R.M. Archer's Blog, page 35

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/

Character Interview: Rynn Aryon

Rynn is the main character of the novel I’ll be writing for Camp NaNoWriMo next month: The Masked Captain. She’s headstrong, rebellious, witty, and more than willing to break the rules for a good cause. I hope you enjoy her interview. :)

Rynn: *comes in and takes a seat* Hello.

Interviewer: Hello. How are you?

Rynn: I’m doing well. How are you?

Interviewer: Also doing well. Are you ready to get started?

Rynn: *nods*

Interviewer: What’s your name?

Rynn: Rynn Gisele Aryon.

Interviewer: How old are you?

Rynn: Seventeen.

Interviewer: Do you have any siblings?

Rynn: I have an older brother, Rhylan.

Interviewer: Are you two close?

Rynn: *nods and smiles* He’s a great brother. I get on his nerves rather often, but he’s patient and actually values my opinion, unlike some people.

Interviewer: Who do you have problems with?

Rynn: Mostly my father. He doesn’t want to listen to me, even though I’m right, just because he’s my father and he’s the king. He says I’m disrespectful.

Interviewer: Other than that of princess, do you have a job?

Rynn: Is this interview being written publicly?

Interviewer: No.

Rynn: *hesitates a moment* I’m a military captain. I go by Aelgan Revine, but a lot of people simply call me The Masked Captain.

Interviewer: Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Rynn: Introvert.

Interviewer: What’s your favorite food?

Rynn: Issabelle Eckard’s apple pie. Or really any of her pies. She’s an excellent cook.

Interviewer: Who is she?

Rynn: She’s Lady of Peren, and the mother of one of my best friends, Halder.

Interviewer: How did you and Halder become friends?

Rynn: I’m sure we met at some official function, being Princess and Lord-Dependent, but we really started getting to know each other when the Eckards invited my family for dinner when I was about six. His family is extremely welcoming, so Rhylan and I quickly became like a part of the family.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite color?

Rynn: Dark red. Which means I’m in luck, since it’s Scythia’s national color.

Interviewer: Any particular reason?

Rynn: *shakes her head* I just think it’s pretty.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite book?

Rynn: *eyes light up as she grins* Are you kidding? I have dozens of favorite books! The castle library is one of my favorite places. And I like spoken stories just as well, so I like to join the Eckards for their evening storytellings.

Interviewer: What is your favorite animal?

Rynn: I don’t have one type of animal that’s a favorite, but I do have a handful of favorite specific animals. Rhylan’s pet falcon, Aura; my horse, Legacy; and the Eckards’ dog, Finn.

Interviewer: What breed is Finn?

Rynn: A chocolate Golden Retriever. And Legacy’s a red dun stallion.

Interviewer: What are your hobbies, besides reading?

Rynn: Riding, running, sparring, that kind of thing. I do best with activities that require hand-eye coordination.

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

Rynn: Bravery.

Interviewer: And honesty or selflessness?

Rynn: Honesty.

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

Rynn: A book.

Interviewer: Thank you for your time. *smiles*

Rynn: *returns the smile* Of course. Thank you for your interest. *inclines her head before leaving*

Discovering Your World: Religion

Religion–or even lack of religion–is something that will deeply affect the way people live in your world, both individually and as collective cultures, so let’s get into the basics of building a religion.

Who Is God/Who Are the Gods?

Is the religion monotheistic or polytheistic? If there are multiple gods, what are their domains? If there’s only one, is he all-powerful? What are their personalities like? Are the gods really gods, or are they people (maybe superhumans) who have been raised to god status and worshiped? How do the people who follow this religion (or those who don’t) feel about this? Are they invisible or visible? Do they meet with their followers? Has this changed over the ages? Do they seek personal relationships with their followers or are they impersonal and distant?

How Do People Feel About Religion?

Do people who follow a certain religion accept people from other religions, or do they avoid them like the plague? Do they think the other religion is a blight on religion? Do they believe their religion will be the only religion someday? Or even that a different religion will someday be the only one? Do they really have faith in their god(s) or do they simply follow because of their family, or their culture, or because they have nothing better to believe in? Are there people who don’t subscribe to any religion? Why? What happens to people who convert from one religion to another?

How Is God Worshiped/How Are the Gods Worshiped?

Do they require sacrifices? Festivals and feasts? Are they prayed to? Sung to? Do they have religious texts to be studied? Do they expect people to meet with them personally?

How Does Religion Influence Everyday Life?

Religion influences people’s decisions, and culture’s decisions. Does the culture that serves a god of growing things have an abundance of gardens? People who seek to nurture everything they see? Does this carry over to children, leading to large families? Are non-gardeners looked down on? Do the followers of this god disdain those who follow the god of destruction and war, viewing them as uncultured fools? How would these followers’ views change if the god were personal vs. impersonal?

Fictional religions are a worldview issue for the author, as well as for the world. What you believe in will affect what sorts of religions you’re comfortable developing, and your worldview will end up woven into the final product. Keep that in mind as you develop your world’s religion(s).

Project Inspire

I’ve been meaning to do this “tag” since it first came up in January, but I never managed to schedule it in. Today I’m very privileged to be participating in Project Inspire, a non-tag specifically created to encourage and inspire fellow writers, which is something I love being able to do. So without further ado… the rules. :)

1. Thank and link back to whose blog you first saw the tag on; link back to the creator of the tag.

That would be Jenna Terese, for both. I saw Project Inspire as soon as it was created. :) Jenna is a fabulous author and blogger, and her posts are so encouraging and uplifting. Definitely check out her blog if you haven’t yet. Thank you, Jenna, for putting Project Inspire together, and for your blog in general. ^-^

2. Answer the questions given (when you mention a person in your answers, link to their blog/website if they have one)

3. Include 5 of the biggest things you’ve learned about writing, and how they’ve changed you.

3. Don’t tag anybody.

Character Interview: Catessa Regan

For those of you who don’t know, Catessa is the main character of both Slander & Steel and The Last Assassin. (And I just interviewed her and a friend of hers from TLA last week, if you’d like to see them interact with each other.) She’s a thief and assassin who’s fiercely loyal to her makeshift family, hates reading, and has always been more comfortable near the sea than further inland. I’ll be interviewing her around the time of TLA, but I might have to dance around some things to avoid S&S spoilers. Enjoy!

Catessa: *enters and takes a seat* Hello. *smiles*

Interviewer: Hello. How are you today?

Catessa: I’m doing all right. How are you?

Interviewer: Doing well. Are you ready to get started?

Catessa: *nods*

Interviewer: What’s your name?

Catessa: Catessa Regan Devlen.

Interviewer: How old are you?

Catessa: Twenty-one.

Interviewer: Do you have any siblings?

Catessa: Two half-siblings. And Tigress, who’s like a sister to me.

Interviewer: Are you close with your half-siblings?

Catessa: Not especially.

Interviewer: Do you have a job?

Catessa: I’m the king’s bodyguard.

Interviewer: How did that come about?

Catessa: *raises an eyebrow* What, you have a problem with it?

Interviewer: Not at all. I was just wondering.

Catessa: *doesn’t volunteer an answer*

Interviewer: All right, well… Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Catessa: An extrovert, usually.

Interviewer: What is your favorite food?

Catessa: Beef jerky.

Interviewer: Favorite color?

Catessa: Dark brown.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite book?

Catessa: The only book I’ve actually enjoyed: Xandolar’s Journals.

Interviewer: Is it fiction or historical?

Catessa: Historical.

Interviewer: What is your favorite animal?

Catessa: I like hawks.

Interviewer: What are your hobbies?

Catessa: Playing cards, dancing, sparring, exercising, that kind of thing.

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

Catessa: Bravery.

Interviewer: And honesty or selflessness?

Catessa: Honesty.

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

Catessa: At least one dagger.

Interviewer: That was the last question. Thank you for your time. *smiles*

Catessa: Thank you. *returns the smile and heads out*

Discovering Your World: Technology and Magic

You have a world, you have people to inhabit your world, and you know how the world affects the people. Now you get to find out what capabilities those people have through technology and/or magic in their day-to-day lives.

Technology
What Purpose Does it Serve?

You can either create a piece of technology and then answer this question, or you can build technology to serve the needs people would have. For instance, you could create a cool spinny device with propellers and recording abilities and decide it’s used for communication, or you can ask “What do these people use to communicate?” and develop the idea of a propelled recording device.

You’ll also want to think about how many different ways something can be used, either on its own or as part of something larger. Maybe the propelled communication device isn’t only used to relay information from one person to another, but it’s also embedded in fans and used as a surveillance tool, or used to eliminate the need for door-to-door survey people. Just get a propelled recording device to collect the answers instead! Technology is rarely used in only one way.

Who Uses It?

Is a propelled recording device so expensive only members of the upper class can buy it? Is it hard to make, so it’s rented out instead of being privately owned, so fewer are needed? Is it made of a material that a certain race can’t interact with, so only other races can use it? Is it considered taboo by certain cultures because they think it’s too big of a privacy risk?

Also think about how this might change over time. For instance, when computers were first invented they were only used by big companies, and they were way too big to fit in a private home. Now we have smartphones with almost all the same functionalities as a desktop computer, and almost everyone has one!

Magic

I know magic is something some Christian authors and readers are wary of, so here’s my (brief) personal take on it. To me, a fantasy world isn’t the real world, so the source of magic doesn’t need to be the same as in the real world. A lot of the magic in my own books is more like science that doesn’t exist on earth, or in-born like superpowers. In my opinion, these are totally fine. Fantasy worlds don’t have the same natural laws as Earth. It’s only when things get too similar to demonic real-world magic that I think things need to be handled more carefully and shown in a negative light, or avoided altogether.

With that out of the way, let’s get into it.

What Purpose Does It Serve?

What can magic do? Does it allow the bearer to influence others, like mind control? Does it allow them to talk to animals, or run at super speed, or see things others can’t?

As with technology, people are likely to try to find as many uses as possible for one type of magic. You can talk to animals? Cool! Go use your gifts as a tracker, or a bounty hunter, or a zookeeper, or even a meteorologist. You have super speed? Be a mailman, or a soldier, or a travel photographer. Just don’t try to join an Olympic race or you’ll be immediately disqualified.

If you have more fantasy-science-style magic, is that glowing fungus used to help you live longer? To give you more acute hearing? To make your brain work to a fuller capacity so you can ace that next test?

Who Uses It?

Are people born with magic? Can they learn it? Can it be transferred from one person to another?

Who can find that glowing fungus of longevity? How expensive is it? Is it only found in the heights of the mountains, giving rise to a myth that the mountain men are immortal?

How Is It Treated?

Are people with magic embraced in society, or shunned? Is there a mix? Are people with powers worshiped like gods, and if so, how do they feel about it? Is this practice discouraged or encouraged? If magic-users are shunned, are they completely exiled, or simply ignored?

Do people think the longevity fungus is a great way to spend more time with the grandkids, or an unnatural and unnecessary life-drug?

What Is the Price?

Do people with super speed tire more quickly? Are mind-controllers more susceptible to being manipulated themselves? Do people who can talk to animals often have a parade of wildlife following them everywhere? Does that longevity fungus give you an awful stomachache?

Magic loses its credibility if it gives your character too much power without a setback. You don’t want to end up using your world’s magic as a deux ex machina somewhere down the line.

What Is Its Base?

Is your magic system powered by the four elements? The five senses? The phases of the moon? Or is there only one variety of power, cut and dry? If there are different varieties, what are they and why? Do people with a power based on smell simply have a heightened sense of smell? Can they smell emotions? Can they identify people based on smell? Are they just really good at identifying people from only a picture of their nose?

How Is It Integrated with Technology?

Have cobblers started making heavy-duty, heat-resistant shoes for people with super speed? Are there hats that block the influence of mind-controllers? Can you diffuse the oil of the longevity fungus and get the benefits without the taste? Do animal-whisperers have bracelets that keep animals from incessantly trailing them?

Are there any varieties of magic that enhance technology, instead of technologies that enhance or block magic?

Hopefully this has given you some ideas for your own technology and magic systems. Let me know down below whether you prefer more tech or more magic in your books, and what your favorite fictional piece of technology or magic system is. :)

The Nameless Book Tag

I snagged this tag from Catherine at . Thanks for turning a blind eye while I stole it. ;)

This tag doesn’t actually appear to have any rules, so let’s get into it!

1. What book has been on your shelf the longest?

In total? Of my unread books? Of books I have read but not since I acquired them?

I think I’ve probably had Eragon the longest, but that’s totally a guesstimation. I really have no idea.

2. What are your current read, your last read, and your book to read next?

Last read: The Coronation by Livy Jarmusch (4 stars)

Current read: Masques by Patricia Briggs (4.5 stars)

Book to read next: Probably Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne (guess rating: 4-5 stars)

3. What book did everyone like but you hated?

The Collective by R.S. Williams… oh my. I’ve read glowing reviews of this book on Goodreads and it makes me just go “??????” because that’s the first book I ever was okay marking up… and I marked it up significantly. (The above link is to my review.)

4. What book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read but probably won’t?

All the books waiting to be read on my Kindle. And the majority of the books on my official Goodreads TBR list.

5. What books are you saving for retirement?

Consciously, none. Practically… a lot of them. (‘Cause my TBR is absolutely going to stretch into retirement. XD)

6. Last page: read it first or wait until the end?

WAIT UNTIL THE END.

7. Acknowledgement: waste of ink or interesting aside?

Interesting aside. I mean, I don’t always read the acknowledgements, but when I do I tend to enjoy or at least appreciate them. I understand how many people go into making a book possible, and I think it’s a nice way for an author to show humility, I guess, and give credit where credit is due.

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

*references bookshelf* Hope from The Coronation, or Kaylie Keaton from Dreamtreaders. I’m gonna stop at the top shelf, ’cause I’m sure I could go on. XD Except, y’know, a bunch of characters end up in mortal peril…

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (place, person, time)?

Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker. It reminds me of a former friend of mine, and the time around him leaving for college. I related a lot to that book, when all that was going on, so now that’s a permanent association.

10. Name a book you acquired in an interesting way

I don’t especially acquire books in interesting ways? But I guess Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy, which I won in a Goodreads giveaway (the first Goodreads giveaway I ever won), then realized has a bunch of LGBTQ+ themes I’m not going to be a fan of, then realized is an Advanced Review Copy. Or, I guess, The Winds of Cumberland by Bodie and Brock Theone, which I got after helping a couple friends help their family-friend clean up their house to sell it, I think? And there was a box of books they were going to get rid of, so I went through it and grabbed that one. That was probably years ago, and I still haven’t read it because I realized when I got it home that it’s book three in a series.

11. Have you ever given a special book away to a special person for a special reason?

There’s never been a super dramatically special thing like that, no. But I bought A Thousand Perfect Notes for one of my best friends for her birthday in August and read it in two sittings (dinner’s the only reason it wasn’t one) before giving it to her, because 1) I’d been super excited to read it and 2) I wanted to make sure it was good before giving it to her, lol. It was definitely good. It’s one of my favorites now and I really want to get my own copy. XD

12. Which book has been with you the most places?

I don’t really take books places. 1) I tend to be going places I’ll be doing other things and 2) I try to keep my books pristine. So probably Dracula, because I started reading it at work, took it to choir with me for waiting times, and then finished it at work. Yep, two places is tops for me. XD

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school but wasn’t so bad later?

I’ve avoided any of the required reading I hated. I hated it, so why would I go back to it?

14. Used or brand new books?

I prefer brand new because I like my books to be more pristine, but I have several used books on my shelf and I don’t like them any less. Plus it can be a fun challenge to see if I can make a book look better than it did when I got it. (I tend to challenge myself to that any time I borrow a book from my best friend, who takes her books places and thus doesn’t keep quite so pristine. XD)

15. Have you read a Dan Brown book?

No.

16. Have you seen a movie that you liked better than the book?

The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure, and The Fault in Our Stars. (The Fault in Our Stars book was AMAZING, and I felt like the movie just emphasized that instead of detracting from the source material. The Scorch Trials and Death Cure books were just bad and I was able to enjoy the movies, so definitely an improvement, even though I thought they could easily have changed the ending which was stupid in both versions.)

17. Have you read a book that makes you hungry, including cookbooks?

Not that I can think of.

18. Who is the person whose book advice you will always take?

My best friend’s. Our tastes do differ, in that she tends to prefer sci-fi and I tend to prefer fantasy (there is some overlap), but we appreciate the same quality of writing and we’re uncomfortable with the same sort of content and that kind of thing, so if she recommends a book I know it’s good.

19. Is there a book out of your comfort zone or reading genre that you ended up loving?

Several of them, actually. The Secret of the Rose series by Michael Phillips, which is historical fiction, which I ordinarily really dislike. I don’t like the second, third, or fourth books as well, but I love the first book.

Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker, which is also historical fiction. For some reason this one read more like a contemporary to me, so I didn’t mind it as much.

Fallen Leaves, The Fault In Our Stars, and A Thousand Perfect Notes. These are the reason I’ve removed contemporary from my mental “genres I don’t like” list. Every time I read a contemporary, I end up thinking “Why do I always think I don’t like contemporary?” XD

I’m not going to tag anyone specifically, but if you’d like to do this tag and you haven’t yet, feel free to steal it. Let me know if you do, so I can read your answers! :)

Bonus question: How many books have you read this year, so far? Let me know in the comments!

Character Interview: Catessa Regan & Tiberius Alister

I’ve interviewed Tiberius before, but apparently not Catessa. That’s interesting. I’ll have to fix that soon. But anyway, today I’m going to interview the two of them together, as a couple. I really enjoyed diving back into The Last Assassin, and their relationship. They’re so much fun together and they’re so close to #relationshipgoals for me. XD I hope you enjoy their interview as much as I did!

Both: *come in and sit*

Interviewer: Welcome! How are you two today?

Tiberius: Doing well. *smiles*

Catessa: *nods* I’m good.

Interviewer: Are y’all ready to get started?

Both: *nod*

Interviewer: What are your names?

Tiberius: Tiberius Alister.

Catessa: Catessa Devlen.

Tiberius: *glances at her, surprised she chose to use that particular surname*

Interviewer: How long have you two known each other?

Tiberius: Two months, I think? Roughly?

Catessa: You’ve been keeping track?

Tiberius: *chuckles* Only a little.

Interviewer: How did you meet?

Catessa: *smirks* He called be beautiful and got my dagger pressed against his throat.

Tiberius: *grins* I did. And then she matched me strike-for-strike in a knife-throwing contest.

Catessa: *her smile spreads into a grin* So I did. And then, unfortunately, our fun was cut short as I had some business to attend to.

Interviewer: I suppose you’ve mostly answered my next question, then. Did you like each other when you first met?

Tiberius: Definitely. She was intriguing, beautiful, skilled… *catches a playful look from Catessa* And still is.

Catessa: *chuckles* He was bold, mildly arrogant, unwisely flirtatious, and surprisingly graceful.

Interviewer: What are your favorite things about each other?

Catessa: He’s fun and audacious, but also encouraging and serious when he needs to be.

Tiberius: She’s… thoughtful, I suppose. And real. She’s skilled, but she knows there’s room for improvement, and she generally doesn’t esteem herself too highly or too low.

Interviewer: What is your favorite thing to do together?

Both: Duel.

Catessa: Throwing in some chocolate muffins doesn’t hurt anything, either. *grins*

Tiberius: No it doesn’t.

Interviewer: How would each of you describe your relationship?

Tiberius: *turns to Catessa* Ladies first.

Catessa: *chuckles* Well… Fun. Challenging. Uplifting, I guess, for lack of a better word.

Tiberius: *smiles* Like she said, fun and challenging. It’s a relationship that encourages growth, in both of us, I think.

Catessa: *nods* Definitely. That’s mostly what I was going for with “uplifting.”

Interviewer: What are your love languages, and how do you show affection to each other?

Catessa: I’m pretty sure my love language must be teasing. *laughs* That’s mostly how Tiberius and I show affection to each other. We tease each other to no end. *grins at Tiberius*

Tiberius: *nods, grinning* We tease each other, we challenge each other, we encourage each other. I’m not sure what my love language is, but I’d guess it’s spending time with someone.

Interviewer: What’s your favorite memory together?

Tiberius: Well, we already mentioned the chocolate muffins… *chuckles* She bought us chocolate muffins one time and wouldn’t give me one until I beat her in a game of cards, except she’s better than me at cards. Or maybe just better at cheating. *glances at her with a grin*

Catessa: *eyes twinkle*

Tiberius: Anyway, she won, of course, and I had to snatch the muffin on my own.

Catessa: You picked the boring one to share. *crosses her arms and rolls her eyes away from him, smirking* But both of them are great memories.

Interviewer: What’s the most embarrassing story you two have together?

Tiberius: Does the fact that when we got muffins that time and came back to my ship, it was after I’d told one of my crew members I wasn’t going to see Catessa? *chuckles* In my defense, I really hadn’t been planning on it.

Catessa: I’m not sure I buy that. You were the one who started talking to me, not the other way around.

Tiberius: Well once I saw you I decided I might as well hang out with you again. But that wasn’t my goal when I first left for the square.

Catessa: *snorts* Suuuuure.

Tiberius: *rolls his eyes with a chuckle*

Interviewer: If you could each do one thing for the other, what would you do?

Catessa: I’d help him polish up his Pleside. His footwork is a bit clumsy. *smirks*

Tiberius: *shrugs* Anytime. I’m sure my men would enjoy watching us dance again. *chuckles* *his expression becomes more serious* I’d help you clean up the mess you made so you can forgive yourself. *smiles softly*

Catessa: *smiles back* Thanks.

Interviewer: What are some of your shared hobbies?

Catessa: *gestures to Tiberius* You want to say?

Tiberius: Sure. Cards, dancing, swordplay, knife-throwing… Those are the main things.

Catessa: *nods*

Interviewer: Where is your favorite place to go, hang out, or explore together?

Catessa: The Speed Demon. His ship. *turns to Tiberius* Right?

Tiberius: *nods* That’s what I’d say.

Interviewer: Who was your first girlfriend or boyfriend, for each of you?

Catessa: My guildmate, Roth. He and I were together for a long time.

Tiberius: Until Catessa, I actually never had a girlfriend. There was one girl I thought I might build a relationship with, but then I became a pirate and by the time I visited home the first time she was married, so… that clearly didn’t work out.

Catessa: *turns to him* Really? I would have expected all the girls would be dying to be with you. *there’s only a hint of teasing in her voice*

Tiberius: *chuckles* When I left home I was still a gawky seventeen-year-old. I guess a few girls have probably had interest in me since then, but I wasn’t really looking for anyone. *shrugs*

Interviewer: Well, that was it. *grins* Thank you so much for your time.

Tiberius: *stands and shakes the interviewer’s hand* Absolutely. Thank you.

Interviewer: Oh, it was my pleasure. *grins*

Catessa: *shakes the interviewer’s hand with a smile before she and Tiberius leave*