Andy Peloquin's Blog, page 9
February 1, 2018
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Sadist
Gregor Clegane
Bellatrix Lestrange
Semirhage, the Lady of Pain
These names bring to mind people who not only excel at inflicting pain, but derive physical pleasure from it. The pain can be physical, psychological, magical, or emotional, and sadists use pain and the fear of pain to manipulate and control others.
Sadists: The Origin
The term sadism is derived from the French word sadisme, which was coined for the Marquis de Sade, a French nobleman who wrote a number of erotic works that combined blasphemy, criminal acts, violence, and sexual fantasies. His writings depicted the pleasure of inflicting pain, and he was considered extreme even by the Gothic writers of his era.
But though the term originated in the 1800s, sadism has existed for nearly as long as mankind has. Though most people are familiar with sexual sadism—a condition common enough for it to be classified as a disorder—sadism comes in many forms. At its core, it is deriving pleasure from the suffering of others.
Sadism may be a combination of the “darker” personality traits: Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism. Sadistic personality disorder is not currently recognized as a personality disorder, but when it was, it was often found alongside other personality disorders. However, given that it shares a lot of traits with other personality disorders, it is difficult to distinguish sadistic personality types from those with, say, psychopathic disorders.
One psychologist listed the five most common sub-types of sadist:
Explosive sadists tend to lose control when frustrated, disappointed, hopeless, or humiliated. They seek revenge, become unpredictably violent, and may even attack those closest to them. They lash out as a result of perceived mistreatment.
Spineless sadists are insecure and cowardly, and they tend to strike first in anticipation of danger. They use aggressive hostility to forestall and prevent aggression, sending the message that they aren’t fearful. They use sadism to mask their true feelings of fear and insecurity, and tend to search for scapegoats to gang up on.
Tyrannical sadists force their victims to cower, as they derive satisfaction from the submission of their victims. They are cruel, frightening, and relish the act of brutalizing and threatening others.
Enforcing sadists tend to use authoritative positions—drill sergeants, university deans, police officers, prison overseers, and so on—to control the punish people they believe to have broken the law, rules, or regulations. Because they are inflicting punishment on lawbreakers, they often believe their actions to be “right” or “justified”.
Everyday sadists gain emotional benefit from either causing or observing the suffering of others. For example, a co-worker who smiles as your boss shouts at you, or derives emotional pleasure from making you suffer. If you do something to set them off, they will retaliate and seek revenge, further hurting you.
Everyday sadism is common a lot more common than expected. One study found it was prevalent among a broader spectrum of people than they anticipated. Some of the participants were more likely to enjoy crushing bugs (27%, with another 27% assisting the person killing the bugs) or “attacking” their fellow participants. These tended to score higher on the Short Sadistic Impulse Scale (SSIS).
The SSIS uses ten questions to rate people’s sadistic impulses:
I enjoy seeing people hurt.
I would enjoy hurting someone physically, sexually, or emotionally.
Hurting people would be exciting.
I have hurt people for my own enjoyment.
People would enjoy hurting others if they gave it a go.
I have fantasieswhich involve hurting people.
I have hurt people because I could.
I wouldn’t intentionally hurt anyone.
I have humiliated others to keep them in line.
Sometimes I get so angry I want to hurt people.
(Information courtesy of Psychology Today)
Anyone who scored higher than 5 out of 10 would be considered an “everyday sadist”.
Oddly enough, a lot of sadists aren’t physically violent. Sadists that are raised in a violent culture or background do tend to violence (like bullies and domestic abusers), but a lot of sadists tend to use emotional and psychological weapons against their victims. They have been likened to “emotional vampires” that feed off the terror of the people they control.
In stories:
Sadism runs rampant in literature, and sadists are always the villains of the piece.
Ramsay Bolton from A Song of Ice and Fire uses physical torture (castration, amputation, flaying, etc.) and psychological abuse to instill fear in Theon Greyjoy, turning him into a wrecked, broken shell of the man he once was.
Peter Wiggin, Ender’s older brother from Ender’s Game, flayed squirrels and subjected young Ender to cruel games.
Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter uses the blood quill to torture two students, and she uses an “unforgiveable curse” to get Harry and Hermione to give her what she wants.
Rarely are they redeemable characters, as their lust for violence, control, and inflicting suffering on others dominates their personalities.
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January 29, 2018
Get In on the Giveaway
The big day is finally here! Well, tomorrow…
Queen of the Night Guild, the final book in the Queen of Thieves series, is hitting the digital shelves. This will be my first completed series, and I’m so excited for you all to read the gripping, heart-pounding, gut-wrenching final book in the trilogy. Prepare for a few sleepless nights as you find out what happens to Ilanna!
In anticipation of this momentous event, I’m running a giveaway over on my Andy Peloquin Author Page on Facebook. All you have to do to enter is Like, Comment, and Share, but you can also tag readers, add the book to your Goodreads TBR list, and more. All of these things will give you a chance to win one of the TWO audiobooks of Child of the Night Guild I’m giving away.
Pop over now and get in on the giveaway while it lasts! I’ll be running it for another week, until February 5th, when I will randomly choose two people (in the US and UK) to enjoy the audiobook. You’ve got one week, so head over to Facebook—or check out the post below—to participate.
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January 22, 2018
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Supernatural Forces of Evil
Demons.
Dementors.
The Crimson King.
These names speak of one thing: supernatural forces dedicated to doing evil. Soulless, radiating evil and despair, these creatures are villains hell-bent on death, destruction, and chaos. Whatever their end goal—the eradication of all mankind, tormenting humans, or wanton savagery—their supernatural abilities make them absolutely terrifying and a force to be reckoned with.
Supernatural Forces of Evil: The Origin
For as long as humans have existed, there have been whispered tales of forces of evil. From East Asian Preta to the Judeo-Christian demon the to the Celtic Wraith to the Old Norse Draugr, these are the creatures used to warn of the dangers of immorality, greed, cowardice, and general wrongdoing.
These supernatural forces of evil can manifest in so many ways it’s impossible to describe them all. Every story has a new take on the same ancient concepts, presenting them in a way that is unique and offers a challenge to the hero. Ultimately, however, they are driven by motives typically considered “evil” by our modern ethics and morality, and thus they are the villains of their stories.
These evil beings are created to tap into three of our greatest fears:
Fear of the dark/unknown. Since the beginning of time, the “darkness” has always concealed threats, predators, and enemies. From a young age, primitive mankind learned to fear what hid in the shadows of night. To this day, many people still fear the dark and what they cannot see. That fear of the unknown plays tricks on the mind and conjures images of horrible, twisted creatures intent on doing us harm. While this instinct once kept us safe and sheltered in ancient times, it is still a driving force behind much of our modern actions.
Fear of loss of autonomy. Many supernatural beings have the abilities to warp your mind, direct your dreams, or even seize control of your body. This taps into the primal fear of loss of autonomy, or a loss of control over your actions and thoughts. We shiver at the idea of being possessed by demons, ghosts, or other dark souls.
Fear of loss of self. Many of these supernatural forces of evil have no souls, and their ultimate goal is to prey on those who do. In many cases, they actually steal the souls or men or destroy them, turning humans into other soulless creatures of evil.
Fear of loss of self or a part of oneself is one of the five primal fears, and it’s what makes these soulless creatures so terrifying. Losing your soul is so much more final than losing a limb. After all, your soul is “the mental abilities of a living being: reason, character, feeling, consciousness, memory, perception, thinking, etc.” To many religions, a soul is a requisite for entrance into Paradise/Heaven/Valhalla/etc. This is the greatest form of loss of self, which is why these supernatural forces of evil prove such effective threats to our wellbeing.
In stories:
Whether operating alone or in endless armies of evil, these supernatural creatures can be a world-shattering threat:
Ghosts, demons, wraiths, ghouls, and hundreds more similar creatures have existed in mythology as far back as the Ancient Sumerians.
The Dementors from Harry Potter sucked the souls from their victims, leaving them in a state “considerably worse than death”.
Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street is a dream-demon that attacks and kills victim in their most vulnerable state: their sleep.
These creatures of evil may the primary or a secondary threat to the protagonist, but either way, they typically tend to be very difficult to deal with thanks to their supernatural abilities and forms.
Go back to the main list of villains and antagonists…
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January 17, 2018
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Beast
Dracula
Fafnir
Every werewolf ever
These names bring to mind creatures driven by a single imperative. For some, the driving force is a need to feed, while survival is the impetus that compels others to do what they do. But they all share one common thing: their primitive and bestial instincts overpower higher rationale. In the end, that savagery is what makes them a true beast.
Return to main list
Beasts: The Origin
Beasts and savage creatures have been a recurring theme in fiction since the dawn of time. The oldest mythologies—including Egyptian, Sumerian, and Babylonian—feature dragons, werewolves, vampires, and more. These beasts are typically driven by a single biological or psychological imperative:
Vampires need to feed on blood to survive
Dragons collect and hoard treasure
Fenrir the Wolf is foretold to kill Odin during Ragnarok
The thing that makes these beasts such amazing villains is that they are often at the mercy of those imperatives. They are often as much a victim of their own circumstance as the people that suffer at their hands. Many modern books, movies, and TV shows depict traditional “beast” characters fighting their own urges in order to assimilate into society.
Beasts are typically driven by the most basic physiological needs on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Food is typically the predominant factor: werewolves need fresh meat, vampires need blood, and so on. However, in many cases, beasts are driven by the need to survive. While humans can subsist on water, oxygen, and typical food, these beasts require other things to survive—i.e., vampires and blood.
However, other needs that drive them include financial (dragons and their gold), health and wellbeing (typical monsters avoiding monster hunters), and social belonging (with their pack and fellow “beasts”). They simply resort to methods of meeting these needs through methods that modern society have deemed primitive, savage, violent, and bestial.
These beasts tap into our fear not only of being harmed, but also fears at our own “darker selves”. Everyone has experienced the urge to hurt others at some point in their lives—in the name of revenge, justice, out of anger or frustration, or any number of reasons. We have all struggled to keep those “base impulses” under control, and it can be one of the greatest challenges of personal development that we face.
When we read about these bestial creatures that give into those darker selves, it holds up a mirror to show us what WE would be like if we were to permit our inner urges to overpower our rational mind. Think of these beasts as the Bizarro version of the person we try to convince the world we are. They are all the base instincts that exist even after millennia of evolution and development into the modern humans we are. They are the “animal within all of us”.
In stories:
Until the last 10 to 20 years, beasts were almost exclusively the antagonist. Their bestial nature made them straight villains, as they were willing to resort to “extremes” to follow their biological or psychological imperatives:
Smaug, from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit only cared about his hoard.
Dracula, Wolfman, and all the classic horror monsters of old were driven by their biological imperatives to survive.
Fenrir the Wolf in Norse mythology was fated to kill Odin, and the serpent Jörmungandr is fated to bring on the beginning of Ragnarok.
However, modern takes on bestial characters will often use them as a tortured protagonist fighting their own inner urges and base natures.
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January 13, 2018
Child of the Night Guild Audiobook
Yes, I’m so stoked to finally say that the audiobook for Child of the Night Guild is finally live! I was so lucky to find an amazing narrator to bring the book to life, and I’m thrilled for you all to listen to it.
Check out this sample:
You can get the whole thing over on Amazon. It’s SO COOL to hear the journey from the little eight-year old Viola to the strong, confident, hard eighteen year old Ilanna. I can’t wait to get the other two done as well.
Check it out!
I had a chance to talk to Rebecca McKernan and ask her a few questions about the audiobook recording process, her take on the story, and more. Here’s what she had to say:
A.P.: Is this is the darkest work of fiction you ever recorded? How did you feel about the story?
R.M.:Yes, it’s certainly top three. It’s definitely the darkest piece of fiction which ventures into the realms of fantasy I’ve recorded. I really enjoyed the story. I love how unapologetic it is, how honestly violent and unforgiving the surroundings are painted, how believable each of the characters and their actions are.
A.P.: What was your favorite part of recording this story? Your least favorite? The easiest? The hardest?
R.M.: I loved taking Viola’s/ Illana’s journey with her, helping her develop from this young, frightened girl into a hardened, ruthless young woman. It was an interesting challenge as a voice over artist, and I felt like I’d grown with the character. I’m not sure that I had a least favourite part of the recording process, because Andy is a good person to work with and didn’t place ridiculous demands upon me, but I suppose the most challenging part was making each of the male characters distinguishable from one another without making them into caricatures.
A.P.: Did you see bits of yourself in any of the characters? Did any one resonate with you or make you say, “Hey, I like his/her way of being/thinking/acting”?
R.M.: Haha- I suppose I would like to see a few of Illana’s determined traits in myself, but that’s probably just daydreaming! I’m a big fan of both Denber and Prynn. I love Denber’s brotherly but firm way of dealing with his fellow apprentices, his fair, just manner. And I love Prynn’s gentleness. I’m also a bit of a sadist, so I do have a soft spot for Master Velvet…
A.P.: Which was your favorite character to record? Why?
R.M.: I love working with different accents, so I enjoyed reading Master Hawk’s dialogue. I also really got into Master Velvet, when I’d struck the note that Andy was looking for in the character. I was a bit disappointed when the action moved away from the menagerie and I didn’t get to verbally bully children any more!
A.P.: Are you a big fantasy or science fiction reader? What is it about the genre that attracts you? What aspects of the genre don’t you like?
R.M.: I’m a big reader of everything. I don’t get a huge amount of time to read for pleasure any more, but when I do, my favourite genre would be some sort of dystopian fantasy- that tends to be what I write, too. I love a book in which you can see elements of the world that we live in, but is twisted or morphed in some way. I love, and don’t love at the same time, how in fantasy absolutely anything can happen and doesn’t really need to be explained, because it’s a fantastical world created by the writer. It can be anything. Anything goes.
A.P.: Do you share any of the characters’ traits? Obviously not the villain’s, but any of the other characters that reminded you of you?
R.M.: Haha- I like how you say ‘obviously not the villains”… I definitely have moments of being as stubborn as Illana. But generally, I’d say I’m gentle, like Prynn, and quite protective, like Denber. And I’m a Londoner, so I feel like I’ve got quite a bit of Fox in me. I can’t help but think of them as London street urchins in some warped Dickensian Britain…
A.P.: Are there any character traits in the book that made you say, “I wish I could be more X”?
R.M.: I like Master Hawk’s no nonsense hard headedness, whilst still, I feel, being able to see things clearly and fairly. I could probably do with being a bit firmer myself.
A.P.: Do you have any quirks when preparing to record or during recording? Any rituals or habits?
R.M.: Not as far as I’m aware. As long as I have plenty of tea to hand, I’m good to go. Or, you know, wine….
A.P.: How do you keep track of all the voices and not get mixed up when switching between characters in dialogue-heavy scenes?
R.M.: It’s definitely a challenge. I try to paint a visual image of the character in my mind, and then give them something small I can identify them with, things that might exist if they were real people. Prynn had a voice which I saw as being a slightly masculine version of my normal speaking voice. Denber (in my mind) was a well educated chap who’d play rugby but wouldn’t cry if he lost. Sometimes I give voices shapes in my mind. Bert’s was quite round. It makes words easier to form if you can visualise them.
A.P.: What are your top 5 favorite books of all time? Which of the books that you recorded have been your favorite?
R.M.: Ooh. Ok, in no particular order:
The Handmaid’s Tale- Margaret Atwood
World War Z- Max Brooks
Atonement- Ian McEwan
Never Let Me Go- Kazuo Ishiguro
The Princess Bride- William Goldman
Oh my god, I’ve just realised every one of those books have been made into a film. I promise I read the books first.
Apart from Child of the Night Guild, of course, one of my favourite books I’ve recorded has been by an incredible author, Johanna Craven, called Forgotten Places (available now on Audible, Amazon, etc). It’s set in colonial Australia and follows the story of a woman and her daughter fleeing an abusive relationship. It is incredibly dark, incredibly haunting, and incredibly beautiful. Actually, that’s probably one of my favourite books, too.
Check Rebecca out on her website: www.rebeccamckernan.com
Facebook: facebook.com/beccatellstales
Twitter: twitter.com/beccatellstales.
And don’t forget to pop over to Amazon and check out the audiobook!
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January 8, 2018
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Dark Lord/Supervillain
Sauron.
The White Witch.
Emperor Palpatine.
Names that bring to mind one goal: the rule the world, universe, or galaxy in an iron fist. Their impressive powers enable them to seize control and maintain an unbreakable grip on the world. All that stands between them and total dominion is one plucky hero or protagonist.
Dark Lord/Supervillain: The Origin
The Dark Lord and All-Powerful Supervillain is a villain for two simple reasons:
They seek to take away that which we value most: freedom and free will. Sauron wants to rule the world and uses the power of The One Ring to control all the other Ring-Bearers. Emperor Palpatine desires a much more benevolent dictatorship (ruled by the Sith), but there is no less sharp a sword driving it, as witnessed by the destruction of Alderaan when Princess Leia refuses to reveal the location of the rebel base.
They use brutal, bloodthirsty, and dark methods to achieve their ends. Empress Jadis of Charn, the White Witch, uses an icy winter to keep the world of Narnia firmly under her control. Darkseid of DC Comics destroys worlds or turns them into a twisted, hellish landscape ruled by his evil minions.
Most Dark Lord and Supervillain types will have evil minions and henchmen working for them, and they will tend to follow darker philosophies, such as “Might is Right” and “The Ends Justify the Means”.
Some Dark Lords, like Sauron, tend to be Ancient Forces of Evil, driven by their evil nature or desires. Others, however, will have a tragic backstory that led them down the road to becoming “evil”. Like Darth Vader, the character that starts out as a Dark Lord or Supervillain may actually be redeemable.
They tend to be either the ultimate antagonists (the ones seeking to destroy/rule the world), or they will be tapping into the “evil” forces (of Entropy/Chaos or Ancient Evils) to achieve their ends.
In Stories:
This is one of the most popular villain types, and has been used by countless stories:
Voldemort from Harry Potter is the most classic and one of the best-known Dark Lord types. It’s even his name!
The Dark Lord in Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Trilogy pretty clearly falls into this villain type, though it’s nicely deconstructed in a unique way by the end of the story.
Darken Rahl in Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series is another classic example of a Dark Lord.
Marvel Comics’ Apocalypse and Thanos are both examples of Supervillains.
Desire meets raw, untapped power and a broken moral compass, and you end up with this villain type.
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January 2, 2018
One Year Ends, Another Begins
The New Year is always a time for contemplation—both on the things achieved in the previous 365 days and at all one intends to accomplish in the year to come. I want the first blog post of 2018 to be both a recap of last year and a look forward at what’s in store.
A Look Back at 2017
2017 was an amazing year in so many ways!
I published four books:
Child of the Night Guild
Thief of the Night Guild
Different, Not Damaged
Gateway to the Past
Considering I had published one book the year before, that’s a huge accomplishment for me!
I also got A LOT of writing done during that time. The books I wrote during 2017 include:
Thief of the Night Guild
Queen of the Night Guild
Hero of Darkness Book 4
Silent Champions Book 1
10 short stories (between 4,000 to 50,000 words)
Traitors’ Fate
All told, that’s about 500,000 words written in one year. Quite an awesome output, given it’s my third year of writing.
I also:
Attended CondorCon in San Diego
Attended StokerCon in Long Beach
Attended InDScribe in Burbank
Won a RONE Award for Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Novel
Had short stories published in three anthologies
Started The Fantasy Fiends Podcast and met dozens of amazing authors
On top of that, I invested a great deal of time and effort into learning the ropes of marketing, advertising, and everything else that goes into being an indie author. All of this has put me in the position I want/need to be in to make 2018 an amazing year professionally speaking.
On a personal note, 2017 had its ups and downs. I have seen my children mature and grow into young men and women that I am very proud of. I have seen my wife do AMAZING things ranging from small (keeping her temper in check when one of our kids is being a monster) to great (being promoted and receiving commendations at her job).
I feel more in love with my wonderful wife than ever, and I understand my children a lot more than I did this time last year. That doesn’t mean the year was without its challenges—VERY much on the contrary—but I am a happier, more content man than I was last year.
A Look Forward at 2018
I am incredibly excited for everything 2018 has to bring for me.
On the professional side, I have a busy schedule of projects to complete:
January 31st is the release of Queen of the Night Guild, the final book in my Queen of Thieves trilogy.
Mid-February will be the release of Traitors’ Fate, a book that bridges the gap between my two series
Late March will be the release of Ragged Heroes: A Fantasy Anthology, which I am organizing.
May through August will mark the relaunching of the series formerly known as The Last Bucelarii, known henceforth as Hero of Darkness. The first three books will be released in May and June, with the last three books releasing July through August. That means writing at least another 250,000 words to complete the series.
I also intend to finish the rough drafts of all three The Silent Champions trilogy novels, with the goal of publishing them in early 2018.
Of course, there’s always the hope that one of my books will win an award or help me hit best-seller status. I also intend to continue studying the marketing and advertising side of things so I can continue to make the transition to full-time writing off the money earned through selling my books.
I have also been presented with a potential job opportunity that, if it works out, could free me up to focus a lot more time on my writing. However, I won’t know for certain until April or May.
On a personal note, 2018 is going to be a big year for my family and myself. We will be making a big move, one that will take me away from my home for at least a month. It’s going to require a hefty investment of time to make the move, but it will hopefully provide a great future for my kids.
All in all, I’m incredibly eager to dive into 2018 and see everything it’s going to bring. I hope you continue to join me along my journey—both personal and professional—as we take advantage of the brand new 365 (now 364) days that this year has to offer.
Happy New Year to you all!
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December 20, 2017
The Next Step in My Author Journey
If you have followed me—here on my blog, on the Fantasy Fiends Podcast, social media, or my reader mail—for more than a few weeks, you’ll no doubt have seen some mention of The Last Bucelarii series and/or the bad-ass assassin known as Hunter of Voramis.
Blade of the Destroyer (the first in The Last Bucelarii series) was the book that started my career as an author. I was blessed to find an amazing publisher in J. Ellington Ashton, and I have enjoyed every moment of working with them. Over the last 2+ years, they have helped me publish the three first adventures in the Hunter’s journey (Blade of the Destroyer, Lament of the Fallen, and Gateway to the Past).
But, as I’ve been learning in the last few months, the book publishing industry is changing. The way people find books, read books, and buy books is vastly different than it was when I released Blade of the Destroyer in August 2015.
If I’m to make a proper career as an author, it’s imperative I change with it.
One of the hardest things for me to learn was that “packaging” is often more important than the quality of the product itself. Specifically, if people weren’t interested in the packaging of the product, they’d never give the product a chance.
This, unfortunately, begins with the book covers.
Let’s get one thing straight: I LOVE the original covers for The Last Bucelarii! I love how grim, dark, and gritty they are, the perfect exemplification of what to expect inside.
But while I knew and loved them, a lot of potential buyers looked and thought, “Nah”, then went on to buy someone else’s book.
Another thing I learned is that a lot of readers like to know IMMEDIATELY what to expect when looking at a book. The cover is vital, but the title has a lot to do with it.
The title “The Last Bucelarii” was clear in my mind, but for the average reader who doesn’t know that the name “Bucelarii” is used to describe half-demon, it was unclear. Many had a hard time pronouncing the name, which led to more confusion.
These factors are just a few of the things that prevented the books from seeing the success I wanted. But it’s not about the money. Granted, millions of dollars in sales would enable me to focus fully on writing novels. The truth is that only way an author knows that people are reading their books is if people actually buy them. Low sales = not a lot of people buying/reading the book. High sales = more readers.
Thus, I have made the decision to unpublish the series as it stands (existing book covers and title), re-package them, and relaunch them with new titles and book covers.
This is actually AWESOME news, for a number of reasons:
I get new covers! Trust me, I’ve seen the artist’s first draft, and after a few minor changes, they are going to be truly spectacular. The covers have a much more “epic” feel to them, which means they will appeal to a broader audience.
I get to take another go at cracking the Amazon algorithm. Thanks to a lot of helpful resources I’ve been reading, I’ve learned a bit more about the data science that drives Amazon’s methods of promoting and distributing books. I intend to use that knowledge (and everything else I can acquire) to re-launch the books to hopefully much greater success.
YOU get the remaining four books more quickly. One of the drawbacks of working with a publisher, even one as awesome as JEA, is that there are other books to be edited, formatted, and published. Thus, books end up being released farther apart.
Not so now! The fact that I am publishing them myself means I can deliver you the content you want much more quickly. In fact, you will receive the final three installments in the series before the end of 2018. That’s right, you heard me: all SIX books will be written and published before the end of next year.
I know it’s a lot to ask for many of you to go and buy my books AGAIN. The story will remain largely the same (with a few updates and changes). If that’s a problem, don’t hesitate to reach out to me, and I’ll see what I can do.
However, I’m firmly of the opinion that this is the right thing—both for my career as an author, and for the story as a whole. Thanks to this new change, I will be able to deliver more high quality books at a much faster pace. Though it will put my new project (military fantasy: The Silent Champions) on hold for a few months, it means I get to finish the first series I ever started—a series following a character that is near and dear to my heart.
Over the next few months, I’ll start posting more details about the book re-launch, including launch date, the covers, updated blurbs, and more.
For now, I leave you with this:
New Series Title: Hero of Darkness (doesn’t that send a shiver down your spine?!)
Book 1: Darkblade Assassin
Book 2: Darkblade Outcast
Book 3: Darkblade Protector
Book 4: Darkblade Seeker
Book 5: Darkblade Slayer
Book 6: Darkblade Savior
I hope you will bear with me on this change. In the end, I intend to make it absolutely worth your while by telling a truly spectacular story of the half-demon assassin who saved his world.
The post The Next Step in My Author Journey appeared first on Andy Peloquin.
December 18, 2017
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: The Bully
Joffrey Baratheon.
Dudley Dursley and Draco Malfoy.
Anyone ever named Biff, Spud, or Spike.
Bullies come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all the same: cruel to others, often for cruelty’s sake of cruelty, but just as often using cruelties to hide their fears and insecurities. They know no reason and cannot be reasoned with. Their one goal is to gain power, strength, and control, no matter who they have to hurt in the process.
Bullies: The Origin
Bullying has been around as long as humans have existed–one of the darkest aspects of human nature.
On the face of it, bullies are defined as, “A person who is cruel to others, especially those who are weaker or have less power.” They assert their dominance through physical, emotional, and psychological aggression. From physical attacks to verbal assaults to social pressure to the modern methods of cyber-bullying and trolling, they use “force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or aggressively dominate others.”
An article on Psychology Today gives an insight into bullies:
The vast majority of children (60 to 70 percent) are never involved in bullying, either as perpetrators or victims. Early in development, most children acquire internal restraints against such behavior. But those who bully do it consistently.
Their aggression starts at an early age.
It takes a very specific set of conditions to produce a child who can start fights, threaten or intimidate a peer (“Give me the jump rope or I’ll kill you”), and actively inflict pain upon others.
The person hurt most by bullying is the bully himself, though that’s not at first obvious, and the negative effects increase over time.
Most bullies have a downwardly spiraling course through life, their behavior interfering with learning, friendships, work, intimate relationships, income, and mental health.
The aggression of girls has been vastly underestimated because it takes a different form. It is a far more subtle and complex means of meanness than the overt physical aggression boys engage in.
Bullies have a slightly different psychological makeup than the “average” person. According to one expert, “they have a distinctive cognitive make-up—a hostile attributional bias, a kind of paranoia. They perpetually attribute hostile intentions to others. The trouble is, they perceive provocation where it does not exist. That comes to justify their aggressive behavior. Say someone bumps them and they drop a book. Bullies don’t see it as an accident; they see it as a call to arms. These children act aggressively because they process social information inaccurately. They endorse revenge. That allows them a favorable attitude toward violence and the use of violence to solve problems.”
Other traits of bullies include:
A strong need to dominate, and they derive satisfaction from injuring others.
Bullies lack what psychologists call prosocial behavior—they do not know how to relate to others.
Bullies are also untroubled by anxiety, an emotion disabling in its extreme form but in milder form the root of human restraint.
They seem to have a low threshold of irritability and exist in a “mood state of readiness.”
Bullies see themselves quite positively—which may be because they are so little aware of what others truly think of them. Indeed, a blindness to the feelings of others permeates their behavioral style and outlook.
The interesting thing is that bullies aren’t just going to pick on anyone. While they usually start out doing so at a young age, by the age of seven, they tend to find the weaker members of the “pack”—the “whipping boys”, the ones who lack assertiveness and radiate fear—and bully them.
But looking behind the façade of cruelty, there is often a weak, scared individual. One scientific study states, “Aggressive behavior is rarely a spontaneous behavior that appears without any connection to previous or parallel experiences involving some type of victimization. Some studies indicate that victimization and perpetration are interconnected: bullies are, or have been, victims; and victims are, or will be, potential bullies. Evidence suggests that the overlaps between different forms of violence, even those that seem unrelated, are so deep that it can be difficult to identify individuals who have experienced, or perpetrated, only a single form of violence. Bullying can be a response to a large and varied assortment of different forms of interpersonal violence and abuse including victimization, neglect, maltreatment, and others.”
It has been said that “Hurt people hurt people.” Bullies are often the very definition of this. Because of events in their past—events that left them scared, powerless, or feeling weak—they use aggression and violence to control their environment and dominate others so they will never feel that way again.
In Stories:
Bullies come in every conceivable shape and form:
Biff Tannen from Back to the Future was a bully as a teenager, and continued to a bully as he grew into an adult.
A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones is filled with bullies: Ser Meryn Trant (who delights in beating a helpless teenaged girl), Gregor Clegane, Joffrey Baratheon, and Ramsey Snow.
Draco Malfoy is the cold, cool “better than you” sort of bully who uses his power and status to push Harry Potter around, while Dudley Dursley is the much more physical sort of bully.
Bullies can be a primary antagonist, a secondary antagonist, or a simple obstacle for the protagonist to overcome. They may be redeemable, but often the best way for the protagonist to deal with bullies is to stand up to them, give them a taste of their own medicine, and remove them as an obstacle.
Go back to the main list of villains and antagonists…
The post Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: The Bully appeared first on Andy Peloquin.
December 11, 2017
The Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Dastardly Whiplash
Snidely Whiplash.
Darken Rahl.
Colonel Sebastian Moran.
From cackling, moustache-twirling, and melodramatic to pompous, arrogant, power-hungry nobleman or ruler, the Dastardly Whiplash is simply “evil for the sake of evil”. They use their wealth and power to prey on the weak for their own amusement or enrichment.
Dastardly Whiplash: The Origin
This character type originally started out as the melodramatic foil to the straight and somber hero—like Snidely Whiplash from the Dudley Do-Right cartoon series.
In British literature, he was typically a minor nobleman of some sort, usually scheming to gain power or riches.
In American literature, he was typically a man of wealth and power: banker, oil baron, real estate mogul, railroad tycoon, etc.
His appearance was always pretty standard:
Evil-looking features—long nose, dark and shifty eyes, and an exaggerated chin
Black top hat and other accessories (gloves, cane, etc.)
Curling black moustache or similarly “evil” facial hair
Old-fashioned suit with cloak used for dramatic flourishes
He is typically evil for evil’s sake. Even when given the chance to make the right decision, he’ll typically cackle, rub his hands, and do the most ridiculous things for the sake of foiling the hero—the things that ultimately foil his own plans or lead to his untimely demise.
The problem with this villain type is that it’s incredibly one-dimensional. People are rarely evil just because they enjoy it (like the “Chaotic Evil” alignment of Dungeons and Dragons). Instead, a well-developed character will typically have an explanation as to how they can rationalize their “evil” actions. They tend to be amoral or have a twisted morality rather than simply a desire to commit evil.
An article on Psychology Today has an interesting explanation of “evil”:
“Evil people are those who are unable to empathize with others. As a result, their own needs and desires are of paramount importance. They are selfish, self-absorbed and narcissistic. In fact, other people only have value for them to the extent that they can help them satisfy their own desires, or to which they can exploit them. This applies to dictators like Stalin and Hitler, and to serial killers and rapists. Their primary characteristics is an inability to empathize with others. They can’t sense other people’s emotions or their suffering, can’t see the world from other people’s perspective, and so have no sense of their rights. Other human beings are just objects to them, which is what makes their brutality and cruelty possible.”
This is usually the explanation behind the “Dastardly Whiplash” character.
In Stories:
The perfect example of a well-developed “Dastardly Whiplash” is the Grinch from the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas. While the Grinch initially is portrayed as a character who is “evil for the sake of evil”, the movie gives a glimpse into how he became so: as a result of being bullied for his unusual appearance. He became the Grinch as a result of his mistreatment, not as a choice.
Darken Rahl from the Sword of Truth series is another similar character, as are most of the villains from that series.
Sherlock Holmes’ antagonist Colonel Sebastian Moran is another excellent example.
The post The Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Dastardly Whiplash appeared first on Andy Peloquin.
