Joshua P. Simon's Blog, page 40
October 19, 2011
What Makes a Great Story? Description-Setting
The last two posts in my series entitled "What Makes a Great Story?" were about how an opening sets the tone for the rest of the story and various ways an author can pull the reader in. You can read the first part HERE and the second part HERE. Today's post moves on to how authors use description to define a story's setting.
Description is one of those areas that few readers or authors can agree on. Some readers like authors who paint a scene using long, detailed descriptions so there aren't any blanks left to fill in on their own. Authors who excel at this method tend to be those with a natural knack for language in general. As readers, we can sometimes overlook the longwinded nature of this approach because the author's prose is so eloquently put together.
On the other hand, some readers prefer descriptions to be brief and to the point. In this case, the author gives a few general facts about a scene or character's appearance and trusts the reader's imagination to fill in the rest. This description works great if you're trying to keep the story moving at a quick pace. The thought behind this method is that if it isn't important to the story or character, then it's not important to the reader.
I personally lean more toward the latter camp and prefer short descriptions. That doesn't mean that I don't occasionally enjoy those longer, more detailed descriptions. However, VERY few authors can truly pull off page after page of descriptive prose without totally losing the reader. And even still, I would argue that their story would be better without it.
The odd thing about the fantasy genre is that for many readers, the world itself is often as much of a character as the people who inhabit it. As a result, certain readers are not only accustomed to lengthy, detailed descriptions, but many expect it.
As an author, I know that I will never be able to fully satisfy both camps. The best thing I can do is write using the method that I most like to read.
This means that most of my descriptions are pretty general with a few details mixed in as needed to make sure the world seems "real" to the reader. Again, that doesn't mean that I won't, on occasion, take several paragraphs to describe something if I feel it is important to the story. But it isn't something I do often.
There are two methods I find most effective when handling description. The first is to start a scene with a paragraph, maybe two, focusing only on the setting. Afterward, move into the story, while reemphasizing those first few points, adding slowly over time to the scene. If I do describe something in detail, I try to ensure that the next time the characters are in that place, I won't describe it again. A sentence or two at most is all a reader needs to trigger what they've previously read. Then, it's time to move on.
The other method is much harder to do. Basically, a scene is described through dialogue, internal thought or character development. If done correctly, the reader never realizes they are reading a large amount of otherwise boring detail because they are so engrossed in the story.
Below are three examples of description I pulled from books I've read. The first is very detailed. The second is detailed, but in more general terms, not focusing on the minutia. The third is given to the reader while developing character and story.
So, which approach do you prefer? And why?
Description is one of those areas that few readers or authors can agree on. Some readers like authors who paint a scene using long, detailed descriptions so there aren't any blanks left to fill in on their own. Authors who excel at this method tend to be those with a natural knack for language in general. As readers, we can sometimes overlook the longwinded nature of this approach because the author's prose is so eloquently put together.
On the other hand, some readers prefer descriptions to be brief and to the point. In this case, the author gives a few general facts about a scene or character's appearance and trusts the reader's imagination to fill in the rest. This description works great if you're trying to keep the story moving at a quick pace. The thought behind this method is that if it isn't important to the story or character, then it's not important to the reader.
I personally lean more toward the latter camp and prefer short descriptions. That doesn't mean that I don't occasionally enjoy those longer, more detailed descriptions. However, VERY few authors can truly pull off page after page of descriptive prose without totally losing the reader. And even still, I would argue that their story would be better without it.
The odd thing about the fantasy genre is that for many readers, the world itself is often as much of a character as the people who inhabit it. As a result, certain readers are not only accustomed to lengthy, detailed descriptions, but many expect it.
As an author, I know that I will never be able to fully satisfy both camps. The best thing I can do is write using the method that I most like to read.
This means that most of my descriptions are pretty general with a few details mixed in as needed to make sure the world seems "real" to the reader. Again, that doesn't mean that I won't, on occasion, take several paragraphs to describe something if I feel it is important to the story. But it isn't something I do often.
There are two methods I find most effective when handling description. The first is to start a scene with a paragraph, maybe two, focusing only on the setting. Afterward, move into the story, while reemphasizing those first few points, adding slowly over time to the scene. If I do describe something in detail, I try to ensure that the next time the characters are in that place, I won't describe it again. A sentence or two at most is all a reader needs to trigger what they've previously read. Then, it's time to move on.
The other method is much harder to do. Basically, a scene is described through dialogue, internal thought or character development. If done correctly, the reader never realizes they are reading a large amount of otherwise boring detail because they are so engrossed in the story.
Below are three examples of description I pulled from books I've read. The first is very detailed. The second is detailed, but in more general terms, not focusing on the minutia. The third is given to the reader while developing character and story.
The light grew clearer as they went forward. Suddenly the came out of the trees and found themselves in a wide circular space. There was a sky above them, blue and clear to their surprise, for down under the Forest-roof they had not been able to see the rising morning and the lifting of the mist. The sun was not, however, high enough yet to shine down into the clearing, though its light was on the tree-tops. The leaves were all thicker and greener about the edges of the glade, enclosing it with an almost solid wall. No tree grew there, only rough grass and many tall plants: stalky and faded hemlocks and wood-parsley, fire-weed seeding into fluffy ashes, and rampant nettles and thistles. A dreary place: but it seemed a charming and cheerful garden after the close Forest.Fellowship of the Ring, J.R. Tolkien
The Monastery grounds were split into training areas, some of stone, some of grass, others of sand or treacherous slime-covered slate. The abbey itself stood at the center of the grounds, a converted keep of gray stone and crenellated battlements. Four walls and a moat surrounded the abbey, the walls a later addition of soft, golden sandstone. By the western wall, sheltered by glass and blooming out of season, were flowers of thirty different shades. All were roses.Legend, David Gemmell
We used the skulls and poles to mark the bounds of the camp. I had the interior laid out in a checkerboard cross with the center square for the headquarters group, the four squares on its points for four battalions with the squares between as drill grounds. The men grumbled about having to set up for twice their number—especially since certain favored individuals, who had been performing weel, only had to stand around holding poles with skulls atop them.Dreams of Steel, Glen Cook
So, which approach do you prefer? And why?
October 17, 2011
Music Monday - Men Without Hats
The first song that I can remember obsessing over as a kid was Safety Dance by Men Without Hats (Hey, I was a child of the 80s).
I remember asking my mom to play that song over and over despite never really understanding the words. According to her, I referred to it as the "wigga nuts song." Thankfully, I have an excuse as the song came out when I was only two.
I don't know if it's out of nostalgia or not but I still actually like the song and for some reason it popped into my head as I was deciding what to do for my Music Monday post.
So, for all those that thought I would only be posting Heavy Metal videos, surprise!
I remember asking my mom to play that song over and over despite never really understanding the words. According to her, I referred to it as the "wigga nuts song." Thankfully, I have an excuse as the song came out when I was only two.
I don't know if it's out of nostalgia or not but I still actually like the song and for some reason it popped into my head as I was deciding what to do for my Music Monday post.
So, for all those that thought I would only be posting Heavy Metal videos, surprise!
October 14, 2011
Three Quick Reviews
I've finished up a few books within the past couple of days so rather than designate a blog post to each with detailed reviews, I thought I would combine them into one post and give a quick high level summary of each. Let me know your thoughts if you decide to give them a try.
The Viscount and the Witch by Michael J. Sullivan
I have been meaning to read Michael Sullivan for some time and for one reason or another kept putting it off. This was my first sampling of his work and I enjoyed it a great deal. This short story is a prequel to his series entitled The Riyria Chronicles. It did a great job of setting up the relationship of the main characters while also enticing the reader to discover what would happen next.
The short story also has a free excerpt of the first chapter of Theft of Sword, his first book being re-released through Orbit. It is also really enjoyable. Needless to say, I'm going to have to make time for all of Orbit's re-releases of Sullivan's work.
I hope the series will feature a few more short stories/novellas of the early years similar to this one.
Overall a 9/10
Strange Worlds by Andrew Kincaid
This is the second book by Andrew Kincaid that I've read. Like his other book, On Dark Paths, Strange Worlds is a collection of short stories. The feel of this book is different than On Dark Paths but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think as with the first book you can see Andrew's talent as a storyteller and his ability put down a good idea to paper shine through. However, the biggest complaint I have with this collection is that several of the endings came up short and were not as satisfying as the narrative leading up to that point. Granted, I still think this is a book worth your time and money.
Oddly enough, as with On Dark Paths, my favorite story in each collection was his take on zombies (both original in my opinion).
Overall a 7.5/10
Legend by David Gemmell
Legend is one of those classic books in the fantasy genre that I've been hearing about for quite some time and one I'm thankful I finally got around to reading. Actually, I wish I had read this book much sooner.
David Gemmell wrote the kind of book that I love to read. Many of the characters are larger than life but still very relatable. Characters both major and minor are well developed. The plot is engrossing, the description vivid, and the pace never slows down. Best of all, you could almost believe this story really took place in some ancient land long ago.
It's rare that after only one book I would say that an author is one of my favorites but I actually felt that way halfway through the book. Needless to say, I'll be picking up more books by Gemmell in the future, specifically moving onto the rest of the books in the Drenai Saga (this was the first book).
If you are still unsure if this is for you then read how one character describes Druss the Legend, an amazing warrior.
Overall a 10/10
The Viscount and the Witch by Michael J. Sullivan
I have been meaning to read Michael Sullivan for some time and for one reason or another kept putting it off. This was my first sampling of his work and I enjoyed it a great deal. This short story is a prequel to his series entitled The Riyria Chronicles. It did a great job of setting up the relationship of the main characters while also enticing the reader to discover what would happen next.
The short story also has a free excerpt of the first chapter of Theft of Sword, his first book being re-released through Orbit. It is also really enjoyable. Needless to say, I'm going to have to make time for all of Orbit's re-releases of Sullivan's work.
I hope the series will feature a few more short stories/novellas of the early years similar to this one.
Overall a 9/10
Strange Worlds by Andrew Kincaid
This is the second book by Andrew Kincaid that I've read. Like his other book, On Dark Paths, Strange Worlds is a collection of short stories. The feel of this book is different than On Dark Paths but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think as with the first book you can see Andrew's talent as a storyteller and his ability put down a good idea to paper shine through. However, the biggest complaint I have with this collection is that several of the endings came up short and were not as satisfying as the narrative leading up to that point. Granted, I still think this is a book worth your time and money.
Oddly enough, as with On Dark Paths, my favorite story in each collection was his take on zombies (both original in my opinion).
Overall a 7.5/10
Legend by David Gemmell
Legend is one of those classic books in the fantasy genre that I've been hearing about for quite some time and one I'm thankful I finally got around to reading. Actually, I wish I had read this book much sooner.
David Gemmell wrote the kind of book that I love to read. Many of the characters are larger than life but still very relatable. Characters both major and minor are well developed. The plot is engrossing, the description vivid, and the pace never slows down. Best of all, you could almost believe this story really took place in some ancient land long ago.
It's rare that after only one book I would say that an author is one of my favorites but I actually felt that way halfway through the book. Needless to say, I'll be picking up more books by Gemmell in the future, specifically moving onto the rest of the books in the Drenai Saga (this was the first book).
If you are still unsure if this is for you then read how one character describes Druss the Legend, an amazing warrior.
When he stares, valleys tremble; where he walks, beasts are silent; when he speaks, mountains tumble; when he fights, armies crumble.C'mon it doesn't get much better than that! I hope one day I can write something that cool.
Overall a 10/10
October 12, 2011
Influences - Glen Cook
Glen Cook is my favorite author. If Howard got me into reading fantasy, Cook is the writer who made me want to try my hand at writing it.
Cook's been at the top of my author list since I first picked up The Black Company novels. The Black Company is an epic fantasy series that follows an elite mercenary unit through several decades of their history. It currently stands at 10 novels long (collected in 4 omnibuses) with rumors that Cook may write two more. Personally, I love every book in the series but some feel that the middle books are a bit slower. I just think their focus is different. The last book of the series is maybe one of the most satisfying and gut-wrenching endings to a series I've read yet. In many ways it is so perfect that I don't know where Cook could possibly take the story next.
Part of what makes that ending so gut wrenching is that you become attached to all the characters whether major or minor. All of the books are told in a first person point of view and most from one character in particular (Croaker).
The Black Company series is probably the most popular of his works and has recently received the recognition he should have earned years ago thanks to several of his older novels being repackaged and rereleased. Other big name authors such as Steven Erikson have cited Cook as a major influence on their works, stating his Bridgeburners are a nod to the Black Company. Like Erikson, the mercenary outfit (The Hell Patrol) in my own Blood and Tears series was influenced by the Black Company.
Cook had this to say about why he thinks the fans of the series are so passionate, especially among soldiers today.
Cook is a very prolific writer with dozens of other books to his credit outside of The Black Company. One is a fantasy detective series called Garrett P. I. The novels are written in a film noir-esque style, containing elements of traditional mystery and detective fiction, as well as plenty of dialogue-based humor. The focus is more on the detective side of things with the fantasy elements serving as a backdrop to the general story. I'm working my way through this series now and enjoying every minute of it.
Between the Garrett and Black Company series, I believe that Cook writes in a first person perspective better than any other author I've read.
Cook has written a large amount of epic fantasy from a third person perspective as well, most notably The Dread Empire series and the Instrumentalities of the Night series. I'm a fan of both but I find that there is less of a consensus on how good/great these series are in comparison to the Black Company and Garrett series. In addition to these series, Cook has several standalone books and even some science fiction. Some I've read and enjoyed, the rest are still part of my large "to read" list. As I hinted at above, he's got a large back catalog that I'm slowly working my way through.
Here are a few great quotes I pulled from some of his work.
That list quote hits me hard every time I read it, especially when I think about the context in which it was written. Do yourself a favor. If you haven't read Cook's work, give it a shot and then come back and tell me what you think.
Cook's been at the top of my author list since I first picked up The Black Company novels. The Black Company is an epic fantasy series that follows an elite mercenary unit through several decades of their history. It currently stands at 10 novels long (collected in 4 omnibuses) with rumors that Cook may write two more. Personally, I love every book in the series but some feel that the middle books are a bit slower. I just think their focus is different. The last book of the series is maybe one of the most satisfying and gut-wrenching endings to a series I've read yet. In many ways it is so perfect that I don't know where Cook could possibly take the story next.
Part of what makes that ending so gut wrenching is that you become attached to all the characters whether major or minor. All of the books are told in a first person point of view and most from one character in particular (Croaker).
The Black Company series is probably the most popular of his works and has recently received the recognition he should have earned years ago thanks to several of his older novels being repackaged and rereleased. Other big name authors such as Steven Erikson have cited Cook as a major influence on their works, stating his Bridgeburners are a nod to the Black Company. Like Erikson, the mercenary outfit (The Hell Patrol) in my own Blood and Tears series was influenced by the Black Company.
Cook had this to say about why he thinks the fans of the series are so passionate, especially among soldiers today.
The characters act like the guys actually behave. It doesn't glorify war; it's just people getting on with the job. The characters are real soldiers. They're not soldiers as imagined by people who've never been in the service. That's why service guys like it.
Cook is a very prolific writer with dozens of other books to his credit outside of The Black Company. One is a fantasy detective series called Garrett P. I. The novels are written in a film noir-esque style, containing elements of traditional mystery and detective fiction, as well as plenty of dialogue-based humor. The focus is more on the detective side of things with the fantasy elements serving as a backdrop to the general story. I'm working my way through this series now and enjoying every minute of it.
Between the Garrett and Black Company series, I believe that Cook writes in a first person perspective better than any other author I've read.
Cook has written a large amount of epic fantasy from a third person perspective as well, most notably The Dread Empire series and the Instrumentalities of the Night series. I'm a fan of both but I find that there is less of a consensus on how good/great these series are in comparison to the Black Company and Garrett series. In addition to these series, Cook has several standalone books and even some science fiction. Some I've read and enjoyed, the rest are still part of my large "to read" list. As I hinted at above, he's got a large back catalog that I'm slowly working my way through.
Here are a few great quotes I pulled from some of his work.
"Every ounce of my cynicism is supported by historical precedent."
"There were dreams once upon a time, dreams now all but forgotten. On sad days I dust them off and fondle them nostalgically, with a patronizing wonder at the naivete of the youth who dreamed them."
"I believe in our side and theirs, with the good and evil decided after the fact, by those who survive. Among men you seldom find the good with one standard and the shadow with another."
"If one chooses sides on emotion then the rebel is the guy to go with. He is fighting for everything men claim to honor, freedom, independence, truth, the right.......all the subjective illusions. All the eternal trigger words. We are minions of the villain of the piece. We confess the illusion and deny the substance."
"Evil is relative. You can't hang a sign on it. You can't touch it or taste it or cut it with a sword. Evil depends on where you are standing, pointing your indicting finger."
"Mornings are wonderful! The only drawback is that they come at such an inconvenient time of day!"
"Combat is fear and management of fear far more than it is organized murder. Those who manage fear best will seize the day."
"I guess each of us, at some time, finds one person with whom we are compelled toward absolute honesty, one person whose good opinion of us becomes a substitute for the broader opinion of the world."
"More evil gets done in the name of righteousness than any other way. Few villains think they are villains."
"Being an old cynic myself I have strong notions about the true value of human gratitude. It is a currency whose worth plunges by the hour."
"Soldiers live. He dies and not you, and you feel guilty, because you're glad he died, and not you. Soldiers live, and wonder why."
That list quote hits me hard every time I read it, especially when I think about the context in which it was written. Do yourself a favor. If you haven't read Cook's work, give it a shot and then come back and tell me what you think.
October 10, 2011
Music Monday - Columbus Day
Today is Columbus Day, a holiday I find kind of odd. Yes, I know as kids we were taught that Columbus discovered America, but technically he didn't discover anything since people already lived here. I mean he wasn't even the first person from Europe to make it to North America. The Vikings were.
So, for Columbus Day I thought it would be most fitting to celebrate with some Viking Metal. Enjoy!
Amon Amarath
Manowar
So, for Columbus Day I thought it would be most fitting to celebrate with some Viking Metal. Enjoy!
Amon Amarath
Manowar
October 7, 2011
What Makes a Great Story? Openings - Part 2
A couple of weeks ago I posted the first blog in a series on 'What Makes a Great Story.' It focused on starting a story off on the right foot with the importance of the first sentence or paragraph. You can read it HERE. This second post in the series will continue on that same topic.
Although that first paragraph is important, rarely is it going to be enough to entice a reader to make a purchase. As always, there are exceptions to anything. But generally, if someone buys a book that hasn't been recommended to them, they are going to read beyond that first paragraph. Some may read only a few pages as you've either hooked them at that point or turned them off enough to make their decision. In other instances, a reader may give you more of a chance and read the entire first chapter or as much as they are able to at a site like Amazon or an author's website. For the purposes of this post, I will assume that the reader has access to the first chapter.
So let's look at a few things that I think are important to a strong first chapter:
1. Finish what you've started – If you've given me action to start, that action needs to pay off in some way. If you've given me character, I better have a strong sense of the character's voice by the end of this chapter. Don't shift gears too soon without giving the reader a sense of short term satisfaction (i.e. starting with a gunfight in the first paragraph and then shifting to a boring flashback about them eating ice cream with their big brother that takes up the entire rest of your first chapter).
2. Don't only focus on what you've started – Just because you start on action, doesn't mean you can't give me character. Just because you give me character, doesn't mean you can't give me a better sense of the setting. In fact you should give me as much as you can as soon as you can. The sooner I feel like this story is "real," the sooner I'm clicking the buy button.
3. Hold back on most elements – I may want to know every detail right away but that doesn't mean I NEED to know those things. Give me, as the reader, just enough to keep reading. Avoid the info-dump.
4. By the end of the chapter, give me a reason to keep going – This doesn't mean the chapter should end on some cliffhanger. It does mean that you need to make me care about the characters, make me interested in the world, and so on.
5. Your work needs to be polished – It's sad I have to say this but all of your work needs to be edited, edited several times more, edited again professionally, and then proofed. This should be true over the entire story but especially in the first chapter. I might be able to overlook a few clunky sentences, missed punctuation, and so on in Chapter 20 after a relatively clean start (after all, every book has a few mistakes). But in Chapter 1? Not so much. After the first big error, I usually skip down a bit, read a random paragraph and so on. If I have to do that more than twice, I'm usually done.
Now, keep in mind the points I listed above are also important to your entire story but again, you only have one chance to impress the reader so the first chapter had better be some of your best work.
Speaking of first chapters, (warning: shameless plug ahead) you can read the first chapter of Rise and Fall, the first book in my up-comping epic fantasy triology entitled Blood and Tears for FREE with the purchase of Warleader - A Blood and Tears Short Story. Click on the Amazon button to download to your Kindle or Kindle app, the Barnes and Noble button to download to your Nook, or the Smashwords button to download to your other ereader or computer.
What else do you like to see when reading someone's first chapter?
Although that first paragraph is important, rarely is it going to be enough to entice a reader to make a purchase. As always, there are exceptions to anything. But generally, if someone buys a book that hasn't been recommended to them, they are going to read beyond that first paragraph. Some may read only a few pages as you've either hooked them at that point or turned them off enough to make their decision. In other instances, a reader may give you more of a chance and read the entire first chapter or as much as they are able to at a site like Amazon or an author's website. For the purposes of this post, I will assume that the reader has access to the first chapter.
So let's look at a few things that I think are important to a strong first chapter:
1. Finish what you've started – If you've given me action to start, that action needs to pay off in some way. If you've given me character, I better have a strong sense of the character's voice by the end of this chapter. Don't shift gears too soon without giving the reader a sense of short term satisfaction (i.e. starting with a gunfight in the first paragraph and then shifting to a boring flashback about them eating ice cream with their big brother that takes up the entire rest of your first chapter).
2. Don't only focus on what you've started – Just because you start on action, doesn't mean you can't give me character. Just because you give me character, doesn't mean you can't give me a better sense of the setting. In fact you should give me as much as you can as soon as you can. The sooner I feel like this story is "real," the sooner I'm clicking the buy button.
3. Hold back on most elements – I may want to know every detail right away but that doesn't mean I NEED to know those things. Give me, as the reader, just enough to keep reading. Avoid the info-dump.
4. By the end of the chapter, give me a reason to keep going – This doesn't mean the chapter should end on some cliffhanger. It does mean that you need to make me care about the characters, make me interested in the world, and so on.
5. Your work needs to be polished – It's sad I have to say this but all of your work needs to be edited, edited several times more, edited again professionally, and then proofed. This should be true over the entire story but especially in the first chapter. I might be able to overlook a few clunky sentences, missed punctuation, and so on in Chapter 20 after a relatively clean start (after all, every book has a few mistakes). But in Chapter 1? Not so much. After the first big error, I usually skip down a bit, read a random paragraph and so on. If I have to do that more than twice, I'm usually done.
Now, keep in mind the points I listed above are also important to your entire story but again, you only have one chance to impress the reader so the first chapter had better be some of your best work.
Speaking of first chapters, (warning: shameless plug ahead) you can read the first chapter of Rise and Fall, the first book in my up-comping epic fantasy triology entitled Blood and Tears for FREE with the purchase of Warleader - A Blood and Tears Short Story. Click on the Amazon button to download to your Kindle or Kindle app, the Barnes and Noble button to download to your Nook, or the Smashwords button to download to your other ereader or computer.
What else do you like to see when reading someone's first chapter?
October 6, 2011
Rise and Fall Cover Art
Rise and Fall
, the first book in the Blood and Tears Trilogy (target release date of December 2011) officially has a cover! And again, I'm very happy with the final product. I'm pretty sure that by looking at this cover and the cover for
Warleader
, you can probably see the common theme for this series.
Although the release dates are months away, I'm really excited to see the rest of the covers in the series.
As before, I have to give the credit to Brooke White of Sprout Studio in Houston, Texas, as we had to tweak the color several times to get it right. And just like the last cover, it came out great.
If you're interested in procuring her services, please contact her at the following:
Brooke White
Sprout Studio (in Houston, TX)
brooke@sproutstudio.us
Don't forget to leave a comment about your thoughts on the cover!
Although the release dates are months away, I'm really excited to see the rest of the covers in the series.
As before, I have to give the credit to Brooke White of Sprout Studio in Houston, Texas, as we had to tweak the color several times to get it right. And just like the last cover, it came out great.
If you're interested in procuring her services, please contact her at the following:
Brooke White
Sprout Studio (in Houston, TX)
brooke@sproutstudio.us
Don't forget to leave a comment about your thoughts on the cover!
October 5, 2011
Warleader is now available!
As of this moment, I am officially published!
Warleader: A Blood and Tears Short Story can be purchased at all Amazon locations for only $.99.
Warleader should be available at Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, etc. within the next few days (there is a different approval process). Due to the length of Warleader, it will obviously not be offered in print. However, if you do not have an ereader or a phone capable of acting as an ereader and are interested in reading the story, you can always download the Amazon Kindle application
for your desktop or laptop and read it from your computer.Here is a brief synopsis of the story:
As a young warrior in the elite Kifzo army of his father's tribe, Tobin lives a life consumed by the relentless training demands of his uncle. Despite his best intentions and hard work, he struggles to cope with his father's indifference toward him and his brother's outright hatred.
A chance opportunity may change all of that. Tobin's father gives him, his brother and three other young Kifzo each a small squad to lead on a key mission. The squad leader who succeeds will be named Warleader and will command the entire tribe's army. Tobin sees this as his best chance to step out of the shadow of his brother and earn the respect and recognition he's always desired.
To read an excerpt of Warleader (the first two scenes), simply go to the book tab above and click the "Sample" button. If you like what you read, consider giving the rest of the story a shot. Also included in the eBook is the first chapter of Rise and Fall: Book One in the Blood and Tears Trilogy.
Speaking of Rise and Fall, the cover is done (I'll be posting it tomorrow) and my editor is probably about halfway through the book at this point. So, I'm still very much on pace for a December 2011 release as originally planned.
One last thing. If you like what you read, please leave me a comment below or shoot me an email at joshuapsimon.author@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you.
And most importantly spread the word! One way you can do that is by clicking the "Like" button or "Share button" on the amazon product page. Thanks!
October 3, 2011
Music Monday - Arch Enemy
I've always liked hard rock/heavy metal music. Until college the emphasis was more on classic rock/hard rock than it was on heavy metal. Although I did listen to some metal bands such as Megadeth, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, etc., metal bands weren't what took up the bulk of my CD collection. Looking back, I guess part of the reason I gravitated toward those few metal bands was that they were mainstream and I was actually exposed to them by the media of the 80s and 90s.
When I was around twenty years old I met a few people who helped me discover much sooner than what I would have on my own a wealth of great bands that I hadn't heard before (thanks, Kurt and Paul). Some of these bands such as Iced Earth were easy to get into since the music and the vocals were both amazing and similar to the classic metal bands I mentioned above.
However, I wasn't receptive to everything… at least at first.
I could always appreciate the musicianship of death metal bands (especially melodic death metal) but the vocals just didn't appeal to me. Still, I didn't dismiss the music, figuring that it might eventually click for me.
The band that did it was Arch Enemy. If I remember right, we were driving to a movie one night and a live album with the original singer (Johan Liiva) of the band was playing. The song Dead Inside came on which is originally off of the Burning Bridges album. For some reason, the harsh vocals worked for me. And when the solo kicked in, I was blown away. Things clicked. Not only have I been an Arch Enemy fan since then, but that night led me to discover other great bands such as In Flames, Nightrage, At the Gates, Carcass, Children of Bodom, etc.
Oddly enough it seems the older I get, the heavier my tastes become. Don't get me wrong, I still listen to a lot of non-metal music but heavy metal is what mostly dominates my selections these days.
So, enjoy the song that started everything off for me and then another from their new album Khaos Legions.
When I was around twenty years old I met a few people who helped me discover much sooner than what I would have on my own a wealth of great bands that I hadn't heard before (thanks, Kurt and Paul). Some of these bands such as Iced Earth were easy to get into since the music and the vocals were both amazing and similar to the classic metal bands I mentioned above.
However, I wasn't receptive to everything… at least at first.
I could always appreciate the musicianship of death metal bands (especially melodic death metal) but the vocals just didn't appeal to me. Still, I didn't dismiss the music, figuring that it might eventually click for me.
The band that did it was Arch Enemy. If I remember right, we were driving to a movie one night and a live album with the original singer (Johan Liiva) of the band was playing. The song Dead Inside came on which is originally off of the Burning Bridges album. For some reason, the harsh vocals worked for me. And when the solo kicked in, I was blown away. Things clicked. Not only have I been an Arch Enemy fan since then, but that night led me to discover other great bands such as In Flames, Nightrage, At the Gates, Carcass, Children of Bodom, etc.
Oddly enough it seems the older I get, the heavier my tastes become. Don't get me wrong, I still listen to a lot of non-metal music but heavy metal is what mostly dominates my selections these days.
So, enjoy the song that started everything off for me and then another from their new album Khaos Legions.
September 30, 2011
What Makes a Great Story? - Openings
What makes a good story? What makes a great story? Is it the action? The setting? The characters? The dialogue? The opening? Does it change with different genres.
Today I'm starting a series on what, to me, makes a great story. Since I write in the fantasy genre, my examples will come from there. My goal is to do two to three of these a month until I've felt that I've said all I have to say on the subject.
The best place to begin is, well, the beginning. I assume most readers are like me in that they aren't going to waste their time reading twenty pages of a story let alone a couple hundred while waiting for it to "get good." My time is too important for that. An author has only a small amount of time to grab a reader's attention and suck them into the story. Some may give the story a page or two, others only a paragraph. I've heard of some people putting a book down after just the first sentence. Therefore, that beginning had better be great.
Below, I've defined four different approaches that I feel a writer can take when starting their story and quoted thefirst sentence or paragraph from several popular books (within the fantasy genre, of course, and all of which I'd highly recommend) that demonstrate how to make the opening great. I've added some of my personal thoughts on each approach and the pros and cons of using each method.
Let's get started!
ACTION
Joe Abercrombie –The Blade Itself
The great part about starting a story with action is that if done correctly, it immediately sucks the readerinto the story. Not only are you trying to figure out what's going on, but your heart is racing as well. From the two sentences above, we know the "point of view" (POV) character's name and that things are happening so fast around him that he can barely make sense of what's going on himself. We also know that he is running fromsomething and more than likely has been in a fight. I personally love these openings, but it can be hard to do it well. This particular opening works because it is fast-paced and not long winded which is what you want action to be.
The downside of starting with action is that some find it hard to work in the details of the character, story, andsetting while maintaining this quickened pace. I think it's important to remember that an action scene, especially atthe beginning of a story, is not the place for an info dump. Avoid it at all costs.
SETTING/TONE
Paul Kearney – Monarchies of God Vol. 1 (Hawkwood and the Kings)
Stories that begin with setting too often focus on the extreme details before establishing something else to draw the reader into the story. Don't get me wrong, details are fine and necessary but I wouldn't throw too much at the reader too soon unless it is meant to accomplish something else…such as a tone which can be expected throughout the rest of the story.
In the example above, we know the setting is either at sea or perhaps along the coast. Regardless, naval life should play a large role in the story, which it does. Besides that we get the feeling of something almost like a ghost shipcoming into view. Now, we don't know the main character yet or what the story is about but the tone is interesting enough that I want to keep reading in order to discover more about how the dead ship got there and what it means.
CHARACTER
Steven Brust – Jhereg
Focusing on character as the way to open your story is probably easier when telling a first person narrative rather than in a third person narrative. In many ways, I feel like you HAVE to establish that first person voice even faster because usually this individual is the sole narrator.
The great thing about this example is you immediately get inside the POV character's head and know what kind ofstory you're getting into. You know you'll be reading about someone who is used to handling knives, probably a killer. However, the "voice" isn't just some thug but also someone who comes across as an intelligent and possibly humorous character.
The downside of using this sort of opening is that nothing has actually happened yet. You know the character but you have no idea what caused him to think these thoughts.
Paul Kearney – The Ten Thousand
I wanted to throw in an example of a character opening with a third person narrative. As I said I think it is more difficult to do this in third person but it is something that can be done. Although only one sentence long, the openingto Paul Kearney's The Ten Thousand tells you the name of the character and that he is ready to die and reminiscing about his past. As a reader, you want to know what could have caused such morose thoughts.
DIALOGUE
George RR Martin – Game of Thrones
Dialogue can have the same effect as action in that it throws the reader right into the middle of things. I think dialogue is a great way to start a story but if a writer decides to do this, I think they need to take a hint from Martin and break it up with a few other things. Not only is Martin using dialogue but he is also using character by showing that the two talking have a strained relationship, setting by showing that they are in a forest at night, and tone by the characters talking about the dead with a feeling that something bad could happen at any moment.
I think dialogue can be a bad way to start off a story when it is the only thing going on. In other words, after half a page or so, break it up with something else so the reader gains a little context. Make the reader care about the conversation.
PERSONAL EXAMPLES
Joshua P. Simon – Warleader: A Blood and Tears Short Story
Above is the opening to the short story I'll be releasing within the next month. It is a prequel and fills in some back story about one of my main point of view characters in the fantasy trilogy I'm writing.
I tried to do several things with the opening. One, there is a bit of action in the sense that they are in a practice circle which means there is a fight going on. Tobin is being berated by the onlookers which means he isn't well liked and, in fact, has been spat on. So we also get a bit of character as well.
Joshua P. Simon – Rise and Fall: Book One of the Blood and Tears Trilogy
This is the opening paragraph to the first book of my fantasy trilogy. Similar to the short story opening above, I hoped to accomplish a few things here. In this instance I focused mostly on setting and tone. We know the point of view character, Amcaro, is looking on at a scene of utter destruction, basically the aftermath of some disaster. In this case, I started the scene right after the action had occurred. He is not alone as others are looking for a sign of life. I wanted a sense of shock and weariness coming from his perspective as he took in the scene.
So, what do you think makes the opening of a book great? What pulls you in and keeps you reading? Answer in the comments below!
Today I'm starting a series on what, to me, makes a great story. Since I write in the fantasy genre, my examples will come from there. My goal is to do two to three of these a month until I've felt that I've said all I have to say on the subject.
The best place to begin is, well, the beginning. I assume most readers are like me in that they aren't going to waste their time reading twenty pages of a story let alone a couple hundred while waiting for it to "get good." My time is too important for that. An author has only a small amount of time to grab a reader's attention and suck them into the story. Some may give the story a page or two, others only a paragraph. I've heard of some people putting a book down after just the first sentence. Therefore, that beginning had better be great.
Below, I've defined four different approaches that I feel a writer can take when starting their story and quoted thefirst sentence or paragraph from several popular books (within the fantasy genre, of course, and all of which I'd highly recommend) that demonstrate how to make the opening great. I've added some of my personal thoughts on each approach and the pros and cons of using each method.
Let's get started!
ACTION
Joe Abercrombie –The Blade Itself
Logen plunged through the trees, bare feet slipping and sliding on the wet earth, the slush, the wet pineneedles, breath rasping in his chest, blood thumping in his head. He stumbled and sprawled onto his side,nearly cut his chest open with his own axe, lay there panting, peering throughthe shadowy forest.
The great part about starting a story with action is that if done correctly, it immediately sucks the readerinto the story. Not only are you trying to figure out what's going on, but your heart is racing as well. From the two sentences above, we know the "point of view" (POV) character's name and that things are happening so fast around him that he can barely make sense of what's going on himself. We also know that he is running fromsomething and more than likely has been in a fight. I personally love these openings, but it can be hard to do it well. This particular opening works because it is fast-paced and not long winded which is what you want action to be.
The downside of starting with action is that some find it hard to work in the details of the character, story, andsetting while maintaining this quickened pace. I think it's important to remember that an action scene, especially atthe beginning of a story, is not the place for an info dump. Avoid it at all costs.
SETTING/TONE
Paul Kearney – Monarchies of God Vol. 1 (Hawkwood and the Kings)
A ship of the dead, it coasted in on the northwest breeze, topsails still set but the yards braced for a long-lost wind on the open ocean. The yawlsmen sighted it first, on the eve of St. Beynac's Day. It was heeling heavily, even on the slight swell, and what was left of its canvas shuddered and flapped when the breeze fell.
Stories that begin with setting too often focus on the extreme details before establishing something else to draw the reader into the story. Don't get me wrong, details are fine and necessary but I wouldn't throw too much at the reader too soon unless it is meant to accomplish something else…such as a tone which can be expected throughout the rest of the story.
In the example above, we know the setting is either at sea or perhaps along the coast. Regardless, naval life should play a large role in the story, which it does. Besides that we get the feeling of something almost like a ghost shipcoming into view. Now, we don't know the main character yet or what the story is about but the tone is interesting enough that I want to keep reading in order to discover more about how the dead ship got there and what it means.
CHARACTER
Steven Brust – Jhereg
There is a similarity, if I may be permitted an excursion into tenuous metaphor, between the feel of a chilly breeze and the feel of a knife's blade, as either is laid across the back of the neck. I can call up memories of both, if I work at it. The chilly breeze is invariably going to be the more pleasant memory. For instance…
Focusing on character as the way to open your story is probably easier when telling a first person narrative rather than in a third person narrative. In many ways, I feel like you HAVE to establish that first person voice even faster because usually this individual is the sole narrator.
The great thing about this example is you immediately get inside the POV character's head and know what kind ofstory you're getting into. You know you'll be reading about someone who is used to handling knives, probably a killer. However, the "voice" isn't just some thug but also someone who comes across as an intelligent and possibly humorous character.
The downside of using this sort of opening is that nothing has actually happened yet. You know the character but you have no idea what caused him to think these thoughts.
Paul Kearney – The Ten Thousand
By the sea, Rictus had been born, and now it was by the sea he would die.
I wanted to throw in an example of a character opening with a third person narrative. As I said I think it is more difficult to do this in third person but it is something that can be done. Although only one sentence long, the openingto Paul Kearney's The Ten Thousand tells you the name of the character and that he is ready to die and reminiscing about his past. As a reader, you want to know what could have caused such morose thoughts.
DIALOGUE
George RR Martin – Game of Thrones
"We should start back," Gared urged as the woods began to grow dark around them. "The wildlings are dead."
"Do the dead frighten you?" Ser Waymar Royce asked with just the hint of a smile.
Gared did not rise to the bait. He was an old man, past fifty, and he had seen the lordlings come and go. "Dead is dead," he said. "We have no business with the dead."
Dialogue can have the same effect as action in that it throws the reader right into the middle of things. I think dialogue is a great way to start a story but if a writer decides to do this, I think they need to take a hint from Martin and break it up with a few other things. Not only is Martin using dialogue but he is also using character by showing that the two talking have a strained relationship, setting by showing that they are in a forest at night, and tone by the characters talking about the dead with a feeling that something bad could happen at any moment.
I think dialogue can be a bad way to start off a story when it is the only thing going on. In other words, after half a page or so, break it up with something else so the reader gains a little context. Make the reader care about the conversation.
PERSONAL EXAMPLES
Joshua P. Simon – Warleader: A Blood and Tears Short Story
A wad of spit struck Tobin's cheek as he stumbled backward. The back of his free hand came up and wiped away the insult. An echo of jeers sounded around the practice circle. One of the loudest voices camefrom the big Kifzo warrior named Durahn. "It looks like he may cry this time."
Above is the opening to the short story I'll be releasing within the next month. It is a prequel and fills in some back story about one of my main point of view characters in the fantasy trilogy I'm writing.
I tried to do several things with the opening. One, there is a bit of action in the sense that they are in a practice circle which means there is a fight going on. Tobin is being berated by the onlookers which means he isn't well liked and, in fact, has been spat on. So we also get a bit of character as well.
Joshua P. Simon – Rise and Fall: Book One of the Blood and Tears Trilogy
A deafening silence filled the inner courtyard. Massacred bodies with faces frozen in fear and despair covered the space once home to beautiful gardens. Nothing stirred except for the five High Mages fanning out amongst the motionless forms, each searching for a sign of life. The smell of burnt flesh enveloped Amcaro and worked its way into his nostrils and robes.More than two dozen royal guards lay dead, joined by half as many servants - charred husks against the white stone floor.
This is the opening paragraph to the first book of my fantasy trilogy. Similar to the short story opening above, I hoped to accomplish a few things here. In this instance I focused mostly on setting and tone. We know the point of view character, Amcaro, is looking on at a scene of utter destruction, basically the aftermath of some disaster. In this case, I started the scene right after the action had occurred. He is not alone as others are looking for a sign of life. I wanted a sense of shock and weariness coming from his perspective as he took in the scene.
So, what do you think makes the opening of a book great? What pulls you in and keeps you reading? Answer in the comments below!
