Elizabeth Guizzetti's Blog, page 28
October 28, 2012
Interview with Author Diane Randle
Today’s special guest is author Diane Randle the author of the Spectral Witness. I loved the tense action and beautiful descriptions that fill this great novel. I hope everyone checks it out.
So tell us a little bit about yourself.
I have a diploma in film and worked in t.v. and film for a decade in various capacities. I studied writing with iconic Canadian writer W.O. Mitchell at the Banff Centre of the Arts and won the National Film Board of Canada Award at the Banff TV Festival for Best Pitch for a tv series I created called ‘Hypoxia’.
I have written small (read as ‘eeny weeny’) stage projects that have been produced and done freelance copywriting for corporate clients.
Currently I work in health care and appreciate the contribution I’m able to make to society while observing the drama around me. Working in health care is a banquet for a writer. Every kind of person in the world needs health care sometimes and people are fascinating!
How did you first get into writing?
I have always imagined stories in my head. When I was a kid I was often ‘directing’ and ‘writing’ tv shows I was watching in that I would think of a different shot or a different line than I was seeing…of course mine was always better haha.
What is your favorite book(s)?
Lost Horizon by James Hilton. Dahlgren, an unbelievable science fiction epic by Samuel R. Delaney. Love Harlan Ellison’s work. To Kill A Mockingbird. The Plague by Albert Camus. So many! Oh, yes, Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon. Love him! Wonder Boys reminds me of when I first started writing, oh, so long ago haha.
Where do you get your ideas and inspiration?
I don’t know. I will see an image or hear a piece of a conversation or be driving or whatever and these things just pop into my head.
Do you have a daily schedule for your writing?
I do. I get up at 5 a.m. to write before work. I find I can’t write in the ev ening because I’m too tired .
Are your characters based on anyone you know or personal experiences?
Sure. Both. I think if you’re not writing from a deeply personal place you are probably producing (wow, alliteration!) mediocre formulaic work. I’m still too much of a chicken. I need to be more fearless in my work.
Helga is my favorite character, what was your inspiration for her?
Horse and Train, (1954)
by Alex Colville
casein tempera
41.2 x 54.2 cm
What was my inspiration for Helga? Hmmm… one inspiration was a school mate from the wealthiest family in the small mountain town I grew up in. She was an arrogant twat but also obviously struggling with a lot of issues. As I started writing Helga’s inner voice just came out and I really enjoyed writing her smug inner dialogue. As well, I’ve always been fascinated with that Colville painting.
I felt that Helga was doomed and that she would have an obsession with that painting throughout her life, sometimes, in her more optimistic moods, she would imagine the horse veering off the tracks, but most of the time she expects to end up as the horse will, obliterated.
How do you develop your settings?
The strangest setting I developed was the high mountain town for ‘Hypoxia’, the TV series I created and pitched at the Banff TV Festival. Because I grew up in a high mountain town (Canmore, Alberta) a lot of it was there in my experience, I just embellished it in crazy ways that happened scene by scene, moment by moment as I was writing.
How much do you read in your chosen genre?
I don’t have a chosen genre. Though ‘Spectral Witness’ is a paranormal mystery, ‘Hypoxia’ which I may work on next, is a fantasy/comedy. I read everything from Dickens to King to A twood.
Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Find your voice. Let the work take you where it wants to go. Don’t try to plot your work too much. I made that mistake. My work had a contrived feel that I knew was false, though, in screenplays, my dialogue was praised, my characters were praised etc…there was something not right.
On the screenplay for ‘Spectral Witness’ I changed my process…I threw out the planning and threw out 90 percent of the script and then just went minute by minute, writing it and seeing what would happen…and what happens, and Stephen King talks about his in his fantastic book “On Writing’ , is that your characters start telling YOU their story. It’s a fantastic feeling! I have a protagonist in ‘Spectral Witness’ but I wasn’t entirely sure of her motivation, it was fuzzy, and then she did something in a scene I didn’t expect and HELLO! Light bulb. SHE told me what her story was.
That ‘s my advice. Don’t push your work in a particular direction too strongly. Half way through Misery Stephen King realized that he could not kill off his main character. He had envisioned the ending since he started the book (the germ of which he dreamt on a flight to London) but realized as he wrote that his character was much more resourceful than he had at first thought, and so he lived.
Let the work tell you what it wants to be. Write every day. Write because you love it your story.
Thanks for coming today!
Heroes Resource’s Fall Festival
The Fall Festival was an excellent event sponsored by Heroes Resource
, Lynden, WA.(360) 318-0304
They had games for the kids, three local artists in attendance (including me!)
I taught “How to draw Sea Monsters and Slimy Things.” There was fifteen seats in the room and people who wanted to learn filled twelve so I was pretty happy about the turn out! Attendees included Loki, Freddie Kruger aka Joe, Random Ninja, Random Guy, Cyan Freek, Random Cheerleader and Sam. This is the cute monster that I taught how to draw in my class.
Though the rain came down, there was lots of games for people to play designed by He who must not be named, including a Witch Scavenger Hunt, a ring toss, a Brain Toss into an open zombies mouth.
It sounds like they already have some great ideas for next year and if Maria and I are invited again, we certainly will attend!
October 22, 2012
Guest Post by Rayne Hall: Rayne’s Five Favourites: Short Story Collections
Today we are welcoming back Rayne Hall! 
She has published more than thirty books under different pen names with different publishers in different genres, mostly fantasy, horror and non-fiction. Recent books include Storm Dancer (dark epic fantasy novel), Six Historical Tales Vol 1, Six Scary Tales Vol 1, 2 and 3 (mild horror stories), Six Historical Tales (short stories), Six Quirky Tales (humorous fantasy stories), Writing Fight Scenes and Writing Scary Scenes (instructions for authors).
Rayne’s Five Favourites: Short Story Collections
Here are five short story collections I enjoyed, each by a different contemporary author, each published recently in ebook format. The selection is highly subjective, based on my personal taste. I like stories which are creepy, quirky, twisted or dark, or which allow me to peek into different cultures and faraway places.
1. Dark and Twisted: The Fairy Cake Bake Shoppe And 13 Other Weird Tales by April Grey
These are easy-to-read, entertaining stories, but they have a bite to them. Paranormal elements – vampires, zombies, fairies, ghosts, sexbots, magical cupcakes – are woven into everyday reality. Some of the stories have dark or erotic content – nothing overly graphic, but unsuitable for young readers.
I enjoyed Exile where a vampire gigolo tempts an older woman with eternal youth.
2. Short and Vivid: Short Stories To Read On The Bus by Frederick Langridge
I wouldn’t read stories on the bus – I’d get travel-sick if I tried – but there are many other occasions when there’s just time for a quickie read. Since I take my Kindle almost everywhere these days, it’s handy to have short story collections like this. The stories are short, but not too short. I felt I was getting a good complete story with every one.
Some of the stories resonated more with me than others, some I didn’t care for, others I loved. But that’s ok. The collection contains a lot of stories, and it’s fun to choose favourites. My favourite was the ghost story Beware of Tuesdays because the suspense is high, and after reading it I kept thinking about the nature of this haunting.
What I liked particularly: The beginnings are vivid, immediately introducing the characters, the location and the premise, so I was hooked from the start. The pacing is perfect and the stories keep up the interest (at least, this reader’s interest) throughout, and there’s no dull middle. The narrative voice changes from story to story, always appropriate to the main character’s perspective.
3. Exotic and Sensitive: Coloured and Other Stories by Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar
These stories deal with cultural contrasts and different societal traditions in an intelligent, sensitive way. Many of the characters experience some kind of culture clash, for example, they grew up in one culture and now learn to adapt to another, or they belong to one culture and their family to another. The stories are about the characters’ way of conciliating and integrating these cultures.
I like the vividness and sensitivity, and I felt I learnt quite a bit about the concerns of people who come from those cultures. In places, the stories are sad, but the overall tone is uplifting.
The story which stuck in my mind long after reading is Dasi. It has an interesting structure, told backwards from when the narrator is a 78-year old widow to when she’s a 14-year old bride, and it is at the same time gentle and shocking.
http://www.amazon.com/Coloured-and-Other-Stories-ebook/dp/B005QRPDP4
4. Intelligent and Entertaining: Ghosts Can Bleed by Tracie McBride
I love the stories, every one of them. Each develops a ‘what if’ scenario, sometimes taking a very basic idea and spinning it out into a plot. The ideas a surreal, but utterly plausible. Based on human nature, I can believe these bizarre things are really happening.
The stories are intelligent and entertaining. Some are thought-provoking, too. Many have a paranormal, fantasy, science fiction or horror element.
My favourite yarn in this book Last Chance To See which offers an original take on the undead state.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006R6VB54/ref=cm_cr_thx_view
5. Atmospheric and Moving: Gifts – Four Poignant Stories by Jonathan Broughton
These stories are a little sad in places, but filled with hope and beauty. They’re set on the south coast of England where I live, so I can personally relate to the location.
My favourite is Three-Ply Fantasy Special, a sensitive piece about an older person with a domineering daughter. I first read this story more than two years ago and still can’t get out of my mind.
*
I’m delighted to have discovered many excellent short story collections and anthologies recently – far more than ever before.
A few years ago, most publishers would not touch single-author short story collections. This kind of book didn’t sell in big enough numbers to cover the costs of printing, paper, storage, transport and shelf space.
But things have changed. With the advent of e-books, these costs no longer apply, and single-author story collections have become viable ventures. Many get published, and some are very good indeed.
Another benefit of the internet age is the ease of communication between readers and authors. Many authors include an e-mail address at the back of the book, inviting readers to get in touch. I’ve corresponded with the authors of these books, something which would have been unlikely in the days of snailmail.
I liked some of the stories so much that – wearing my Editor hat – I selected them for inclusion in my themed anthologies. You’ll find, for example, a story from The Fairy Cake Bake Shoppe in Bites: Ten Tales of Vampires, and one from Ghosts Can Bleed in Haunted: Ten Tales of Ghosts.
October 19, 2012
Writing gray characters = fun (My favorite characters Lady Aster and Lord Brogan)
Okay for the past few days, I have written about how I write gray characters in Faminelands. I talked about both Orin and Lark, but today I am going to talk about how I wrote my two favorite characters: Lady Aster and her younger brother Lord Brogan.
Now in the main Famineland’s trilogy, Lady Aster don’t get a lot of panel time, but they were integral in Lark’s development as a warrior and her future within the House. They are very important characters in the freebie backstory which was given away with The Carp’s Eye: The History of Lady Meadowlark (as told by Lord Brogan)
The opening line is: As Champion of House T’Ralom Seasmhach, I swore to protect my elder sister, Lady Aster, as well as her descendants in blood or name. Aster is a wise and fair Matron. I hold her and her husband, Lord Arna, in high regard. For over five centuries, I have kept my vows and bear the scars of my service proudly.
When I wrote her, I always knew that Aster would serve the Fhorais Daoine and help their people survive. She has fought in countless wars, her history is bloody, and her name is legend. So everything I wrote about, I always kept that in mind. Sometimes it might seem as if she is cold or unfair, but what makes these characters both interesting to write and my favorites is they follow the Path of Valor even when they do not want to. They both suffer at times due to the code, yet they live by it, because it ultimately serves them and the people they are sworn to protect. Every choice, good, bad, or neutral, Aster makes for the good of her people and her House. Yet it is not blind faith that leads her, but logic, cunning, and the understanding of their enemies. Aster has made plenty of controversial decisions as Matron of House T’Ralóm, including keeping Brogan alive after the loss of his leg and most importantly to the Faminelands Series, Aster chooses the fate of Nora’s bastard daughter, Lark. This is told from Lark’s perspective in the Carp’s Eye and then a much closer version to the truth in the History…
One summer’s day, Nora did not return from a mission as planned. Each day, the bowyer grew thinner and harder. A month later, we received word that Nora had indeed fallen in a battle. There was no body. I escorted my sister to the bowyer’s hut to deliver the news. For the first time, Aster held Lark as they both wept for Nora. The bowyer would not speak, but sat staring into the flames. During the Moon of Mourning, the bowyer ignored the food which was brought to his hut. Lark had only eaten a little before we heard his mad ramblings, the child’s screaming, and the sound of wood against flesh. After that, Lark scavenged for food.
A few more things happen, then Calafas goes looking for Nora’s body.
Roan heard screams. He sent word to us and ran to the bowyer’s hut. The man held a bow as he dragged his daughter out the door but they had not food, nor warm clothes. The bowyer snapped, “Forgive us, Noble One, I search for my wife, and you stand in my way.”
Lady Aster called, “Calafas, Your sorrow might demand death, but what of your child?”
Hate filled the bowyer’s eyes as he stared at my sister. He did not seem to care that I unsheathed my sword as he took a step towards us. “I search for my wife, Lady, as YOU will not! My girl needs her mother.”
Lady Aster interrupted, “The child cannot make such a journey in her state.”
This History of Lady Meadowlark Page 9
Aster did this for a few reasons none of which were charity. Lark might be a bastard, but even so Aster does not want to lose Nora’s bloodline which is important to the Daoine and their Southern Cousins.
Lark was a good apprentice, but as all kids do she made a few serious mistakes. The picture below from the History… shows the aftermath of Lark’s affair with Galdor. Galdor is in the foreground. Aster and Arna are discussing what to do with both kids. Arna wants to send Lark to a temple, his sister’s House, anywhere but near Galdor who is the future Patron of House Sarralonde. Aster refuses him. In the background, while angry, Brogan and Roan (Brogan’s grown son) are comforting Lark.
Aster and Brogan took her on the road with them to keep her out of trouble. Spending three years with them on the road as a mercenary gave Lark a singular view of battle that would help her defeat her many enemies. Nora had an important job within the Daoine and her death made a hole in the ranks. Aster and Brogan train Lark to be the warrior that Nora was.
They train her well. Lark wins a war and becomes the Lady Meadowlark Daughter of Lady Nora. However after her ascension he can no longer be there for her the way he was when she was a girl. This pains him a great deal. Yet in his own words…
I had no comfort to offer Lark. She was no longer my ward or considered a child. I would not risk accusation from one of the lower ranks. Lark did not blame me for this, her self loathing was complete. However I would not allow Nora’s scandal or Roan’s folly to be repeated. Lady Aster would find her a suitable nobleman who would be gentle, but that would take time.
Aster and I spoke at length of Lark’s sorrow. “Dear Sister, Perhaps it is best if Lark finds her own way: let her find Orin, perhaps even the bowyer if he lives.”
“Without a champion? The rumors…” I could see the sorrow in Aster’s eyes, she had lost her husband and many Children. She could not lose another.
I answered her, “Lark has spent time in the world. Orin would be a great warrior. We have heard rumors of valor and of debauchery. Truth is always somewhere in the middle.”
So we are talking about someone who let a young girl wander Talamh alone. Once The Carp’s Eye starts, Lark is on the road with Orin, Aster and Brogan are sources of information and advisors, but must leave her to her own path. Well, pretty much as you can see from this image from Living Stone.
Living Stone Page 25
Since part of Brogan’s duties include protecting Aster and her named bloodline which includes Lark. In Living Stone, he is the one who warns Orin, “If she is harmed again, you will feel it tenfold.” Yep, that’s right, its Brogan who chooses Orin’s fate. Instead of public censor or death, he chooses to have Roan retrain Orin to be a nobleman.
And in the upcoming Mareton’s Curse, Aster will begin make other decsions that will effect Orin and Lark’s future happiness. As I alluded to, Lark will be married to someone whose main attribute is that he has a suitable bloodline. Love has nothing to do with it.
If you like what you see, please consider donating to the Print Faminelands: Mareton’s Curse Kickstarter Campaign.
There are lots of exciting rewards that start at $1.00 and go up to $500. There is even a chance for you to be the King or Queen of Mareton and interact with Lark, Orin and Roan in the book.
Check it out!
October 16, 2012
Consider investing in Faminelands: Mareton’s Curse KickStarter Campaign!
Consider investing in Faminelands: Mareton’s Curse!
Cover for Faminelands: Mareton’s Curse
The Faminelands Trilogy follows Lark as she endeavors to return her brother Orin to the Path of Valor which he abandoned decades before. In Mareton’s Curse, a shared vision puts Lark, Orin, and their kinsman on a path to search for the lost prince of Mareton. As the famine worsens, each must make decisions regarding the future of their House and their own happiness.
Faminelands has been a labor of love since its conception five years ago. Although we’ve made huge steps, such as selling our first 250 copies of The Carp’s Eye, funding an independent project such as Faminelands has been a huge challenge. As many of our fans know, we have been making micro-runs to keep the books in print.
With this Kickstarter campaign, our focus is to make a large print run on Mareton’s Curse. A large print run will lower the unit cost per book. We will continue to use an American printer. The book will be 100 pages, perfect bound 6.625 x 10.25 paperback in glorious full color.
We appreciate how much our fans love the books and support the project both financially and by spreading the word. In order to make the print run, we need to raise $2000.
Rewards
As you can see we have some great rewards tiers starting at $1 for our eternal gratitude and a shoutout Tweet and going up to $500 for an appearance in the book.
If you want to see more of Lark, Orin, or any of your other favorite characters, please consider supporting this great comic. Thank you!
Link to Kickstarter Campaign!
October 13, 2012
Hey everybody check out Perihelion SF — and my short story “Unintentional Colonists”
This is an image I created of Ounizo for Other Systems. It is not in the magazine, but it fits well for the blog post 
Perihelion Science Fiction is back and now live. In the relaunch issue, they published my short story Unintentional Colonists about astronauts on a long term mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa! http://www.perihelionsf.com/fiction_4...
Besides my story, there is other great sci-fi short stories and articles.
Saturday Night in Saskatchewan by Steve Stanton
Praise the System by J. Richard Jacobs
Network Outage Engineer by Erin Lale
Mr. Weston’s Key by Todd A. Burnett
Central Battle Command, Allied Forces: Day Four by Marilyn K. Martin
We Do Not Serve Weeping Men by Eric Del Carlo
Zeros … All Those Zeros! by Eric M. Jones
Facing Facts—And Analyzing Them by John McCormick
Plus an amazing Cover by Jason Yungbluth.
October 12, 2012
Writing gray character = fun! (Character Development of Lark)
In the second part of Writing gray characters= fun, I am going to introduce you to Lady Meadowlark, Daughter of Lady Nora and Calafas the Bowyer. Younger sister to Oroderthin and older sister to Calthal.
Though Lark is a “good” character, she too falls in the realm of a gray character– primarily because she will do anything to succeed. She believes in the “ends justifies the means” even when she is the one who faces loss by her decisions.
Lark was Nora’s first child to prove her place in House T’Ralom and named beloved granddaughter of Lady Aster. As I said in Orin’s post, Lark came to me very close to fully formed. It was her counterpart which was the question. Even so, there were a few things I needed to work out when I first began to write the stories.
Obviously the first issue was their relationship. The second one was how do I make this young lady on a dangerous quest a little more interesting?
Hypothesis: the most boring stories are wishes that come true without trials. Lark has two spoken goals in bringing Orin back to the Daoine. First of all, she believes this will cure their father’s broken heart and make him well. Secondly it will prove that Nora’s bloodline is strong. She also has one private wish: that Orin will provide kinship that she needs.
So those are her goals, but how did I make Lark herself more interesting?
As I said in the previous post: making Lark and Orin siblings makes it easier for them to be cruel to each other without dire consequences, while Orin is basically a villain softened through the eyes of his little sister, what makes Lark interesting is her hard side mixing with her weakness.
Hardness:
1) She is not an ingenue. Prior to The Carp’s Eye, she fought both the internal and external enemies of the Darien and won a war for the Daoine which has caused her promotion to Lady of the Forest at the tender age of 85. (If she had been a human girl, she would have been about 14). She knows how to win wars. Throughout the books, the reader sees it is her who sees how to get things done.
2) She doesn’t like hurting people, but she will do what is necessary. 
Lark’s memory of her nights with Galdor from Living Stone
3) Unlike other young maidens, she is not a virgin. Prior to her journey to find Orin, she had an affair with Galdor– a boy from her village. She is in love with him, but his jealousy of her promotion tore them apart. Orin knows she made a “little mistake with Galdor” and like many big brothers, he doesn’t particularly want her talking to boys until she is older. Lark likes talking to boys and will even disobey Orin to do so, but she doesn’t sleep around simply because she understands how babies are made. (Lord Brogan and Healer Nonia made sure of this fact after Galdor.)
Weakness:
1) Lark was abandoned many times in her life, now her need for companionship and love is so great that she accepts abuse. (As I said in the previous post, physical abuse of children was a learned behavior in their household/society.) As an adult brother of a child normally he would have authority over her, but Lark is not just a kid anymore, she is also a Lady of the Daoine. Inside the village, due to her rank, if she ever tells anyone that Orin hits her, their extended family will kill them, so she keeps quiet.
Another point which is related, but not exactly a weakness is Lark has had such a tough life, that she prefers death to failure. She doesn’t always think of the consequences of her actions and will put her life and her place in the House on the line. The reader sees this during the Goblin Skirmishes when she stood up against the entire counsel, how she stood against Malak in order to protect Orin during the Carp’s Eye and how she disobeyed Orin in Living Stone because she knew of the job (and as you can see from the image below rescued two puppies in the process.)
So that is an introduction to Lark’s character. How do you form your characters?
If you like what you see consider supporting the Print Faminelands: Mareton’s Curse Kickstarter Campaign which is running between Mid- October to Mid November. More information to follow….
October 7, 2012
Writing Gray Characters = fun! (Character development of Orin)
Fans of my writing tend to love (or hate) the characters. Or dislike them and learn to like them during the adventure. Or hate them but just “have to know what happens next!” so I am going to be writing on how I create these types of characters without being too fluffy over the next few posts.
I will admit why writing gray characters is so much fun is simply they will do things I will never do. No, I am not just talking about using a sword, great battles or reading minds. I mean in the everyday level: they live a life so different than mine. They have different view points, they have different sets of morals.
Note: neither Lark or Orin are helping the man who is literally being eaten alive by the ghost.
Specifically in this post, I am going to introduce you to Orodherthin, Son of the Lady Nora and Master Bowyer Calafas of the House T’Ralom. He is older brother to Lady Meadowlark (Lark) and Calthal. Writing and drawing him has been a blast. Why? Because he is ultimately a villain softened by the eyes of his little sister.
Coming up with the leading male protagonist of Faminelands (depending on your point of view, he also might be considered the antagonist) was so much fun. While Lark came fully formed in my head, Orin was much more of a cypher. I was playing DnD at the time and what sparked the story was the relationship my friend’s character and my character shared. They worked well together.
The first question I thought about: What was his relationship to Lark? While, I wasn’t sure it would be familial love in the beginning, but I knew that love would be a major component to his redemptive character arc.
While I did not know that they would be brother and sister, oddly, I always knew Orin and Lark were never lovers or romantically inclined towards each other for a few reasons. She was simply too young and romantic, if Orin seduced her, the reader would hate him–and Lord Malak would have killed him!
Originally I tried to write it with them just as friends in the Crua –as I said like the friendship between the two characters in the game–but that didn’t work either. Otherwise, every time it got tough, Orin would just bail.
When they were friends, there was simply no tension. No reason Lark wanted him to be redeemed. I tried writing a back story about how he protected her a few times, but it felt trite. Ultimately it was two people just skipping along on an adventure. Fine for a DnD game, not okay for a book. Because when it all comes down to it: making them siblings makes it easier for them to be cruel to each other without dire consequences. That was when child abuse slithered its way into the story.
Here is a little backstory for both character: Mom was often gone supporting the family with their adventures, which meant Dad raised them. Then everything else began to click into place. Calafas was a father who had no idea how to control his wild son. Because Lark and Orin are bastards, other relatives could only do so much for the kids. Since this is a fantasy faux middle ages story: the idea “spare the rod spoil the child” was meant literally. Orin becomes sympathetic.
This next image is from page 32 of the Carp’s Eye. Orin’s memories of childhood.
But child abuse is passed on and we also see Orin hit Lark. Mainly he does it, because he is terrified if he doesn’t punish, she will face a worse fate. And (this is key to how I kept him a sympathetic character rather than just an overbearing jerk) he has no idea what else to do! FYI: No matter why he does it, I make it clear, what he is doing is VERY WRONG!
In this scene in Living Stone, Orin just slapped her, she kicked him to get away and now he has her.
Orin is larger than his sister–he is a grown man while she is still an adolescent–this tension rules the first two books. Making what might have been fairly stereotypical characters into what I hope feel realistic ones. Flaws make these characters real. Don’t apologize for writing characters with real problems! Orin gets mad, he gets scared, he makes huge mistakes. The very best comments I have heard is “They are more human then elves!”
When Carp’s Eye opens, Lark has discovered her brother is in debt to the Crua and he tortures people for a living to pay for that debt. Still what makes Orin specifically a great villain turned protagonist?
1) Orin is not a sadist. If he was, he would not be a very good companion on this adventure. It simply would not be fun to see him derive pleasure from hurting people–if that is what you are looking for, look elsewhere. Any character arc that follows a road to redemption can not be an easy one. If he was a true sadist, could he be redeemed? Would he want to be?
Perhaps, but not in the eyes of the Daoine or in the eyes of their family. And most importantly, not in the eyes or heart of the reader.
2) His relationship to Lark. Even in his most evil moments, there is never any doubt in the reader’s mind that Orin loves his little sister.
3) The relationship to women. As with many fantasy protagonists, Orin is a lothario. He is roguish, without being cruel. See # 1 above. He tends to pay for sex since this is a fantasy realm where prostitution is looked down upon, but legal trade. Still he ends up being a favorite customer rather than one the girls dread.
So that is an introduction to how I wrote Orin’s character. How do you form your characters?
Also if you like what you see consider donating to the Print Faminelands: Mareton’s Curse Kickstarter Campaign which is running between October 10 – November 9th. More information to follow!
October 2, 2012
Special Guest Interview Rayne Hall!
Halloween is coming–so this week I have a very special guest horror author and editor, Rayne Hall!
Portrait of Rayne Hall by Leah Skerry
Rayne Hall has published more than thirty books under different pen names with different publishers in different genres, mostly fantasy, horror and non-fiction. Recent books include Storm Dancer (dark epic fantasy novel), Six Historical Tales Vol 1, Six Scary Tales Vol 1, 2 and 3 (mild horror stories), Six Historical Tales (short stories), Six Quirky Tales (humorous fantasy stories), Writing Fight Scenes and Writing Scary Scenes (instructions for authors).
She holds a college degree in publishing management and a masters degree in creative writing. Currently, she edits the Ten Tales series of multi-author short story anthologies: Bites: Ten Tales of Vampires, Haunted: Ten Tales of Ghosts, Scared: Ten Tales of Horror, Cutlass: Ten Tales of Pirates, Beltane: Ten Tales of Witchcraft and more.
Her short online classes for writers intense with plenty of personal feedback. Writing Fight Scenes, Writing Scary Scenes, Writing about Magic and Magicians, The Word Loss Diet and more.
https://sites.google.com/site/writingworkshopswithraynehll/
For more information about Rayne Hall go to her website https://sites.google.com/site/raynehallsdarkfantasyfiction/
Alright, on to the questions: When did you know you wanted to tell stories?
The stories we had to read in primary school were yawnishly dull, so I made up my own. When I was six, I told the teacher the stories were stupid and I could write better ones. She took me up on it – bless her! – and gave me this assignment: a story about a letter’s adventures from writing to delivery. When I handed it in, she was startled that a six year-old could write so well. Of course, she didn’t know I’d had the help of my older sister. From then on, when the other kids had to read the dull pieces for their homework, she often assigned me to write stories, and I soon learnt to do it without my sister’s help.
Where do you get your ideas & inspiration?
Most of my horror story ideas come from my own fears – things that frighten me, places that creep me out, nightmares that keep me awake at night. Thousands of ideas flutter around in my head at the same time. Sometimes, two or three of those ideas click together like jigsaw pieces, and that’s when a story starts to form. The location is almost always one of the first pieces to click. I like to set my stories in unusual, atmospheric places.
What do you think is scarier in a horror story: tension or gore?
Definitely tension! If the gore mounts up in a story, the shocking effect soon wears off, and the readers get bored instead of horrified. Tension, on the other hand, keeps the reader hooked. In horror fiction, gore is optional. Some stories need gore, others don’t. Personally, I enjoy reading horror that’s low in violence and gore, but rich in tension and suspense. As a writer, I don’t shy away from gore if the plot requires it, and I have written graphic descriptions, but most of my horror stories are more psychological than gory.
How do you accomplish scaring the audience in your own writing?
I like to make the main character’s experience so vivid that the readers sees, hears, smells and feels everything as if it was happening to them.
I put the character into a dangerous situation – usually something they’ve brought about themselves – and then I take away every chance of support or rescue. The companion storms off after a quarrel, the terrible weather means no one else is around, and then the phone battery goes dead.
If possible, I dip the story into darkness: a powercut shuts off the lights, the campfire burns down, or the wind blows out the candle and clouds hide the moon. With the sense of seeing reduced, the other senses become more intense. The character hears alls sorts of disturbing noises, and she may have to grope her way out of danger.
I have written a book – Writing Scary Scenes – in which I reveal techniques for frightening readers.
What are your biggest fears? (Rational and/or Irrational.)
I have so many fears! The high-pitched whine of a dentist’s drill. Slimy garden slugs. Big spiders in my bathtub. Crowds. Fire. Heights. I’m a real coward, which is a good thing for a horror writer, because I know what it feels like to be afraid, and I never run out of ideas.
Many of my best horror stories are inspired by my own fears. Sometimes, it takes courage to confront that fear in my writing. Once the story is finished, though, the fear is replaced by a sense of triumph: By fictionalising the fear, I’ve gained control over it. By writing about what frightens me, I can make it less frightening.
Thank you for coming, Rayne!
FYI, Rayne will be watching the comments, so if you have questions for her, please post them in the comments and she will answer them!
September 30, 2012
V-Con Wrap Up
So I just got back from Vancouver BC and had a great time at V-Con. My doggies missed me. Dennis might have missed me too, but it sounds like he had a good weekend.
As with all conventions there was some fantastic costumes. My favorite was Jareth and Sarah in their crystal ballroom attire from Labyrinth. Unfortunately I was running to a panel so I did not have time to take a photo.
Can You Write SF Without A Science Background? was not as fun as I hoped it would be.Author Donna McMahon Moderated, Dave Duncan and I both spoke as authors. Kristi Charish and David Ngboth came in to panel as scientists. It was a good panel, I just wished I had spoken more eloquently about how the story must come first and the science is just window dressing. I admit I got flustered–mostly from road fatigue. I had driven three hours, got checked in and then had a 1/2 hour to figure out the layout of the convention.
Reading of Other Systems – Friday 7pm I reading chapter 7 & 9 from Other Systems.
The three people who came to my reading loved what I read. Everyone loved the mini button attached to a postcard in one of those cellophane bags for the postcard sets. They loved it as a package. I had 25 and no one said no to the button. Then discovered I still had more time. So I read from Chapter 4.
Drawing Monsters I felt was my best panel. It went perfectly to plan. I talked about a cute dragon, then a colossal dragon. Plenty of time for a QA afterwards.
So You Want To Be A Writer? was the first panel I moderated. Ever.
Don DeBrandt, Alyx Dellamonica, Julie McGalliard, Lorna Suzuki were also on the panel. I felt the panel went well. I only got to ask one question before the audience started asking questions.
After the panel, I was sitting around and got a free eye-patch from Kittie’s Knitting. I like her costume. 
Sources Of Inspiration Stephanie and Karl Johanson and I saw Don DeBrandt and Alyx Dellamonica again. We had a very small audience for this one, and basically we just kept thinking of things that inspired us. Of course once we got going, things other people said inspired us to give more details about what inspired us.
Between panels, I had a great discussion with David Ng about a project he is work on.
In my last panel, Drawing Maps Of Your World only three people actually were drawing with me, most just sat there. So I stopped drawing and just began talking. I would definitely do that map panel again, but next time set up the panel differently. It ended really being a discussion on world build novels and graphic novels. How ancient cities are formed. The differences between ancient and modern cities with the advent of the cars.
Then I headed back home. Going through customs I only was behind one car so there really wasn’t much of a wait. Since I was driving after 8pm, traffic was good. One quick stop at Starbucks for a Chai Tea Latte and I made it home pretty fast.
