R.M. Archer's Blog, page 34

The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles Cover Reveal

Guys, I’m doing another cover reveal, but this time it’s for my own book! :D I’m so excited to share this with you, but let’s start off with the blurb.

 

All the fairytales you’ve heard are wrong, but I’m here to set the record straight.

I’m Solem Anders, Mirror-Hunter, and this is what really happened.

A Series of Unfortunate Events meets Disney in this short story series as Solem Anders pursues a volatile magic mirror across Farilin, seeking to destroy it and end its trail of tragedy. But when princess Eira steps in his path and enlists his help to overthrow her mother, he is lured into her Pack by the promise of information. Is this the shortest path to the mirror, or just a treacherous diversion?

With the mirror barely out of reach, Solem’s time is ticking away, and he’ll lose far more than a princess when the clock strikes.

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The book is releasing May 1st (that’s only fifteen days away!), but you can add it to your Goodreads TBR now!

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Wait for itttttttttt…

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TADA! Whaddya think? I’m super excited to see what it looks like in paperback form when my proof copies arrive. If this looks and sounds like a book you’d be interested in, jump over to Goodreads and add it to your TBR, and keep an eye out for a pre-order announcement!

The Heroes of Legend Character Tag

This is the second character tag I’m only half-stealing from Jenna Terese, and I’m sticking to the limitations that I can only choose characters from The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles (aside from, like, one question, the fairytales I used don’t line up with these questions. I.e. I’m breaking rules) or The Masked Captain.

Rules:

Very graciously thank the blogger who tagged you. (THANK YOU, MERIE!  And also Abigail, who also tagged me before I could post this

4-Part WIP Special – Part 2: Current Project Goals

Y’all, I’ve been so scattered over the past week. I’m sorry I haven’t posted anything. :P But I’m back now, and hopefully next week will go a lot more smoothly. (If all goes according to plan, I’ll have a Mirror-Hunter Chronicles cover reveal on Tuesday and start my blog tour for the book on Wednesday!)

But for now, here’s part two of the 4-Part WIP Special for this month. :)

What projects are you working on in addition to Camp NaNo during April?

As you might have guessed, The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. I finished editing them on Wednesday, I think, so now I get to move on to the cover design and formatting over this weekend and the blog tour starts Tuesday/Wednesday. :)

Give us some more info on these other projects – maybe a synopsis or aesthetic.

Happily!

All the fairytales you’ve heard are wrong. They’ve all been twisted to be acceptable for general consumption, but I’m here to set the record straight.

I’m Solem Anders, Mirror-Hunter, and this is what really happened.

A Series of Unfortunate Events meets Disney in this short story series as Solem Anders pursues a volatile magic mirror across Farilin, seeking to destroy it and end its trail of tragedy. But when princess Eira steps in his path and enlists his help to overthrow her mother, he is lured into her Pack by the promise of information. Is this the shortest path to the mirror, or just a treacherous diversion?

With the mirror barely out of reach, Solem’s time is ticking away, and he’ll lose far more than a princess when the clock strikes.

And you can find the Pinterest board here.

Which project is grabbing at your attention the most? Why?

The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. I’m prepping for a launch, of course! And this is my first purposeful launch, so it’s extra exciting… and kind of nervewracking. XD

Do you have any plans for how you’re going to finish these projects on the side?

Once the cover and formatting are done and I’ve gotten the blog tour rolling and everything, my main responsibilities are getting the final things set up (Goodreads page, Amazon page, etc.), posting on social media (both promotional graphics and stuff and links to the other posts in the blog tour), and commenting on other blog tour posts. Which, I think (I could be wrong), will be less time-consuming than, y’know, editing, and I’ll be able to take care of it more in-between my writing of The Masked Captain.

If you had to set all projects aside and only work on one, which would it be?

The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles.

What’s the next step for each of these projects?

Well, I basically already answered this, but… cover design, formatting, and designing promotional graphics.

Share a snippet from these projects?

“After breakfast, and a short conference in which Kinley explained to Ambrin what was going on and he scrawled out something completely illegible on a napkin, we headed further into Varemar. When we approached the capital—which was far more similar to what I was used to than Grell had been, which seemed wrong—Kinley presented the napkin scribble to the guardsmen and they allowed us to enter. I supposed from the response that it must have been Council authorization, though how the guards recognized that was beyond me.”

What’s your favorite thing about each of these other projects?

I love Solem’s voice in The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. He’s pretty… I guess snarky might be the right word? He was just a lot of fun to write, and I hope he’s also fun to read. :)

Do you have any non-writing goals to try to meet while doing Camp NaNo?

Nope, not really. Aside from keeping up with this blog (which… is still writing) and my Goodreads reading challenge. Ideally getting out of the book hangover that The Beast of Talesend has left me in…

Do these non-writing goals come before or after Camp according to importance?

My blog comes first (I’m on a schedule here. People are reading my stuff. I can’t just drop it. Plus it’s enjoyable and semi-quick and provides a break from fiction on the occasions that I need one.), followed by The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles, followed by The Masked Captain (Camp), followed by reading.

Be sure to check out the other link-up participants!

Jules
Nicole
Faith
Sarah
Catherine
Ceci

4-Part WIP Special – Part 1: Camp NaNo Goals

The 4-Part WIP Special has begun! For those of you who don’t know, it’s a collaborative, almost tag-like series that goes through the month of April (Camp NaNoWriMo) where the participants discuss their writing. This month’s theme is writing goals. Let’s jump in!

What WIP(s) are you working on this Camp NaNo?

I’m working on The Masked Captain. It’s a fantasy novel that I started years ago and never got around to finishing, so now I’m starting from the beginning and hoping to get it written and edited in time to pitch it at RealmMakers next year (assuming those plans work out).

What goal did you set for it, and why did you set that goal?

My aim is to write 65k, approximately 5k per chapter. It’ll be kind of short for a novel (especially a fantasy novel), but it’ll at the very least be a start. :)

Can you give us a short synopsis of the WIP?

Princess Rynn is tired of her father’s inaction. The kingdom’s military has fallen into disrepair after years of peace, but now wolf-men ravage the countryside at Scythia’s border, and the king is deaf to Rynn’s protests that he revitalize the army.

With no one else willing to rock the boat, Rynn leaves the castle under cover of darkness and dons a new identity–Aelgan Revine, military captain–and takes charge of the local military company. But will she be able to keep her true identity hidden under a mask, safe from both her men and her father, long enough to eradicate the lupine threat?

How long have you been working on this WIP?

I think I started it in February 2017 (from what records I can find), but I didn’t work on it very long before some other story caught my attention (probably Slander & Steel). This time around, I’ve been working on it since sometime in January 2019 when I started on my Scythian World Anvil articles.

Where did the idea come from?

One line of dialogue: “Clandestine meeting? I think you mean clandestine reading.” Which I think was probably based on my own habit of reading in the middle of the night when I wasn’t supposed to…

Do you think you’ll be able to meet your goal? Why or why not?

I think so. When I sit down and write, I can write a lot. I’m blessed with a lot of free time, and once I get started on something I can usually focus pretty well. It’s the getting started that might be a challenge, along with my focusing on publishing and promoting The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. But I don’t think those will have too large of a negative impact on my ability to write The Masked Captain.

Did you make any goals for March (Camp prep)? Were you able to fulfill those?

My main Camp prep goal was to outline The Masked Captain, which I did, and I had a lot of fun with it. (Apparently my outlining style is very snarky.) The main character arc came later in March and I didn’t actually weave it into my official outline, but I’ve mentally noted where I can work it into the story.

Are there any aesthetics/music you’d like to share? Any goals regarded to these artistic endeavors?

Not really… My Pinterest board is pretty boring (except for the sequel section, which contains spoilers), and my playlist isn’t expanded enough to share.

Share a snippet from your WIP

Here, have the opening scene:

Rynn’s eyes flashed open and she threw off the covers as quietly as possible. Grabbing her dagger sheath and book from the bedside table on her way, she tiptoed to the door and leaned close enough to hear Kallum’s steady breathing on the other side. Not steady enough to indicate sleep, of course. Kallum took his job far too seriously for that.

Cold radiated through her feet and she stepped back onto the rug as she strapped her dagger on over her nightgown. She crossed the room to the window, left open before she went to bed. She swung herself over the sill, letting out a low hiss as she banged her knee on the stone. The vine that grew oh-so-conveniently all the way from the ground to her solar window provided an excellent ladder—as it had many nights previous. Upon reaching the ground, Rynn took a deep breath of crisp night air and smiled, twirling once between lying down several feed from the keep window and cracking open her book to read by moonlight. She sniffed the pages and momentarily enjoyed the aroma before settling in completely, trying to ignore the howls from the northern forest but unable to fully banish her annoyance

Halfway through the night, she fell asleep to the sound of cicadas.

What’s a Bible verse that sums up the theme in your WIP? Or else helps you focus as you tackle what projects you’ve made for your goal?

One that helps me keep my focus where it should be is 2 Timothy 2:15-17a.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer.

It’s kind of nervewracking, but also helpful to remember that our words should have purpose and shouldn’t just be “idle babblings.”

Be sure to check out the posts of the other participants!

Jules
Nicole
Faith
Catherine
Sarah
Ceci

The Star Wars Character Tag

Two weeks ago, Jenna Terese did two character tags and left them partially open. I thought they looked cool, so I’ll be doing one this week and one next week, and I’m technically not stealing them. ;) And to make things challenging, I’ll only be using characters from The Masked Captain and The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles, since those are my two projects this month.

The Rules:

1. THERE ARE NO RULES.

2. Refer To Number 1.

3. There is one absolute rule: You MUST use your own characters (OCs) for this tag. (Brownie points if you add pictures of your characters.)

4. The Sorta Rule: Scream a huge thank you to whoever tagged you for this whilst treating them to a pizza dinner at your favorite pizza chain. (THANK YOU, JENNA. *sends over pizza*)

5. The Kinda Rule: Include This Link In The Post So That The Penny Can Read Everyone’s Answers To This Smol Strange Tag: https://asouthernbellewithstoriestotell.wordpress.com/2019/02/18/the-star-wars-character-tag-i-made-my-own-tag-halp/

6. The Rule That’s Not Really A Rule But It Would Be Great: Include the graphic and tag at least three Jedi or Sith Lords.

All of the images below are pulled from Pinterest and belong to whoever they belong to.
The Questions:

1. Who is your Obi-Wan Kenobi? (sassy, great mentor, but can be a bit strict)

Meet Kinley Charlton, from The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. I’m not sure she’s a great mentor, but she’s got sassy and strict down pat.

2. Who’s your Leia Organa? (feisty, incredible comebacks, and does their own thing)

Rynn Aryon. No question. (Well okay, a little bit of a question, because Ilene from The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles tried to sneak in there. But Rynn wins.) She’s quite snarky, and I definitely think sneaking out of the castle, donning a disguise, and repairing the military without your father’s permission counts as “doing your own thing.”

3. Who’s your Finn? (overeager, adorable, a cinnamon roll)

Sophie Jade from The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles fits this to a T. (Please note the character actually has very blue eyes.)

4. Who’s your Padme? (kind, loving, but also kick-butt)

Issabelle Eckard, without a doubt. She’s a mom of seven, which means she has to be kick-butt just to keep up, and she’d do anything to protect her family. (Also, she makes really good pie.)

5. Who’s your Count Dooku? (deliciously evil, extra, and sick burns)

Eira Evanly, from The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. She could easily earn “Drama Queen of the Year”.

6. Who’s your BB-8? (too cute, everyone loves them, can do no wrong)

Holland Eckard. He’s Issabelle’s five-year-old son, and he’s adorableeeeee. (Looking at my brother who’s the same age… Holland might be too perfect.)

7. Who’s your Yoda? (underestimated, extra, and wise)

Hayden Eckard isn’t extra (he’s kind of the opposite, actually), but he’s definitely underestimated and wiser than he looks. He’s one of those people who rarely talks, but when he does he gets everyone’s attention.

8. Who’s your Anakin Skywalker? (bratty, rebellious, whiny)

Rynn again. She gets better as the book goes on (unlike Anakin), but at the beginning of the book she’s definitely bratty. Not really whiny, but definitely bratty and rebellious.

9. Who’s your C3-PO? (always worrying, gives depressing information, constantly wailing)

Solem Anders from The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. He’s quite the complainer, and considering he consistently comments on things going wrong… Yeah. He’s a good fit here.

10. Who’s your Luke Skywalker? (hero, has been through a lot, has their share of flaws)

Ilene Jade. Sarcastic, kick-butt, antisocial Ilene. You wouldn’t think she’s a hero at first (or maybe even further into the series…), definitely more of an antihero, but she’s got a better heart than she lets on.

Nominees:

Allie at Of Rainy Days and Stardust Veins

Leila at Wildflowers and Cosmic Tea

Evelyn at The Rain-Drenched Writer

Introducing… Fairy Tale Central!

Once Upon a Time two girls had a dream. A dream of a fairy tale site–an internet library, if you will–for all the fairy tale lovers of the land to gather and converse. To learn, to read, to bask in the goodness that is fairy tales.

As this dream blossomed, the two girls recruited a third. Because, after all, all good fairy tales come in themes of three.

With the third member in place, the girls got to work. The dream began to take shape, until it was no longer just a dream. But something real.

Introducing…

This newly-launched site–run by Arielle Bailey, Faith White, and Christine Smith–is your source for all things fairy tales.

Every month a single fairy tale will be featured, and posts will include:

Reviews for retellings/shows/movies/etc.
Essay, origin, and discussion posts on the featured fairy tale
Interviews with fairy tale retelling authors
Galleries featuring fairy tale artists and artisans
And a whole lot more!

The FTC’s goal is to unlock the magic that is fairy tales and build a community of fellow fairy tale enthusiasts. Arielle, Faith, and Christine are thrilled to share this new fairy-tale-centric space and connect with all you epic fairy tale fans!

You can CLICK HERE to find the site and join the Fairy Ring! (Don’t worry, you won’t be enchanted or cursed.) And, if you want to connect even more, you can find the FTC on:

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Pinterest

(If you’re inclined to share about the FTC in those places too, you may or may not be blessed by a fairy godmother. *wink*)

Do tell a friend, or a dragon, or the fairy living in the hollow tree behind your house. All humans and mythological creatures alike are welcome!

Character Interview: Halder Eckard

Halder is another character from The Masked Captain, another friend of Rynn’s, and I love him so much. XD He’s sweet, honorable, fun, loves both storytelling and music, and is just all-around an awesome character. (I promise I didn’t set out to create nearly my dream guy, it just happened.) I hope you enjoy reading about him as much as I enjoy writing him!

Halder: *enters and holds out his right hand to the interviewer with a smile* Hello.

Interviewer: *shakes his hand* Hello. How are you today?

Halder: *takes a seat* Doing well. How are you?

Interviewer: Just fine. *smiles* Are you ready to get started?

Halder: *nods*

Interviewer: Excellent. First off, what’s your name?

Halder: Halder Lorne Eckard.

Interviewer: How old are you?

Halder: Seventeen.

Interviewer: Do you have any siblings?

Halder: *nods* Three older and three younger.

Interviewer: What are your relationships with them like?

Halder: *laughs* You don’t want me to go in depth or this will take all day. But I get along well with all of them. We’re all really close. *grins*

Interviewer: Do you have a job?

Halder: I do! I’m a minstrel in Peren–my hometown. I’m hoping, once I become an adult, to travel around Scythia more–and maybe even into Thienid–and share my skills there as well. *grins*

Interviewer: When will that be?

Halder: In about a year and a half.

Interviewer: I can tell you’re passionate about your job. What do you love most about being a minstrel?

Halder: Oh the smiles, definitely. *grins* I love making people happy, spreading joy, seeing the smiles on people’s faces… Both story and music have such an ability to influence people’s emotions, and I get to use them both. Occasionally I enjoy evoking other emotions, but joy is definitely my favorite.

Interviewer: What instrument do you use?

Halder: I play the lute, and I sing. I’ve had my current lute since I was nine, and it’s really special to me. *smiles*

Interviewer: Why is that?

Halder: My father got it for me for my ninth birthday, and my brother Horace has carved a design into it for each birthday since. It’s quite a beauty at this point.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite carving?

Halder: *takes a deep breath to think about it* The one from the year I turned fifteen–a falcon–has a special place in my heart because that was the same year I started entertaining for people other than my family and close friends. But I think the elm tree–from when I was ten–is my real favorite.

Interviewer: Why an elm tree?

Halder: *chuckles* I’m friends with the Aryons, Rynn and Rhylan, and we have an old hunting box we adopted as a playhouse when we were much younger. We still hang out there now and then, and it’s up in an elm tree.

Interviewer: Very fond memories, then, I take it. *smiles* Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Halder: I definitely gain my energy from people. When others are happy, I’m happy. When they’re not, I’m aware of it and do my best to cheer them up. Usually that involves telling a story about my brother Hunter and some crazy mess he’s gotten himself into. *laughs*

Interviewer: Do all of your brothers’ names start with H?

Halder: *nods* And my two sisters. It’s customary in noble houses for all the children’s names to start with the same letter as their father’s name. It gets pretty confusing in a family like ours with so many kids–not to mention my nieces and nephew–but I guess it works. *chuckles*

Interviewer: Wow. That sounds like a great exercise in creativity for the parents.

Halder: *laughs* Yeah. And a great memory exercise for the parents and the siblings both.

Interviewer: *laughs* What’s your favorite food?

Halder: Mom’s apple pie. Without a doubt.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite color?

Halder: Green. Any shade. It’s such a fresh, growing color. *smiles*

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite book or story?

Halder: The Lay of Veramar. It talks about the conflict that led to the Ellis and Beckham houses exchanging their lands with each other. Now instead of there being Beckhams of Beckham and Ellises of Veramar, there are Beckhams of Veramar and Ellises of Beckham. *chuckles at the interviewer’s confused look* Exactly. *sobers* But the story is a serious one, and I enjoy the music and poetry of the lay.

Interviewer: Well, I admire your knowledge of Scythia. *chuckles* I’d never remember all that.

Halder: *shrugs* Comes with the territory of being a minstrel, I guess. *grins*

Interviewer: What is your favorite animal?

Halder: Our dog, Finn.

Interviewer: A chocolate golden retriever, right?

Halder: *nods* How did you know?

Interviewer: *smiles* Rynn mentioned him when she was interviewed.

Halder: *grins* Cool.

Interviewer: Aside from the things you’ve already made clear–storytelling, music, history–what are some interests or hobbies of yours?

Halder: Gardening, reading, and running would be the other main things. And playing knights and dragons with Rynn and Rhylan. You never get too old to use your imagination. *grins*

Interviewer: Which of these is most important to you: kindness, intelligence, or bravery?

Halder: Kindness.

Interviewer: And honesty or selflessness?

Halder: Selflessness.

Interviewer: What’s something you can’t leave home without?

Halder: My lute. *smiles*

Interviewer: Well, that’s the last question. Thank you so much for your time. I enjoyed talking with you.

Halder: *nods and rises* You’re welcome, and thank you. I had a good time, as well. *shakes the interviewer’s hand and bows slightly before leaving*

Discovering Your World: History and How it Affects the Present

History is a foundation for the present. Without history, we wouldn’t be close to where we are today, and the same is true of your fictional world; all of the events in your world’s history have led up to where it is now, which is why it’s important to know that history and know how everything came to be the way it is. Let’s dive into a few things to think about when considering a world’s history.

Remember the Real Truth, and the Perfected Truth

As Kate mentioned in her guest post last week, we often remember ourselves–as individuals, as a culture, and even as a world–better than we really were/are. We sugar-coat the truth and conveniently blot out the ugly parts of our history because we don’t want to face them. As an author, you have to know the good, the bad, and the ugly of your world. Don’t stop when you reach the cool parts of your world’s history, but dig deeper and find out if that’s what really happened or if the people in your world have sugar-coated that part of their history.

Who Are the Heroes?

What historical figures are lauded for their exploits, looked up to, and emulated? What did they do to earn heroic status? Have they really earned the title of ‘hero,’ or are they remembered better than they were? (Take Kate’s list as an example.) Are they viewed as heroes everywhere, or are they seen as heroes to one culture and villains to another? Are there even disagreements on their status within a single culture?

Who Are the Villains?

What historical figures are viewed as evil, corrupt, or just incompetent? What did they do to earn such descriptors? Are they fully deserved? Are these figures universally viewed as evil (similar to Hitler), or are they viewed as villains to some and heroes to others? If they were viewed as evil when they lived, did that description stand after they died or was it realized that they were better than others had believed? What about vice versa?

Where Did Disputes Begin?

If you have two countries at war (or who just really don’t like each other), what started their issues? Is it simply a difference in values? Where did those values originate, and how long have these nations valued these things? Is it a squabble over land? Is this a longstanding argument, or one that’s just come up?

What Determined Borders?

Why are the borders between nations where they are? What trade was involved? How much do natural borders make a difference? Have armed conflicts shifted borders or broken up nations?

I’m going to use an event from my fictional region, Kersir, as an example. A long time ago (I don’t have a timeline yet), a nation from across the eastern sea invaded Kersir and the two nations that were there split into six. Alger split into an unnamed country, Alger, and Osanar; Eilis split into Veldan, Eilis, and Rasell. I don’t know yet why all of them broke off, but Veldan was formed in the chaos of the invasion, when Eilis’s slaves (most of whom were imported from outside the valley of Kersir) decided to claim a small portion of Eilis for themselves. Eilis, occupied with the invaders, didn’t have the manpower to deal with both issues, so they defended themselves and lost hold of many of their Veldani slaves.

During this same invasion Alger, which had valued entertainment and skilled craftsmanship, shifted its focus to military might and physical strength, aspiring for the same power as their invaders.

Following the invasion, a small handful of easterners took up residence in Kersir, but Eilis drove off the bulk of the force and most of the invaders returned to their homeland. (A homeland which clearly needs to be developed further.)

 

What’s one key event (or just one you think is cool) in your world’s history? How did it impact things in the “present day”? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Character Interview: Ari Beckham

Ari is a friend of Rynn’s from The Masked Captain. He’s quiet and generally attempts to play by the rules, but also has strong beliefs and will do what he has to, to do the right thing. He’s incredibly loyal to his friends and family. Enjoy his interview! :)

Ari: *enters the interview room and bows slightly to the interviewer before taking a seat* Good morning.

Interviewer: Good morning. How are you?

Ari: I’m doing well. How are you?

Interviewer: I’m all right. Are you ready to get started?

Ari: *nods* Whenever you are.

Interviewer: What is your name?

Ari: *shifts his shoulders* Ari Beckham.

Interviewer: How old are you?

Ari: Nineteen.

Interviewer: Do you have any siblings?

Ari: I have three brothers.

Interviewer: What’s your relationship like with them?

Ari: *shrugs, gaze skipping around* We care about each other. They’ve all gone off to work in the military.

Interviewer: Do you have a job?

Ari: I’m part of the main Scythian military. All my brothers are in a different platoon or the border guard. *still not making eye contact*

Interviewer: What does the border guard do?

Ari: *finally makes eye contact* Currently, they defend Scythia from Vollak.

Interviewer: What are Vollak?

Ari: They’re wolf-men. Or man-wolves might be more accurate. They’re more like wolves, but they walk on two legs and they have long, sinewy limbs.

Interviewer: What does the main military do?

Ari: *sighs* Currently, nothing. King Rayth hasn’t mobilized it in decades. It’s fallen into nearly hopeless disrepair.

Interviewer: Why is that? It seems like the border guard could use some backup from the inside.

Ari: *nods* They could. I don’t know what the king’s reasoning is. I don’t understand it.

Interviewer: Hm. *glances at question sheet* Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Ari: An introvert.

Interviewer: What’s your favorite food?

Ari: Pork hash.

Interviewer: What does that consist of?

Ari: Pork and potatoes and sometimes carrots and cheese.

Interviewer: That sounds good. Do you have a favorite color?

Ari: Not especially.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite book?

Ari: Not that I can think of.

Interviewer: What is your favorite animal?

Ari: I like dogs and horses.

Interviewer: What are your hobbies?

Ari: I enjoy playing chess.

Interviewer: Which of these is most important to you: kindness, intelligence, or bravery?

Ari: Bravery.

Interviewer: And honesty or selflessness?

Ari: *hesitates* Selflessness.

Interviewer: Last question. What’s something you can’t leave home without?

Ari: *lifts his sleeve a little to show a well-worn leather bracelet* I got this from my oldest brother when I was born. I had to grow into it, obviously, but ever since it’s fit I haven’t taken it off.

Interviewer: Thank you so much for your time. *smiles* Have a great day.

Ari: *stands and bows* Thank you. You too. *leaves*

Six Ways Your Fantasy World Isn’t as Idyllic as You Think – Guest Post by Kate Flournoy

What I’ve been calling “hitting hard topics in worldbuilding” is a topic I knew I wanted to tackle from the time I was planning this series. I also knew I didn’t have the experience to write about it. So, I poked around in one of my writing groups for a guest poster and was super blessed to have Kate Flournoy volunteer. Kate is awesome both as an author and as a person in general, and I would highly recommend checking out her blog. Before you do that, though, stick around to read this awesome post of hers. :)

What’s the first picture that comes to mind when you hear the word ‘fantasy’? You’ve probably been influenced a little by your reading choices— fantasy as a genre is very broad. But I would guess that deep down, fantasy means the same thing to all of us: something spectacular. Something glorious and strange and full of wonder and magic. Elves and fairies and misty mountains and sun that shines through golden forests and stars that weep silver rain.

I’m not here to take away from that.

I’m here to challenge you to broaden your definition of spectacular.

Speaking of definitions, I don’t see fantasy as an escape, as some critics claim. It’s not separate from reality, but a plunge directly into it. In light of that, we fantasy writers have a great responsibility to accurately portray the reality of the human struggle.

That’s all well and good in theory. It’s easy to resolve to write ‘real’ stories instead of ‘soapy’ ones. Where we stumble is when we knuckle down and try to figure out the nuts and bolts of putting ‘real’ words on our precious paper, and they’re just… so… ugly.

One character of mine originally came to me as a girl who had been captured as a child and sold into someone’s harem. When the time came to reveal that in her backstory I squeezed my eyes shut and forced my fingers to make the words happen. When I opened my eyes and read the sentence, I felt so sick in my stomach I just erased the whole sentence and took that moment completely out of the story.

That piece of her backstory is still there, nagging at the back of my mind. I still see her as a child who was taken advantage of and a young woman who was violated, though she moved on with her life.

I’m still struggling with that decision. On one hand, it’s a very uncomfortable moment that could potentially make someone especially sensitive put the story down. On the other hand, reality is full of such uncomfortable moments. Is it a betrayal of my calling as a seeker and portrayer of truth to gloss over something entirely true to life, just because it made me uncomfortable?

Let’s think about that for a little bit. While we’re thinking, let’s go through six things we often gloss over when we build our imaginary worlds, fantasy and science fiction and all their offshoots.

 

1. Cowardice is Easier Than Glory

Every world has heroes. Most of the stories worth telling are about those heroes, too. Because of this, our perspective can get skewed. Heroism becomes the norm. Every other character is renowned for something, and all the hero has to do to receive glory is kill a few dragons or defeat the dark lord and he’s glorified forever. Not to denigrate those accomplishments, but stop for a minute and think about the real world. How many heroes of dragonslaying proportions does Planet Earth actually boast? A few names come to mind. William Wallace. Robin Hood. Richard the Lionheart. Leif Erikson. Winston Churchill. Joan of Arc. Robert E. Lee. George Washington. Abraham Lincoln. Maybe Johnny Appleseed. But in the grand scheme of things? That is a pitiful number. Most of the world is full of average joes. It’s easier to be average than to be heroic. It’s easier to be a coward than it is to rise to glory.

Of all those average joes, every single one had their chance at heroism. No one but yourself can keep you from rising up to change the world. The ugly truth is, only a very few humans have the strength, determination, and selflessness to stand up and be somebody. Heroism is the exception to the rule. There are all kinds of heroes. You don’t have to slay a dragon to attain glory. But at the very least, you have to slay yourself, and that is a test the majority of humans can’t bring themselves to face.

The true heroism at the heart of your world’s great stories is the heroism of the heart. When you build your glorious empires, never underestimate the humble triumphs of a heart against itself.

 

2. We Remember Ourselves Better Than We Were

Chances are you read that list of heroes up there and had a bit of an internal reaction to at least one of them. Abraham Lincoln? Wasn’t he quoted as saying if he could win the war without freeing a single slave, he would gladly do so? Robin Hood? Wasn’t he kind of a thief? Joan of Arc… her story confuses me. And Richard the Lionheart shouldn’t have been so irresponsible with his kingdom.

And yet we remember them as heroes.

Why? Each of them accomplished great things. The world, arguably, was a better place because of them once they passed on. But if we studied their lives and weighed their accomplishments against their character, I wonder how many of the people and nations we admire would be found lacking?

Regal Britain built herself on the broken backs of conquered peoples. America, so great and noble and full of freedom, stamped out whole tribes in the name of progress. Because of William the Conqueror civilization came to ‘savage’ Saxony, but is progress worth the blood of thousands?

We don’t ask ourselves these questions. We remember what we want to; what makes us feel noble and clean. Even those of us who do remember the slavery and bloodshed and wickedness in our pasts relegate it to uncomfortable footnotes not to be discussed in polite conversation.

Time softens the worst of criminals, but only because we like to remember ourselves better than we were. We like to forget. It’s inherent in us as part of the human condition. How many heroes do you have in your world who didn’t deserve the name? How much ugly history has been glossed over? What would happen if someone discovered the truth?

 

3. Worldly Glory Comes at the Price of Moral Degradation

Wherever there is wealth and glory, it’s usually the result of injustice and oppression. How cynical of me, right?

But there are two kinds of glory. Glory in the eyes of the world and glory in the eyes of God. To all appearances, glory in the eyes of the world is the grander one. Kings have razed cities and built them back up in their name, filling them with the riches of conquered slaves and decking every street and palace in finery that glorifies their name. People walk miles to see the city with the name of a king, and no one walks by it without stopping to marvel at such splendid glory.

What is God’s glory? Tribulation. People are burned at the stake for the glory of God; for daring to live in His name in a world too full of its own. God glorifies those who glorify Him, but rarely to the material standards of the world. The two kinds of glory are diametrically opposed.

Fantasy is filled with stunning palaces, vast treasures, and sprawling kingdoms shining with glory. As you create your worlds, ask yourself where that glory comes from. Better yet, ask yourself what ugliness that glory is hiding. Anything grand that belongs to the world always hides something much baser underneath. Slavery, extortion, theft… the list goes on. What glories of God were trampled to glorify men?

 

4. People Will Fight Over Anything

We all know that moment when the hero stands up in front of his tired, jaded troops and gives a rousing patriotic speech challenging them to fight for their families and their country. This is realistic; people have fought for their families and their countries since the beginning of time.

However, this isn’t the only thing people will fight for. Look at the Crusades.

This applies to everything from global war to disputes between neighbors over smelly chickens. If you combed through the annals of world history looking for the root causes of every dispute you would find a thousand different reasons people went to war. You would probably also discover that many ‘holy wars’ were excuses for more material gain.

But the chief reason people fight is because fighting is easier than seeking a middle ground of commonality. Competition is easier than co-existence.

Fantasy, possibly more than any other genre, incorporates war. Ask yourself why your countries and characters are truly fighting. What would happen if they set their differences aside and worked to find a mutually beneficial solution? Is there a mutually beneficial solution? How important is their war morally? Is their war as morally important as they make it out to be? What would happen if someone decided to rebel against the easy path and try to convince the world of a better way?

 

5. Oversimplified Virtues Become Vices

Ever considered the difference between nationalism and patriotism? Patriotism is being proud of your country because of what it has done or what it stands for. Nationalism is being proud of your country regardless of what it’s done or what it stands for. Yet many people confuse the two, and the results are ugly.

Subscribing to a form of goodness without living that goodness as a transformation in your heart is just blindness. Yet we constantly oversimplify things, watering them down to a formula that makes us feel good without making us think. Nationalism isn’t the only vice born from this— racism is also a result. We tally up our virtues and excuse our faults, becoming the most perfect; the most holy; the most superior ‘race’. Slavery wasn’t that bad. Abortion isn’t a huge issue. Yes, but other people have done much worse.

The core of it is human pride. When we agree together that our pride is justified and we really do know best, it spreads like wildfire to whole peoples. We become numb to the heart and suffering of others. A host of cruelties, from slavery to genocide to infanticide result from it.

What prejudices do your heroes have? What cruelties would your ‘good guys’ brush off as inconsequential? How many of your morally upright characters, when confronted with an ugly truth about themselves or something they take pride in, would respond with ‘Yes, but…’?

 

6. Sometimes the Bad Guys Win

You knew this one was coming. This is probably the most basic ‘write true to reality’ tip, and the first thing we stumble across when we start down this road.

It’s true. We look at the world around us, and the people who win are the bad guys. Corruption, cruelty, and selfishness abound in places of power, and we wonder about God’s promise to judge the wicked and prosper the righteous.

But remember, earthly glory is not heavenly glory. Victory in the eyes of the world is not always victory in the eyes of God. His rewards and judgments are first and foremost in the heart.

Do not fret because of evildoers,

Nor be envious of the wicked;

For there will be no prospect for the evil man;

The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

Proverbs 24:19-20

This brings me to the thought I hope you’ll walk away with. Making your imaginary worlds more true to reality does not mean turning them into dark, hopeless places without a scrap of beauty. Because reality means what is real— and what we can see with our eyes is only half the picture. Depravity is real. So is mercy. Greed is real. So is sacrifice. Satan is real. So is Christ. Neglecting to show either side of reality in favor of the other is a mistake. They make sense of each other. Without God, there is no sin. Without sin, there is no need for God. This is the truest fantasy— the highest definition of spectacular and the realest form of reality. All ends tie into it, and all threads can be traced to this core truth.

Writing darkness without reference to a God of light is as useless as writing God without reference to the darkened world who needs Him. Don’t write darkness because ‘it’s realistic’. Write it because it exists to point us all to God.

Kate Flournoy is a die-hard country girl raised on Tolkien, Dickens, and Lewis and determined to change the world. She’s a shy drama queen, timid idealist, hopeful cynic, melodramatic logician, and intellectual poet who believes that simplicity is best and everything is possible… except her ever coming to like cheesecake. Let’s not get too wild here.

Since deciding she wanted to change the world, she’s channeled her energy into two different methods— writing, and helping other writers. You can join her list of permanently awesome people by picking up her free fantasy novelette, The World Turned Upside Down.

She blogs as the inspiration strikes her at https://kateflournoy.wordpress.com/