Eloren appeared in a rage and reprimanded Lorcan for his deed. The golden stag was creature protected by the Dewinen’s magic, and there were strict guidelines surrounding its death. Eloren immediately cursed Lorcan to wander Titania like a wraith for the rest of his days, but his exploits were so praised that Eloren gave Lorcan the blessing to be remembered in the stars after his death despite his error. And so, we have the archer constellation today.

“Or at least, so the legend goes.”

Don’t forget to follow Evelyn for next week’s character prompts! :D

Who are your world’s heroes? Are they as noble as they’re portrayed to be? What changes did they bring to your world?

Preptober Prompts Day 9 – 2020

Ooh, this is a fun one.

How do different characters view your core setting differently? Are any of those views accurate?

Saria views it as a magical fairyland. After all, she’s ten and she just found out she’s a princess. There is magic, and the people of The Hylands tend to be pretty cool, so she’s not entirely wrong, but of course nothing is quite as rosy as a fairytale.

Leafman doesn’t give a whole lot of thought to the setting itself, actually (although he misses things like electricity), because he’s too busy thinking about how miserable all the people are. (They’re not.) But, though he’d never admit it, he does find the capital rather charming and inspiring, with all sorts of pleasant, colorful characters in it.

Sarabrina finds The Hylands fascinating. She’s read so many books and imagined places like this for years, but to have a fantastical world like this actually exist? It’s full of things to learn, whether that be horseback riding or new constellations or how magic works or just how to live without electricity and indoor plumbing. On the other side of the coin, however, The Hylands are decidedly foreign to her and rather intimidating, and she’s not sure how much she should trust before she knows their history. As far as the capital is concerned, she finds it far too boisterous and chaotic and thinks it should have more order. Which is somewhat accurate, but there’s truly more order underneath it all than she understands yet.

Elk sees the capital more-or-less as it is. It’s loud and busy, but everyone is going about their own business and has no intention of interfering with anyone else doing the same. As far as The Hylands in general, he doesn’t even know what he thinks of them yet. He’s observing, he’s forming opinions… but he hasn’t stopped to think about them and thus mostly feels apathetic toward The Hylands as a whole. Once he gets in tune with his thoughts, he’ll realize he feels quite at home and the people around the castle are already like family to him.

What are your characters’ opinions of your setting? Do they have differing opinions about governance? How certain issues are handled within communities? Even just the people living there?

Preptober Prompts Day 8 – 2020

Does your story bring any permanent changes to the world in which it takes place?

Originally The Half-Elves ended in a war between Parenna and The Hylands, which would have brought permanent casualties to both sides, may have altered the landscape where battles took place, and would have torn an even wider rift between the two kingdoms.

For this version, however, that ending is rather implausible. So… Ah! This is a rather silly thing, but Elk introduces football to The Hylands, which catches on as a fun pastime. I’m sure there will be other, more significant changes that I just haven’t planned out yet, since this is still a significant conflict even without the full-out war. I’m curious to see what those changes will be!

How does your story alter the world in which it takes place? What are the long-term after-effects?