Nenia Campbell's Blog, page 30
September 19, 2014
Why I Am Done with Epic Fantasy
I really want to like this genre.
I feel like there is a lot of potential. I mean, who doesn't like unicorns and dragons, witches and sorcerers (that is a hard word to spell), kings and armies. It's like history...WITH MAGIC.
And therein lies the problem. They are like history with magic. Except all the cold, hard reality of history and its grim humanity is removed, and filled with nonsense and wizards with funny hats.
Very few fantasy novels -- high fantasy novels, which take place in a realm separate from our own earth -- are good.
In my limited experience, this is because they are either (a) trying to copy Tolkien or (b) trying to copy George R. R. Martin.
I think one of the books that best illustrates my point is Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind. Back in college, this guy I had a crush on lent it to me, so I finished it, even though it was like 800 pages and I hated, hated, hated it. (Oh, the things we do for love.)
It has several stereotypes that are all too prevalent in fantasy these days:
-Pseudo-medieval setting. I mean, some people have done this well, but it's like a rule now. All fantasy must be in the dark ages, and people must wear shitty clothing (literally in some cases), and women must have no rights, and at least 100 pages must be spent describing a caravan's very (very!) slow passage through dangerous lands.
-The inclusion of a "Chosen One". Again, this is up for debate -- Harry Potter and The Matrix both did this well. Possibly because the characters were so reluctant to step up to the plate (although the reluctant hero trope is becoming glaringly prevalent as well). Every fantasy novel must have a hero(ine) with these super special powers, and EVERYONE must stop what they are doing and say, "OH! Look! How special this person is! THEY MUST BE THE ONE WE'RE WAITING FOR." Gee, YA THINK?
-Mary Sues. Mary Sues everywhere. So many of these books are plot driven to the point that the characters have no soul beyond what they contribute to move the plot. "Let's go to this tavern!" they might say, little knowing that frequenting this tavern is the evil bad guy who killed the MC's entire village and is going to taunt/attempt to rape/enrage the MC, and unwittingly provide them direction on their quest. Or, "Oh! Look! A SHINY OBJECT ON THE GROUND!" Will this object be the key to killing their arch-nemesis in the last book? OF COURSE.
-Info dumping is not a viable way of telling the story. I think if you go more than ten pages without a single line of dialogue, you have a problem. And yet, this is far too common in fantasy. It's exciting, creating a world (a whole neeeeew woooooorld), but you shouldn't languish in it. If you're revising your book and you feel bored, your reader is going to feel the same way, except x 100000. Show, not tell.
-Rape. One of the arguments about fantasy novels and rape is that women were totally treated like that back then! In WIZARD'S, rape is overused to the point that literally every single female character (and some males) get raped at some point in the book. There are other ways to show power. There are other ways to portray women overcoming adversity or of punishing strong women (although why would you want to?). I'm really getting sick of fantasy novels where all the bad guys are rapey perverts and all the good guys are chaste, pious virgins. Just stop.
-"The Magical Negro" stereotype. Stop using people of color as deus ex machinas. That is not representation. People try to use the same excuses for racial stereotypes that they do for rape and misogyny ("it was totally like that back then!"). Unless you are actually writing a historical fiction novel, this excuse does not work. There is no reason why your fantasy novel should be all white (unless there actually is a reason for it, and then explain that reason, by Jove!).
There's this great book called The Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell (no relation -- at least, none that I know of) that talks about a lot of the tropes in fantasy novels & mythology. It's really impressive. I read parts of it for my college mythology class and it's amazing how pervasive some of the tropes are.
We've all got that one shitty fantasy novel. I wrote one back in high school that I'll probably never publish because it is SO BAD. It incorporates the "chosen one" stereotype, a prophecy, mysterious objects, long pointless passages describing the characters traveling from one place to the next, Mary Sues and Marty Stus, self-insertion, random gods, insta-love, and pretty much everything that is wrong and horrible with the genre.
I guess what amazes me is how many shitty fantasy novels DO get published, and how many of them are shit. Science-fiction used to be shit, too, but at least it is evolving with the times. Fantasy hasn't really changed all that much -- it's still too white, too male, and too cliche-ridden. And that's not a good thing.
I feel like there is a lot of potential. I mean, who doesn't like unicorns and dragons, witches and sorcerers (that is a hard word to spell), kings and armies. It's like history...WITH MAGIC.
And therein lies the problem. They are like history with magic. Except all the cold, hard reality of history and its grim humanity is removed, and filled with nonsense and wizards with funny hats.
Very few fantasy novels -- high fantasy novels, which take place in a realm separate from our own earth -- are good.
In my limited experience, this is because they are either (a) trying to copy Tolkien or (b) trying to copy George R. R. Martin.
I think one of the books that best illustrates my point is Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind. Back in college, this guy I had a crush on lent it to me, so I finished it, even though it was like 800 pages and I hated, hated, hated it. (Oh, the things we do for love.)
It has several stereotypes that are all too prevalent in fantasy these days:
-Pseudo-medieval setting. I mean, some people have done this well, but it's like a rule now. All fantasy must be in the dark ages, and people must wear shitty clothing (literally in some cases), and women must have no rights, and at least 100 pages must be spent describing a caravan's very (very!) slow passage through dangerous lands.
-The inclusion of a "Chosen One". Again, this is up for debate -- Harry Potter and The Matrix both did this well. Possibly because the characters were so reluctant to step up to the plate (although the reluctant hero trope is becoming glaringly prevalent as well). Every fantasy novel must have a hero(ine) with these super special powers, and EVERYONE must stop what they are doing and say, "OH! Look! How special this person is! THEY MUST BE THE ONE WE'RE WAITING FOR." Gee, YA THINK?
-Mary Sues. Mary Sues everywhere. So many of these books are plot driven to the point that the characters have no soul beyond what they contribute to move the plot. "Let's go to this tavern!" they might say, little knowing that frequenting this tavern is the evil bad guy who killed the MC's entire village and is going to taunt/attempt to rape/enrage the MC, and unwittingly provide them direction on their quest. Or, "Oh! Look! A SHINY OBJECT ON THE GROUND!" Will this object be the key to killing their arch-nemesis in the last book? OF COURSE.
-Info dumping is not a viable way of telling the story. I think if you go more than ten pages without a single line of dialogue, you have a problem. And yet, this is far too common in fantasy. It's exciting, creating a world (a whole neeeeew woooooorld), but you shouldn't languish in it. If you're revising your book and you feel bored, your reader is going to feel the same way, except x 100000. Show, not tell.
-Rape. One of the arguments about fantasy novels and rape is that women were totally treated like that back then! In WIZARD'S, rape is overused to the point that literally every single female character (and some males) get raped at some point in the book. There are other ways to show power. There are other ways to portray women overcoming adversity or of punishing strong women (although why would you want to?). I'm really getting sick of fantasy novels where all the bad guys are rapey perverts and all the good guys are chaste, pious virgins. Just stop.
-"The Magical Negro" stereotype. Stop using people of color as deus ex machinas. That is not representation. People try to use the same excuses for racial stereotypes that they do for rape and misogyny ("it was totally like that back then!"). Unless you are actually writing a historical fiction novel, this excuse does not work. There is no reason why your fantasy novel should be all white (unless there actually is a reason for it, and then explain that reason, by Jove!).
There's this great book called The Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell (no relation -- at least, none that I know of) that talks about a lot of the tropes in fantasy novels & mythology. It's really impressive. I read parts of it for my college mythology class and it's amazing how pervasive some of the tropes are.
We've all got that one shitty fantasy novel. I wrote one back in high school that I'll probably never publish because it is SO BAD. It incorporates the "chosen one" stereotype, a prophecy, mysterious objects, long pointless passages describing the characters traveling from one place to the next, Mary Sues and Marty Stus, self-insertion, random gods, insta-love, and pretty much everything that is wrong and horrible with the genre.
I guess what amazes me is how many shitty fantasy novels DO get published, and how many of them are shit. Science-fiction used to be shit, too, but at least it is evolving with the times. Fantasy hasn't really changed all that much -- it's still too white, too male, and too cliche-ridden. And that's not a good thing.
September 17, 2014
Star Crossed Teaser
Well, it's more of a quote, but it was too long for me to post in a status update so here you go.
His answering smile was a cruel, beautiful smile that made her certain he was going to both break her heart and watch her choke on the sharp pieces as he made her eat it; it promised pleasure followed speedily by pain, and vice vice versa, and a profound sense of absence borne of atrophied satisfaction; he would fill her up with a bouyant emptiness, and leave an even bigger void when he'd left, forcing her to come back, again and again, and each subsequent time would be worse than the time before. He was elusive, he was elemental, he was cruel.
Loving him, she realized, would be a lot like drowning.
His answering smile was a cruel, beautiful smile that made her certain he was going to both break her heart and watch her choke on the sharp pieces as he made her eat it; it promised pleasure followed speedily by pain, and vice vice versa, and a profound sense of absence borne of atrophied satisfaction; he would fill her up with a bouyant emptiness, and leave an even bigger void when he'd left, forcing her to come back, again and again, and each subsequent time would be worse than the time before. He was elusive, he was elemental, he was cruel.
Loving him, she realized, would be a lot like drowning.
September 15, 2014
Shadow Thane Series Charpics! :D
I was talking shop with a friend (Myrika -- aka, the woman who forced me to read Anne Stuart and R. Lee Smith), and she helped me find character pics!
Also, I FINALLY FOUND A DAVID OMG. (When I googled Vietnamese actors, Google kept trying to show me K-drama people. Wtf.)
Phineas Riordan
<spoiler>Eddie Redmayne</spoiler>
Royce Riordan
<spoiler>Kevin McKidd</spoiler>
Cassandra Tyler
<spoiler>Chloë Moretz</spoiler>
David Tran
<spoiler>Trương Nam Thành</spoiler>
Catherine Pierce
<spoiler>Kaya Scodelario</spoiler>
Alec St. Clair
<spoiler>Wes Bentley</spoiler>
Also, I FINALLY FOUND A DAVID OMG. (When I googled Vietnamese actors, Google kept trying to show me K-drama people. Wtf.)
Phineas Riordan
<spoiler>Eddie Redmayne</spoiler>
Royce Riordan
<spoiler>Kevin McKidd</spoiler>
Cassandra Tyler
<spoiler>Chloë Moretz</spoiler>
David Tran
<spoiler>Trương Nam Thành</spoiler>
Catherine Pierce
<spoiler>Kaya Scodelario</spoiler>
Alec St. Clair
<spoiler>Wes Bentley</spoiler>
September 14, 2014
Star Crossed Teaser!!!!
Teaser from Star Crossed (Shadow Thane, #4).
“I'm surprised you didn't make me beg.”
“I suspect you would starve before you surrendered your pride.”
“Let me guess,” she said. “Pride goeth before a fall?”
“Exactly.” The witch tore into an apple, and with his glowing aura and serpentine eyes, she thought he looked like the very embodiment of everything that had caused mankind's fall from grace. He smiled, as though reading her mind. “So don't tempt me.”
“Or what?” She tried for blasé, though she found his words bewildering. She drew herself up haughtily, looking down her nose at him. “You'll make me fall?”
“You're already falling,” he said, turning over the core in his long fingers, “it's a merely a question of whether I'll let you hit the ground on your way down.”
Add the book here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
:D
“I'm surprised you didn't make me beg.”
“I suspect you would starve before you surrendered your pride.”
“Let me guess,” she said. “Pride goeth before a fall?”
“Exactly.” The witch tore into an apple, and with his glowing aura and serpentine eyes, she thought he looked like the very embodiment of everything that had caused mankind's fall from grace. He smiled, as though reading her mind. “So don't tempt me.”
“Or what?” She tried for blasé, though she found his words bewildering. She drew herself up haughtily, looking down her nose at him. “You'll make me fall?”
“You're already falling,” he said, turning over the core in his long fingers, “it's a merely a question of whether I'll let you hit the ground on your way down.”
Add the book here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
:D
September 13, 2014
Thank You <3 <3 <3
So I do have some exciting news. I'm buying a new computer.
The computer I've been using for the last two years has been falling apart. It's been absolutely awful, but I've been stuck with it because I couldn't afford to buy a new one.
And the space bar is broken and will randomly lock sometimes, and other times it'll keep putting spaces where I don't want them; the keyboard barely works and some of the keys stick; the touchpad is broken; the fan is stuck and causes my computer to overheat; I have to restart my computer every time I shift my weight because shifting the laptop even slightly causes the touchpad to freeze and/or go crazy.
It is seriously the worst computer I have ever used. Ever. I think in terms of interface, it is worse than the 1980s comps my under-funded high school programming class had, aka these:
(And I graduated from high school in 2007, so the computers we used were 20 years out of date. *COUGH* Burrrrn.)
Anyway, my sales have been doing well enough that I can finally get a new one. And if they continue to go up the way they have been, I'll probably get an auxiliary keyboard too, since I write so much I wear mine out within a year or so. (We're talking millions, maybe billions, of keystrokes.)
So anyway, I wanted to thank you guys. Because if you didn't buy my books, I would have zero money. And I really appreciate having such a loyal fanbase. Really, truly.
I will think of you every time I use my new computer. <3
xNenia
The computer I've been using for the last two years has been falling apart. It's been absolutely awful, but I've been stuck with it because I couldn't afford to buy a new one.
And the space bar is broken and will randomly lock sometimes, and other times it'll keep putting spaces where I don't want them; the keyboard barely works and some of the keys stick; the touchpad is broken; the fan is stuck and causes my computer to overheat; I have to restart my computer every time I shift my weight because shifting the laptop even slightly causes the touchpad to freeze and/or go crazy.
It is seriously the worst computer I have ever used. Ever. I think in terms of interface, it is worse than the 1980s comps my under-funded high school programming class had, aka these:
(And I graduated from high school in 2007, so the computers we used were 20 years out of date. *COUGH* Burrrrn.)
Anyway, my sales have been doing well enough that I can finally get a new one. And if they continue to go up the way they have been, I'll probably get an auxiliary keyboard too, since I write so much I wear mine out within a year or so. (We're talking millions, maybe billions, of keystrokes.)
So anyway, I wanted to thank you guys. Because if you didn't buy my books, I would have zero money. And I really appreciate having such a loyal fanbase. Really, truly.
I will think of you every time I use my new computer. <3
xNenia
September 11, 2014
Hallmark Cards for Authors
I feel like Hallmark should design a line of Hallmark cards for authors to give to their readers.
There's the obvious ones:
"Thank you so much for reading my book!"
"Congratulations on finishing the series!"
The extremely relevant ones:
"Sorry I killed off your favorite character."
"My sincerest condolences for the end of your favorite series..."
The precautionary:
"Please don't sic a horde of flying attack parrots on me for ending the book like that."
The generous and possibly drunk:
"The only thing happier than your birthday is what's inside my male MC's pants. ENJOY YOUR FREE ARC OF MY EROTICA LOLOL."
The apologetic:
"I'm sorry I said you were 'just jealous' when you gave my book a one-star review."
The not-so-apologetic:
"I'm sorry you think I'm a jerk, bitch."
And the lazy:
"To reader, from author. Insert message here."
There's the obvious ones:
"Thank you so much for reading my book!"
"Congratulations on finishing the series!"
The extremely relevant ones:
"Sorry I killed off your favorite character."
"My sincerest condolences for the end of your favorite series..."
The precautionary:
"Please don't sic a horde of flying attack parrots on me for ending the book like that."
The generous and possibly drunk:
"The only thing happier than your birthday is what's inside my male MC's pants. ENJOY YOUR FREE ARC OF MY EROTICA LOLOL."
The apologetic:
"I'm sorry I said you were 'just jealous' when you gave my book a one-star review."
The not-so-apologetic:
"I'm sorry you think I'm a jerk, bitch."
And the lazy:
"To reader, from author. Insert message here."
September 10, 2014
Summary for THE DARKEST NIGHT
I'm currently working on book #3.5 in my Shadow Thane series. It's called THE DARKEST NIGHT and features a new narrator.
WARNING: It contains a huge spoiler from book #3 so do not read unless you are okay with spoilers.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
I'm also posting it here, too.
*** SPOILER ***
bear with me
*** SPOILER ***
THERE IS NO TURNING BACK NOW.
---
David Tran is back from the grave.
When the girl he was in love with asked him to do her a favor, David didn't think twice. Yes, he knew they could get caught, but it was only a simple, childish prank. With his grades, he thought he'd get a slap on the wrist at most.
He was wrong.
Marked for death, tortured, then sold into slavery and tortured some more, David has been through it all, and has the t-shirt to prove it.
The atrocities he has committed would drive any mere human mad. But David isn't a human. He used to be a shape-shifter once, but he isn't that anymore, either.
He's a monster.
And his life has become...THE DARKEST NIGHT.
WARNING: It contains a huge spoiler from book #3 so do not read unless you are okay with spoilers.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
I'm also posting it here, too.
*** SPOILER ***
bear with me
*** SPOILER ***
THERE IS NO TURNING BACK NOW.
---
David Tran is back from the grave.
When the girl he was in love with asked him to do her a favor, David didn't think twice. Yes, he knew they could get caught, but it was only a simple, childish prank. With his grades, he thought he'd get a slap on the wrist at most.
He was wrong.
Marked for death, tortured, then sold into slavery and tortured some more, David has been through it all, and has the t-shirt to prove it.
The atrocities he has committed would drive any mere human mad. But David isn't a human. He used to be a shape-shifter once, but he isn't that anymore, either.
He's a monster.
And his life has become...THE DARKEST NIGHT.
September 9, 2014
Crowned by Fire Playlist
Here is the playlist for my new book, CROWNED BY FIRE!
For information on where to purchase the book, refer to the previous post or just click here. ♥
♫ Asylum // Chantal Kreviazuk
♫ Good Behavior // Plumb
♫ Sundrenched World // Joshua Radin
♫ Potions // Late Night Alumni
♫ Primitive // Roisin Murphy
♫ Dark Carnival // Vanessa Carlton
♫ Dreaming // Goldfrapp
♫ Murder // Within Temptation
♫ Stargazing // Tinashe
♫ Prince // Vanessa Carlton
♫ Stairway to the Skies // Within Temptation
♫ Starring Role // Marina and the Diamonds
♫ Familiar Taste of Poison // Halestorm
End credits:
♫ Animal // Ellie Goulding
Get your groove on here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
Enjoy! :)
For information on where to purchase the book, refer to the previous post or just click here. ♥
♫ Asylum // Chantal Kreviazuk
♫ Good Behavior // Plumb
♫ Sundrenched World // Joshua Radin
♫ Potions // Late Night Alumni
♫ Primitive // Roisin Murphy
♫ Dark Carnival // Vanessa Carlton
♫ Dreaming // Goldfrapp
♫ Murder // Within Temptation
♫ Stargazing // Tinashe
♫ Prince // Vanessa Carlton
♫ Stairway to the Skies // Within Temptation
♫ Starring Role // Marina and the Diamonds
♫ Familiar Taste of Poison // Halestorm
End credits:
♫ Animal // Ellie Goulding
Get your groove on here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
Enjoy! :)
September 8, 2014
Crowned By Fire Now LIVE on Amazon!!! + Witchfire Omnibus + Ack!(knowledgements)
My newest book, CROWNED BY FIRE, is now LIVE in the Amazon Kindle store! YAY!
You can purchase it here: http://www.amazon.com/Crowned-Fire-Sh...
Or on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
If you're new to the series, I've also released a bundled omnibus edition of books #1-3 called WITCHFIRE:
WITCHFIRE contains BLACK BEAST, TOUCHED WITH SIGHT, and CROWNED BY FIRE. It's also cheaper than buying the three books individually. :)
You can get it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Witchfire-Shado...
Or Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
---
Also, last night as I was going to bed it occurred to me that I had forgotten to include the Ack!(knowledgements) section in my book.
I felt really bad -- because as with any book, I had a lot of people to thank!
So I'm posting it here. :D
Very briefly, I would like to take the time to thank:
-Wart, for beta-ing for me. He catches a lot of what I miss during my read throughs and that is awesome.
-Louisa, for her beautiful shiny cover sparlies
-My readers, for buying my books. I may not live in a fancy mansion -- yet -- but whenever I buy something like a new computer (which I need to do, actually) or medicine, it comes from book money. :)
-My friends, for making me feel better about myself when I want to hide in a dark cave somewhere and not come out.
-You, for buying this book.
Thank you so much for buying CROWNED BY FIRE. <3
You can purchase it here: http://www.amazon.com/Crowned-Fire-Sh...
Or on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
If you're new to the series, I've also released a bundled omnibus edition of books #1-3 called WITCHFIRE:
WITCHFIRE contains BLACK BEAST, TOUCHED WITH SIGHT, and CROWNED BY FIRE. It's also cheaper than buying the three books individually. :)
You can get it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Witchfire-Shado...
Or Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
---
Also, last night as I was going to bed it occurred to me that I had forgotten to include the Ack!(knowledgements) section in my book.
I felt really bad -- because as with any book, I had a lot of people to thank!
So I'm posting it here. :D
Very briefly, I would like to take the time to thank:
-Wart, for beta-ing for me. He catches a lot of what I miss during my read throughs and that is awesome.
-Louisa, for her beautiful shiny cover sparlies
-My readers, for buying my books. I may not live in a fancy mansion -- yet -- but whenever I buy something like a new computer (which I need to do, actually) or medicine, it comes from book money. :)
-My friends, for making me feel better about myself when I want to hide in a dark cave somewhere and not come out.
-You, for buying this book.
Thank you so much for buying CROWNED BY FIRE. <3
September 7, 2014
CROWNED BY FIRE Published + Shadow Thane #1-3 Omnibus Edition WITCHFIRE Published!!!!
I finished CROWNED BY FIRE earlier than I had planned, so I published it on Smashwords (Kindle version to come).
You can buy a copy here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
It's a little shorter than I wanted, so it's only $1.99. (What a steal!)
I've also published WITCHFIRE: Shadow Thane #1-3. It's an omnibus edition of books one through three of the Shadow Thane series. You can buy it for $5.99 and save yourself a whole dollar! OMG! THAT'S SO KEWL!
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
It should be available in the Kindle store tomorrow, too. :D
You can buy a copy here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
It's a little shorter than I wanted, so it's only $1.99. (What a steal!)
I've also published WITCHFIRE: Shadow Thane #1-3. It's an omnibus edition of books one through three of the Shadow Thane series. You can buy it for $5.99 and save yourself a whole dollar! OMG! THAT'S SO KEWL!
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
It should be available in the Kindle store tomorrow, too. :D
