L. Jagi Lamplighter's Blog, page 38

Mab’s Handy Guide to Surviving the Supernatural

Mab here, Prospero Inc. company gumshoe.

As part of my campaign to protect you woefully-uninformed humans from your own folly—in hopes of saving even one of you from an elf-induced death, or worse—here is some of my gathered wisdom concerning the supernatural world. 

Read. Pay attention. And maybe you’ll live. 

For those of you who are just coming in, we’ve started with Tsukumogami, Japanese household objects that wake up after their 100th birthday and become animate.

I've twisted my head back and fort.

No idea how to see this as a saddle.  

Name:  Kurayaro

Description:   An animated saddle that can buck you off your horse all by it self.

Where To Find It: Barns, backs of horses.

Frequency:  Less than horses.

Danger Level:  Pretty honkin’ high!

Mab’s Eye View:  I like horses. Quite a few of them were fathered by us winds. My brother Zephyrus, in particular, likes those frisky mares (or maybe I should say: he liked to get frisky with those mares.)

But, man, riding? Really?

Pulling a chariot. I get that. Horses and chariots go together like a wind tunnel and a whooshing noise. The sun? The moon? Chariots.

But climb onto the back of a rambunctious animal and ride it? And then, after all that, risking getting bucked off by a 100-year-old saddle?

Man, you humans are crazy! 

 

Wright’s Writing Corner: Why I Deserted NY And Picked A Small Publisher For Series Number Two

Hey, today an updated reprint of an article of mine is appearing on the Book Daily blog. Here is the beginning and a link:

Mid-March, I will be sending my latest novel off the publisher.

Whohoo!

The Raven, the Elf, and Rachel, the second book in my Unexpected Enlightenment series—about an overly inquisitive British girl named Rachel Griffin with a perfect memory, who gets herself into endless trouble, romantic and otherwise, while attending a school for sorcery in New York’s Hudson Highlands—will be winging its electronic way off to my editor any day now.

When people hear this, I often find myself in the following conversation:

People: “So, you’re published by Tor, right?”

Me: “My first series, Prospero’s Daughter, is with Tor, yes. The Unexpected Enlightenment series is with Palomino Press, which is the YA imprint of a small publishing company called Dark Quest Books.”

People: “Oh? Did Tor reject the Unexpected Enlightenment series? That’s a shame. Tor is a great publishing house. They publish my favorite fantasy and science fiction.”

Well, folks, the answer is: I never submitted the Unexpected Enlightenment series to Tor.

Before I go on, I want to say: I love Tor. I am really proud that my first series was published with them. I hope to be published with them again.

So, why is my YA series with Dark Quest?      

Read More at Book Daily's Blog. 

Rush Out and Buy Six!

JUDGE OF AGES by John C. Wright–the third book in the Count To A Trilliion Series is now available at bookstores everywhere!

This book is non-stop action with twists and reversals, so rush out, buy one, and enjoy the ride!

(Local folks, the Fairfax Barnes and Noble has a bunch, should you want one.)

 

Caption This!

This week's candidate was kindly submitted by a readers. 

Caption This Winner!

Again, check out Sarah Chorn's photography!

                "Cheerweasel?!l Hands off! I'm not a Cheerweasel, do I look like I'm smiling? although…you may have many troubles, but from what I have learned most will never happen…there… now hands of my tail!"

Mab’s Handy Guide to Surviving the Supernatural

Mab here, Prospero Inc. company gumshoe.

As part of my campaign to protect you woefully-uninformed humans from your own folly—in hopes of saving even one of you from an elf-induced death, or worse—here is some of my gathered wisdom concerning the supernatural world.

Read. Pay attention. And maybe you’ll live.

For those of you who are just coming in, we’ve started with Tsukumogami, Japanese household objects that wake up after their 100th birthday and become animate.

Name: Kotofurunushi

Description:   100 year old koto (Japanese floor harp) that has come to life. Its music is said to heal the listener.

Where To Find It: Beautiful gardens

Frequency: Rare

Danger Level:  Negative.

Mab’s Eye View: Even I, wracking my brain, can’t come up with a reason to fear the Kotofurunushi. As spirits go, this one is entirely benign. It even heals people. I suppose you could theoretically trip on it, but the same thing goes for a cat. If you see one, rush off, get your sick grandfather or aunt, and enjoy.

Here's a koto that's not possessed…I think.

 

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Wright’s Wright Corner– Guest Post by Princess Alethea

Yesterday, I came upon a post by the lovely Princess of YA Fantasy, Alethea Kontis. In it, she expressed perfectly a sentiment I myself agree with very strongly. She very kindly agreed to allow me to repost it. 

The Harsh Light of Day

by Alethea Kontis

I seem to be having a problem with reality.

Mom and I just finished watching Austenland, an exceptionally cute romantic comedy that is Every Austenite’s Wish-Fulfillment Fantasy. Not surprisingly, one of the major themes of this flick is wondering just how thin that line is between fantasy and reality.

I read fantasy. I write fantasy. I’ve been a princess and a pirate and a pig-keep and a lady knight. I’ve been a sorceress and a scullery maid. I live the adventure, revel in the romance…and then I finish the chapter and either shut the laptop or close the book. I feel like I have a fairly good handle on What Fantasy Is.

Reality is a bit of a puzzle for me, though.

And don’t even get me started on “Reality” television.

What is reality? Is it paying bills and mowing the lawn and collecting receipts for taxes? Is it the stubbed toes and the tears and the extra fifty pounds? Does “reality” always have to focus on the bad things? Because I know there are happy things too. I know what it is to look into the eyes of a friend you haven’t seen in far too long. I know what it’s like to come home to a house full of a family that couldn’t wait to see you. (Granted, this only ever happened to me once, but it happened.) I know what it’s like to kiss someone you have lost your heart and soul to completely. And sure…that person may eventually be the wrong person, but inside that bubble of a moment life is blissful perfection.

So why is it that when we read that last sentence, when we write “The End”, when the credits roll, that reality seems like such a slap in the face? If our lives are what we make of them, then why does the coming-up-for-air portion feel like such a heartbreak?

Or is it just me? Have I spent too much time writing again today?

When Mom and I finished the movie, we put away what was left of dinner, did the dishes, threw in another load of laundry, and then I came in here to bare my soul and ask the world what my problem was.

What do *you* do when Coming Back to “Reality” seems too harsh for you?

————————-

Alethea Kontis is the author of several books, including the delightful Woodcutter Sisters series, which begins with the book Enchanted. (I spent Christmas day reading Enchanted and really enjoyed it.)

   

 

Overheard At The Wright Household!

Okay, everyone, sorry about the million posts. I had Facebook set wrong, so nothing that I posted appeared for a long time. Reposted most of it…I think.

John and the boys are playing Baroque (a version of Chess.) They made so many blunders, that they started replacing the word "turn" with "blunder" so I heard:

"Take your blunder."

"It's your blunder now."

And, when Orville got frustrated with the other two, "Will you blunder already?"

Mab’s Handy Guide to Surviving the Supernatural

Mab here, Prospero Inc. company gumshoe.

As part of my campaign to protect you woefully-uninformed humans from your own folly—in hopes of saving even one of you from an elf-induced death, or worse—here is some of my gathered wisdom concerning the supernatural world.

Read. Pay attention. And maybe you’ll live.

For those of you who are just coming in, we’ve started with Tsukumogami, Japanese household objects that wake up after their 100th birthday and become animate.

 

Note the hands reaching out of the kimono.

Name: Kosode no Te and  Jatai

Description:   Kosode no Te is a possessed kimono. The name is used to refer to two separate kinds of possessed kimono…if you can image such a thing.

The first is a prized heirloom in the form of a child’s kimono that has been passed from generation to generation. This tends to be the first thing pawned in hardship. Once it’s purchased and given to a new child, it can channel the owner’s will into action, which—if you know any children—you can imagine is not always a good idea.

The other kind of Kosode no Te is a robe once owned by a prostitute. Normally, when these ladies of the evening kick the bucket, they donated their fancy kimonos to temples in their wills. But if their clients owed them money, sometimes the gal’s ghost hangs out in the robe and tries to leave the temple to beg her old customers for money.

I’m including the Jatai, because it’s a possessed obi—the wide belts that go around a kimono. If these get too old, they turn into snakes filled with murderous jealous rage and go around strangling men in their sleep.

You can kind of see how these two work together.

Where To Find It: Temples, places people sleep.

Frequency: Thankfully low, especially nowadays as there are less kimonos than there used to be.

Danger Level: 

     Kosode no Te – varies depending on the will of the child and how much money you owe.

    Jatai – off the scale. Avoid at all costs. Even if it means giving up on sleep.

Mab’s Eye View: The Jatai is just a raging menace. Better destroy all obi’s, old ones anyway, just to be safe. Or for Pete’s Sake, at least lock them up.

As to the Kosode no Te, kids with magic powers—always a bad idea. If it’s not your kid, you might want to move out of the neighbourhood. If it is your kid, man, it was nice knowing you. Or, you could just not buy your kid a hundred year old kimono.

As to the other, men, if you have to behave like goats, good grief, at least pay your bills.

Evil obi about to slither off in a jealous rage.

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Wright’s Writing Corner: New Writing Tip–Long Live Exposition!

Recently, I added two new Writing Tips to my collection that I have been collecting for myself for years. The most recent one is:

Princess Elodie in her Expression Robe

Long Live Exposition – Use the Long Life the Queen system to evaluate where to put exposition.

Last week, I had to move a large chuck of exposition. It was stuck in the middle of a rather active scene and more than one reader had complained it was awkward and dull.

I realized tat it had to be moved. But where? Ideally, I wanted it in a place where it would increase the readers interest, rather than bore them. But how to find such a place? I thought it was fascinating.

How could I tell when readers would agree with me, and when they would groan and pull out their hair?

In the end, I divided it into four pieces, putting each part into a place where it added to the scene rather than subtracting from it.

I wish I could tell you I did it gracefully.

But I can’t.

I dissolved into a puddle.

When I recovered from puddlehood, I had an insight that will, God willing, help me avoid the puddle fate in the future. It was about how to evaluate a passage to decide if a given piece of exposition would increase or decrease the reader’s interest. This insight revolved around the Japanese girls video game: Long Live the Queen.

In order to explain my insight, I must first digress and describe the game.

And here she is in her Magical Girl outfit. Her expression changes when her mood changes.

 

Long Live the Queen is a text based adventure. You play an adorably cute fourteen-year-old princess named Elodie who must live to her 15th year in order to be crowned Queen.

Each week, you choose the classes you attends in order to gain skills you needs to survive. There are 39 skills to choose from, varying from Royal Deportment to Divination to Military Strategy Falconry to Magic. Each skill can be used to negotiate various events you must face.

You cannot learn all the skills. The key to reaching the coronation is to pick the correct skills to allow you to pass the challenges you chose to undertake.

Since learning skills is the difference between life and death, it is essential to learn as many as you can as quickly as possible. Whether or not you learn a given skill slowly or quickly depends upon your mood.

There are eight moods (Angry, Afraid, Cheerful, Depressed, etc..) The actives you do in your free time—such as going to court or sneaking out of the castle—raise or lower these moods. 

If you pick the wrong activity, you can end up producing the wrong mood. This means you suddenly have a negative to learning the skill you need to pass the next challenge.

Between the activities and the classes, comes the story. During these bits of text exposition, events happen. Friends visit. Commoners bring petitions. Nobles challenge you to a duel. Your country is invaded!

These events can raise or lower your moods. Sometimes, they include skill checks that you pass or fail depending on the classes you’ve chosen. Occasionally, there are choices to make. Do you raise taxes? Lower them? Or keep them the same? Do you execute your magic using aunt? Or let her live?

By now, I am sure you are wondering: what in the name of the All-Mighty this has to do with writing?

Here is my insight:

Imagine you have written that wonderful description of your character’s relationship with his grandmother that you find just fascinating. You really want to include it in your story, but you are not sure where to put it.

Use the Long Life the Queen rating system to decide where it should go!

Look at your scene. Pick some possible spots to put it. Then rate them in the following fashion:

If adding your exposition takes away from the prevailing mood of the scene –that is like the princess discovering she can’t learn a skill she wants because her mood is wrong. Mark that spot as a  –1.

If the exposition does nothing for the scene, that is like having your princess take a class in a skill that currently has no modifier. It’s okay, but there’s no particular gain.

And we all know how important it is to increase your skills before the next skill check—or you will eat the gift of chocolate without realizing that it is poisoned…and die!

We’ll call that position a 0.

If your exposition will change the mood of your character in a way that is beneficial to your story, mark that spot: +1

If your exposition leads to your character doing something (like the princess’s skills check), mark that spot: +2

If your exposition leads to your character to make a choice, mark that spot: +3

Put your cherished exposition in the spot in your manuscript that has the highest Long Live the Queen rating.

And if you can’t find a place to put it where it has an effect on the character? That’s the time to consider cutting it. Or rewrite it to have more of an impact.

If you remember this simple rule and apply it when adding exposition and backstory, you may make it to your coronation—in the form of publication—without ever dissolving into a puddle.

Which, really, is the best for everyone—especially your furnature.

 

 

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