Scott Appleton's Blog, page 10

News: restoring antique books

One of my favorite pastimes when I was growing up was driving around with my mother to book sales. Especially sales at the small libraries house in old New England buildings. Sorting through rows of books to find the types that excited and educated my young mind. It has always been a dream of mine to restore the “lost” treasures I found and read while growing up, and I am pleased to begin with The Sea Lord.

This year I am pleased to begin the expansion of Flaming Pen Press as my family business. Efforts include publishing Neverqueen2, setting up The Sea Lord for publication, and exploring re-opening Flaming Pen Press to original fantasy submissions.

The Sea Lord tells the life and adventures of Sir Francis Drake, whose boyhood home was a beached ship. Written in a very entertaining manner (but not an embellishing one) this work will particularly appeal to young men. Homeschool students will love the fluidity of the prose, as well as the lack of modern twisting of the history to satisfy current social trends. Instead of delivering opinions on Drake the author stuck to the story as history showed it.

I picked this old book up at a library sale many years ago and have since discovered that it has fallen out of copyright. It is a real gem that I know you will be glad you added to your personal library. The goal is to offer it in paperback and digital form.

The trickiest part of the process will be preserving the original illustrations, which brings you the mood and authenticity that I value in this work. Besides that it is a lot of time that I am spending to transcribe the text into a Word document. Some companies choose to scan the pages of old books and release them in that manner, but in doing so they risk loss of text and lack of an editorial eye.

The Sea Lord is merely the first in a large collection of antique books that I will be restoring over the years.

Q: Do you know of any old books that you wish were again available in print form?

Why not buying a new iPad set me up for a better 2017

It was one of those moments. A struggle. For a few months I’ve debated whether or not to upgrade my iPad 2 (which I’ve had for over five years) to the new and impressive iPad Pro. A little more than a week before Christmas a retailer offered a great price on exactly the iPad I want. I thought it over hard and caved, running into the store after work to make my purchase… The very next day I returned it and my reasons for doing so will help you understand my vision for 2017.

Returning the iPad Pro was hard. I really was excited about my purchase. It is an excellent machine and I’d really like to get handy at creating original digital artwork with the Apple Pencil. But it all came down to one thing for me: Priorities!

While it is true that my iPad 2 runs slow and can’t effectively update anymore, it is still serving the limited purposes to which I use it. Checking email, researching on the web, streaming videos, and keeping tabs on my book sales. I have found it to be a lot easier to use my iPad for many applications that I used to use my laptop for. It is my intention to get an iPad Pro at some point in the near future with the intention of using it to replace both my old iPad and my laptop computer. My current devices are fully capable of taking care of the work I now do with my writing, publishing, and other creative endeavors.

In 2016 I accomplished a few of my goals but not as many as I wanted to. So for 2017 I have come up with a resolution statement that I hope will help you, as well, to keep proper focus as you set your goals.

I have all of the resources that I need in order to achieve the quality of life that I desire for myself and my family. This year will be a focus on creative endeavors and appreciating life without the need for new “things.” Things cannot bring happiness or success and coveting only leads to discontent and a non-productive life.

Why are we always looking for the next best thing? All that we need is right here at our fingertips. God, family, ambition to succeed. The greatest visionaries do not consider the limits of their assets, but they rather grow despite those limitations.

A child who is given everything will grow up with an appreciation for nothing. In the same way a man who has everything will have appreciation for nothing.

If we can approach this new year with contentment and a strong work ethic, imagine how our souls will feel renewed!

Q: Do you recognize the correlation in developing good character in one’s self through adversity?

Wildfires and Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday season for me. A reminder of closeness in dependable friends and dear family. This year the wildfires raging in the mountains of North Carolina and South Carolina have given my family new perspective on gratitude as the clean air we take for granted filled with smoke.

Is it not incredible how delicate the balance of God’s creation is? After a severe drought the land combusted like a match, while the coast was hit with some of the worst flooding in decades. Two extremes. One point to make:

We humans are not as powerful or in-control as we believe ourselves to be.

A structure that took a lifetime to build will collapse in a moment when its foundation suffers from an earthquake. A people can be at the peak of power but a famine will put them at the mercy of their enemies. And anyone who has suffered through a home fire can attest to nature’s humbling might.

During times of prosperity we forget to thank God that we are not suffering. In times of blessing it is easy to rise in pride, forgetting Who brings the rain.

This holiday season is a time of reset. Thanksgiving reminds us of God’s physical provision for us. Christmas remembers the love of the Father. And when the New Year comes I remember God’s hope for my future.

Too many times I have been dragged out of spiritual focus by the world around me. But God reaches out with continual grace, forgiving and drawing me to Himself. Each new year the commitment to be more faithful must be renewed, for it is only in walking humbly in light of our flesh’s weaknesses that we gain victory.

Wildfires. They rage without and within.

Eyes to the future, the new year. What do we want our lives to look like in a year? I hope we can say that we lived out of humility and gratitude. My own sins and shortcomings are the Devil’s sharpest darts.  This year has seen its share. Fortunately God is faithful even when we are not.

What have you placed confidence in for the New Year?

Advantages of freeware for writers

For over a decade I’ve been a dedicated and happy user of Adobe Photoshop for all my photo manipulation needs. From book cover creation to blog post headers the program has been invaluable. But now everything shifted to a subscription service. The result? I am moving over to Gimp, a freeware software. Zero cost and excellent tools for the same projects.

The problem arose that my budget for my writing endeavors is limited and limited funds need to be set aside wisely in order to produce quality products for my readers. I am not a fan of the whole  subscription-based idea. At $20 per month Photoshop now costs $240 per year. I’m not short-sighted… so I see the math of spending that money over the next five years. Yep, the same program that could have been purchased and installed on any desired machine for a few hundred dollars is now running over $1,000. To me that seems like Adobe greed and a foolish purchase on the part of a small business owner (such as myself).

You will notice that my recent blog posts have not featured header images (which I love to do). Windows 10 blocked my installation of Photoshop 7, which I’d used for many years, and even blocked the install of CS2.

The choice seemed clear now. I would need to downgrade to Windows 7 and buy one of the last versions of Photoshop that is available on disc. Discs can be used again and again… digital copies limit my options.

Another choice is one that I am currently exploring and achieving success with: Disposing with Photoshop entirely in favor of freeware version Gimp. My problem with Gimp has been the learning curve. At first I found it difficult to migrate to it from Photoshop. It does not feel as intuitive, more like it was designed for code experts. This could be due in large part to the fact that what I had is what I am familiar with, but Gimp does seem more confusing than any other software I’ve attempted to learn in a long time. And the learning curve requires precious time. I’ve been tempted to renew my subscription to Photoshop but then I think, “Get off your lazy butt and learn Gimp… and save yourself a hefty chunk of change in the process.”

Thanks to some youtube videos Gimp is growing on me. Initial challenges are being overcome and I am finding it simpler than I had thought to learn it.

Freeware is a powerful asset. One I am becoming more inclined to focus on. The products cost nothing but are often user-focused instead of created by companies looking first to their own profit. Freeware is created by those who do it for the love of it, not the profit in it. As a creative this is attractive to me.

We will see which wins out. My familiarity with Photoshop, or my frugal nature and the desire to conquer a new challenge. So far I see Gimp winning out in a big way.

Q: Do you have frustrations or celebrations of subscription-based software?

 

Dealing with immorality when writing fiction

During contract negotiations some years ago my fantasy novel Swords of the Six went before a Christian publishing house’s committee and a couple of editors raised objection with the violence in the story. I remember the acquisitions editor asked for a good response to their concerns. Back then I felt in my soul what I wanted to say, but it was difficult to put it into words. Fortunately another editor had foreseen this and I was able to satisfy their questions by showing them why I believed violence was a necessary element in that novel.

In my books and my short fiction I deal with tough subjects, darker themes. Being a Christian empowers the clarity of good versus evil, yet it presents its own set of challenges when well-meaning parents or readers object to elements of my stories’ content. Violence and romance are a couple of examples.

As a guideline I like to look at what God left us: the Bible. And what is the Bible full of? Along with good deeds it is full of violence, theft, incest, rape, murder, and all kinds of wickedness. But what the Scripture does not do is glorify the sin or the sinner.

Some have argued that those sins are shown only because they are part of history, but it’s important to note that these things are not glossed over. Rather, they are often told in great detail. As to historical context, a simple summary of an evil act or an act of violence would suffice but instead we are often given the details.

A prime example is Ehud who slew King Eglon (Judges 3:12-30). Some would consider the details of Eglon’s death gross and gratuitous. Who wants to picture stabbing someone who was fat enough that his body fat prevented Ehud from pulling the blade back out?

But because of the details we experience disgust, and those who are inclined toward wicked deeds find themselves horrified at the consequences of God’s retribution.

In past ages children were not sheltered as much as conservative Christian American children are from tales of violence and cruelty. Well-meaning parents often miss the point of showing the good along with the bad. The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, and without a fear of God no one flees into His arms for salvation.

Christianity has the advantage in fiction because it demonstrates love and fear, wonder and evil and horrors. Without the darkness we cannot see how bright the light is.

When fiction is written to be “safe” it creates unrealistic expectations for relationships and our lives. It paints a picture in our mind of ideal people in ideal or easier circumstances.

It is my conviction that we need less “sanitized” fiction and more honest fiction. We need to stop avoiding evil in story in order that the light can reveal the darkness for what it really is. Too often conservative Christian youths enter the world and find that “Surprise! Sin is pleasurable.” But if they are taught to discern instead of avoid, they will have greater defense against temptation because they know that the pleasures of sin only last for a season.

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for  a whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For  the one who sows to his own flesh  will from the flesh reap corruption, but  the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7,8 ESV)

Instead of interpreting what is good by how we were culturally raised, let’s learn it from how it is demonstrated in Biblical and historical narratives. Instead of worrying how culture will respond to our writing, let’s be excited to share through stories that are true to our earthly existence, even if that means we have to drag readers through darker events and wickedness.

Show the good, but show the bad too. The Biblical cannon demonstrates this repeatedly. Writing is only powerful as long as we are willing to let it take us through the muck as well as the green fields.

Q: Which subjects do you avoid when reading fiction?

Nothing like a stormy sea in fiction

Nothing is so chilling to the mind as being marooned at sea, or shipwrecked, or worse yet to be drowned in the depths of the sea. The sea has always fascinated me and in my writing I have sometimes alluded to this fascination… and this fear. There are many mysteries still to be solved in its depths, and fascinating histories and myths to which we can set our minds. Whether reading about it or writing about it, the sea offers a humbling reminder of how powerless we truly are in the face of God’s creation.

In my second novel I found opportunity to write a short, albeit fun glimpse of the mysteries of the sea. In Offspring Ilfedo is dragged into the Sea of Serpents, battling the creatures for which the sea is named. But beneath the surface lies a strange sort of city, filled with sentient creatures. They are only seen briefly before Ilfedo is returned to the surface to finish his battle with the serpents, yet it was a nod in my writing to my passion for stories of the sea.

When I was a boy I loved reading about pirates and privateers. I remember one particular true story (and I wish I could remember from which book). This American was engaged to this beautiful young woman and had a close friendship with her Puritan-type father, who was a respected merchantman. This American was in the fledgling U.S. Navy at the time and he had been tasked with hunting a notorious pirate. During his hunt he happened upon his soon-to-be father-in-law and boarded the merchant ship for a pleasant conversation and dinner. Suddenly everything transformed into chaos around him. Barrels that appeared to be filled with legally-traded goods were discovered hide stores of weapons and pirate loot. The merchant’s crew attacked the navy crew and the merchant himself attempted to kill his would-be son-in-law. That American returned home having slain his beloved’s father and–as the story goes–he never revealed the truth of it to either his wife or his mother-in-law. So far as she was concerned her father died tragically at sea at the hands of the dread pirate. If she had only known that her saintly father had been living a dark double-life.

That story and so many others stuck with me.

The creatures of the sea can be terrifying and the lore of large octopus, giant squid, and sharks gives this deep dread of the ocean depths. The loss of such ships as the Titanic and the subsequent discoveries and explorations of it and so many ships that are vastly older make the sea seem to be a time-capsule. Things that are lost there may remain lost for centuries and upon rediscovery their contents can be profoundly fascinating.

If there is any creature on this planet that is as old as the planet, it would have to be contained in the sea. For the land and the mountains were flooded so that for a time the entire world was covered in water until the waters “subsided” that Noah could repopulate the earth. What a thought!

There are depths of the sea that have not yet been explored. It is in constant change, the life beneath it growing even as the ships it wrecks are overgrown with coral. I have an old book simply titled Buried Treasure that documents with text and photos the sea escapades of a treasure hunter. It is fascinating. One account was of a sunken portion of a medieval town. It was reported by the people living along that coast that the bell from the old church could still be heard to toll. Of course everyone else thought they were just making the story up, cast in superstition. The treasure hunter made a dive into the old town and found that entire buildings were still standing, in particular the old church. What everyone had thought to be a myth ended up as being proven right, for it turned out that when the ocean current changed the old bell would bong once again.

Another book I read related the facts and the fiction of old stories of giant sea serpents. There were sightings of those creatures and even one that was caught… and that was the inspiration behind the sea serpents in my fantasy novels.

In exploring the facts of the sea, one is able to expand upon the myths of the sea. In understanding what it is one fears about the sea, one is able to write more honestly about the power of the sea. In understanding how small we are in comparison to nature, one is humbled into acknowledging the power of the Creator. We are the created ones and when we acknowledge that insignificance our writing creativity is empowered.

Q: What aspect of nature both compels your imagination and terrifies you?

How to use music while writing

Music. Like a literary masterpiece it has the ability to depress your spirits or make them soar. It can deepen sorrow, strengthen resolve, bolster you through tough times, and make sweet moments more memorable. When writing I have found it can be a great ally.

My father loves classic rock and roll, also country music. But he’s not a fan of the ‘pop’ country artists. Something I’ve always appreciated is good story in music lyrics and I think that appreciation comes from being his son.

On the other side of influence is my mother. She loves classical music. From an early age I loved Mozart, Vivaldi, and especially Tchaikovsky and Strauss. How I love the 1812 Overture!

When writing I choose music without lyrics because my mind is distracted by the spoken word when it is creating with the written word. For some writers this may not be true, but for me it certainly is.

Some movie soundtracks make excellent inspiration. My movie soundtrack selections range among Rudy, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Lord of the Rings, The Time Machine, Pirates of the Carribean, and Gladiator.

The key is for the tracks to blend almost seamlessly together. That way it can encourage a certain writing mood for long enough that I can write out a longer scene or even a total chapter.

In the last couple of years I’ve found some modern, digital compositions that work as well. The group Two Steps From Hell has some excellent epic music.

The best way to zone out from the world around me and fall fully into my imagined one is to sit down with my headphones on, computer keyboard positioned before me, my digital manuscript open on the screen, and listen to music with my eyes closed. Sometimes it can take a half hour before inspiration strikes, but when it does I feel like smiling (and often do). Music can so deeply relax my body and yet it keeps my mind sharp.

This year because I’ve not found time to sit and do this my writing has fallen behind. But this is one of the best ways to start a great piece of story. Emotions engaged. Soul inspired.

Q: Do you use music to inspire your writing?

Ups and downs of the book publishing world

The first introduction I had to the world of Christian book publishing was at the Glorietta Christian Writers Conference in New Mexico. I was an eager unpublished writer with only a small following on my blog. I’d written some short stories and a few of them had been published in online magazines. The largest payment I’d received on my fiction writing was  (around) seven dollars. At that writers’ conference, I now know, I was about to step aboard the publishing roller coaster that alternates between building dreams and crushing them beneath its wheels.

Nothing will hold you through the publishing journey if you don’t have a love for writing in your soul. That must be engrained in your heart. We will fight to preserve something we love… But many people have a mere curiosity, a need for social esteem. They think “How cool would it be if I published a book?” Little do we realize a love of writing has to be in our blood because the emotional rollercoaster is going to shove our writing in the mud, and put our social life on hold.

Fortunately for me I didn’t enter the world of publishing with expectations of making a lot of money or achieving national fame. Reading and writing open the world to me and those around me. I love to write. Therefore I would write if only a few people cared to read my material. Why? Because it is worth the creative struggle to bring the world literature. By God’s blessing my books have now sold over 20,000-copies and I’ve been encouraged by each email and message I’ve received from new readers and avid fans.

The roller coaster has never stopped.

Back in 2007 I was sending new endorsements and swapping edits with the then-editor at AMG Publishers. For about two years it went back and forth, with hope of contract then the light at the end of the tunnel would dim again as someone on the publishing committee dismissed it. Eventually it was rejected.

All during the negotiation process I read and researched extensively on publishing and business. It led to my founding Flaming Pen Pres to release my first novel Swords of the Six.

To make this long story short, I went from self-published, to a contract with AMG for my first three novels, and published my last two novels under Flaming Pen Press.

In my experience working with the traditional publisher, while a thrill all its own, has been detrimental to my writing career. Do not misunderstand me, there are huge benefits also. But when I had my first novel under my own direction I knew I could keep it in circulation, keep it in front of readers, and build on its success.

Traditional publishing gave my work exposure to new markets. But looking back I realize that signing that first contract took my book out of circulation just when it was hitting a great level of success. I was forced to publish a collection of short fiction in order to appease readers who were begging for my second novel, which they couldn’t have until after the first was re-published by the publishing house.

Another challenge came when some buyers did not approve the cover art for my second novel. The publisher opted to get a different cover art and it didn’t fit the vision I had for the book originally. Again publication had to be delayed.

Sticking with growing my own publishing company would have all-but eliminated that roller coaster ride. Controlling your own business means growing it at a steady rate acceptable to you, controlling the quality and nature of your products.

Case in point are my novels Neverqueen and The Phantom’s Blade which I put under my own Flaming Pen Press. These titles look and feel how I want them to, read the way I want them to, and sales are steady and slowly growing.

With traditionally published titles marketing for them flows and then dies. Publishers move on and sometimes close down.

Moving forward I am looking to build Flaming Pen Press again and eventually publish other people’s books. Years ago I attempted to do so with Kestrel’s Midnight Song but I failed in a couple areas when making that business decision. The author worked hard, the book won an award, but having set up the book printing a more costly way we took a financial hit on returns.

What is awesome about that is that I own the company. We can learn from mistakes and evolve the business so that it makes financial and artistic sense. Books should be non-returnable so that retailers can’t carelessly order more than they need and ship back damaged product at the publisher’s expense.

A slow and steady growth in book writing, publishing, and marketing empowers the writer to establish trends, rather than following them. It’s one way of avoiding the industry’s roller coaster effect. It is not for everyone because not all writers want to learn the management of their own publishing company. But my compass points more certainly in that direction these last couple years.

Q: What hurdles have you faced in your writing?

Are sidekick characters necessary?

Merry and Pippin fumbling across Middle Earth. Donkey jabbering his way out of trouble with Shrek. Sidekicks abound in fiction. With their success has come an unwritten expectation that great fantasy (and fiction in general) requires sidekicks. Modern culture prizes comedians above serious thinkers, adding to the problem.

While we can relate to the reasons a sidekick can sometimes empower a story, there are also drawbacks we must recognize. Sidekicks provide an easy release of tension in emotionally uncomfortable or charged situations. Their primary function is (often) to provide comic relief in situations that the protagonists are sweating over.

What is the drawback to this? We need to be fully absorbed in the story’s moments, especially with their most uncomfortable moments of tension. We need to sweat with the protagonist, not have some other character insert a distracting jab that attempts to lighten the mood. Surely there is a time and place for that, but often the humor is better left out.

Story is a powerful conductor of thoughts, ideas that motivate, and convictions that make the reader want to change or improve themselves. Humor distracts, makes light of, and de-emphasizes truths that build good character. I have spoken before about not modeling ourselves after the villain… but it is also imperative that we not look to comedians and sidekicks as our role models. Humor is a gift to be used sparingly. Deep thought and consideration of how humble and small we are beneath God should be our focus. Meditation and reflection are more beneficial to our souls than the funniest jokes.

Sidekick characters have trouble taking things seriously. They see humor in every moment. They get so caught up in jesting that they are either slow to mature or miss the opportunity to mature altogether. There is great wisdom in keeping silence. There is vast spiritual reward in learning to think, live, and act in sobriety.  “Be sober, be vigilant, for your adversary the Devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” (quote from 1 Peter 5:8 The Bible).

It is easier to be foolish than it is to be sober. It is easy to jest especially when it has become the cultural norm. When I look back at some of the great fiction I loved I realize they did not use sidekick characters. Pilgrim’s Progress, Robinson Crusoe, etc.

I do believe sidekick characters serve necessary purposes in some stories, but I do think they are overused. The focus of story most often should be a sober consideration so that we can benefit from the tale we read. The trick when writing in sidekick characters is to not think of them as sidekicks. Let the story guide the character’s evolution so that you (the writer) begin to know their personality. As your understanding of the character deepens you may find opportunity to throw in a little humor, but the beauty of humor is in its spontaneity. Therefore let the sidekick characters be spontaneous and do not drown their story segments in predictable foolishness.

Humor is a gift from God, if used wisely. But used frequently it creates endless foolishness and leads to spiritual decay.

Q: How do you view sidekicks in fiction?

 

Focusing on reaching Christian readers

Thank you to all who participated in my 2016 Reader Survey! I learned some valuable things that have helped me make some important decisions for moving forward with my website and writing. Finally I have enough data to move forward knowing who is being blessed and responding best to my writing. Before I get into the fun stuff (for the changes I’m instituting for this year) let me share with you some of the survey results:

The vast majority of my readers are devout Christian singles under 26-years-old. They are most interested in getting more novels in The Sword of the Dragon series (including the Neverqueen saga). On my blog they prefer to read about Reinforcing Christian Values through Writing Fiction.

Writing a weekly post for my blog has become all-consuming of my writing time of late, especially with my other commitments. To be candid I am writing far too little fiction and making far too little progress in continuing the novels and stories you all have asked me for. So to free up my creativity I am going to assign my blog posts to the first Monday of each month, no longer putting out a weekly article. Every now and then I plan to throw in an extra writing tip or glimpse into what I am writing. This will allow me to focus on the best content for the website but also to focus on the fiction writing.

I am spread too thin and my energies have been less effective as a result. It is my hope that this will empower my writing to get back on track with the fiction writing, putting my mind back in the story creation process. I have so many good stories to tell and I so badly want to finish writing them. But all in good time!

The second change I am making is a big one for me. My novels have had broad market appeal, reaching people from many different political and religious persuasions. But the people who disagreed with my stances prove time and again that I cannot “straddle the fence” so to speak. Some who despise my Christian values have gone so far as to attack by calling me names or reaching assumptions that were not true. I know in Whom I have believed and I believe He is able to bring all to a knowledge of repentance and that all must repent of sin and turn to God. This message resonates with the readers who are my kindred spirits and I fully intend that my focus will now be on writing chiefly as a Christian author. Christian readers most appreciate where I am coming from, they know me best. They rally behind the right things and call out the things that are wrong.

We are in a spiritual battle, and the way I am gifted to fight the spiritual is to lead hearts and minds through powerful writing that convicts, uplifts, and strengthens the faithful as I grow in my walk with the Lord. It is time to narrow my focus to the Christian readership because there my writing is having the right impact on people’s lives. Please pray for me as I move forward with these changes. Some will not be happy with my decision, but I know that ultimately God will bless it.

Q: How does your faith impact your creative pursuits?